HuskerRunner
New member
Just came across this build thread, quite a good looking, low mileage runner! These babies can work wonders, especially when stock. It is nice to see someone taking the simple approach. Great work!
farmerjon's T4R Introduction & Build Thread
- Thread starter farmerjon
- Start date
farmerjon
Senior Member
Thanks for the kind words, HuskerRunner! Always been a big fan of a mostly OEM set up, and these rigs are plenty capable stock, so I like to keep things simple and functional as possible! Still plenty to learn as I go! Up to nearly 154k now.
farmerjon
Senior Member
[ARB blinker] edit + rear window +IAC/TB
The saga of fixing things continues. I realized I hadn't logged replacing my ARB blinkers earlier in mid-August, so I added those to my last post detailing the thermostat fix.
Next up, my rear window switch and/or relay is bad. Upon starting the truck, the rear glass would immediately drop. It got worse/started doing it sooner, to the point that it affect the starting of the rig, as it would put too heavy of a load (I think) on the starter/alternator, affecting idle at one point.
I wrote about it:
[MENTION=59497]sportscarfan[/MENTION] recommended taking the rear keyhole/switch out of the equation - which worked! The caveat is that I can no longer walk up to the rear and lower the window, but am hoping to find a used rear window relay (blue box - 85930-35030) later on to troubleshoot.
I've also been chasing a random idle issue. Sometimes after driving it a few miles and parking, then starting, it wouldn't start on first try, or stay running. At first, I thought it was the MAF. Which retails for around $700 for the '96-'98 style! I took it out and cleaned it with MAF cleaner... Ran better for a few days, and then started acting up again, but more consistently... Specifically, it wouldn't idle at all, without a lot of gas.
So then my research took me to cleaning the throttle body (TB) and the idle air control (IAC) - which are attached to each other, right before the manifold. For those not familiar, the air enters the airbox, through the filter, through the MAF immediately behind the filter, and then goes up the pipe, hitting the TB, then the IAC...
I ordered the 22215 IAC rubber gasket (goes between the IAC and TB), as well as the metal O 22271 gasket to replace preventatively as I took everything apart, cleaning it with MAF cleaner. The TB was dirty but not super dirty. The IAC didn't look dirty, but upon cleaning it, I got a surprising amount of grit out.
Put it all together (after taking the 4x IAC brass screws out with a vice grip, after stripping the screw heads), and it idles great! If it gives me issues again down the road, I will simply buy a new OEM IAC (2227062050) for about $140 on eBay and be done with cleaning it - as there are some reports that this is only a temporary fix. So far, it has held for about two weeks. No pictures really - was in a hurry to fix it and drive 500 miles that night, so I rushed pretty quickly.
Still need front brakes (thinking 199mm Tundra), rear brake adjustment/e-brake fix, fresh OEM suspension (99 talls perhaps?), brake booster/valve cleaning/replacement (44730-60060), front sway-bar endlinks, rear driver's door plastic trim, passenger front window switch (on the way), and perhaps a rear window relay.
Oil change coming up soon.
Parting shot:
[powder day!] by farmerjon93, on Flickr
The saga of fixing things continues. I realized I hadn't logged replacing my ARB blinkers earlier in mid-August, so I added those to my last post detailing the thermostat fix.
Next up, my rear window switch and/or relay is bad. Upon starting the truck, the rear glass would immediately drop. It got worse/started doing it sooner, to the point that it affect the starting of the rig, as it would put too heavy of a load (I think) on the starter/alternator, affecting idle at one point.
I wrote about it:
[MENTION=59497]sportscarfan[/MENTION] recommended taking the rear keyhole/switch out of the equation - which worked! The caveat is that I can no longer walk up to the rear and lower the window, but am hoping to find a used rear window relay (blue box - 85930-35030) later on to troubleshoot.
Years ago on a camping trip I found the rear window down and refusing to go up with any switches. I managed a bush-fix to get the window up and disconnected the motor once it was up.
At home I diagnosed the issue to do with the little wire harness slip ring that the key operates inside the hatch. I removed the little harness and the window has been fine ever since (although I can't roll it down with the key anymore, still operates fine with the dash switch).
Open up the hatch panel and disconnect this harness at the grey connector to see if your problems are solved.
I've also been chasing a random idle issue. Sometimes after driving it a few miles and parking, then starting, it wouldn't start on first try, or stay running. At first, I thought it was the MAF. Which retails for around $700 for the '96-'98 style! I took it out and cleaned it with MAF cleaner... Ran better for a few days, and then started acting up again, but more consistently... Specifically, it wouldn't idle at all, without a lot of gas.
So then my research took me to cleaning the throttle body (TB) and the idle air control (IAC) - which are attached to each other, right before the manifold. For those not familiar, the air enters the airbox, through the filter, through the MAF immediately behind the filter, and then goes up the pipe, hitting the TB, then the IAC...
I ordered the 22215 IAC rubber gasket (goes between the IAC and TB), as well as the metal O 22271 gasket to replace preventatively as I took everything apart, cleaning it with MAF cleaner. The TB was dirty but not super dirty. The IAC didn't look dirty, but upon cleaning it, I got a surprising amount of grit out.
Put it all together (after taking the 4x IAC brass screws out with a vice grip, after stripping the screw heads), and it idles great! If it gives me issues again down the road, I will simply buy a new OEM IAC (2227062050) for about $140 on eBay and be done with cleaning it - as there are some reports that this is only a temporary fix. So far, it has held for about two weeks. No pictures really - was in a hurry to fix it and drive 500 miles that night, so I rushed pretty quickly.
Still need front brakes (thinking 199mm Tundra), rear brake adjustment/e-brake fix, fresh OEM suspension (99 talls perhaps?), brake booster/valve cleaning/replacement (44730-60060), front sway-bar endlinks, rear driver's door plastic trim, passenger front window switch (on the way), and perhaps a rear window relay.
Oil change coming up soon.
Parting shot:
[powder day!] by farmerjon93, on Flickr
stever1000
New member
So I got ALL my LEDs installed - map lights and dome lights... Now for some pictures of my sleeping platform... There are two sections, the section in front is held to the rear section by draw latches, so it is quite sturdy actually. It works well, I like it.
Props to Rickashay (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/97683-rickashays-sleeping-platform.html) for inspiration and answering some questions! I chose not to go with drawers for now, to keep it simple - I may decide to add some in the future, I built it flexible enough to allow for that....
