In this photo, note the clearly defined beams of the fogs and Hellas, with a nice transitional area between the two. Additionally, note how much yellow light reaches the mountainside some quarter-mile away.
TL;DR - I finally got off my butt and fixed the skid plate by cutting a square hole so I can use a carriage bolt to secure it to the transmission crossmember, rather than the small welded ears that kept breaking off.
TL;DR - My Hella's are working again, and the problem wasn't the Hella's or the HID upgrade at all. It was my Bussmann relay/fuse block.The Hella's (and the related HID components) were never the actual problem.
TL;DR - An appropriately sized (slightly thicker) spacer between the opener and the roof of the Tacoma makes the opener work quite a bit better!If you have a garage, this is a great way to get in, conveniently.
TL;DR - The NMO mount on my Ham Antenna was just a little too deep, and the antenna would contact the roof when it was tightened down, leading to rust. I've fixed that with a bit of judicious grinding.A few seconds with the grinder, and I've reduced the threaded section by 1/8" or so. Problem solved!
TL;DR - Replacing my LCA bushings didn't resolve my squeaks. Time to start thinking about UCAs and rear leaf spring bushings.Time for more new bushings.
TL;DR - I noticed on the NMBDR that the steering rack was leaking. I'm going to replace it with a new OEM Power Steering Rack (44250-35042)The dreaded leak. Perhaps I'll rebuild it once the new rack is installed.
TL;DR - My Hella's are working less and less now; I'm biding my time until the end of the year, when I hear that Diode Dynamics may have something fun coming.I'm not as happy with the HIDs in the Hellas as I was when I initially installed them.
TL;DR - The stainless steel bushings seem to be doing a bit better, but I'm not ready to say that they are the right way to go. Yet.I definitely recommend genuine FKS bearings at -F1 tightness; not sure about the stainless steel variant yet.
TL;DR - Like lights, bushings wear out, and I'll be replacing several on the front of the truck. The LCA bushings are likely the cause of my misalignment as well, so I'll get that addressed after I replace the bushings.
