What did you do with your 4runner today?

Noticed Front RHS brakes were squeaking, so though id need to replace pads. parts ordered so off i went.

1st issue - whoever last took the wheels off way over torqued them going back on, so i snapped 2 lug studs in the process of removal... quick run to an auto parts store for replacements.

2nd issue - to remove the snapped lug studs, the caliper and rotor needs to come off. same issue with the caliper bolts. Had to use the bottle jack to press the wrench + bar to get them out, luckily they didnt snap.

3rd issue - rotor stuck on, still in VGC so no need to replace so then i proceeded to take apart bikes and stuff in the garage to get the right sized bolts to prise the rotor off the hub. Managed to find one holding together a folding beach chair thought.

Finally got everything off, new lug studs on so took a look at the caliper and pads. They are thick and look pretty new, but one of the return springs had snapped which i think was the noise creator. duly replaced and everything went back on fine.

classic, a 5 min job turned into about 4 hours of sweat and swearing.
 
Summer Maintenance

So I had big plans for the 4Runner while it was in town this summer. But a Tibia Plateau fracture (it's painful!) derailed those plans.

I had a buddy help me with the oil change. Then I realized that the coolant reservoir was empty. I saw a touch of coolant in the main tank, so I filled the reservoir to Full (it's all I had). After a 50 mile drive, it was back to the L mark.

I'll pick up some coolant tomorrow to top off the reservoir again and see where it's at after running errands. If it's f*ed I need an emergency service on Wednesday. . .since this rig is doing a 900 mile run on Thursday. Or take the stupid Lexus. I don't like the Lexus anymore.

Edit: Radiator is at 8 years and 50K miles.
 
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PhilyC said:
Noticed Front RHS brakes were squeaking, so though id need to replace pads. parts ordered so off i went.

1st issue - whoever last took the wheels off way over torqued them going back on, so i snapped 2 lug studs in the process of removal... quick run to an auto parts store for replacements.

2nd issue - to remove the snapped lug studs, the caliper and rotor needs to come off. same issue with the caliper bolts. Had to use the bottle jack to press the wrench + bar to get them out, luckily they didnt snap.

3rd issue - rotor stuck on, still in VGC so no need to replace so then i proceeded to take apart bikes and stuff in the garage to get the right sized bolts to prise the rotor off the hub. Managed to find one holding together a folding beach chair thought.

Finally got everything off, new lug studs on so took a look at the caliper and pads. They are thick and look pretty new, but one of the return springs had snapped which i think was the noise creator. duly replaced and everything went back on fine.

classic, a 5 min job turned into about 4 hours of sweat and swearing.
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If you did this work, the last one to have put your wheels on should have been YOU, unless you got new tires in the meantime.
 
Finally got around to replacing my cracked dash. Why did I wait so long to do it? It looks SO GOOD in comparison to the old one. I also got the UV-blocking clear film on the windshield redone. I highly recommend it if you live anywhere that gets very hot during the summer.
 
fastbroshi said:
Finally got around to replacing my cracked dash. Why did I wait so long to do it? It looks SO GOOD in comparison to the old one. I also got the UV-blocking clear film on the windshield redone. I highly recommend it if you live anywhere that gets very hot during the summer.
Click to expand...

Did you actually replace the dash or add a hard cover to the existing one? Was it hard to find a dash? Was it a new one? Does the dealer still sell these? How much was it? Is there an after-market supplier for dashes? How much disassembly of other components in that area? I got pretty frustrated just taking apart everything necessary to add a reverse camera into my stereo head. My dash is cracked and I've got a "hard cover" coming, I think, from China. Did you take any pictures of the process? Please post! Thank you. Sorry about all the questions; but I really want to do this.
 
Less than 400 miles on my 2003 V8 4WD since purchased. Long list of things to be done. Today I continued working on installing a backup camera and tag lights since my bumper mounted tire covers the original. In the same vein, also installing a rear facing camera to my dash cam, and running an 8 gauge wire for a DC/AC inverter. The reverse cam isn't going well. It works when I set the head until to display it; but the trigger wire isn't working right. If it's in the camera mode, the trigger wire turns it on and off; but otherwise, if just switching into reverse, it ignores me. I have brought myself to believe that I need to install a relay... and that's the direction for tomorrow.

My rear tag as been mounted on the gas can swing out section of the new bumper; but, the logistics of that are making me re-think a permanent placement that doesn't involve swinging. We will see.
 
debrucer said:
Did you actually replace the dash or add a hard cover to the existing one? Was it hard to find a dash? Was it a new one?...Sorry about all the questions; but I really want to do this.
Click to expand...

I actually replaced it with one from a junkyard. Those covers look kinda hokey in person, IMO. And when I saw how they're installed with two-sided tape, that was a hard pass for me. I knew it was going to be harder to replace the whole dash, but the idea of looking at a plastic cover, hearing it squeak and the horrendous gaps it would create, etc made it a no-brainer for me.

Dealer may still sell them; I see they still have a price on various Toyota dealers' parts sites. I got mine on ebay from a junker for maybe $400 shipped? I didn't take any pictures of the process, but I can tell you that the instructions I found somewhere were from a Toyota service manual and helped a lot. That said it was straightforward and nothing precarious where you might damage anything important very easily.

The biggest thing to worry about is the airbag bracket difference between '03-04 and later years. The later dash also needs its gauge cluster bracketry trimmed a bit to allow the earlier guages to fit. Mine still has a couple mm of gap that's noticeable if you look, but it's fine otherwise. Whole thing took 3 or 4 hours and a lot of that was dickering around with the airbag bracketry.
 
