What I've normally done with the screw method is to take a screw and tap it with a hammer, that way I have more control of where it seats. Then I use a manual screw driver to screw it in.
Your mechanic obviously had no clue what they were doing. They probably thought they were regular shocks. They're not even really shocks. Technically they're hydraulic rams considering they actually help support the weight of the vehicle. They don't even really have nothing to do with the ride...
I second getting the factory speakers re-foamed. It's by far the cheapest option and you'll be really surprised at how good they actually sound. Make sure you re-foam the sub as well. There are plenty of tutorials on youtube on how to do it and you can purchase the re-foaming kits on amazon and...
I second the Michelin. They are by far the most comfortable and quietest tire I've ever owned. The only reason a lot of people stay away from them is because they don't look "off-road" enough. It reality they are just as good off-road as most AT tires and a hundred times better on-road. They...
There are a couple of threads to read through and a couple of youtube videos to watch and you'll probably know more than most of the people at whatever shop you take it to. It's really not that hard of a system to figure out. Honestly the hardest part is getting techstream to work, which you...
I have one of these I purchased for my wifes sequoia to adjust the alcohol % content in thee ECU. It's a flex fuel model and they have a huge problem with extended starting when the %'s get out of whack. Toyota has a service bulletin about this but want thousands to fix it. With this thing you...
Hopefully they replaced the globes and not the shocks. The shocks never really go bad on the ahc system. They're not even really shocks. The untrained would want to replace one when they saw them leaking. This isn't usually the case. It's usually a case of the pressures being out of whack. The...
In all of the stuff you listed I didn't see that you replaced the timing belt. That would have been my first job. I would want proof of the exploded piston. As in, I would want to see it for myself on the borescope. Exploding pistons are completely unheard of on this engine.
Sometimes it's amazing how little money and some elbow grease can completely transform a vehicle. Of course there's threads out there where someone throws thousands of dollars into creating the perfect overlanding vehicle but it's threads like these where it's more about just having a nice daily...
Not sure what your definition of minimal rust is but from judging by those pictures it surely wouldn't be mine. There is a lot of rust on this truck. Most of it has been sprayed over which is VERY obvious.
Doing the brakes with a teenager is one thing. Doing the head gasket is something else. If you decide to go this route make sure you watch OTRAMM's video series first to get an idea of what you're getting into.
Now you know why they are known as "stealerships". Find a good independent that knows toyota's and specifically land cruisers if you can find one. People always assume that the best mechanics for their specific car must work at the dealership. This is rarely the case.