The two boards stacked on top go on the outside, on top of the wheel wells. I'm torn on whether or not to use them, as I kinda like having the wheel well space exposed (seems more useful). I also have to trim the boards a tad more and add some bike inner tube rubber to the edges to prevent them from rubbing up the entire side of my truck...
Photos!
Is that support angled because of the seat backs, and relaxes to a flat position with weight?
What height is that support?
farmerjon
Senior Member
Appreciate the interest! This is not a solution I ended up keeping, as it works, but requires a prop to keep it in place, as it is unstable with weight on top.
My solution for now (the platform needs a rebuild from all the lessons I've learned), is to take the seat bottoms out, and set them in the space between the 'laid down seat backs' and the wood. It is a pretty close fit in terms of height, but works well.
Hope that helps!
farmerjon
Senior Member
Tundra Brake Upgrade (TBU) 199mm
Hey all!
Truck has given me absolutely no issues since the last update in Jan, except the front brakes began to grind a bit. Since I've been wanting to upgrade my brakes to the 1st gen Tundra rotors and calipers, I wasn't too worried about putting grooves in my calipers. With help from my friend John, we tackled the front brakes in about a 2.5 hour period July 3rd. Overall, it went well, very simple - he did one side and then made sure I did the other side right. Thanks John!
The rears are not adjusted right, the ebrake bellcranks are seized - so I've got new rear shoes (449535230 - kit of 4) and a NAPA brake hardware kit, which is next on my list to tackle, hopefully in the next month or so.
Truck is at 159k. I chose to go with the 199 over the 231mm size because I wanted to keep my stock wheels (split 6 spokes), and users report less ABS issues with the 199s overall, or at least that is my impression. However, the ABS is still very touchy on this rig - so it depends on how you see it - better stopping power overall, or more awareness needed in a sudden stop.
Overall, I can stop much better! The front end responds much better, the larger brakes are fabulous! Kinda proud of my ground down brake pad, now I have experience with that! The other side had plenty of life (more than the one pad shown) - so not sure why the driver's side was wearing much faster.
As many know about me, I'm a stickler for OEM replacements all around, no matter what. I really wanted OEM everything, including the caliper. However, new from Toyota, the caliper was ~$362, per side! With two of these, plus the rest of the parts, the front was going to be over $1k alone. I didn't want to spend that kind of $. I looked all over based on the part number and found some here and there, scrapped from junkyards for ~$75/apiece, which wasn't bad, but I was probably going to have to rebuild them. Then I searched eBay for '13WE' instead of the part number, and I got a lot more results. The 199s/13WE's are much harder to find because of the TSB upgrading many 1st gen Tundras to the 231mm/13WL size.
Below is the full part list and prices for reference, from Camelback Toyota (great customer service!), for a 2001 Tundra:
Grand total to do this (not counting a pint of synthetic brake fluid (~$4): 353.39. Worth it!
I would be remiss if I didn't give a shoutout to [MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION] for his stellar and topnotch post about the TBU overall - tons of great and helpful info, even if you're doing the 199mm.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...ements-231mm-13wl-tundra-calipers-rotors.html
Photos!
Old 4R Rotor by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Old 4R Rotor detail by farmerjon93, on Flickr
These are from the same side - driver's. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Old 4R pad wear (notice NO pad life left on bottom!) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
1st gen Tundra vs 3rd gen 4R rotors by farmerjon93, on Flickr
1st gen Tundra vs 3rd gen 4R rotors - detail by farmerjon93, on Flickr
1st gen Tundra vs 3rd gen 4R rotors - overview by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Tundra Caliper on/assembled. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
New Tundra caliper assembled. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Parting shots:
159,026 miles! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Bonus: my dirt monster:
The dirt monster by farmerjon93, on Flickr
t4r_farmerjon_blri by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Thanks for checking in! :hatsoff:
Hey all!
Truck has given me absolutely no issues since the last update in Jan, except the front brakes began to grind a bit. Since I've been wanting to upgrade my brakes to the 1st gen Tundra rotors and calipers, I wasn't too worried about putting grooves in my calipers. With help from my friend John, we tackled the front brakes in about a 2.5 hour period July 3rd. Overall, it went well, very simple - he did one side and then made sure I did the other side right. Thanks John!
The rears are not adjusted right, the ebrake bellcranks are seized - so I've got new rear shoes (449535230 - kit of 4) and a NAPA brake hardware kit, which is next on my list to tackle, hopefully in the next month or so.
Truck is at 159k. I chose to go with the 199 over the 231mm size because I wanted to keep my stock wheels (split 6 spokes), and users report less ABS issues with the 199s overall, or at least that is my impression. However, the ABS is still very touchy on this rig - so it depends on how you see it - better stopping power overall, or more awareness needed in a sudden stop.
Overall, I can stop much better! The front end responds much better, the larger brakes are fabulous! Kinda proud of my ground down brake pad, now I have experience with that! The other side had plenty of life (more than the one pad shown) - so not sure why the driver's side was wearing much faster.
As many know about me, I'm a stickler for OEM replacements all around, no matter what. I really wanted OEM everything, including the caliper. However, new from Toyota, the caliper was ~$362, per side! With two of these, plus the rest of the parts, the front was going to be over $1k alone. I didn't want to spend that kind of $. I looked all over based on the part number and found some here and there, scrapped from junkyards for ~$75/apiece, which wasn't bad, but I was probably going to have to rebuild them. Then I searched eBay for '13WE' instead of the part number, and I got a lot more results. The 199s/13WE's are much harder to find because of the TSB upgrading many 1st gen Tundras to the 231mm/13WL size.
Below is the full part list and prices for reference, from Camelback Toyota (great customer service!), for a 2001 Tundra:
- Front Rotors - 435120C011 - $63.94 x 2
- Front pads (pad kit of 4) - 044650C012 - $57.21 x 1
- Shim kit (slotted or solid, total of 8 shims) - 04945-04012 - $18.30 x 1
- Calipers - 477300C011 (right) + 477500C011 (left) - $150 (eBay, off Cali. 1st gen Tundra with 160k miles, original owner took them off)
Grand total to do this (not counting a pint of synthetic brake fluid (~$4): 353.39. Worth it!
