Well after lurking for 8+ years, I finally picked up my own LC. Being poor (but running a shop) I have been relegated to beat up trucks that I can salvage. From my ghetto '98 Expy (knickname Brutus $1800) to myy z71 Burb (bought for $2500 6 years ago, nickname Snowgee) has been giving me undiagnosable (well me and 5 other mechanics can't figure it out) troubles. So out with the old in with the newused. Being poor, wife did save money,
the hunt was on.
****Disclaimer
Warning this is going to be a slow rebuild and upgrade. I mean SLOW, combination of funds and the fact the truck will be a daily driver.
Don't mind the silly wannabee flex pic. I do it for almost all our trucks when it joins the family and leaves.
Unfortunately, a lot of crying about how the girls are going to miss her. Especially, from the the tween (11yr), the 6yr old and 4yr old are just following their sister. Hampering the dismantle process.
In comes the hundy.
Finally, found one close to what I could afford (not really), thank you Mr. Campbell (a mud member should of gotten his handle), for holding onto her for the past year and barely driving her. You have incomming IH8mud swag. Told my wife it was fate. She laughed, since she said when we need a replacement and saw what I was looking at she said great it's going to be a Silver LC. I had been looking for a grey one, silver is her least liked color. Well we ended up with a silver one after a 2.5hr one way trip, 7hrs in total (95N traffic). : /
Again the flex thing, is a joke, I do it for almost all our trucks when it joins the family and leaves.
So time to baseline her.
1.) Rust CHECK
2.) Mucho Maintenance CHECK
3.) OMG what was I thinking CHECK
First things first, I need her to pass Maryland Inspection and be drive able for a bit.
So here is the list of what I have started with.
1.) brakes, bit a of rust (not going to show pics, pretty straight forward)
a.)replaced pads (Centric 105 #s) and rotors (Centric GCX series) all the way around. Parking brake was recently rebuilt, with the cables
b.) Driver caliper partially seized, replaced with Cardone reman.
c.) Wheel bearings, a bit of play, replacing with Timken bearings, races and seals
2.) Wiper blades replaced with Trico Neoforms.
3.) Shocks all replaced with KYB shocks.
4.) Front Sway Bar Bushings and links replaced with Moog components.
Now for the painful stuff.
1.)Front differential supports
a.) Driver side replaced with OE from Toyota]
b.) Passenger side the diff cover has to be replaced.
Well the dealer told me there are 4 availably nationally 8 are in transit so its going to be a week or two. Can't wait that long I need to get past inspection and this will be a fail item.
Remedy
*** Disclaimer: don't do this yourself unless you have the eye. The eye to level things without tools almost perfectly. Many shops can't do this. Fortunately, I have a El Salvadorian mechanic employee. They have the "EYE". They can match bolts up pitch, length, thread by eyeballing it. I hunt for a bolt takes me 3 hours to find it in the bolt pile. They can do it less then 10 minutes. Out of the 3 El Salvadorian mechanics we have hired 2 have had the EYE.
The dealer had mistakenly sent me the rear one as well. The #3 denotes that the part is only available as part of an assembly.
So in comes Omar, my mechanic with the phrase I hate the most "esperate" which means "wait" in english. To me as a boss usually means "F**** Y**, I am going to do it my way. Unfortunately, 50% of the time results in it me losing money. NOT THIS TIME!!!!!! WOOT!!!
The bushing in need or replacement.
The brand new OEM Rear support.
the hunt was on.
****Disclaimer
Warning this is going to be a slow rebuild and upgrade. I mean SLOW, combination of funds and the fact the truck will be a daily driver.
Don't mind the silly wannabee flex pic. I do it for almost all our trucks when it joins the family and leaves.
Unfortunately, a lot of crying about how the girls are going to miss her. Especially, from the the tween (11yr), the 6yr old and 4yr old are just following their sister. Hampering the dismantle process.
In comes the hundy.
Finally, found one close to what I could afford (not really), thank you Mr. Campbell (a mud member should of gotten his handle), for holding onto her for the past year and barely driving her. You have incomming IH8mud swag. Told my wife it was fate. She laughed, since she said when we need a replacement and saw what I was looking at she said great it's going to be a Silver LC. I had been looking for a grey one, silver is her least liked color. Well we ended up with a silver one after a 2.5hr one way trip, 7hrs in total (95N traffic). : /
Again the flex thing, is a joke, I do it for almost all our trucks when it joins the family and leaves.
So time to baseline her.
1.) Rust CHECK
2.) Mucho Maintenance CHECK
3.) OMG what was I thinking CHECK
First things first, I need her to pass Maryland Inspection and be drive able for a bit.
So here is the list of what I have started with.
1.) brakes, bit a of rust (not going to show pics, pretty straight forward)
a.)replaced pads (Centric 105 #s) and rotors (Centric GCX series) all the way around. Parking brake was recently rebuilt, with the cables
b.) Driver caliper partially seized, replaced with Cardone reman.
c.) Wheel bearings, a bit of play, replacing with Timken bearings, races and seals
2.) Wiper blades replaced with Trico Neoforms.
3.) Shocks all replaced with KYB shocks.
4.) Front Sway Bar Bushings and links replaced with Moog components.
Now for the painful stuff.
1.)Front differential supports
a.) Driver side replaced with OE from Toyota]
b.) Passenger side the diff cover has to be replaced.
Well the dealer told me there are 4 availably nationally 8 are in transit so its going to be a week or two. Can't wait that long I need to get past inspection and this will be a fail item.
Remedy
*** Disclaimer: don't do this yourself unless you have the eye. The eye to level things without tools almost perfectly. Many shops can't do this. Fortunately, I have a El Salvadorian mechanic employee. They have the "EYE". They can match bolts up pitch, length, thread by eyeballing it. I hunt for a bolt takes me 3 hours to find it in the bolt pile. They can do it less then 10 minutes. Out of the 3 El Salvadorian mechanics we have hired 2 have had the EYE.
The dealer had mistakenly sent me the rear one as well. The #3 denotes that the part is only available as part of an assembly.
So in comes Omar, my mechanic with the phrase I hate the most "esperate" which means "wait" in english. To me as a boss usually means "F**** Y**, I am going to do it my way. Unfortunately, 50% of the time results in it me losing money. NOT THIS TIME!!!!!! WOOT!!!
The bushing in need or replacement.
The brand new OEM Rear support.