What did you work on tonight? (5 Viewers)

[NMBound]

You make it home?

That's Tucson, we're en route stopped for a break.

 

[Mauser]

That's Tucson, we're en route stopped for a break.

Cool. Well, drive safe.

 

[TOYOTARIG]

NMBound I'm not to up to speed on my Scion's what's on the trailer, and what's the story behind it? Looks like it would be a good first car for our youngest.

PS, safe travels watch out for the wind!

 

[5speed addict]

Safe travels!
I hate the way those trailers carry all the weight so far forward. My sister towed a cj2a to Nashville with one, tail wagging the whole way

If we write “in tow” on the back this will work right?

 

[pappy]

If we write “in tow” on the back this will work right?

Uh, sure.

 

[Dumpolina]

If we write “in tow” on the back this will work right? View attachment 3303378

It’ll be a YouTube sensation

 

[NMBound]

NMBound I'm not to up to speed on my Scion's what's on the trailer, and what's the story behind it? Looks like it would be a good first car for our youngest.

PS, safe travels watch out for the wind!

That there's a 2008 Scion xD. It's essentially a cheaper version of the Toyota Yaris that was marketed to younger people when they were new like all the Scions. It has a 2ZR-FE 1.8L 4 cylinder that makes 134hp between 4600-6200 rpm. They put that engine in a lot of the mid-late 2000s and early 2010s Corollas. My xD has a 5 speed manual C50 gearbox but they came in AT also. I've got it running really good now. My wife had the same automatic xD for her first car but she always felt like she was gonna get run over by someone else. I don't have that problem even with lowered suspension I put on it because I drive it like a rally car. With what I've done to it the car drives really, really well. In fact, this is a project to turbo the engine and pull the interior and A/C to make 250 hp on less than 1800 lb curb weight. If I get to that point I'm going to weld a cage and put in Lexan windows.

It's the more sports-worthy version of the Scion hatchbacks. The xB has more power (178hp 2AR-FE) but they're pretty ugly.

If you're looking for something for a first time driver, you can't go wrong with something like a mid 2000s or 2010s Corolla S. The S has a nice trim package that holds value and it runs the same 134hp 2ZR-FE. They're good little engines and the Corolla has more room. It's a 4 door sedan. I was looking for one of those as a daily driver before I found the hatch and...well...the whole thing turned into something else. The 2ZR is really easy to work on too. I've replaced the water pump and timing chain tensioner. There's a factory bolt on conversion from a cartridge cylinder to the metal spin on type. One problem you have to look out for us a stuck VVTI overhead gear. When that happens you can hear a brief rattle on startup that immediately goes away once oil makes it around. It's not a difficult job to pull the valve cover and replace it. I don't have that problem thankfully, just a slappy timing chain that I'm going to replace soon. My engine has 167k miles on it now and when I know I have fresh oil, I push it pretty damn hard. I've hit 110mph in it on a straight line

 

[NMBound]

Cool. Well, drive safe.

Thanks! We made it! Here's a shot just outside Albuquerque. Good lady driving the off roader and giving me traffic call-outs over the radio.

 

[TOYOTARIG]

Wealth of info there NMBound! Cool little hot rod.

Glad you all made it safely.

 

[Mauser]

Thanks! We made it! Here's a shot just outside Albuquerque. Good lady driving the off roader and giving me traffic call-outs over the radio.

View attachment 3303889

Welcome home!

 

[alia176]

Thanks! We made it! Here's a shot just outside Albuquerque. Good lady driving the off roader and giving me traffic call-outs over the radio.

View attachment 3303889

Wait, you towed with the V6, not the V8, interesting!

 

[NMBound]

Wait, you towed with the V6, not the V8, interesting!

I wanted to see how a stock 5th gen does. It's not bad. I'd do it again. It's easier with the S shifter too in my opinion.

 

[alia176]

This past weekend was spent installing the Delta V front radius arms on the 80. Before they can be installed, I had to "undo" 19 years of mods to the axle mounting brackets. Back in the day, we used to correct the caster using the "washer" method, which involved slotting the front mounting brackets. This method was effective and allowed one to fine tune the amount of caster they wanted. Then Slee came up with the caster correction plates and most of us switched over to this method.

Here's a quick history on the washer method of caster correction.

Fast fwd few years and the Slee plates were installed and some welding took place on the front of them for more stability, which had to be removed. You can see how the axle brackets are notched from the washer method and the Slee plate method.

Rebuild the front axle mounting brackets, then install the new Delta front radius arms.

 

[Mauser]

The wife's GX needed tires. She likes the look of the mud tires on my LX so she wanted some. Went with the Milestar Patagonia MT tires because of price and a lot of really good reviews. They are heavy, 10 ply and have some super stiff sidewalls. It didn't take much weight to balance them. Also did a quick alignment.

 

[alia176]

bad ass grocery getter!!!!

 

[Montijo505]

Didn’t work on anything but the ol’ girl got new shoes. Decided to try skinnies 255/80r17 instead of the usual 285/70r17.

I love the look and it drives so much better. Never going back.

 

[alia176]

Didn’t work on anything but the ol’ girl got new shoes. Decided to try skinnies 255/80r17 instead of the usual 285/70r17.

I love the look and it drives so much better. Never going back.

View attachment 3312185

View attachment 3312186

View attachment 3312188

Tall/skinny is where it's at but they don't look as cool. Nice job dude.

 

[Montijo505]

Tall/skinny is where it's at but they don't look as cool. Nice job dude.

I know, I was gonna go skinnies since the last set and just couldn’t pull the trigger. Finally did it and I can’t believe the difference in driveability. Curious to see the MPG increase. I was barely scraping 15 with my Duratracs.

 

[Mauser]

Jack's 4runner has a coolant leak on the back of the engine I just can't locate. Last night I had him pull the upper half of the intake off to try to see a little better. I have uv dye in the coolant and now think it might be the lower half of the intake manifold, or maybe a a steel coolant line in the back. I would really like to figure out where it is coming from before we pull the intake manifold and get coolant everywhere. I also have to wait for him to get home so he can take it apart so I am trying to get something done.

It isn't a head gasket, and I really hope it isn't a freeze plug.

 

[pappy]

YUCK!!!!