2001 Tundra: A Chain Smoking grandpa's truck

[D21FJ60]

Of course the sway bar link wasn’t going to come easy.
Give a man a harbor freight, and he’ll disc cut everything, and burn his arm in the process:

 

[D21FJ60]

Reassembly looks good with tons of lube (tons) and clean metal:

 

[D21FJ60]

Had to call it quits, passenger side got the caliper off but that’s it for now…

And yes I realize that i greased the caliper bolts, but given how tough they were to get out I figure this stuff will probably dissipate in the next year.

 

[D21FJ60]

Again, the PO was either a DIYr or had a small shop do the work, the line from the caliper that is typically a soft line is a cut to fit and flared steel one on both sides:

 

[D21FJ60]

Looking at these, actual inches size they are close to the ones on the truck:
Amazon product ASIN B01C53CJZSSeems like they're good for rain. Will have to wait for tax time to get all 4 though.,

 

[D21FJ60]

Spare tire checks out:

When dropping the spare it looks like the rear brake lines were done at one point, no pics tho. Ebrake is sagging badly however

 

[D21FJ60]

Found the weather tech liners I had in my 07 crv that have been floating around since I traded it 3 years ago, they seem to fit OK:

 

[joseywales]

The Falkens are what I have on my Sequoia. They came with it, and are pretty much brand new. They are quiet, and ride nicely on pavement. They will be better in rain and snow and dirt than a standard all season, but if you can get the same size for a close price in a BFG AT, they are a better tire in every way. I was curious about the Falkens, but my curiosity is satisfied now. There are better options for the same money.

 

[D21FJ60]

The Falkens are what I have on my Sequoia. They came with it, and are pretty much brand new. They are quiet, and ride nicely on pavement. They will be better in rain and snow and dirt than a standard all season, but if you can get the same size for a close price in a BFG AT, they are a better tire in every way. I was curious about the Falkens, but my curiosity is satisfied now. There are better options for the same money.

Really? this is fantastic insight. I was thinking them because the reviews I saw made it sound like wet weather they do very well- rain performance is my main concern with this truck because of the light rear and no potential for front dif traction due to its being 2wd.
I had thought about the cooper discoverer ht3s, because they look solid and my dad has some on his fj60 and i like the look of them, but again, rain performance.

 

[joseywales]

I like Cooper tires a lot. I ran a few sets of them on my diesel trucks, and had a set on my 100 series and my Tacoma. Those were all ST Maxx. I would look at their AT3s. I live in the PNW so 95% of the “weather” we get is rain. And HEAVY rain. I really like Toyo MTs for rain, as the rubber is really sticky, and they shed water like nothing else, but they are crazy expensive and heavy. The more open the tread blocks are, the easier it is for them to clear water. Some AT tires have an outer shoulder tread with very narrow voids. This helps with noise and dry performance, but really messes with wet weather performance. You will hydroplane much easier with a tread that doesn’t clear water through bigger voids.

 

[joseywales]

If you look at the three tires below, the Falkens have the least voids and tight narrow shoulder voids, which is why they are quiet and smooth on pavement. The Toyo AT3s in the center are a lot more open, and the Maxxis Treps are the water and mud shedding machines, but putting tires like this on a run around 2wd truck is a bit silly...

 

[D21FJ60]

I like Cooper tires a lot. I ran a few sets of them on my diesel trucks, and had a set on my 100 series and my Tacoma. Those were all ST Maxx. I would look at their AT3s. I live in the PNW so 95% of the “weather” we get is rain. And HEAVY rain. I really like Toyo MTs for rain, as the rubber is really sticky, and they shed water like nothing else, but they are crazy expensive and heavy. The more open the tread blocks are, the easier it is for them to clear water. Some AT tires have an outer shoulder tread with very narrow voids. This helps with noise and dry performance, but really messes with wet weather performance. You will hydroplane much easier with a tread that doesn’t clear water through bigger voids.

If you look at the three tires below, the Falkens have the least voids and tight narrow shoulder voids, which is why they are quiet and smooth on pavement. The Toyo AT3s in the center are a lot more open, and the Maxxis Treps are the water and mud shedding machines, but putting tires like this on a run around 2wd truck is a bit silly...

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I appreciate your input, this is very helpful. Here I am thinking I had a good knowledge and you’ve helped increased it!!
I would agree sticking massive mud terrains is silly just for the sake of water shedding. We get water but it isn’t standing, more like wet slick pavement and down the road a boat ramp, so a more highway / commuter friendly tire is my destiny.
I’ll reconsider the wildpeaks because while they look cool, I prefer utility over pretty.
Cooper has the at3 4s now I believe, and I’m liking the look more and more. I’ll probably get the tires at tax return time so cost isn’t as much of a factor

 

[D21FJ60]

That being said, the rugged treks look cool

 

[D21FJ60]

Technical:
Bought and installed these behind the HVAC controls. Originals were burned out so I don’t have anything to compare them to. Seem to be nice and bright but not overwhelming

 

[nautiquelover]

I have Cooper AT3 4S on my Sequoia and really like them. They ride great and are awesome in the rain. Can't speak on their longevity but so far so good in the few thousand miles I've had them.

 

[D21FJ60]

Well had some developments. Added Some HP. Also discovered that the AC doesn’t work when I checked the truck at time of purchase it was too coldoutside to run AC but the newer AC line gave me hope that it had been taken care of.
I’ll get a recharge can, but if that doesn’t fix it then tire money is going to fix the AC…
Also trying to quick diagnose the exhaust ticking, can’t tell if it’s headers or cat converters.

Idles at 1200rpm

 

[D21FJ60]

In lieu of all our other cars being offline, and my fathers ancient 60 running rich and giving me carbon monoxide poisoning, I decided to tempt fate, stick some farm use tags on my tundra and drive it until Friday.
But first I needed to finish the brakes.
Bled them, got it all put back together, only to discover the driver caliper is sticking. After driving through my neighbourhood for about 10 min, its smoking.
Should've spent the $200 on new calipers and put htem on.
Ugh.
Also have the brake light on:

 

[D21FJ60]

Was fussing around outside today, primarily running my magnet on wheels over the bed of hte truck trying to get all the loose nails and screws and shards of rust out of it.
I started monkeying with the tailgate, and it dawned on me that what if the tailgate is simply locked- so I tried it and voila- tailgate opens. Soaked the lock spring in pblaster to make sure it didnt slip into place again as it seems sorta wonky and put the cover back on.
Small victories I suppose.
Also slapped some cheapo walmart wipers on that I got on clearance for $4 a piece or so, as i took the ones i bought for the truck and put htem on my cruiser when we had inclimate weather.

 

[Dan McBoost]

oh my.

 

[D21FJ60]

oh my.

I always say if someone from NE is worried its gonna be bad