Am I a Cruiser Hypochondriac?

[Jim_Phillips]

I popped in to see my local mechanic today to ask if he would fit new UJs on my truck since the prop has been vibrating since I upgraded/lifted the suspension.

He told me I'm a cruiser Hypochondriac. Apparently it is quite common. These are the typical symptoms:

preoccupation with mechanical problems
persistent fear of having a mechanical fault despite mechanic's reassurance
misinterpretation of symptoms
symptoms that may shift and change
no apparent mechanical disorder that can account for symptoms
the affected person may recognise that the fear of having a mechanical problem may be excessive, unreasonable, or unfounded.

.... He then drew my attention to the fact that I have changed my suspension twice in the last 6 weeks and that I'm the only person he knows who ever changes the gearbox/transfer/diff oil. Oh yes, and that I keep changing hoses which appear to be normal.. I can think of a few more examples which he doesn't know about.

Are there any fellow sufferers out there?

Jim

 

[Doc]

Aye, I suffer mightely as well..

I call it 'preventive" maintenance.

 

[Aseif007]

Jim,

Have you shimmed the rear axle yet?? Or have you over lubed the rear propeller shaft? Just throwing out some suggestions from past experiences. There is nothing wrong with you, preventative maintenance is good. Spending lots of money repairing something that could have been easily avioded is bad. I change all my fluids regularly, and I go as far as never changing my oil without a Toyota oil filter. As many other cruiser addicts/owners do.

Andrew

 

[jhstatts]

Andrew,

Rear propeller shaft? I have a funny noise coming from my cruiser... sounds like metal knocking against metal... only hear it when I am accelerating or decelarating... I was thinking it might be a shaft. How would one go about checking it/lubing it? Could this even be what I am hearing? Thanks.

To answer the topic... yes, I suffer and it has only been one week.

 

[Jim_Phillips]

Jason

Is the noise a clunk - if you let your foot off the accelerator for a second so you're free wheeling - and then back on quite hard.. does it go clunk? Bad UJs in my opinion.
But then aain, it could be nothing - I have a preoccupation with mechanical problems


Andrew - What's shimming the rear axle?

Cheers

 

[jhstatts]

Jim,

It is not really a clunk... and it is constant as I am driving and goes away as I come to stops. It is not an annoying or harsh sound, but it is concerning me.

 

[lowtideride]

jhstatts
you sure its comig from the rear??...60s trannys are a lil loud..did ya check the level in the tranny/t-case or rear axle??

as for the hypochondriac,
i am with ya on that one..ive change the rear diff fluid twice in the past year..just cause i broke a breather off...haha tomorrow im putting a new starter in because i heard a grinding noise last month when i started it...i think i have a problem but its in my head...

 

[Cruisergreg]

Noise or vibration could also be a "dry" driveshaft slip joint. Squirt some grease in there and also the UJs and you may solve your problem, at least for the short term.

 

[hj60]

Jason- Check your suspension bushings, too. Might just be normal road noise
transmitting through worn/cracked/rotted out bushings.

 

[jhstatts]

lowtide... No, I am not sure it is from the rear... just checking that avenue. I was going to do a tune-up this weekend and check all the levels. I don't have a good manual (Chiltons, etc.) yet.

Can you guys help me out a bit on the lingo and locations of these areas I need to check? I think I can figure out the bushings... but...

driveshaft slip joint?
UJs?

I am new to all this... haven't worked on anything in a long time. I really appreciate all the help.

 

[lowtideride]

ok take a rag along your drive shaft and clean it off, you will find lil zerk fittings for a grease gun. the u-joints (UJ) are joints at either end of the drive shaft they also have places to grease them so clean em up with a rag and see where to fill em up with grease.


the noise your hearing...my guess would just be the tranny...checking the fluid level might help as welll because a tranny/t-case willl be louder if let go with no 90wt for a while...

good luck..post what ya find...

 

[Devils Paw 80]

[quote
.... I'm the only person he knows who ever changes the gearbox/transfer/diff oil.

Jim


That's quite surprising. But then, not many people drive 15-20yr old rigs, and not many people plan to keep their rig for another 15-20yrs.

 

[lowtideride]

only 15-20, DAMN i was thinking til i die

 

[jhstatts]

Thanks so much, lowtide.

 

[TJDIV]

Jim, he won't be too overly concerned until he catches ya with yer willie in the exhaust pipe. That's when you know you've got a true "Cruiser Adickshun"

 

[85fj60]

I hear ya low tide, last night my wife and I were joking about how our 14 yo daughter (don't have one yet) is going to "love" the LC, and the wife figured we wouldn't have the cruiser at that point. I almost died! I would never consider selling it, what would the point be? you would be less a landcruiser and that, in my book, is no benefit.
besides, if anything, the cruisers'll do good in embarrassing the teen daughters out there

 

[lowtideride]

haha i saved up for two years during college to get my rig and ive been restoring and upgrading since then...i never want to get rid of it..not only is it my first car its a land cruiser and when im old and gray and still have the first car ive ever bought and it to be a cruiser will fawkin rock...then ill get some rock crawlin in


cheers to the reall cruiser heads out there...