przm
New member
Hello all! This is going to turn into a large post. I've been putting off registering here, so this probably should've been split up into 3-4 posts over the last few months. :lmao:
I bought a 2005 4Runner Sport Edition 4x4 v6 about 2-3 months ago with 113,000 miles on it. The guy I bought it from got it serviced every 5k miles at the dealer. I have records of everything that's ever been done to it (thanks to toyota's awesome service website). It's got a custom leveling lift in the front and larger BFG A/Ts all around. I'll get to more on the lift later... The first three weekends I had it, I took it out to the desert and did some wheeling, living in San Diego has it's perks. The truck is amazing, and I LOVE it. It's a huge upgrade coming from my last truck, a 2000 Ford Ranger (I always said that the interior noise sounded like a 1970's motorhome driving around town).
I quickly found this forum and have spent countless hours reading and researching, I already have a long list of mods that I want to do and you guys have helped me out considerably with the maintenance that i've done on the 4r so far.
What i've done to it so far:
- Changed the spark plugs
- New air filter
- Replaced the original panasonic battery
- Serpentine belt replaced
- Cleaned the throttle body and MAF
- Reset the ECU
- Replaced a running light, dome light, and one of the LEDs behind the A/C controls
First, let's start with pics! Cause everyone likes pics. Right?
Now onto my questions...
When I first picked up the car, the previous owner told me that there was a vibration in the steering wheel at higher speeds caused by the tires being out of balance. He was correct. I took it to the stealership today for a $50 special balance and tire rotation. While I was in, they called me back and told me my brakes needed to be done, they showed me some scoring happening on the rotor and showed me that I didn't have much left on the pads. I told them that I could replace the pads myself, but they said that I MUST have the rotors machined. I asked them how much that would be for them to do just the machining and it was something like $115 for the front, and another $115 for the rear (might be slightly off there), they said their "brake package" was $199 and included everything. I said i'd think about it and went inside and went straight to this forum and did some searches.
I found some people being WAY overcharged for these services, and other people saying that they could get it done for under $100-150 at an independent shop. Im pretty handy and have no problem doing it myself, but I obviously don't have a way to machine the rotors at home. I went up to the parts counter and asked them how much for the pads, they said $87.60 for the front and $85.04 for the rear. At that point, their $199 brake package is only $30 more. What should I do?
I looked at the service records to see when the brakes were last changed, and I wasn't able to find anything definitive. There was a brake inspection at 75,000 miles, and at 103,000 miles, but I don't see a brake service ever being performed. :yell: I just hit 116,000 miles on the truck.
The reason they called me to the back wasn't actually for the brakes (that was secondary), they said that my alignment was out of whack and was causing irregular wear on my tires (which I noticed myself and was one of the reasons I went in for the rotation/balance). They recommended an alignment, which is on my list to do, but that brings me back to the lift...
The previous owner had a technical background and machined the lift spacer himself. I don't remember how long ago he said he put the lift on, but it seems like it's been on there for awhile. I went to the dealer to see how much it would cost to replace the cracked rubber piece, and they couldn't guarantee that it was a stock part. It looks like the stock part from this diagram they printed out for me though: http://i.imgur.com/IuI0X2a.jpg. My question to the forum is two-fold: first, is that a stock part? and second, should I replace it? I do need to get an alignment, and i'd like to do it soon, but tearing apart the suspension will throw the alignment off so I want to make sure I don't need to get it aligned twice if I do need to replace the rubber piece. What do you think?
Thanks in advance! :clap2:
I bought a 2005 4Runner Sport Edition 4x4 v6 about 2-3 months ago with 113,000 miles on it. The guy I bought it from got it serviced every 5k miles at the dealer. I have records of everything that's ever been done to it (thanks to toyota's awesome service website). It's got a custom leveling lift in the front and larger BFG A/Ts all around. I'll get to more on the lift later... The first three weekends I had it, I took it out to the desert and did some wheeling, living in San Diego has it's perks. The truck is amazing, and I LOVE it. It's a huge upgrade coming from my last truck, a 2000 Ford Ranger (I always said that the interior noise sounded like a 1970's motorhome driving around town).
I quickly found this forum and have spent countless hours reading and researching, I already have a long list of mods that I want to do and you guys have helped me out considerably with the maintenance that i've done on the 4r so far.
What i've done to it so far:
- Changed the spark plugs
- New air filter
- Replaced the original panasonic battery
- Serpentine belt replaced
- Cleaned the throttle body and MAF
- Reset the ECU
- Replaced a running light, dome light, and one of the LEDs behind the A/C controls
First, let's start with pics! Cause everyone likes pics. Right?
Now onto my questions...
When I first picked up the car, the previous owner told me that there was a vibration in the steering wheel at higher speeds caused by the tires being out of balance. He was correct. I took it to the stealership today for a $50 special balance and tire rotation. While I was in, they called me back and told me my brakes needed to be done, they showed me some scoring happening on the rotor and showed me that I didn't have much left on the pads. I told them that I could replace the pads myself, but they said that I MUST have the rotors machined. I asked them how much that would be for them to do just the machining and it was something like $115 for the front, and another $115 for the rear (might be slightly off there), they said their "brake package" was $199 and included everything. I said i'd think about it and went inside and went straight to this forum and did some searches.
I found some people being WAY overcharged for these services, and other people saying that they could get it done for under $100-150 at an independent shop. Im pretty handy and have no problem doing it myself, but I obviously don't have a way to machine the rotors at home. I went up to the parts counter and asked them how much for the pads, they said $87.60 for the front and $85.04 for the rear. At that point, their $199 brake package is only $30 more. What should I do?
I looked at the service records to see when the brakes were last changed, and I wasn't able to find anything definitive. There was a brake inspection at 75,000 miles, and at 103,000 miles, but I don't see a brake service ever being performed. :yell: I just hit 116,000 miles on the truck.
The reason they called me to the back wasn't actually for the brakes (that was secondary), they said that my alignment was out of whack and was causing irregular wear on my tires (which I noticed myself and was one of the reasons I went in for the rotation/balance). They recommended an alignment, which is on my list to do, but that brings me back to the lift...
The previous owner had a technical background and machined the lift spacer himself. I don't remember how long ago he said he put the lift on, but it seems like it's been on there for awhile. I went to the dealer to see how much it would cost to replace the cracked rubber piece, and they couldn't guarantee that it was a stock part. It looks like the stock part from this diagram they printed out for me though: http://i.imgur.com/IuI0X2a.jpg. My question to the forum is two-fold: first, is that a stock part? and second, should I replace it? I do need to get an alignment, and i'd like to do it soon, but tearing apart the suspension will throw the alignment off so I want to make sure I don't need to get it aligned twice if I do need to replace the rubber piece. What do you think?
Thanks in advance! :clap2:
