The detail of our location using BCN (left) and Gaia (right).
TL;DR - For years I've used Backcountry Navigator. After checking out Gaia on our last trip, I'm considering a switch.
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End of the road.
TL;DR - The zipper finally failed catastrophically. Both CVT and YKK had amazing customer service and solved the problem in different ways.
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That's not right either. After running on this for two miles or so at 65mph, even though it looks pretty normal, the tire is toast.
TL;DR - I got my third Cooper ST/Maxx flat ever, all on the same set (my fourth) of tires. I still think they are one of the best tires out there.
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Older SPC UCAs with SpecRide bushings vs. newer arms with the X-Axis joint.
TL;DR - I no longer recommend SPC upper control arms (UCAs) if they contain X-Axis bushings.
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The full report, minus my deets.
TL;DR - I had my first oil analysis done, and with 235K miles on the Tacoma, it came back great.
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Valve stems that insert from the outside!
TL;DR - My Cooper ST/Maxx tires finally gave me a bit of trouble. Still, I'll probably buy a 5th set when these wear out because they've performed better than any other tire I've seen others run on the trail.
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These seats are definitely the most expensive mod I've done to the Tacoma.
TL;DR - The new scheel-mann seats are doing fine. The jury is still out on whether they are worth it (and will be for several years, I think.
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Out with the old, in with the new.
TL;DR - I replaced the lower ball joints (LBJs) as preventative maintenance after 75K miles.
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That is certainly not supposed to look like it does.
TL;DR - The passenger front corner of the bed cracked all the way down to the bed floor. I've fixed it, for now.
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My original SPC UCAs with sleeved poly bushings on the left; new UCAs with the X-Axis joint on the right.
TL;DR - the last time I got an alignment, the tech mentioned that the rear passenger side bushing on the upper control arm (UCA) was starting to get a bit loose. After some consideration, I decided to install completely new UCAs, with lifetime joints so I never have to worry about those bushings again.
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Turns out, adjustment wasn't what was needed.
TL;DR - My dirver side limit strap in the front broke. I replaced it.
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1st gen Tacoma front LCA Durobumps. The bump on the left is for the front hole of the LCA; the angled bump on the right is for the rear.
TL;DR - I've really liked all of the bump stops from Durobumps, so I've installed a second set on the front lower control arms!
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The persuader.
TL;DR - While I think that Relentless armor is some of the best out there, the mounting of the skid plates could have been better and is causing me a bit of trouble over the years (because I lightly beat the truck).
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Replacing spherical bearings on the front coilover. Note that the (left) FKSSX10T-F1 bearings from the lower eye show almost no rust (since they are stainless steel) after replacement, while the (right) upper bearing FKS10T-F1 (hardened steel) shows significant rust.
TL;DR - I'm convinced that switching to extra tight stainless steel spherical bearings is the way to go, and I have numbers to prove it.
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There's no question that scheel-mann seats look good. And so far, the comfort is better as well. Time will tell if they are really worth the hefty price.
TL;DR - the new scheel-mann Vario R seats are good, but they aren't for everyone due to cost.
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TL;DR - The battery tie down that bolts to the core support has cracked core support as a result of all the rattling around. I've reinforced it, and will monitor it going forward.
A cracked core support. Not good.
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Worn out brushes in an alternator. A $15 part, and a 45 minute service - in the comfort of your garage - can mean the difference between completing a trip and being completely stranded.
TL;DR - the alternator failed as I was about 90 minutes from home, and it was because the brushes had worn out. Luckily, I was carrying a spare set and swapped them in about an hour, completely fixing the issue.
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A clever solution to a broken leaf spring.
TL;DR - I had to cut my trip short when another leaf - this time the main leaf - broke on the first day of a 4 day adventure. I've now replaced the leaf springs, solving the problem.
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TL;DR - I've replaced my Bussmann fuse/relay box because the old one melted around some of the connectors. This issue has been ongoing for a while, but initially I didn't understand what was going on. Initially, I thought that I was having a problem with my HID-modified Hellas (see previous rig reviews) and so I contacted the manufacturer to see about replacement ballasts, and verified that all the pins were properly seated in the back of the Bussmann. After reseating a couple pins, I tried replacing the relay that was powering the Hella's, and that seemed to solve the problem...…
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TL;DR - I replaced the only metal component in the cabinet with wood, and the rattling is gone! The inside of the cab is remarkably quiet(er) ever since I sound deadened everything. However, my dual battery cabinet has been rattling almost since I installed it. The problem is that the ball bearing drawer slide - the only metal bit of the cabinet - isn't stiff enough to resist the constant shaking, and so rattles as I go over bumpy terrain. I've tried a couple things to prevent the rattling, but nothing has worked to my satisfaction. These metal drawer slides…
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