I would be remiss if I didn't give a shoutout to [MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION] for his stellar and topnotch post about the TBU overall - tons of great and helpful info, even if you're doing the 199mm.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...ements-231mm-13wl-tundra-calipers-rotors.html
Photos!
Old 4R Rotor by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Old 4R Rotor detail by farmerjon93, on Flickr
These are from the same side - driver's. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Old 4R pad wear (notice NO pad life left on bottom!) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
1st gen Tundra vs 3rd gen 4R rotors by farmerjon93, on Flickr
1st gen Tundra vs 3rd gen 4R rotors - detail by farmerjon93, on Flickr
1st gen Tundra vs 3rd gen 4R rotors - overview by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Tundra Caliper on/assembled. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
New Tundra caliper assembled. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Parting shots:
159,026 miles! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Bonus: my dirt monster:
The dirt monster by farmerjon93, on Flickr
t4r_farmerjon_blri by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Thanks for checking in! :hatsoff:
Last edited:
farmerjon
Senior Member
15+ months later...
15+ months later... figure it's time for an update.
Now up to 173,000 miles, turned over on 10-27.
160k in August 2017:
20170828_160k! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
In September, in preparation for my second East Coast (salty!) winter, I wanted to get the truck completelyclaybarred and waxed for the first time in my five years of ownership. As I took off the flares, I found this on the passenger rear fender under the flare:
20170903_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-1 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
I used Toyota Natural White paint/pen and repainted, but it re-rusted quickly:
20170930_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-2 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Even after grinding down, treating with phosphoric acid (Ospho), prepping/priming...
20170930_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-3 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171001_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-4 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171004_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-5 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171005_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-6 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Above: This was the final product I was shooting for, but due to cooler fall temps, humidity, and no garage, this often turned out like the first picture... I repeated this process several times.
Truck got professionally barred & waxed for around $65:
20171019_Waxed! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171019_Waxed-Driver's by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171020_Waxed-Front by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171021_Detailer Collage by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Then I just put the flare on and left it be, I'm sure it is rusting away a bit, but I've dealt with it the best I can for the time being.
Then in November, I replaced both front sway bar links (from NAPA)... the driver's front was loose, as seen by the bare steel seen. Took a heat torch (borrowed) to get it off:
20171105_Replacing Driver's Front Swaybar link... missing passenger again! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
After a few months, the passenger side fell off quite promptly, could never keep the bottom of it bolted to the frame! Back to one side unlinked - full-time!
Got some serious snow in mid-November:
20180117_SNOW by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180117_The White in the Snow by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are open year-round for resident access, but are "travel at your own risk", not plowed or maintained:
20180117_Blue Ridge Parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Always love the muddy "splash" look...
20180121_Muddy Days by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Exploring in February:
20180210_Truck Upside Down Sign by farmerjon93, on Flickr
On one of my many trips between the Midwest and East Coast, power plant photo break in VA:
20180318_VA Power Plant by farmerjon93, on Flickr
...to be continued...
15+ months later... figure it's time for an update.
Now up to 173,000 miles, turned over on 10-27.
160k in August 2017:
20170828_160k! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
In September, in preparation for my second East Coast (salty!) winter, I wanted to get the truck completelyclaybarred and waxed for the first time in my five years of ownership. As I took off the flares, I found this on the passenger rear fender under the flare:
20170903_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-1 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
I used Toyota Natural White paint/pen and repainted, but it re-rusted quickly:
20170930_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-2 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Even after grinding down, treating with phosphoric acid (Ospho), prepping/priming...
20170930_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-3 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171001_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-4 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171004_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-5 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171005_Pass-Rear-Fender-Rust-6 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Above: This was the final product I was shooting for, but due to cooler fall temps, humidity, and no garage, this often turned out like the first picture... I repeated this process several times.
Truck got professionally barred & waxed for around $65:
20171019_Waxed! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171019_Waxed-Driver's by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171020_Waxed-Front by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20171021_Detailer Collage by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Then I just put the flare on and left it be, I'm sure it is rusting away a bit, but I've dealt with it the best I can for the time being.
Then in November, I replaced both front sway bar links (from NAPA)... the driver's front was loose, as seen by the bare steel seen. Took a heat torch (borrowed) to get it off:
20171105_Replacing Driver's Front Swaybar link... missing passenger again! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
After a few months, the passenger side fell off quite promptly, could never keep the bottom of it bolted to the frame! Back to one side unlinked - full-time!
Got some serious snow in mid-November:
20180117_SNOW by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180117_The White in the Snow by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are open year-round for resident access, but are "travel at your own risk", not plowed or maintained:
20180117_Blue Ridge Parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Always love the muddy "splash" look...
20180121_Muddy Days by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Exploring in February:
20180210_Truck Upside Down Sign by farmerjon93, on Flickr
On one of my many trips between the Midwest and East Coast, power plant photo break in VA:
20180318_VA Power Plant by farmerjon93, on Flickr
...to be continued...
Last edited:
farmerjon
Senior Member
...continued.
... continued:
Rear latch started to go in March, to the point where the hatch striker would not latch closed when slammed shut. Could not, for the life of me, get it to stick shut, eventually had to push it close (to keep door light off overnight) and even tied it shut for a few weeks as I sourced a replacement...
Called a 'door lock assemby' - part no: 69350-35020 - $133.07 on Camelback Toyota. . Ended up sourcing a rust-free one for around $75 from a local Toyota parts place. Still steep but saved a little money while staying OEM! Unfortunately, no photos, but very straightforward uninstall, that involved taking the rear tailgate apart:
20180426_Replacing rear latch by farmerjon93, on Flickr
In here somewhere, I purchased front/rear wiper blades - OEM - for the 4R. Fronts replaced in short order, wiper arm also rattle-canned black. Rear blade was stuck on with seized screws, fronts were easy to swap. Call me crazy for OEM, but these were my first blades in 6 years, so I figured it was worth it:
Late April, went exploring for two days with a buddy - on the way, the truck suddenly got louder pulling out of a parking lot onto the street. Pulling over at a Dodge dealership, I couldn't see the usual culprit dangling under the truck: the rear O2 sensor. I kept driving for a while, racking my brain, eventually realizing it was the upstream O2 sensor having fallen off the rusty studs, after doing some diagnosing with my Ultraguage... Once I knew where the upstream O2 was, I saw it was out... Heading into remote country, I didn't want the sensor dangling for miles of muddy dirt/gravel roads... Racking my brain for something non-combustible to tie it on the exhaust pipe, I saw the old wiper blades...
