TL;DR - I'm going to try replacing my 5th gear with a taller gear that should lower my RPMs at highway speeds and will hopefully improve my fuel economy (MPGs).
On the freeway, it's high revs all the time.
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TL;DR - Over our last five nights of camping in Canada, we had mice in the cab three times. What is going on?
The new normal.
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TL;DR - The new 1st gen Sequoia double 5-spoke wheels sit a little too inboard and cause some rubbing on my suspension components, so I've installed some wheel spacers to fix the problem.
The solution to my problem.
TL;DR - I am not happy with the lifespan I got out of the X-Axis joints on my SPC upper control arms (UCAs), so I'm going back to the original polyurethane bushing-based SPC UCAs.
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TL;DR - The new wheels and tires look good, but they rub in places that are not acceptable. It's my fault, and I'm hoping to solve the problem with a couple 0.5" spacers.
Definitely no complaints in the bad-ass looks department.
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TL;DR - I waited too long to swap out the spherical bearings in my ADS coilovers, and they ended up destroying the rod ends of my shocks. A simple job made more complicated by my lazy ineptitude.
Well, shit.
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July 31, 2024 I've fallen behind with Rig Reviews since there are lots of trips to write up and share (and I think people like them more), but I'm hoping to do better. This will cover things that have happened over the course of the following trips: So, let's get into it! Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews I didn't solve much from previous rig reviews this time, but I waited long enough to write up this review that all of the new issues were resolved! I'll chalk that up as a win. Unchanged / Still an issue…
6 CommentsTL;DR - I have been extremely happy with Cooper S/T Maxx tires over the last six years. I would not hesitate to recommend them as one of the best tires you can run for the type of exploring that I do.
Fantastic tires.
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TL;DR - The scheel-mann seats I bought two years ago are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in and continue to work as designed. The only thing better would be Toyota OEM seats that were built/upholstered to provide the same support but with a slightly less bulky form factor.
Without a doubt, quality seats.
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TL;DR - It's finally time to replace my front brake pads on the left (driver) side, and I've been so happy with the Toyota OEM pads I've been running that I'm not even looking for other alternatives.
TL;DR - I couldn't get my rear e-locker to disengage on a recent trip. Turns out that one of the wires broke at the frame harness, so I need to fix it.
Many have had trouble with their e-lockers - usually because they've not used them for long periods of time and so they get gummed up - but I've never had any issue or run into this situation before.
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April 30, 2024 The first third of the year is in the books, and it's time to take stock of what's been working well, what's gotten a bit of attention, and what still needs to be addressed with my setup. This will cover things that have happened over the course of the following trips: So, let's get into it! Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews The Rear Diff is Weeping - I didn't fix the weeping in particular, but with the new rear axle housing, the third member got a new FIPG seal and everything is good to…
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TL;DR - the ride on the Chevy 63s is great, but I have a little too much lift, so I'll be removing a single leaf.
Not even fully flexed out, it's nice to see the tire easily drop down to - essentially - the bottom of the wheel well.
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TL;DR - After installing my second LutzAuto Speedometer Correction Device, I've started having trouble - the speedometer jumps randomly from 0 - 130mph - with it again. As such, I'm removing it and I'll just do math to correct my odometer readings for MPG averages.
This device has such promise.
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The full report, minus my deets.
TL;DR - I had my second oil analysis done. With 260K miles on the Tacoma, everything still seems happy.
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December 28, 2023. It's been quite a while - eight months to the day - since the last Rig Review, making this only the second review of 2023. That's just pure lazy on my part, but I'll plead "no way to work on the truck since it's been in Las Vegas" most of that time ...and move on with my fingers in my ears and a la-la-la escaping my lips, as though that were the real reason. With that in mind, let's get down to it, because there is a lot to cover. This Rig Review is the result of…
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That's not right. And it's also not good!
TL;DR - The welds on the CBI tire carrier failed on the trail. Once I realized that my welds on it hadn't failed, but those from CBI had, I laughed at the entire situation.
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Out with the old, in with the new.
TL;DR - The linear clutch pedal spring I installed is working great. Everyone with a torsion spring on their clutch pedal should do this proactively.
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