thebeatmoves
New member
Hey everyone,
I've loved reading this forum over the past couple months while looking for my new runner. You guys are a serious wealth of information.
I had a '99 Limited in green, 4wd w/ rear locker, got it with 65,000 mi. on it in 2006 and it was totaled the end of January 2011 with 119,000 mi. I loved that truck, really loved it. Still thinking about it and the accident probably a little too much
So, I spent 2.5 months looking for the right replacement. Wanted limited or SE with around 100,000 mi. and didn't want to spend much more than $12,000. Well, finally after searching cars.com every day for what seemed like eternity, i found a match.
I just bought a black 2002 SE 4wd with 101,000 mi. I got it for $12,000, but have to do the timing belt & water pump. Also, it apparently was in a wreck, so the air box needs to be replaced. The doors got new skins, so no evidence of damage at all. I had it inspected at a Toyota dealership for $108 before purchase and everything checked out (minus the issues I just mentioned, of course). Also, I had the frame looked at for any damage before purchase, and it was all good there, too. So, good to go, I pulled the trigger!
HERE'S WHERE MY QUESTIONS START:
Shifting is generally smooth, but I wonder what is normal for this truck. My old one had a little "pop" while shifting that felt awesome, like a kick of power. This one is smooth, but dips rather than pops during shifts.
Could this be related to the fact that the timing belt (and other belts) need to be replaced? Can I expect this service to effect performance at all?
While braking, first of all the brakes feel softer than what I'm used to on the 4runner and when reaching slower speeds, there is a "lurching" accompanied by the occasional creaking sound that can also be felt in the brake pedal. Could this just be an issue of something being out of round? Something else? Regardless of what you might think, what might I be looking at?
I should say I absolutely love the feel and response of the x-reas system. Its like night and day vs. the two-tube shocks on my first runner. Definitely more rugged. Can anyone give any insight as to the durability, though? I've read a number of threads about the systems costly repairs and that they are prone to leaking. I'm in Colorado and my truck has been its whole life too. Would that mean anything for the systems life expectancy? Is this system really as much of a "ticking-time-bomb" as some posters have made it seem??
And my final question...there are a few spots on the truck that look like the clear-coat has faded, leaving what looks like a dried-out whitish spot. There are also a couple spots on the leading edges that have tiny chips, that almost look like tiny oil spots around the chip. Any thoughts on good remedies/ ways to prevent these spots from getting worse?
Overall its a nice-looking truck, but I'm a bit anxious having just spend all that bread and not knowing how this big service will effect any of the issues I just described.
Any and all response are much appreciated and I will post some pictures if anyone shows any interest in this thread.
Thanks guys, I look forward to being a member of this forum!!!
I've loved reading this forum over the past couple months while looking for my new runner. You guys are a serious wealth of information.
I had a '99 Limited in green, 4wd w/ rear locker, got it with 65,000 mi. on it in 2006 and it was totaled the end of January 2011 with 119,000 mi. I loved that truck, really loved it. Still thinking about it and the accident probably a little too much
So, I spent 2.5 months looking for the right replacement. Wanted limited or SE with around 100,000 mi. and didn't want to spend much more than $12,000. Well, finally after searching cars.com every day for what seemed like eternity, i found a match.
I just bought a black 2002 SE 4wd with 101,000 mi. I got it for $12,000, but have to do the timing belt & water pump. Also, it apparently was in a wreck, so the air box needs to be replaced. The doors got new skins, so no evidence of damage at all. I had it inspected at a Toyota dealership for $108 before purchase and everything checked out (minus the issues I just mentioned, of course). Also, I had the frame looked at for any damage before purchase, and it was all good there, too. So, good to go, I pulled the trigger!
HERE'S WHERE MY QUESTIONS START:
Shifting is generally smooth, but I wonder what is normal for this truck. My old one had a little "pop" while shifting that felt awesome, like a kick of power. This one is smooth, but dips rather than pops during shifts.
Could this be related to the fact that the timing belt (and other belts) need to be replaced? Can I expect this service to effect performance at all?
While braking, first of all the brakes feel softer than what I'm used to on the 4runner and when reaching slower speeds, there is a "lurching" accompanied by the occasional creaking sound that can also be felt in the brake pedal. Could this just be an issue of something being out of round? Something else? Regardless of what you might think, what might I be looking at?
I should say I absolutely love the feel and response of the x-reas system. Its like night and day vs. the two-tube shocks on my first runner. Definitely more rugged. Can anyone give any insight as to the durability, though? I've read a number of threads about the systems costly repairs and that they are prone to leaking. I'm in Colorado and my truck has been its whole life too. Would that mean anything for the systems life expectancy? Is this system really as much of a "ticking-time-bomb" as some posters have made it seem??
And my final question...there are a few spots on the truck that look like the clear-coat has faded, leaving what looks like a dried-out whitish spot. There are also a couple spots on the leading edges that have tiny chips, that almost look like tiny oil spots around the chip. Any thoughts on good remedies/ ways to prevent these spots from getting worse?
Overall its a nice-looking truck, but I'm a bit anxious having just spend all that bread and not knowing how this big service will effect any of the issues I just described.
Any and all response are much appreciated and I will post some pictures if anyone shows any interest in this thread.
Thanks guys, I look forward to being a member of this forum!!!