Hey everyone, I haven’t posted anything to start a thread and have no idea where to post my issue im having currently with the 4runner. I have an 06 sr5 rwd and it’s started squeaking from the rear at low speeds going forwards and sounds drastically worse in reverse. It’s not a brake pad sqeak it sound more like a chirp. I’m not sure if it could be the emergency break or what it is. If anyone has had a similar problem or might have an idea any input is greatly appreciated.
Here’s a link with a video of it making the noise.
IMG_6508.mov | Files.fm.
 
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I removed the diff drop spacers, which was quite a task since one of them was stuck on a swollen bolt shaft. I eventually removed the whole arm and then just smacked the bolt out which took about 5 minutes after having fought the spacer for over an hour. Why do I do the things I do...

For some reason I can't explain, my steering improved and now wanders less, which has been a long-standing issue despite much effort. A quick check with the angle finder has the arm resting at about 7.8 degrees, an increase of ~1.5 and well within happy range.
 
Date code on my AAA battery just turned three years old so I decided to replace it. I thought I heard it just starting to struggle with the starter motor. In my younger and dumber days, I would have run it to the end.
 
fastbroshi said:
I actually replaced it with one from a junkyard. Those covers look kinda hokey in person, IMO. And when I saw how they're installed with two-sided tape, that was a hard pass for me. I knew it was going to be harder to replace the whole dash, but the idea of looking at a plastic cover, hearing it squeak and the horrendous gaps it would create, etc made it a no-brainer for me.

Dealer may still sell them; I see they still have a price on various Toyota dealers' parts sites. I got mine on ebay from a junker for maybe $400 shipped? I didn't take any pictures of the process, but I can tell you that the instructions I found somewhere were from a Toyota service manual and helped a lot. That said it was straightforward and nothing precarious where you might damage anything important very easily.

The biggest thing to worry about is the airbag bracket difference between '03-04 and later years. The later dash also needs its gauge cluster bracketry trimmed a bit to allow the earlier guages to fit. Mine still has a couple mm of gap that's noticeable if you look, but it's fine otherwise. Whole thing took 3 or 4 hours and a lot of that was dickering around with the airbag bracketry.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I have to agree with you on the covers. I ordered one to be sent to my California home while I'm still in Mexico. It arrived; but wasn't in a box long enough to be a rigid dash cover... so my son said it never arrived. The company sent me a second one which i tracked, and when it got to California, my son unboxed it on camera. It was all rolled up and ugly as... err, can be. The company offered me a 50% refund not to return it. They mistakenly gave me 100% refund and told me to keep both of them. I won't see them until Thanksgiving; but I suspect it's garbage as I've seen on video. I have seen another user on video that got one that was actually a hard plastic cover and it looked great. Retailed for $190, and cost $160 shipped. It secures with a tube of something, not double-sided tape. I'm still up in the air. $400 and 4 hours is probably worth doing. Thanks again for the info. I appreciate you very much.
 
I finished up the reverse camera installation, the 3 camera dash camera installation and the license plate light installation and got all the wires run and hidden, tie-wraps were appropriate, etc. Finished. Just in time to take a trip north for Thanksgiving. My Coverlay dash cover is coming from RockAuto by FedEx on Saturday. Lots of help from members on FB in getting that ordered. The ones that I bought on Amazon were advertised as Coverlay; but they came rolled up in a small box. I got two of those, and a full refund. Experimenting with tire pressures since there are so many mods on my truck you can't just go by the 32 psi in the door jamb. I will do the chalk routine at some point; but for today I went with 40 front and rear. Seems a bit hard. If I'm not asleep when I leave in the morning, I may drop it to 35 and see how that goes.

I've still got some electrical stuff to do; but for now, it's nice to see no wires handing loose.

Great day today. Have a good Thanksgiving this week.
 
Replaced Wheel Hub/Bearing Inspected Brakes

An inspection by The Car Care Nut revealed a failed right wheel bearing, which I had installed new in July (SKF) and also my brakes had a mushy feel so I was worried that the master cylinder was starting to fail. So, I got a Blue Pit wheel hub/bearing assembly with the Koyo bearing and installed. Could not determine anything obvious with the SKF, but it did have play when installed. When disassembling the brakes found: broken anti-rattle spring, one pad guide pin was seized, inboard brake pad would not come out of caliper, inboard face of rotor was junk. Replaced rotor/caliper/pads and now brakes feel 100% better (surprise!). Could not determine this with just a visual inspection, had to take it apart to see all that was wrong.
 
rdruss said:
An inspection by The Car Care Nut revealed a failed right wheel bearing, which I had installed new in July (SKF) and also my brakes had a mushy feel so I was worried that the master cylinder was starting to fail. So, I got a Blue Pit wheel hub/bearing assembly with the Koyo bearing and installed. Could not determine anything obvious with the SKF, but it did have play when installed. When disassembling the brakes found: broken anti-rattle spring, one pad guide pin was seized, inboard brake pad would not come out of caliper, inboard face of rotor was junk. Replaced rotor/caliper/pads and now brakes feel 100% better (surprise!). Could not determine this with just a visual inspection, had to take it apart to see all that was wrong.
Click to expand...

You got your car inspected by the famed CarCareNut?? I'm jealous! I'd love to have him give mine a once over to laugh at the insanity but also give more insight than any of my past shop experiences that treat "toe and go" as a guiding principle for everything.

Any idea what caused the wheel bearing failure? Was your guide pin the main killer for your pads/rotor?
 
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