Don't let perfect be the enemy of good (1 Viewer)

[Cruiserdrew]

I think all teens should be in a fender bender early in their driving career. It lets them know that driving is serious and that mistakes and inattention have consequences. Otherwise they assume they know everything and are invincible. I'll bet your daughter will be a better and safer driver the rest of her life because of this. My own daughter backed into another car in a parking lot the week after getting her license. In the 14 years since, she's not been in another accident. So this accident may have a silver lining.

And @mingles boys are a challenge. You want slow and large for them. My son drove my FJ62 through high school, so I never worried about him speeding. He too backed into another car, in the same parking lot as my daughter. LOL. He's had a clean record since as well.

 

[MDarius]

I've always told my kids that they can work for money or they can work for grades and scholarships. When grades start to dip, something has to change. 2 of my first 3 kids have scholarships, the other is going into law enforcement. Number 4, miss fender bender, plays 2 sports, the piano, and has a 4.0. All have had a fender bender early on with good driving after. This one does need a little more training and experience, but things are about to change with what happens in the car and who she can give rides to. I was there as a kid, and I was a jerk.

She's going to help fix the fender and upgrade the bumper, and there's going to be a cost to it. I think she'll be alright. Mistakes happen. Glad it was minor. I'm just a little sad it's a lousy munch on the corner without a good story.

 

[RobE30]

Great thread on so many levels.

 

[BILT4ME]

Maybe @slow95z will have some parts to fit that are reasonable. Probable can't help with the Depo's though.....

 

[BILT4ME]

Dbl Pst

 

[Tachycardic]

Love the thread. Loved how you went from wanting to flip the LC to it being a part of your family. This is a perfect example of how the journey is more important, and rewarding?, than the destination. Sure, you could have parked the LC on that fateful and stormy day, but then you would have all these stories to tell!

Happy to hear that no one was seriously hurt in the accident, but your daughter could have been in a similar accident (or worse) driving a car with air bags, lane departure warning, blind spot information, rear collision warning, adaptive cruise control, pilot assist, distance alerts, whatever... just more money needed to fix all of these things. This life experience will be invaluable like Cruiserdrew mentioned above. Still scary, which is why I have my 9 year old daughter watching those Russian car crash videos on YouTube with me...

 

[MDarius]

... which is why I have my 9 year old daughter watching those Russian car crash videos on YouTube with me...

I made my kids watch those too! They were terrified to drive for a month! It wears off, though. Canada's worst drivers was also a good series. Not sure where to stream it from now.

 

[matty_sunn1]

JB weld and a coat of bondo primer and some random green I had. Holes filled no issue. Doesn't affect the rugged drivable Landcruiser.

 

[MDarius]

JB weld and a coat of bondo primer and some random green I had. Holes filled no issue. Doesn't affect the rugged drivable Landcruiser.

View attachment 2158545

I'll do you one better. I sanded my JB Weld too thin and it fell in the holes just before a week of cold, wet weather. I picked up a stack of stickers from my favorite outdoor store on Black Friday and took care of the problem. It'll hold until spring.

 

[EvanD]

+1 to the idea that screwing up early teaches lessons.

Hell, I remember driving 100+ MPH in my parents minivan on the way to the ski hill when I could drive on my own. Got really lucky in that sort of stuff.

Later, I bought an Subaru Sti at 20, wrapped it around a pole 6 days later. That was 14 years ago and I haven't been in a wreck while my vehicle was moving since.

 

[MDarius]

I just wanted to update my build with some current events. Early this year we had some choices to make and nearly parted with the vehicle. It worked out and we kept it. My daughter has been loving it!!

Here's to choices, endings, and new beginnings

Wow, she is tall! Tell her, she's still a midget though. I've taken to talking everyone they are all midgets. I'm 6'6", and get inane comments about my height all the time I dig the little sqwatch hiding here and there Her coach said that the male athlete height equivalent for a 6'2" girl is...

forum.ih8mud.com

We took it to Southern Utah and had her drive her '92 Squatch-mobile with cousins while we drove the family Cruiser. It was a great trip and she got some good time behind the wheel. Nothing too difficult, but good experience.

Jackass flats, Black Dragon Wash, and 9 Mile Canyon highlights

38 new items · Album by Matt Fouts

photos.app.goo.gl

Then this week I took her up to the off-road play area near our house and we did some 4WD training.