20180427_Fixing front O2 sensor by farmerjon93, on Flickr
The steel in those is tough stuff - but fixed!
20180427_Front O2 sensor fixed (still!) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Was fantastic to get out and spend time breaking in his new 4th gen (2007 SR5 4WD):
20180427_The Runner's by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180427_Runner's! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180427_The Runner's! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Blue Ridge Parkway in July...
20180710_parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
170,000 miles!
20180724_170K by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Next up was getting around to fixing the rear e-brake and getting the rear shoes adjusted/replaced. It's been over a year since I did the 199mm Tundra upgrade on the front, so it was about time to get with my friend John again and get things replaced!
We took apart the passenger side and got the shoes and much of the drum brake hardware replaced... No photos. We cracked open the driver's side and immediately thought we had a leaking brake cylinder:
20180820_Rear Axle seal by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180820_Rear Axle Seal by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Turns out, my time had come for me to deal with the infamous leaking rear axle seals. My diff breather had completely sealed shut (original, lasting 170k miles!), forcing my driver's side axle seal to blow. We buttoned everything backup as I headed home to figure out next steps. Preliminary research showed this was a $1200 job at the dealer, and, not often done right!
First, a huge shoutout to [MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION] for his fantastic writeup, enabling me to know exactly what to expect, look for, and part numbers:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...e-information-replacement-thread-3rd-gen.html . He is the man.
Due to the tricky labor, machine shop aspect, and limited garage availability, I ended up finding a local private Toyota specialist, who charged $295 labor to replace the rear axle seals, drum backing plates, and the all of the axle e-brake components. Parts were $666.62 for all. Total cost to replace my rusty backing plates, new ebrake system, install driver's brake shoes and re-assemble passenger shoes, and replace both rear axle seals was around $1,000, definitely the most money I've put into this truck in six years of ownership.
Parts list:
9093003031 PLUG, BREATHER 1
4704435170 backing plate left 1
9031348001 SEAL, TYPE K OIL 2
9052036045 RING, SHAFT SNAP 2
4351735010 ROTOR, SKID CONTROL, 2
4242320010 RETAINER, RR AXLE BE 4
903634002077 BEARING,BAL,40,90,K 2
9031050006 SEAL, TYPE S OIL 2
9030188077 RING, O 2
4762435050 CRANK, PARKING BRAKE 1
4762535050 CRANK, PARKING BRAKE 1
4762835020 BRACKET, BELLCRANK 2
4763335020 BOOT, BELLCRANK 2
9090506016 SPRING, TENSION 2
9024908068 PIN 2
9021306013 WASHER, TYPE C 2
9014360002 SCREW, SLOTTED HEXAG 2
9413060600 NUT 2
4704335180 backing plate, Right 1
Backing plates were rusting through, and the axle is attached, so knowing it would be labor-intensive (and repetitious) to take everything apart to replace the plates in a few years, I elected to go ahead and replace them. This wasn't easy, consider they were nearly $87/apiece! When they arrived, I was very disappointed to find that Camelback Toyota had not packaged the parts well at all, letting one plate scratch the other. I ended up rattle-can painting both the night before they went on the truck. Camelback gave me $8/off per plate, which was disappointing, but I chose not to press it further (they also gave me the TacomaWorld discount, around 19.5%, earlier in the transaction, which was kind of them).
$670 worth of parts!
20180905_Rear Axle Seal parts by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Many scratches like this all over both plates:
20180905_Rear plate scratches by farmerjon93, on Flickr
No further photos of this ordeal, so far the seals seem to be holding 3,000 miles later. Shop had 90 years of Toyota experience between 3 techs who had left a dishonest dealer to start their own business. Great work and very honest, worked with me the entire way! Best feeling I had all week was picking the truck up and knowing it was set for thousands more miles! Nothin' like a 4R!
Some adventures...
20180908_Parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180908_Parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180908_Parkway glass by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180924_black and white by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Next up, end of September, I tackled some rust on the ARB. The entire front face of the ARB has a patina, revealing rust from underneath the powdercoat, not surprising for an originally OH truck living on the East Coast salt!
20180928_Rusty ARB by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Got a wire brush for my drill, ground things down:
20180928_Cleaned up by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Sprayed on some 3M Rubberized Undercoating, which did not go on even at all, looks like a 3-yr-old did fingerpainting, but now the area is sealed up, at least until I take it to get it re-powercoated in another year or so. Need to tackle some minor panel rust and look at painting rockers. Fluid film is overdue for the underside before the first salting arrives.
Most recently, I dealt with the rear wiper blade. Varying size screwdrivers failed to turn the screws, along with WD-40... So I drilled out the tops of the screws and went to Lowes...
One drilled, one not... by farmerjon93, on Flickr
I also wanted to replace the rubber slider, you can see the corrosion and the scratches it was leaving...(screw heads are drilled off, studs remaining - taken out with vice grips):
20181014_204943853_iOS by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Returned 3 different sets of metric and US screw sizes to the Lowes, didn't have the right set, so I ordered the screws via the dealer for $2.79 for 2 (0.69 apiece online + shipping - no way!). Dealer didn't notify me they arrived so they gave me the screws for free! Part number: 90099-00925 for rear wiper blade assembly screw - need 2. Includes locking washers as well.
Anticipate rolling over another thousand or so miles over the upcoming holidays, have every reason to expect continued reliability and turn-key adventure!
Thanks for following!
... continued:
Rear latch started to go in March, to the point where the hatch striker would not latch closed when slammed shut. Could not, for the life of me, get it to stick shut, eventually had to push it close (to keep door light off overnight) and even tied it shut for a few weeks as I sourced a replacement...
