I'd first check your UCA hardware (long bolt and nut through the tower and big but on the balljoint).
SQOD Squad - Stupid Question Of the Day (6 Viewers)
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I'd first check your UCA hardware (long bolt and nut through the tower and big but on the balljoint).
SQOD that occurred to me today. I've been carrying a lot of stuff and tools in the back of my truck the past few days as I move my office and shop, in and out of the back many times a day. So I'm wondering... Is it better (considering the gas struts) to leave the upper hatch open for an extended time and not open and close it a bunch of times? Or does having to support the heavy hatch for a long time wear out the struts quicker?
There is much more pressure on them when the hatch is closed.
They are like springs and last longer when not used, so leaving the hatch open is easier on them. Not much though.
In the life of the vehicle I've generally only had to purchase replacements once, as most after market parts stores offer lifetime replacement on them. Not as good as OEM but only purchase the replacement once.
This is exactly why I always leave my miter saws in the UP position when they are not being used. The big clock spring in the pivot is more relaxed with the saw up, so seems to last longer. I have a nice 12" Delta saw from a previous owner, it barely stays up now, as he always stored the saw in the down position.
But these cylinders seem smarter than that, I'm not entirely convinced they are just a spring. If I slowly lower the hatch, the support from the cylinders seems to "release" when the hatch is almost closed. Same with the hood. Same with the trunk lid on my other car. I'm wondering if there is valving that releases the pressure as it gets close to fully compressed. Once the hatch is about 6-8" above the closed position, you can just let go and it drops and latches shut. At least that's what mine does.
So maybe there is no "best" tactic.
Anyone have a take-off Magnetic Gray front bumper cover (PN: 521196B948)they want to sell me? I squished mine pretty good last weekend.
OK, my SQOD - Suspension plus rambling
This is a important question/ramble for me regarding lifting to throw on 33in tires.
I want to throw on 33in tires to beef up my rig but am terrified of doing a full on 2-3in suspension lift cause of ruining the ride quality by an ounce. I've got a Ram 1500 with a basic Rough Country 4in lift and 35s on it.... every bump I hit is brutal and the ride just sucks on the highway. That's why I love the comfort of the LC and am afraid of ruining it....but also want to make people not think its a highlander lol.
I've seen pictures of a 2016 LC with a front OEM one inch spacer which clears the 33in tires and makes the rig look great....and was stated by the owner that the ride quality didn't change. I want to go that route but I actually enjoy having a slight rake because if I go on a long trip I don't want the back end to sag due to weight in the rear.
Would I be able to buy a one inch OEM spacer to put in the rear to have the slight rake in the rear? And if so, would the ride quality change? (I'm telling you, my Ram is brutal to drive thats why I appreciate the LC so much!).
Anyway, much thanks.
This is a important question/ramble for me regarding lifting to throw on 33in tires.
I want to throw on 33in tires to beef up my rig but am terrified of doing a full on 2-3in suspension lift cause of ruining the ride quality by an ounce. I've got a Ram 1500 with a basic Rough Country 4in lift and 35s on it.... every bump I hit is brutal and the ride just sucks on the highway. That's why I love the comfort of the LC and am afraid of ruining it....but also want to make people not think its a highlander lol.
I've seen pictures of a 2016 LC with a front OEM one inch spacer which clears the 33in tires and makes the rig look great....and was stated by the owner that the ride quality didn't change. I want to go that route but I actually enjoy having a slight rake because if I go on a long trip I don't want the back end to sag due to weight in the rear.
Would I be able to buy a one inch OEM spacer to put in the rear to have the slight rake in the rear? And if so, would the ride quality change? (I'm telling you, my Ram is brutal to drive thats why I appreciate the LC so much!).
Anyway, much thanks.
I know that ARB makes 10mm spacers for the rear, and you could use 2 of those. I am not sure who makes 25mm spacer.
Absolutely. If ride quality is paramount, what you're suggesting would be the preferred way to lift. I believe a lot of people think this might be a lesser way of lifting because it's not some big money big name lift. Yet the strategy does have its benefits for everyday use. It's different if someone is looking for some particular load handling or off-road style of use where some aftermarket stuff may be more appropriate.
These should work: Amazon product ASIN B07RB82L11
As an aside, we know the stock suspension setup is more durable than many aftermarket coilover type suspensions for typical use. You'd also have the advantage of longer durability and less maintenance, while keeping great supple ride quality.
As it is lifting and raising the center of gravity, you may get a bit more nose dive and lean, yet KDSS should mitigate much of that.
I have read of a few guys doing that. If you need a p/n for front spacer PM me and I’ll get it later today. FWIW I put 33” 275/60 on my LX’s 20” rims. I have no lift, no AHC height tweak and zero rub. Bonuses are:1) Speedo is now accurate rather than reading high by a few percent. 2) If you read your trip mileage at fill-up, add 5% then divide by gallons the onboard mileage meter is accurate or a slight bit pessimistic (that’s to say it reads a bit low. 14.8 may calculate out to 15.0). 3) Using a Garmin GPS I determined the under-report of the trip meter to be about 5.25% in my vehicle.
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My SQOD:
While checking the Cabin Air Filter today on my 2010 LX 570, I found a baseball-size clump of fuzz. It's not dust like you would find in a vacuum, but more like the stuffing in a pillow. This is actually the second time--I found the same thing 4000mi ago when I bought the LX and figured it was a gift from the previous owner. Where on earth could this be coming from?
While checking the Cabin Air Filter today on my 2010 LX 570, I found a baseball-size clump of fuzz. It's not dust like you would find in a vacuum, but more like the stuffing in a pillow. This is actually the second time--I found the same thing 4000mi ago when I bought the LX and figured it was a gift from the previous owner. Where on earth could this be coming from?
Markuson
SILVER Star
12 years in (my 200 was built in 2007)...my hatch struts are just fine...despite my hatch being open for most of the day for many days on end...while tinkering in my driveway using the hatch as a work-space over the years.
And...as others have said...it’s not more stress to be in the extended/open position.
Rodents? I can't think of any other way something like that could get in there.
As far as I know, all it does is turn a fan on in your seat. Many people report it not or barely working at all, including myself. I’ve never heard of it stopping after a while, but it could be that your fan is on its way out. When you think it’s stopped, pull over, turn off any Ac fans and listen. The fan is under your seat.
I think you're right, upon closer inspection there are some rodent droppings inside the fuzz nest...
Would it be crazy to put a rat trap on the Cabin Air Filter? Or am I going to have to take apart the dash?
I've used this with some success - might be worth a shot? Good for other wiring harnesses under the hood as well...
I got little bags of stuff covered in peppermint oil and tied them to the wiring harnesses and a couple other places under the hood out of an abundance of caution and have never seen any evidence of rodents. I also got small plug in sonic devices for the garage that rodents don't like apparently, and I have never seen droppings or anything in the garage. Likely the most effective thing we've done though is not get rid of the family of nice snakes that moved into our yard about a year ago. Judging by the progressively larger skins they've been shedding, I think they're eating a nice balanced diet. 
