Not glamorous...but paid for!

[Accumulator]

Brad B.- I'm really glad the Eastwood stuff didn't disappoint. Heh heh, at least now I won't be the only guy here who sings its praises!



Did you use your sprayer or get the aerosol?

 

[Bill D]

Brad B.- I'm really glad the Eastwood stuff didn't disappoint. Heh heh, at least now I won't be the only guy here who sings its praises!



Did you use your sprayer or get the aerosol?

Eastwood's always done right by me. I did some spray work on the Cadillac last Fall. The Radiator Black paint matches fantastically, and I always have some Gel Rust Dissolver on hand, left over from some work on the old Maxima.



Eastwood often has a great photo of an engine and frame in its catalog where all the products are shown and labelled where they are used. Great reference!

 

[Brad B]

Did you use your sprayer or get the aerosol?

I used the bulk bottle with a sprayer. My sprayer has all kinds of tips and extensions so it makes it easy to get everywhere well.



Thanks for the tip. Good stuff!

 

[Accumulator]

Brad B.- Yeah, a good sprayer is well worth having; Ron Ketcham turned me on to an inexpensive version of the one AI/VG sells. I still reach for the spray cans now and then as it takes a while to clean the sprayer compared to setting a can back on the shelf.



ARGH...wish I could pull the Tahoe off the road for a while and do this kind of thing to it, shoulda done it back when I still had additional dog-haulers :wall "He who hesitates is lost" and all that...

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Brad B.- Yeah, a good sprayer is well worth having; Ron Ketcham turned me on to an inexpensive version of the one AI/VG sells. I still reach for the spray cans now and then as it takes a while to clean the sprayer compared to setting a can back on the shelf.



ARGH...wish I could pull the Tahoe off the road for a while and do this kind of thing to it, shoulda done it back when I still had additional dog-haulers :wall "He who hesitates is lost" and all that...

I take it that means you got rid of the TBSS?

 

[Accumulator]

I take it that means you got rid of the TBSS?

Yeah, wrong tool for the job.

 

[Brad B]

Today I replaced all the sway bar bushings with poly bushings. I also installed new sway bar end links. This should tighten things up.



The old bushings really held moisture and promoted rust from within. One of the links snapped off in the middle where the rust got hold.

 

[Accumulator]

Brad B.- Good move, but I hope those red bushings aren't noisy (even with the zerk fittings, though I was really thinking about the end link ones that don't get lubed like that).

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Brad B.- Good move, but I hope those red bushings aren't noisy (even with the zerk fittings, though I was really thinking about the end link ones that don't get lubed like that).

Energy Suspension recommends their "Formula 5 Pre-Lube" be applied to the bushings prior to installation to prevent noise issues. I've used it in the past and found that it doesn't wash away as quickly as traditional grease, which is nice.

 

[Brad B]

I hope I don't regret the Poly Bushings. But I wanted to stiffen things up a bit. Going from my P-Cars to the Toyota I feel like I am floating on an amusement park ride! I did use the supplied Energy Suspension grease. It was actually really strange sticky stuff. And they didn't give you much.

 

[Accumulator]

Energy Suspension recommends their "Formula 5 Pre-Lube" be applied to the bushings prior to installation to prevent noise issues. I've used it in the past and found that it doesn't wash away as quickly as traditional grease, which is nice.

Yeah...I have some "made for poly bushings" grease, min-greasegun size tube, been in the gun so long I can't remember whose it is :think: It keeps mine quiet, but I have the black bushings too. Plus, traditional grease supposedly breaks down the poly over time so IMO it pays to have some stuff that you know is OK.

I hope I don't regret the Poly Bushings. But I wanted to stiffen things up a bit. Going from my P-Cars to the Toyota I feel like I am floating on an amusement park ride! I did use the supplied Energy Suspension grease. It was actually really strange sticky stuff. And they didn't give you much.

Heh heh, roger that on the diff between "real cars" and old-tech SUVs! But you might be surprised what a little tweaking; earlier this year I was doing stuff that lifted the inside tire on an old Suburban (same vintage as my Tahoe) and it sure got around OK. Gotta get my Hotchkis bars on the Tahoe some day...the new Bilsteins made a nice difference



I was concerned about the red bushings (which I've never used) because a pal of mine put the red ones on his XJS and no matter what he did the noise kept coming back. I think it finally drove his wife nuts because he suddently quit wrestling with it (and/or saying it wasn't so bad) and switched to the black ones that I've used on so many of my vehicles (including *my* XJS).



And I gotta admit that even my black bushings aren't always silent, especially if I don't keep lots of lube on 'em (all that undercarriage washing can bite me that way).



You really might oughta set up a grease gun with the appropriate stuff so you can use a [boat]-load on yours.

 

[Brad B]

Gotta get my Hotchkis bars on the Tahoe some day...the new Bilsteins made a nice difference.

So what do you think about the Bilsteins? I am familiar with the shocks, just not on trucks. (I have Bilstein coilovers on the Carrera and shocks on the BMW.) Do you find the ride comfortable for urban trekking on crappy streets? Folks on the 4Runner forum like them but all seem to comment on them providing a 'stiffer ride". Not sure if they mean that in a good way or not. They are pricey, of course. I was considering just getting Monroe replacement shocks to replace the original OEM shocks. I want comfort above all. Not sure which way to go.

I was concerned about the red bushings (which I've never used) because a pal of mine put the red ones on his XJS and no matter what he did the noise kept coming back.

Funny...I have a friend, the guy who helped me find this 4Runner, who said the same exact thing about HIS XJS and the red bushings. He said they make his Jag sound like an '87 Buick on prom night. He lubes them a lot!

