Dumbazz Of The Day

[Jeff Kleb]

Well, I changed the oil & filter on my '05 SR5 4x4 this afternoon. No problem - very easy to do; especially with the oil filter on top of the engine. I also figured it would be good to grease my fittings on the driveshaft(s). There are six of them on four-wheel-drive models, which I found out from this great forum.
:awais:

That is where the fun started. I got all of the fittings easily, except for the ones on the front shaft. The front shaft fittings were facing downward & were blocked by the skid plate/protector. I could not loosen the bolts that hold it on because they were too close to the hot exhaust pipe to loosen with my cheapo socket set - no extension in my toolbox. I 'temporarily' misplaced it recently, it seems.

Okay, so I guessed it would be smart to drive the vehicle around the block until the fitting was facing a direction to where I could get the grease gun tip affixed to it. After moving the truck four or five times, I wondered why it had not rotated. Doh! I never turned on the four-wheel-drive to make the front drive shaft move at all.
:bash:

I clicked it to 4x4 high and moved the truck about three feet. Perfecto!!!! All fittings are good to go with synthetic grease. After that little fiasco, I nominate myself for dumbazz of the day -- at least until someone else chimes in with a better story.

Now my crankcase if full of new Mobil-1 5w30 synthetic once again, and a brand-new Toyota OEM oil filter is keeping it all nice and clean. I even washed the outside, vacuumed the upholstery and treated the dashboard & interior trim to some Armor-All for good measure. I just love a clean, well-maintained truck!!
:bigok:

 

[alpha]

bahh.. it would be a real treatment if you didn't use Armor-all.. but yeah, definitely done dumb stuff like that.. no better story yet.. at least not for today though..

 

[T4RMatt]

Man, I gotta tell ya.....you can turn that front shaft by hand With the vehicle in 2wd in park. So you could have just reached up and turned it a bit with your hand.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Man, I gotta tell ya.....you can turn that front shaft by hand With the vehicle in 2wd in park. So you could have just reached up and turned it a bit with your hand.

Geez. Way to go Matt, just pile on a little higher. Kick a man while he's down, huh?


:beer:

 

[TeryT]

Do a search on here about Armor-All. Most people serious about their vehicle don't use it any more because if various issues.

 

[RunnerUp]

so what was stupid, using the armor all or greasing the driveshafts? seriously, you need to get some aerospace 303 formula, strip all that armorall crap off and redo it, well, that is if you dont want your dash to start cracking, but as for dumbazz things to do....


my girlfriend and i were in tallahassee and decided to go offroading, so i see a huge muddy field that i know im gonna get stuck in, so im thinking, whatever, ive got a winch.... long story short, i get stuck, about halfway thru, pull the winch out, go to use it and i hear it die.... thats one of those "what was i thinking moments" but ohwell, AAA came out there and got me!! and just incase you might not believe my stupidity....


stuck

getting pulled by a chevy.... no comments please

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Okay, so what is so bad about Armor-All? I have used it on every vehicle I have driven during the past 20+ years, and I have yet to experience any problems.

I owned a 1986 Olds Regency Brougham that was sixteen years old when I sold it back in 2002. It did not even have a single crack in the dashboard and the door panels still looked nice - well, at least as nice as they could look on a GM product - despite frequent applications of Armor-All protectant.


Is the stuff really that bad? I hope not, since I use it on tires as well.



P.S. Great to know that AAA got you "unstuck" from the mud. It may have been a Chevy, but just know that Toyota doesn't build tow trucks like that. Then again, it could have been a Ford.
:bash:

 

[alpha]

if you don't keep applying the Armor-all, then it can crack the dash. I believe, or at least from what I've heard, is that it will crack if you don't keep applying it frequently.

IMO, its too shiny. That and I had some serious dashboard fade because I didn't apply it as often. I would apply it maybe once a month, but the dash would fade really quickly..