Called a 'door lock assemby' - part no: 69350-35020 - $133.07 on Camelback Toyota. . Ended up sourcing a rust-free one for around $75 from a local Toyota parts place. Still steep but saved a little money while staying OEM! Unfortunately, no photos, but very straightforward uninstall, that involved taking the rear tailgate apart:
20180426_Replacing rear latch by farmerjon93, on Flickr
In here somewhere, I purchased front/rear wiper blades - OEM - for the 4R. Fronts replaced in short order, wiper arm also rattle-canned black. Rear blade was stuck on with seized screws, fronts were easy to swap. Call me crazy for OEM, but these were my first blades in 6 years, so I figured it was worth it:
- Front Blade - Right - 16.09 - 8521204012
- Front Blade - Left - 16.09 - 8522235091
- Rear Blade - 7.01 - 8524235010
Late April, went exploring for two days with a buddy - on the way, the truck suddenly got louder pulling out of a parking lot onto the street. Pulling over at a Dodge dealership, I couldn't see the usual culprit dangling under the truck: the rear O2 sensor. I kept driving for a while, racking my brain, eventually realizing it was the upstream O2 sensor having fallen off the rusty studs, after doing some diagnosing with my Ultraguage... Once I knew where the upstream O2 was, I saw it was out... Heading into remote country, I didn't want the sensor dangling for miles of muddy dirt/gravel roads... Racking my brain for something non-combustible to tie it on the exhaust pipe, I saw the old wiper blades...
20180427_Fixing front O2 sensor by farmerjon93, on Flickr
The steel in those is tough stuff - but fixed!
20180427_Front O2 sensor fixed (still!) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Was fantastic to get out and spend time breaking in his new 4th gen (2007 SR5 4WD):
20180427_The Runner's by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180427_Runner's! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180427_The Runner's! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Blue Ridge Parkway in July...
20180710_parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
170,000 miles!
20180724_170K by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Next up was getting around to fixing the rear e-brake and getting the rear shoes adjusted/replaced. It's been over a year since I did the 199mm Tundra upgrade on the front, so it was about time to get with my friend John again and get things replaced!
We took apart the passenger side and got the shoes and much of the drum brake hardware replaced... No photos. We cracked open the driver's side and immediately thought we had a leaking brake cylinder:
20180820_Rear Axle seal by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180820_Rear Axle Seal by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Turns out, my time had come for me to deal with the infamous leaking rear axle seals. My diff breather had completely sealed shut (original, lasting 170k miles!), forcing my driver's side axle seal to blow. We buttoned everything backup as I headed home to figure out next steps. Preliminary research showed this was a $1200 job at the dealer, and, not often done right!
First, a huge shoutout to [MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION] for his fantastic writeup, enabling me to know exactly what to expect, look for, and part numbers:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...e-information-replacement-thread-3rd-gen.html . He is the man.
Due to the tricky labor, machine shop aspect, and limited garage availability, I ended up finding a local private Toyota specialist, who charged $295 labor to replace the rear axle seals, drum backing plates, and the all of the axle e-brake components. Parts were $666.62 for all. Total cost to replace my rusty backing plates, new ebrake system, install driver's brake shoes and re-assemble passenger shoes, and replace both rear axle seals was around $1,000, definitely the most money I've put into this truck in six years of ownership.
Parts list:
9093003031 PLUG, BREATHER 1
4704435170 backing plate left 1
9031348001 SEAL, TYPE K OIL 2
9052036045 RING, SHAFT SNAP 2
4351735010 ROTOR, SKID CONTROL, 2
4242320010 RETAINER, RR AXLE BE 4
903634002077 BEARING,BAL,40,90,K 2
9031050006 SEAL, TYPE S OIL 2
9030188077 RING, O 2
4762435050 CRANK, PARKING BRAKE 1
4762535050 CRANK, PARKING BRAKE 1
4762835020 BRACKET, BELLCRANK 2
4763335020 BOOT, BELLCRANK 2
9090506016 SPRING, TENSION 2
9024908068 PIN 2
9021306013 WASHER, TYPE C 2
9014360002 SCREW, SLOTTED HEXAG 2
9413060600 NUT 2
4704335180 backing plate, Right 1
Backing plates were rusting through, and the axle is attached, so knowing it would be labor-intensive (and repetitious) to take everything apart to replace the plates in a few years, I elected to go ahead and replace them. This wasn't easy, consider they were nearly $87/apiece! When they arrived, I was very disappointed to find that Camelback Toyota had not packaged the parts well at all, letting one plate scratch the other. I ended up rattle-can painting both the night before they went on the truck. Camelback gave me $8/off per plate, which was disappointing, but I chose not to press it further (they also gave me the TacomaWorld discount, around 19.5%, earlier in the transaction, which was kind of them).
$670 worth of parts!
20180905_Rear Axle Seal parts by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Many scratches like this all over both plates:
20180905_Rear plate scratches by farmerjon93, on Flickr
No further photos of this ordeal, so far the seals seem to be holding 3,000 miles later. Shop had 90 years of Toyota experience between 3 techs who had left a dishonest dealer to start their own business. Great work and very honest, worked with me the entire way! Best feeling I had all week was picking the truck up and knowing it was set for thousands more miles! Nothin' like a 4R!
Some adventures...
20180908_Parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180908_Parkway by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180908_Parkway glass by farmerjon93, on Flickr
20180924_black and white by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Next up, end of September, I tackled some rust on the ARB. The entire front face of the ARB has a patina, revealing rust from underneath the powdercoat, not surprising for an originally OH truck living on the East Coast salt!
20180928_Rusty ARB by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Got a wire brush for my drill, ground things down:
20180928_Cleaned up by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Sprayed on some 3M Rubberized Undercoating, which did not go on even at all, looks like a 3-yr-old did fingerpainting, but now the area is sealed up, at least until I take it to get it re-powercoated in another year or so. Need to tackle some minor panel rust and look at painting rockers. Fluid film is overdue for the underside before the first salting arrives.
Most recently, I dealt with the rear wiper blade. Varying size screwdrivers failed to turn the screws, along with WD-40... So I drilled out the tops of the screws and went to Lowes...
One drilled, one not... by farmerjon93, on Flickr
I also wanted to replace the rubber slider, you can see the corrosion and the scratches it was leaving...(screw heads are drilled off, studs remaining - taken out with vice grips):
20181014_204943853_iOS by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Returned 3 different sets of metric and US screw sizes to the Lowes, didn't have the right set, so I ordered the screws via the dealer for $2.79 for 2 (0.69 apiece online + shipping - no way!). Dealer didn't notify me they arrived so they gave me the screws for free! Part number: 90099-00925 for rear wiper blade assembly screw - need 2. Includes locking washers as well.
Anticipate rolling over another thousand or so miles over the upcoming holidays, have every reason to expect continued reliability and turn-key adventure!
Thanks for following!
Last edited:
farmerjon
Senior Member
Somehow... 2 years later...
