What do the extended rear sway bar links get you?
What have you done to your 100 Series this week?
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What do the extended rear sway bar links get you?
This: TLC FAQ • View topic - Extended Sway Bar Links on Lifted 100 [PICS]
Putting things back to near stock configuration/angles - it's all about the angles. The 80 series guys do all this stuff after lifting and since I was 2"+ over stock in the back it made sense. The rear end was tight and overly snappy from side to side. I'd say some if not all of that is gone now.
I bought (stole) a set of Rock Warrior rims from a co-worker who upgraded to the Tundra 20" Platinum rims. He said he didn't want them and they were taking up space in his garage so I gave him 200 bucks and ran as fast as I could.....he was happy (but not as happy as I am)!
I made extended front sway bar links and I agree that it takes all the post-lift harshness from the small bumps in the road away. I'm going to make the rear extended links also but I don't think it'll help the ride as much as the fronts because of the way they are mounted. They should provide better rear articulation though.
Installed new SPC heavy duty lower control arms to replace the slight bend I got on my PS OEM arm. I was negotiating one of the rock obstacles at Prairie City OHV Park whilst attending the Off-Road Safety Academy (put on by Bob Wohlers) last weekend and slide across my PS frame rail and then the LCA as I cleared the last rock (see photo below). I took it really slow over the rock but, apparently the OEM arm didn't like it. Deep gouge and slight bend. Based on that, I decided I don't want to take the chance of hitting something harder and bending it further out in the middle of nowhere, so new LCA's were in order.
After a day of research and only a few choices, I went with the SPCs. I liked the fact that that are 1.5" x 0.1875" DOM (I measured OEM at 1.3" and I remember that it is around 0.1" or so thick), have one side xAxis joint and rubber bushing on the other. Should provide increased strength and articulation without the maintenance of a spherical joint and/or bushings. The only problem is that they are not adjustable, not a problem now as I am still at stock height. As you can see, the eyelets are smaller than the OEM eyelets, which made installation easy. The SPC's weigh in at 8 lbs per LCA versus the OEM at 6.5 lbs. So, noticeably more material along the length.
Installation was a 1
job. The hardest part was wiggling out the bolt at the axle end. I found it worked better to remove the frame side bolt mount first for removal and then last for installation. Gave a bit more wiggle room at the axle end. The other thing is that my muffler hangs down just enough to prevent a socket wrench to be used. In fact, while down there, I noticed I dinged it a bit to going over the rock too. Seems like Toyota would have thought about that at the factory.
BTW: I'd highly recommend Bob's Off-Road Safety Academy. It was a great way to spend 2 days and learn a bunch of stuff about 4-wheeling and basic recovery.
After a day of research and only a few choices, I went with the SPCs. I liked the fact that that are 1.5" x 0.1875" DOM (I measured OEM at 1.3" and I remember that it is around 0.1" or so thick), have one side xAxis joint and rubber bushing on the other. Should provide increased strength and articulation without the maintenance of a spherical joint and/or bushings. The only problem is that they are not adjustable, not a problem now as I am still at stock height. As you can see, the eyelets are smaller than the OEM eyelets, which made installation easy. The SPC's weigh in at 8 lbs per LCA versus the OEM at 6.5 lbs. So, noticeably more material along the length.
Installation was a 1
job. The hardest part was wiggling out the bolt at the axle end. I found it worked better to remove the frame side bolt mount first for removal and then last for installation. Gave a bit more wiggle room at the axle end. The other thing is that my muffler hangs down just enough to prevent a socket wrench to be used. In fact, while down there, I noticed I dinged it a bit to going over the rock too. Seems like Toyota would have thought about that at the factory.BTW: I'd highly recommend Bob's Off-Road Safety Academy. It was a great way to spend 2 days and learn a bunch of stuff about 4-wheeling and basic recovery.
had a nasty drip on the side of my new LC. was worried it was into the clear coat and permanent.
clayed it and in 20 minutes it was gone! ended up clay barring my whole truck and then hit it with some good wax. Really impressed with the paint on these old trucks
clayed it and in 20 minutes it was gone! ended up clay barring my whole truck and then hit it with some good wax. Really impressed with the paint on these old trucks
Pulled my spare and reseated it so it actually held air, cleaned up the spare tire pulley while I was under there, and found this:
The original brochure from 1998 that my parents got from the dealership. It was hidden in a folder my mother gave me with some other paperwork from the dealership.
The original brochure from 1998 that my parents got from the dealership. It was hidden in a folder my mother gave me with some other paperwork from the dealership.
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Not even 18 months and here we go again - another new windshield. Love the Memphis roads...
^ Dang. How much did that one run ya? I see one in my future, but as much as I commute on the interstate behind crappy dump trucks I just keep putting it off. hahaha
$190.10 installed. Same guy did my wife's 2015 GX460 for <$300 a few months ago, I can't tell any difference from the OEM install.
At least it's not the Lexus Night View/Vision one.
Look at that interior!!! O man
I turned the garage door opener box into usable space.
I pulled the opener box out of the overhead console, did a little trimming and cut a filler plate out of some scrap sheet metal. Then used the top part of the garage door box to hold the new plate in place on the overhead console.. Used a HomeLink module from eBay so I don't have to fumble with loose openers, added a 4.8amp BlueSeas USB outlet and included a Ram ball mount. Now I can mount my GPS and power it without cords hanging all over the place. The HomeLink module is powered from the overhead light circuit and I ran a new switched power source for the USB outlet.
Can you advise what to look for in a homelink xmtr on ebay? I would *love* to do this but am not sure how 'universal' the ones on there truly are???
I wanted a transmitter that was OEM to a vehicle, not something cobbled together in a sweat shop. As with anything on eBay, a seller with positive feedback is a plus. I researched and found a lot of folks who bought HomeLink transmitters from the seller 'bayer_9999' were pleased. The seller included instructions for a two wire installation on a transmitter that was tested. I opted to find a small transmitter that supported both rolling code and non rolling code technology as I wasn't sure what was in my garage. Even with its small size, it took some creativity to get the transmitter to fit in the overhead console. The most important part for me was finding a tan colored trim piece to match the interior. I didn't want to paint the trim since it would be touched almost two times a day.
The transmitter was about $20.
i bought the cruiser two weeks ago (2000 with 186k miles) and had the worst car ride of my life coming back from GA in it with a worn out steering rack combined with some of the worst riding, terribly balanced, off brand all terrains I have ever seen. If I had been thinking I would have taken a trailer and towed it home, but who thinks when they are excited to be adding another cruiser to the collection? So I have been collecting parts for the last two weeks so that I could have an enjoyable holiday weekend coming up. All i have accomplished on it this week is stacking boxes around it.
4 new rotors, new pads, new wheel bearings, 2.5 OME lift, Slee upper control arms, new steering rack, new outer tie rod ends, timing belt, water pump, tensioner puller assembly, idler pulley, oh and a mobil 1 oil change.
no way I will get it all done by the end of the weekend but oh well.
4 new rotors, new pads, new wheel bearings, 2.5 OME lift, Slee upper control arms, new steering rack, new outer tie rod ends, timing belt, water pump, tensioner puller assembly, idler pulley, oh and a mobil 1 oil change.
no way I will get it all done by the end of the weekend but oh well.
Did your slider give out and smash the rocker?
I did this a while back also with a unit out of an IS300. I took the easy way and just separated the unit and used the access hole in the old garage door opener holder and mounted the unit sideways and it fits fine. I think I had to enlarge the hole to the side a bit.
Also best to connect it to a switched source vs. constant power as that way if someone breaks your window they dont instantly have access to your garage if you park outside.
