New guy with new guy problems (1 Viewer)

[Texascruiser450]

Well, I’ve been lurking around this site for awhile now and finally pulled the trigger on purchasing one of these tanks. I ended up good by with a 1997 LX450 because for some reason they are substantially cheaper in the dallas area. It’s fairly clean with a 4” ome lift on it. When I bought it it had a power steering leak, the power seats didn’t go forward or back, and the oil pressure gauge doesn’t work. It also has a popping noise on both sides when turning without stopping and when hitting any substantial bumps. I’m planning a trip to New Mexico in July and want to get the popping and the oil pressure taken care of. Any help/advice would be appreciated. As would any advice on preventative maintenance to do now

 

[pengfinn]

If the popping occurs on hard turns, it sounds like worn birfields. Welcome to MUD!

 

[Texascruiser450]

It also occurs almost constantly when driving over pretty uneven ground

 

[Texascruiser450]

It’s also not a continuous clicking. It’s a single pop that I swear I can feel in the floorboard. I was leaning towards the lower control arm bushings

 

[Jgrauman]

rough road pop in floor board sounds like a bad shock

 

[Marco Lau]

tighten all the suspension bolts per FSM, mine was the panhard rod.

 

[Proven]

Mine has developed a "rattle" or "bump bump bump" in the steering wheel when going over cracks in the pavement. I have been looking over bushings and such myself.

Very likely it is the shocks/steering damper that just might be factory....

 

[ppc]

Or a bad body mount.

 

[ccslider]

Or a bad exhaust mount.

Check the shock bolts, mine were loose, check the rear shocks too.

You asked for maintenance

 

[ajax1]

Oil pressure more then likely the sending unit, on pass side will have two wires if wires are good buy new one from Toyota, looks like brass bell

 

[Warpigg]

Make sure you check the wires to the sending unit first. Seems pretty common for the harness and or the connector that goes to the sending unit fails. The connector on the middle top to the sending unit should see 12+ volts with the engine running. If it doesn't, start probing back up the harness.

Btw if it's the connector, I stole a couple off of two different 22re Toyotas (they use one connector not two) and they worked for both the connections on the sending unit. And if it's the harness you could easily make your own.

 

[IanB]

Welcome to MUD!

You can buy new plastic gears for the power seats, you'll have to search though, I've got manual ones myself but I know I've seen them out there.

 

[inkpot]

Seat bar bushings?

 

[Bleu62]

For the popping I’m guessing birfields, easy job, just takes a while and is messy. Also check your u joints if they weren’t greased they go dry and pop esp w your goemetry not being stock. I like to change all fluids to get a good idea about how things were treated previously. Looking for white film in oil cap, making sure the trans fluid doesn’t smell burnt, and the diff fluid isn’t a chocolate milkshake. Welcome to mud!

 

[Enders]

Popping has been addressed.

For the seat, Products has gears and caps. Fixes 95% of issues. Also, if you’re tall; check Wits end, he’s got seat extensions Wits' End, Solutions for Problems You Didn't Know You Had . Wits End also has replacement power steering hose and numerous other hard to source items. The owner is also very active on the forums and is still developing new products for the 80.

You are welcome, and my apologies to your bank account!

 

[Texascruiser450]

Thanks for all of the advice! I tore the seats down while I was at work, and the plastic gears were completely trashed. So they were replaced and now the sears work perfect. I’m gonna work my way through the rest of y’all suggestions this weekend.

I did have another question, for caster correction would y’all recommend the correction bushings or brackets?

 

[satchel]

From what I've seen researching this same question, people seem to like the plates better than the bushings as they can be a more harsh ride or something to that effect? I have a 4" lift and it's a middle ground where I think my main solution is plates, but if it is only 2" lift you could probably do either without issue. I'm using the plates sold on the wits end website from landtank, they have them for both 2 and 4" applications and most people say they are a great solution from my research anyway. I have yet to get them in so cannot say how they perform but others seem to like them.

Edit - I see now that yours is a 4" lift and I'm not sure that there are bushings available for that size, maybe there are, but my understanding for the 4" lift is most guys recommend these plates.

Thanks for all of the advice! I tore the seats down while I was at work, and the plastic gears were completely trashed. So they were replaced and now the sears work perfect. I’m gonna work my way through the rest of y’all suggestions this weekend.

I did have another question, for caster correction would y’all recommend the correction bushings or brackets?

 

[BILT4ME]

F Looking for white film in oil cap,

NO, NO, NO, NO!

This is a complete myth. Please do not propagate this. ALL it shows is that there is condensation on the inside of the cap.

I have watched uneducated people tear apart a complete engine based on the fact that they saw "milky oil" on the inside of this cap. When the truck is driven and bought up to appropriate temperature, this goes away. Then, depending on the weather, ambient temps, and relative humidity (RH), it MAY come back again that night.

Unfortunately, someone read this somewhere, and it keeps getting passed on as truth and it is absolutely meaningless.

 

[SteamerF18]

Blackstone oil analysis if not already done.

FWIW I had caster correction bushings on my 2.5” lift and recently had Landtank correction plates and OEM bushings installed. The ride is a night and day difference. I didn’t realize how harsh a ride the poly bushings delivered until I was back on the OEM rubber. As @satchel said correction bushings may not be an option with your lift, thought I’d pass along my experience to help as you get ready for your trip.

Nice looking truck, welcome to Mud.

 

[Uglymud]

You said the bumping occurred driving straight down a bumpy road. Check if your tie rod is hitting your radius arms. I'm at 4 inches of lift as well and I'm getting that clicking/knocking in the floorboards because of this. I'm going to change my steering out to a y/t link or crossover with the tie rod out front.