Here I am, October 2020, two years later from my last update. Lots has happened and not a lot else. I still have the truck and it's sitting at nearly 191k now. Still rusting and still fixing things but continues to be my favorite ride ever. In late August 2020, fellow 4R buddy (4th gen) and I did nearly 6k miles roaming the American West (18 states) in a two week span, co-piloting the 3rd gen.
Overall in 2020 (no repairs of note in 2019):
February 2020: Had the muffler exit pipe break off from my "stainless" SS Walker exhaust that is now about 8'ish years old, repaired for $100 locally, also included replacing both sets of O2 sensor studs, a pain during nearly all of the truck's ownership. Picture of before, no after picture:
Muffler pipe exit (Feb 2020) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
March 2020: My brother was in town for a visit and remarked that the brake pedal was going almost to the floor - I chuckled and said that was normal. Afterwards, I discovered it was indeed going almost to the floor. It took me a bit of diagnosing to discover a brake fluid leak:
Diagnosing brake pedal issue by farmerjon93, on Flickr
This is above the rear shock upper mount on the driver's side, you can see the wet brake fluid, I saw it running down the shock itself and dripping on the ground after pumping the brakes a number of times (thanks to T4R.org for the advice, made for a quick find!).
A few weeks later, my neighbor was walking by on the street and noticed a drip near the transmission area and let me know - turns out my transfer case was leaking gear oil, from the front output shaft - not immediately obvious with the case skid plate on.
Before - transfer case seal leak - front output shaft by farmerjon93, on Flickr
With various events taking place in spring 2020, the truck sat for about 6-8 weeks or more, as I got info, gathered parts & confidence to tackle brake line and transfer case seal work myself. First up was the brakes, parts list as follows:
I started things in late April, some photos:
copper brake line parts (1) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
copper brake line parts (2) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
I was able to join the 30" + 60" sections of copper line and thread it between the frame and the fuel tank, there is a space just big enough to fit the line, pushing it through from the back (so as to not have to push the brass union join through), was able to keep the whole thing straight by pushing it in from between the tow hitch and the bumper. Once that was threaded, above the rear shock tower, I was able to gradually, by hand, bend the copper line over to the flex brake line cable that sits above the rear diff. This proved to be my biggest hassle:
rear brake line flex hose by farmerjon93, on Flickr
...getting this hose to untwist, so that I could get it out through this hole, proved to be impossible, no matter the vise grip and plier combination, I tried all kinds of things. Went back to order more parts, this time all new, OEM brake lines from the hose to the wheels, parts from the fabulous McGeorge Toyota (super fast shipping (2 day!), very reasonable prices (cheapest OEM supplier right now, way better than Camelback), and cheap shipping compared to most):
I was able to put everything together once these came in. I elected to purchase all new parts since it seemed like some parts of the brake lines were ready to give out, and with the rear axle among the most exposed parts of the truck to the road salt, I went for it.
routing rear brake line by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Bolting up to my new backing plates installed 1.5 years prior during the rear axle seal/bearing replacement:
rear axle - new brake line by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Some OEM goodness:
new brake line! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
OEM goodness! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
3-way join installed by farmerjon93, on Flickr
old line - junk! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
under driver's seat - joining front & rear lines by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Fluid film afterwards by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Bleeding the brakes was an interesting experience, using the two person method, taught me a lot about the importance of sealed brake lines and how a rupture can have immediate consequences.
Onto the transfer case...
Here I am, October 2020, two years later from my last update. Lots has happened and not a lot else. I still have the truck and it's sitting at nearly 191k now. Still rusting and still fixing things but continues to be my favorite ride ever. In late August 2020, fellow 4R buddy (4th gen) and I did nearly 6k miles roaming the American West (18 states) in a two week span, co-piloting the 3rd gen.
Overall in 2020 (no repairs of note in 2019):
- Muffler exit pipe repair, front/rear o2 sensor studs replaced - February 2020
- Rear brake lines - diagnosed March 2020
- transfer case seal - diagnosed March/April 2020
- Timing belt / water pump / wipers - May 2020 (shop).
- Water leak - June 2020
- Brake shield noise - July 2020
- Rear Shocks (leaning on one side) - August 2020
- new tires / alignment attempt / LCA info - August 2020
- transmission torque converter / oil pump seal - diagnosed September 2020
February 2020: Had the muffler exit pipe break off from my "stainless" SS Walker exhaust that is now about 8'ish years old, repaired for $100 locally, also included replacing both sets of O2 sensor studs, a pain during nearly all of the truck's ownership. Picture of before, no after picture:
Muffler pipe exit (Feb 2020) by farmerjon93, on FlickrMarch 2020: My brother was in town for a visit and remarked that the brake pedal was going almost to the floor - I chuckled and said that was normal. Afterwards, I discovered it was indeed going almost to the floor. It took me a bit of diagnosing to discover a brake fluid leak:
Diagnosing brake pedal issue by farmerjon93, on FlickrThis is above the rear shock upper mount on the driver's side, you can see the wet brake fluid, I saw it running down the shock itself and dripping on the ground after pumping the brakes a number of times (thanks to T4R.org for the advice, made for a quick find!).
A few weeks later, my neighbor was walking by on the street and noticed a drip near the transmission area and let me know - turns out my transfer case was leaking gear oil, from the front output shaft - not immediately obvious with the case skid plate on.