Offroad training with my daughter and my first endo

Haha! Oh, the stories I could tell, but have been forbidden from telling by my wife. It goes back to the concept: Kids are going to be stupid, teach them to be stupid safely. If she can direct that thing down the road on 2 wheels and knows how to take a fall off the side, I'm all for it. Stunt...

forum.ih8mud.com

I think we blew something in the power steering box. I don't know much about them. Time to learn I guess. It looks like I'll be rebuilding one soon.

 

[brettk]

I think we blew something in the power steering box. I don't know much about them. Time to learn I guess. It looks like I'll be rebuilding one soon.

If you get it someone else to do it instead of doing it yourself, I’d recommend RedHead Steering gears. I just had mine done about 2 months ago. They did a really good job and it came back looking nice.

Power Steering Gear Box 105 Series Sector Shaft/Pitman Arm Upgrade

There are certain things I won’t bother doing: steering gear boxes, transfer cases and transmission. It’s just not my kink. I’ll leave those to the professionals every time. Redhead, and most others, will also do the porting for ram assist or hydraulic winch.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[MDarius]

If you get it someone else to do it instead of doing it yourself, I’d recommend RedHead Steering gears. I just had mine done about 2 months ago. They did a really good job and it came back looking nice.

Power Steering Gear Box 105 Series Sector Shaft/Pitman Arm Upgrade

There are certain things I won’t bother doing: steering gear boxes, transfer cases and transmission. It’s just not my kink. I’ll leave those to the professionals every time. Redhead, and most others, will also do the porting for ram assist or hydraulic winch.

forum.ih8mud.com

That's a great link! Thanks! I'm hoping I just blew out a hose. It's a '92 though, with the age it wouldn't surprise me if we blew a seal or something worse. I don't really know how the steering gear box works. I need to learn more to diagnose it.

 

[brettk]

That's a great link! Thanks! I'm hoping I just blew out a hose. It's a '92 though, with the age it wouldn't surprise me if we blew a seal or something worse. I don't really know how the steering gear box works. I need to learn more to diagnose it.

Once you figured out where your leak is coming from, Joey at Wits End has everything you need. If it’s the high pressure steering hose, I would source it from amazon. Thats the one part on my wagon I didn’t mind not getting OEM. $300 for a short hose is expensive.

 

[MDarius]

Are the steering gear box from a 92 and a 95 interchangeable?

 

[brettk]

I’m 95% sure all 80s gearboxes are the same. There might a difference with RHD vehicles though...

 

[MDarius]

I think I just decided to keep my parts rig a little longer.

 

[MDarius]

Well, turn of events today. Did I mention I need to learn more about how all these steering parts work?

Hailey parked in the street and within 5 minutes there was a splattery mess in front of the DS frame horn on the ground. I looked and it looks like it was coming from the input shaft (where the steering column goes into the box, right?) seal. That's where the wet started and it just spread from there.

I got the steering gear box out of my parts Cruiser. I spent time and cleaned it all up nice and pretty. I climbed under the 92 and had my son crank the steering from lock to lock... No seeping. No new drips. Nothing. I had him pump the brakes on case I misidentified the fluid. They were good and no new fluid.

I decided to change the steering box anyways and I climbed under to check it out and I noticed things were different.

My oldest son broke the sector shaft when he turned my 95 into a parts rig. I didn't even pay attention to that! This is only my second venture into dealing with steering stuff, so it's a total noob thing.

So, I'll get a rebuild kit and rebuild the 95. Are you guys sure it's the same part?

 

[brettk]

Yeah it’s the same. Since your sector shaft is bent, another option is to upgrade it while you’re there. A lot of people, including myself, upgraded to the 105 shaft and pitman arm. Its expensive, but worth it if oldest son finds the keys again.

105 series Sector Shaft 44111-60060
105 series Pitman arm 45411-60360
80 series Reseal kit 04445-60050

 

[MDarius]

Yeah it’s the same. Since your sector shaft is bent, another option is to upgrade it while you’re there. A lot of people, including myself, upgraded to the 105 shaft and pitman arm. Its expensive, but worth it if oldest son finds the keys again.

105 series Sector Shaft 44111-60060
105 series Pitman arm 45411-60360
80 series Reseal kit 04445-60050

Thanks @brettk. That's the upgrade I was trying to think of. I've got a twisted sector shaft on my 97 that I've just been living with. After I work out these two I'll be a pro. Maybe I'll upgrade that one too.