That's fair.
I would add though that 1) lubricants aren't used at the factory; 2) there have been known instances of non-factory hoses popping off; 3) the cooling system is the most critical failure point of this vehicle; 4) I and many others have no problem using picks to remove hoses...
Personally I wouldn't use ever any lubricant on any pressurized automotive hose. Get a clean towel, put some isopropyl alcohol on it and wipe the alcohol on the inside of the hose, it'll slide right on, grip well and leave no residue.
I haven't gotten NLGI1 from them, but I do order other specialty lubricants (like Mobil SHC for industrial gearboxes) from Grainger and I always have it the next day.
I'm not a fan of Amazon for multiple reasons.
First step is to make sure that the slip joint is full of grease, just to confirm that you've already done that.
After this I'd recommend @2001LC 's videos above to see what symptoms present when the splines/teeth at the hub are worn, as it's easy to check.
As noted above, worn...
It's actually the other way around, I'm pretty sure -- the bottom part of the T has a smaller clamp IIRC. I can look up the part number since I just did this job last month.
FWIW I prefer to use OEM tees in order to guarantee fitment/compatibility for use of OEM constant-tension clamps. Using...
Personally I think that the Cruiser's strengths are in its legendary durability, its out-of-the-box offroad capability, and in how easy they are to work on. However, for family duty it is woefully lacking in contemporary safety features, notably roof pillar strength/boron steel reinforcement...
I didn't see anywhere that anyone posted regarding the use of stiffer OEM springs like the Yellow, Light Blue, or White ones above (thanks @CivicFerio ). Has anyone installed these? Ideally I'd like to use a spring that's between the OEM and the Kings.
That's accurate. Three of the "Big Hose Clamps" are the same size, and the fourth (clamps hose to bottom of radiator) is larger.
Please replace those hoses as well, they've been cut by the worm gear -- and if they are the originals then they're due anyway.
I think that the best explanation is that the steering rack bushings are shot.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/vsc-overly-sensitive-activating-during-mild-turns-in-normal-driving-problem-finally-solved.1282997/
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/lx470-the-vsc-warning-light-goes-on.451272/
Same here. I flush a bottle of that Valvoline Synthetic through all four corners once a year if not more often. Been using that fluid on my 100 for 11 years.
Not super important, it just means that the line will be pressurized when you crack the flare nut on the filter. That's how most people do it, but it's safer/easier to depressurize first.