Before - transfer case seal leak - front output shaft by farmerjon93, on FlickrWith various events taking place in spring 2020, the truck sat for about 6-8 weeks or more, as I got info, gathered parts & confidence to tackle brake line and transfer case seal work myself. First up was the brakes, parts list as follows:
- Valvoline DOT 3 and 4 Brake Fluid (32 oz.) $7.99
- Brake line: Copper 3/16" 'Japanese' - $13.99 for 60" + $10.49 for 30" (CNJ-330)
- Brass union: 3/16" for $3.49
- 90119-08A30 - Brake line bolt (~$2)
- 90412-10165 - Way, 2 (joins front & rear brake lines) (~$15)
- Fuel tubing kit for $5.49
I started things in late April, some photos:
copper brake line parts (1) by farmerjon93, on Flickrcopper brake line parts (2) by farmerjon93, on FlickrI was able to join the 30" + 60" sections of copper line and thread it between the frame and the fuel tank, there is a space just big enough to fit the line, pushing it through from the back (so as to not have to push the brass union join through), was able to keep the whole thing straight by pushing it in from between the tow hitch and the bumper. Once that was threaded, above the rear shock tower, I was able to gradually, by hand, bend the copper line over to the flex brake line cable that sits above the rear diff. This proved to be my biggest hassle:
rear brake line flex hose by farmerjon93, on Flickr...getting this hose to untwist, so that I could get it out through this hole, proved to be impossible, no matter the vise grip and plier combination, I tried all kinds of things. Went back to order more parts, this time all new, OEM brake lines from the hose to the wheels, parts from the fabulous McGeorge Toyota (super fast shipping (2 day!), very reasonable prices (cheapest OEM supplier right now, way better than Camelback), and cheap shipping compared to most):
- 90947-02869 Brake Hose $39.94
- 47326-35060 Brake Tube LEFT $14.22
- 47325-35280 Brake Tube RIGHT $14.22
- 90413-10263 Way 3 $10.17
- 90468-08046 Clip $1.70
- 90119-A0055 Bolt W Washer $0.93 (x5) $4.65
- 90461-08690 Clamp $2.01 (x4) $8.04
I was able to put everything together once these came in. I elected to purchase all new parts since it seemed like some parts of the brake lines were ready to give out, and with the rear axle among the most exposed parts of the truck to the road salt, I went for it.
routing rear brake line by farmerjon93, on FlickrBolting up to my new backing plates installed 1.5 years prior during the rear axle seal/bearing replacement:
rear axle - new brake line by farmerjon93, on FlickrSome OEM goodness:
new brake line! by farmerjon93, on FlickrOEM goodness! by farmerjon93, on Flickr3-way join installed by farmerjon93, on Flickrold line - junk! by farmerjon93, on Flickrunder driver's seat - joining front & rear lines by farmerjon93, on FlickrFluid film afterwards by farmerjon93, on FlickrBleeding the brakes was an interesting experience, using the two person method, taught me a lot about the importance of sealed brake lines and how a rupture can have immediate consequences.
Onto the transfer case...
Last edited:
farmerjon
Senior Member
Transfer case... continued
May 2020 continues with my transfer case, before:
Before - transfer case seal leak - front output shaft by farmerjon93, on Flickr
I was able to source the seal and stake nut from my local Toyota dealer, then later, the flange from McGeorge Toyota. Parts list:
In short, the driveshafts hadn't been lubed, so no grease came out when I tried to collapse the shaft/yoke. I finally got it with some consistent pressure and the right angle, after working to get the 4 sets of nuts off the transfer case flange. I was able to seat the seal correctly, had the flange back on, then got paranoid it wasn't seated correctly, so I yanked it off, bouncing it back on the shaft, dinging the surface where the seal rides! New flange sourced and purchased, everything back together and fresh grease in the shaft, the truck was happy to be in 4WD again! Pictures:
staked nut in transfer case by farmerjon93, on Flickr
draining gear oil by farmerjon93, on Flickr
flange off by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Dinged flange:
What's wrong here? by farmerjon93, on Flickr
See the ding? by farmerjon93, on Flickr
New flange! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
New flange installed by farmerjon93, on Flickr
new flange installed (3) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
after! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Later in May, with the epic road trip coming up in August, I decided to have my trusted Toyota mechanic take care of the timing belt and water pump install, utilizing aircabinman's kit on eBay, for an unbeatable price of $300 plus $20 tax.
Engine temps were 5-10 degrees cooler, with the mechanic honoring my request of the thermostat jiggle valve at 6 o'clock instead of the conventional 12 o'clock. I had moved it to 6 at my last thermostat change (145k miles), but the mechanic burped the system even better than I did, with cooler results! New wipers as well, courtesy of the mechanic.
In June thereabout, I was able to add more Shoe Goo to the firewall hole that sits under the windshield cowl, which allows water to drip into the cab/driver's footwell, during heavy rainstorms. Water under the driver's carpet has been an ongoing issue for months, so it seems that issue is resolved. July, I was chasing a passenger side noise that my passengers were telling me was high pitched, and would come and go but extremely horrendous. I took apart the brakes on both sides, even replaced the pads (Tundra 199mm: 04465-0C012), which were only half worn with 20k miles on them - but to no avail. My manager listened and discovered it was a sticking dust shield hitting the wheel, ever so slightly. I was able to bend it back and take care of this issue, instead of replacing the hub/bearing!
flexing by farmerjon93, on Flickr
spring the forest by farmerjon93, on Flickr
spring the forest 2 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
August 2020: next up: rear shocks. The truck would gain a Taco bro lean after pulling sharply into a space, as high as an inch on one side, lower on the other. I eventually ascribed this issue to worn rear shocks, so new shocks were ordered, along with poly bushings:
First time suspension work on my own, so rear shocks was a good place to start. I broke off the old ones and discovered worn upper mount holes. I also found inconsistently matching size and number of washers after completing the install, leading me to realize that the small-town mechanic who had replaced my shocks around 100k miles had not done a great job and perhaps had led to the worn mount holes.
rear shock hole by farmerjon93, on Flickr
worn upper shock stud by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Then, less than a week to go before the trip, I installed new BFG 265/70/R16 E-load tires (exact same tire as before, old set got nearly 45k miles on them), ordering from Amazon for $265/tire. Expensive but worth it for never having a flat and unmatched off road traction. I took it to a "real" alignment shop for an alignment and they discovered my LCA bushings are shot, and didn't do the alignment or charge for the diagnostics, kindly showing me the issues with worn LCAs. This explains my inner tire wear I've had for nearly 50-60k miles now. I also have worn front shock/strut bushings, getting to metal on metal contact almost. Another $1k job. I left the alignment alone (wanted to get steering wheel straight, it DRIVES straight fine still), and drove 5.8k miles with no issues! Rotating tires every 5k miles will continue to be important for the life of these tires.
New tires! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Mileage. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
And a teaser from the road trip - nearly 13k feet at Engineer Pass, in CO!
