Rig Review: What worked and what didn’t – Summer 2021?

August 1, 2021.

It's been a while since the last Rig Review. Since then, I've put five trips and 20K more miles on the Tacoma. It has - as always seems to be the case - been fantastic.

Let's do a quick rundown of things that are working well, and places that need a little TLC after the last bunch of miles.

I Need New Seats

TL;DR - After 21 years, my seats are worn out and I need to get new ones or refurbish the ones I've got.

Swapping seat bottoms isn't hard, and can eek a little more life out of existing seats at no cost.

Front ADS Coilover Spherical Bearings (update)

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.

LCA & Front Diff Bushings Worn Out

TL;DR - All the new bushings I installed recently seem to be doing great.

Hella HIDs Fail to Turn On (2)

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.

My Steering Rack is Leaking

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.

My Suspension Squeaks

TL;DR - Replacing my LCA bushings didn't resolve my squeaks. Time to start thinking about UCAs and rear leaf spring bushings.

I've Found a New Camp Chair

TL;DR - I've traded in my low camp chair for a normal-height one. I'm liking it so far.

My first experience with the new chair was blissful.

A Small Mod to My Ham Radio Antenna

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!

Garage Door Opener in Headliner Needs Fixing (resolved)

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.

Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews

LCA and Front Diff Bushings - resolved as noted above.
The garage door opener installed in the headliner needs fixing - resolved as noted above.

Unchanged / Still an issue from previous Rig Reviews

There are some things that have been featured in Rig Reviews that are - as yet - unchanged from when I originally reviewed them. Rather than highlight those things again, I'll simply link to them here.

Oil Leaking from Transfer Case
Relentless Skid Plate Attachment
The Drawer in the In-Cab Battery Cabinet Rattles
Front ADS Coilover Spherical Bearings - I'm giving the new FK stainless steel bearings several thousand miles to see if they perform better.
The Zipper on the CVT Tent is Shit - I don't know how I'll ever address this, short of getting a GFC.
Hella HIDs fail to turn on, sometimes - 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.