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

So what do you think about the Bilsteins? I am familiar with the shocks, just not on trucks. (I have Bilstein coilovers on the Carrera and shocks on the BMW.) Do you find the ride comfortable for urban trekking on crappy streets? Folks on the 4Runner forum like them but all seem to comment on them providing a 'stiffer ride". Not sure if they mean that in a good way or not. They are pricey, of course. I was considering just getting Monroe replacement shocks to replace the original OEM shocks. I want comfort above all. Not sure which way to go.

This is probably going to sound crazy since they're typically regarded as "off-road" shocks, but I have a set of Rancho shocks on my truck that are by far the smoothest riding I've ever experienced. Before I bought my truck (the Ranchos came on it from the factory with the "All Terrain" option package my truck has) I test drove several others that had either Gabriel or Bilstein shocks that were nowhere near as good. The first time I drove the one I ended up buying I was absolutely blown away at the difference. Going down the highway is like floating on a cloud!

Funny...I have a friend, the guy who helped me find this 4Runner, who said the same exact thing about HIS XJS and the red bushings. He said they make his Jag sound like an '87 Buick on prom night. He lubes them a lot!

:spit:

 

[Brad B]

When I got my 4Runner it came with an oem bug guard up front. I hate the look, personally, so I removed it. The good thing is that the paint underneath is flawless. Not a mark or chip on a hood which will surely pick up rocks. So I decided to put clear film on it. Ran it back about 6" to line up with the turn signals aesthetically.



Before

After

And then I decided to tint the front windows to match the factory rear tint.

So my cheap truck is getting more expensive. I just 'invested' crazy money into my beater. :smile1: And I am not happy yet. All of a sudden the orange turn signals and reflectors up front look bad to me. I want clear lenses. They are cooler. And I have an erasor sized ding in the front fender that now looks like a wart on an otherwise pretty face. Hmmm. How much will that cost?



Stop me!

 

[Accumulator]

So what do you think about the Bilsteins? I am familiar with the shocks, just not on trucks. (I have Bilstein coilovers on the Carrera and shocks on the BMW.) Do you find the ride comfortable for urban trekking on crappy streets? Folks on the 4Runner forum like them but all seem to comment on them providing a 'stiffer ride". Not sure if they mean that in a good way or not. They are pricey, of course. I was considering just getting Monroe replacement shocks to replace the original OEM shocks. I want comfort above all. Not sure which way to go...

I simply love the Bilsteins on my Tahoe, and I think you'd *really* appreciate the diff compared to Monroes. Mine even helped a bit with front-end dive under braking, which was unloading the rear end, further aggravating my "primitive braking system" issues.



I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to this stuff, and I've *never* had anything turn out "too stiff" from suspension tweaks as long as I didn't go off the deep end (and stiffer shocks aren't even close to that).

Funny...I have a friend, the guy who helped me find this 4Runner, who said the same exact thing about HIS XJS and the red bushings. He said they make his Jag sound like an '87 Buick on prom night. He lubes them a lot!

If he hasn't already done to, he oughta at least drill/fit the "bracket" bushings with zerk fittings; most XJS bar mounts don't come with 'em. But that still leaves the endlinks...

This is probably going to sound crazy since they're typically regarded as "off-road" shocks, but I have a set of Rancho shocks on my truck that are by far the smoothest riding I've ever experienced. Before I bought my truck (the Ranchos came on it from the factory with the "All Terrain" option package my truck has) I test drove several others that had either Gabriel or Bilstein shocks that were nowhere near as good.

Some vehicles *do* respond very well to the Ranchos.



Note that there are often different types of Bilsteins with very different chacteristics.



And of course, different people like different stuff anyhow



Heh heh, I guess I'm just kinda a fan-boy for Bilsteins

When I got my 4Runner it came with an oem bug guard up front. I hate the look..

Yeah, my Tahoe has one of those, and a similar deflector on the roof, and a brush bar Looks like Jungle Larry's baja-mobile, but I guess it's kinda grown on me and people who woulda cut in front of the minivan sure stay out of its way.

 

[Brad B]

Well I could resist an aesthetic mod. I got clear lenses to replace the old style orange ones on the front. Now it looks like a sleeker, newer, er...old truck. Kind of silly, but what the heck. It was cheap.



Old

Clear lenses.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

It's always the subtle changes that make the most difference, that's for sure!

 

[Accumulator]

So my cheap truck is getting more expensive.... I could [not ] resist an aesthetic mod...

Heh heh, I knew it, I just knew it :chuckle: Kinda fun things, those "crappy old SUVs", huh?!?



Those clear lenses *do* look great! I had my doubts until I saw the pix, but sure enough that was a great idea.



How's the output from the headlights? I'd be thinking about a relay-conversion, right after the Bilsteins



Any noise from the poly bushings?

 

[Brad B]

Thanks for the compliments.



The poly bushings are great. And quiet. They really made a big difference in tightening up the cornering prowess of the beast. The old rubber had really deteriorated and was mushy. Glad I renewed it all.



Funny, was already thinking about the lights. Are the Sylvania 3000 bulbs worth the $40? They claim 30% increase.



Now I am thinking about an aluminum skid plate like one that comes on the Sport model. Just a little bling for underneath. Been cruising the classifieds for something cheap.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Funny, was already thinking about the lights. Are the Sylvania 3000 bulbs worth the $40? They claim 30% increase.

Trouble with them is they don't last very long. Personally I'd just go looking into a HID conversion of some sort.