The American West: ROAD TRIP by farmerjon93, on Flickr
May 2020 continues with my transfer case, before:
Before - transfer case seal leak - front output shaft by farmerjon93, on Flickr
I was able to source the seal and stake nut from my local Toyota dealer, then later, the flange from McGeorge Toyota. Parts list:
- 90311-41012 - Front Output Shaft seal (~$10)
- 90179-22016 - Stake nut ($3)
- 33309-35100 - Flange Sub-Assembly Out $117.62
- Lucas Synthetic Gear Oil - 2 quarts ($14.99 x 2)
- Lucas Red "N "Tacky Grease (14 oz.) - $6.79
- Performance Seal Puller - $13.99
In short, the driveshafts hadn't been lubed, so no grease came out when I tried to collapse the shaft/yoke. I finally got it with some consistent pressure and the right angle, after working to get the 4 sets of nuts off the transfer case flange. I was able to seat the seal correctly, had the flange back on, then got paranoid it wasn't seated correctly, so I yanked it off, bouncing it back on the shaft, dinging the surface where the seal rides! New flange sourced and purchased, everything back together and fresh grease in the shaft, the truck was happy to be in 4WD again! Pictures:
staked nut in transfer case by farmerjon93, on Flickr
draining gear oil by farmerjon93, on Flickr
flange off by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Dinged flange:
What's wrong here? by farmerjon93, on Flickr
See the ding? by farmerjon93, on Flickr
New flange! by farmerjon93, on FlickrNew flange installed by farmerjon93, on Flickr
new flange installed (3) by farmerjon93, on Flickr
after! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Later in May, with the epic road trip coming up in August, I decided to have my trusted Toyota mechanic take care of the timing belt and water pump install, utilizing aircabinman's kit on eBay, for an unbeatable price of $300 plus $20 tax.
- Labor: 369.27
- 1 Timing Belt & 1 label Toyota 13568-69095/YZZ03
- Idler Roller NSK OE 13503-62040
- Tensioner Roller Koyo OE 13505-62070
- Front Crankshaft Seal Toyota/NOK OE 90311-40022
- 2 x Front Camshaft Seals Toyota/NOK OE 90311-38051
- Water Pump Aisin OE 16100-69398-83
- Water Pump Gasket Aisin 16271-62011
- Hydraulic Tensioner Toyota 13540-62021
- Thermostat (82°c) Toyota 90916-03075
- Thermostat Gasket Aisin 16325-62010
- Air Conditioning Belt Toyota 99364-20870
- Alternator Belt Toyota 90080-91090
- Power Steering Belt Toyota 90080-91126
Engine temps were 5-10 degrees cooler, with the mechanic honoring my request of the thermostat jiggle valve at 6 o'clock instead of the conventional 12 o'clock. I had moved it to 6 at my last thermostat change (145k miles), but the mechanic burped the system even better than I did, with cooler results! New wipers as well, courtesy of the mechanic.
In June thereabout, I was able to add more Shoe Goo to the firewall hole that sits under the windshield cowl, which allows water to drip into the cab/driver's footwell, during heavy rainstorms. Water under the driver's carpet has been an ongoing issue for months, so it seems that issue is resolved. July, I was chasing a passenger side noise that my passengers were telling me was high pitched, and would come and go but extremely horrendous. I took apart the brakes on both sides, even replaced the pads (Tundra 199mm: 04465-0C012), which were only half worn with 20k miles on them - but to no avail. My manager listened and discovered it was a sticking dust shield hitting the wheel, ever so slightly. I was able to bend it back and take care of this issue, instead of replacing the hub/bearing!
flexing by farmerjon93, on Flickr
spring the forest by farmerjon93, on Flickrspring the forest 2 by farmerjon93, on Flickr
August 2020: next up: rear shocks. The truck would gain a Taco bro lean after pulling sharply into a space, as high as an inch on one side, lower on the other. I eventually ascribed this issue to worn rear shocks, so new shocks were ordered, along with poly bushings:
- 48531-80693 Shock Absorber $42.85 x 2
- Energy Suspension- 8.8102G REAR SHOCK BUSHINGS - $15.12
First time suspension work on my own, so rear shocks was a good place to start. I broke off the old ones and discovered worn upper mount holes. I also found inconsistently matching size and number of washers after completing the install, leading me to realize that the small-town mechanic who had replaced my shocks around 100k miles had not done a great job and perhaps had led to the worn mount holes.
rear shock hole by farmerjon93, on Flickr
worn upper shock stud by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Then, less than a week to go before the trip, I installed new BFG 265/70/R16 E-load tires (exact same tire as before, old set got nearly 45k miles on them), ordering from Amazon for $265/tire. Expensive but worth it for never having a flat and unmatched off road traction. I took it to a "real" alignment shop for an alignment and they discovered my LCA bushings are shot, and didn't do the alignment or charge for the diagnostics, kindly showing me the issues with worn LCAs. This explains my inner tire wear I've had for nearly 50-60k miles now. I also have worn front shock/strut bushings, getting to metal on metal contact almost. Another $1k job. I left the alignment alone (wanted to get steering wheel straight, it DRIVES straight fine still), and drove 5.8k miles with no issues! Rotating tires every 5k miles will continue to be important for the life of these tires.
New tires! by farmerjon93, on Flickr
Mileage. by farmerjon93, on Flickr
And a teaser from the road trip - nearly 13k feet at Engineer Pass, in CO!
The American West: ROAD TRIP by farmerjon93, on Flickr
farmerjon
Senior Member
On day 2 of the trip, traveling original Route 66 in Oklahoma, the transmission slipped for the first time in all my years of driving/ownership. We ended up checking the transmission level and discovering that it was about 4-5 quarts low. We added two quarts, drove it, and it was still low, so we added more until it was at a better level. No issues for about 3 more weeks, then it slipped again one time about a week after the trip was over. With a rear main seal leak (very slow, less than a quart per oil change), I have theorized that the oil pump/torque converter seal has gone bad, thus the two fluids are leaking together, which is why it's been so hard to diagnose the issue. I've ordered the following parts and am having my trusted Toyota mechanic drop the transmission and replace both seals, as well as the transmission filter.
We'll see how it goes, labor is estimated to be about $800, parts are about $100.
We'll see how it goes, labor is estimated to be about $800, parts are about $100.
farmerjon
Senior Member
Hey! I'm not seeing any leaks from the output shaft, and the engine has been wet for years where the engine and the transmission meet, which I always attributed to my rear main. With the dirt and oil mixing with the trans fluid, I think it's plausible. I'm hoping my mechanic will be able to confirm when he gets it apart, it seems you would see trans fluid where it shouldn't be once its apart?
T4R2014
Elite Member
You never know! I'd just hate for you to pay to get that taken apart only to find a knick in a rubber hose.