 

[Jeff Kleb]

if you don't keep applying the Armor-all, then it can crack the dash. I believe, or at least from what I've heard, is that it will crack if you don't keep applying it frequently.

IMO, its too shiny. That and I had some serious dashboard fade because I didn't apply it as often. I would apply it maybe once a month, but the dash would fade really quickly..

I like the "shiny" look of the Armor-All, and I apply it frequently enough so that fade is not a problem. I suppose the next owner of the car will have to worry about that -- but it will at least look good when I decide to sell it.

Since my 4Runner is a leased vehicle, it will still look nice when I turn it in when January of 2008 rolls around.

Good night!!

 

[TeryT]

One reason I stopped using ArmorAll was because it attracted dust so fast. It looks great at first (albeit its greasy feeling), but it was like a dust magnet.

After hearing repeatedly about 303 Aerospace protectant from people on here, over on RV.net & the detailing website, I decided to try some. It doesn't attract dirt, doesn't feel greasy, and is absolutely the best thing I've found for tires as it gives them a nice dark look, and lasts much longer. It gives a nice but more matt finish.

Of course the real value of 303 is that it is perhaps the best sunblock product made. It was developed for aerospace, and I hear most all the airlines use it routinely.

Did I mention 303 was a good product. (actually there is a better sunscreen product for the dash - it's my dash cover!:biggrin2:

 

[alpha]

I haven't tried 303 Aerospace yet. And I'm kindof lazy to dilute.. haha.. Vinylex works pretty well though..

 

[TeryT]

I get premixed 303 - heard good things about Vinylex too.

 

[4RunnerRon]

Armor All - an old product being used on new interior materials = possible cracking of dash or drying out. It works great on old cars and if you're looking for that shiny appearance. Personally, I think a shiny dash is a bit much, especially with the glare. A good cleaner is all you need for the interior. The 303 Aerospace stuff gets good reviews, or some diluted Simple Green even, Vinylex, or what I use - Meguiar's Interior Detailer. Spray on, wipe off, no residue and it's even safe for the audio face and controls without scratching.

 

[Koz]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=18537&perpage=15&highlight=303&pagenumber=2

Koz

 

[RickyCRX]

Honestly, a good sun shade is enough to protect the dash from cracking for MANY MANY MANY years. For cleaning it, a damp terry-cloth towel is all it takes to wipe the dust off that accumulates on the dash.

I've never done anything more than this and every one of my cars' dashes still look brand new (including a 1991 Honda CRX with over 181k miles on it and a 1994 Acura Integra).

Ricky

 

[Baba Booey]

I think auto glass screens out nearly all UV rays. That is why "Transitions" eyeglass lenses will not darken when you are driving in the sun. The lenses are activated by UV rays; however, the auto glass filters out the rays, and the lenses will not darken.

Consider this from Transitions FAQs:

Are Transitions Lenses suitable for driving?
Windshields in today

 

[CRDNLPLT]

Where do you get that 303 stuff?

 

[TeryT]

Where do you get that 303 stuff?

I buy mine at Camping World.

Interesting comment on UV rays inside vehicles. I actually don't use 303 on my dashes, and my 4Runner has a dash cover.

 

[Uneek]

I think auto glass screens out nearly all UV rays.
.....
Therefore, maybe all of this UV protectant hype applies only to the vehicle's exterior.

This is true and I agree with your views. I've inquired about getting Transition lenses years ago, so they can double as sunglasses and the eye care physician, said the exact samething. I finally got Tranisition (taking advantage of insurance coverage ) and they don't get dark in the car.

I believe Toyota calls their UV blocking glass High Energy Solar Absorbing Glass.

 

[biglatka]

I believe Toyota calls their UV blocking glass High Energy Solar Absorbing Glass.

All glass in general (Si02) blocks UV radiation. You won't get a sunburn with the windows rolled up. It does not block infrared though, hence the green house effect inside your vehicle.