Ok. So Here We Go...

Time for a LONG overdue post and update here...

I'll even do a step-by-step of how to remove your seat cushions so you can throw them in the washer and they'll look damn near brand new. My wife even goes "are those the same seat cushions?!?" If it made a woman do a double take, it's better than good enough for me- that's for sure.

Basically, this is what I did:
-Ripped out "old" or "former" interior
-Cleaned/Vacuumed/Scrubbed the interior with pure alcohol to kill/clean everything- literally everything could see I cleaned
-Re-Insulated the entire inside as best I could with a "Frost King" type of insulation
-Cleaned the dog out of everything inside of the interior with alcohol- including the screws so they would look nice
*Also completely took off the seat covers, washed them, and put them back on
*There was some rust on the ends of the seat brackets so I wire-brushed them and got all the rust off
-Replaced the broken rear window latches with brand new ones
-Took apart some of the mounting brackets on the center console, wire brushed, alcohol wiped and primed for rust prevention
-Replaced the "cup holder tabs" in the center console
-Installed brand new carpet on the interior
-Got everything put back together and torqued to factory spec (minus 1 coat hook screw with didn't want to work with me)

Getting everything out of the interior isn't hard. An impact gun (my electric was perfect) did fantastic and it wasn't really a hard job at all. To get EVERYTHING from basically the steering wheel back, all you need is:
-Impact Gun / Ratchet
-Short 3-4" Extension
-10mm Socket
-14mm Socket
-15mm Socket (I think I used it once)
-Phillips Head Screwdriver

Start in the back at the top plastic panel (first one under the sliding window), pop that off, and everything is pretty intuitive from there. It's not hard at all. Once you get that thin, long top panel off between the back rest of the jump seat and below the window (LITERALLY- just pop it off and go from there) off then just start taking everything out.

One thing that I did that really, really helped me getting everything back inside the way it looked before it came out- as you take something out, put it further back, and put it on the side that that it goes back into. Also, for every single screw and bracket- I took ziplock sandwich bags (the skinny ones) and I labeled what it was, what side it went on to, and put it into an old box that I literally used as a screw/nut/bolt filing cabinet. As I took the bolts out, I labeled it, put it in the box and so on and so on for each piece.

When you're ready to put everything back together- start at the back again and go in reverse. Put the brackets, seats, back panel, back rest of jump seat w/ bolts, and top panel back in. Then go to the console and start closest to the engine and work your way back, then put the seats in. It's not hard, it just takes a little time. I figured there were enough "rip out interior" write-ups on here that you didn't need me to do one for that, but that's how it goes. If you're reading this, and you're not sure where to start- read 2 paragraphs up and take a look at the BOLD. That's important. Start there and work your way forward.

**Tip** It's much, much, much easier to get your console out with the passenger and driver seats out. They were already out when I started getting the console out, but I would at least take the passenger seat out before you start- super easy.

Now. The moment you've all been waiting for! PICTURESSSSSSSS!!!!!!

This is what it looked like before



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You can see how ugly that seat cover was. I think it was a coke or something exploded and got all over the seat and no one ever cleaned it up. When I got it, it was like that from the PO.

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Also, in the above pic, you can see where you need to start when you're looking to rip the interior out.





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In the above pic, you can see where I took a Sharpie and marked off what the holes where there for and where there bolts that went into them, so if I was tired or had a brain melt down I could the whole thing back together. Also, another thing I did was take a sharpie and put a * on each location where a bolt went into so I would be able to find them easy.

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I had to fix the one below because it is no longer available... Only the driver's side can you get from Toyota. I sanded it, cleaned it, and painted it so it would look "cleaner" along with the new one on the driver's side.
P.S. Those things are pretty pricy for a little molding.



Also, you can see the black screws I used. I don't read/speak/write Chinese, so I'll tell you that they are 8mm and they worked great. I got a bag of them for just a few $$$ on Amazon.



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You can still get this one at Toyota... I finally broke down and got a new one for the driver's side.

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*****How To and Write Up on Removing/Washing Seat Covers*********
(I've never seen one of these on here so I figured I'd go ahead and do this up in case you looked back and didn't like how clean they were.)

Step 1: Start with your seat as it's removed from the rear panel.
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As you're looking at your seat, you can see there are 2 brackets at the top, and there is 1 screw in each of those. You'll need to remove those with your phillips head screwdriver
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(Sorry it's blurry, I didn't know it was like that on my phone)
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*NOTE: Now would be a good time to wire brush your brackets if there is any rust on them.
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[B]Step 2[/B]: With both of those brackets removed, you will need to take your seat and rotate it up 90 degrees or until you find the inside of the zipper and the zipper is facing you.

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Now, at the ends of each bracket, you will look down and see the end of the zipper stuffed somewhere under this bracket (picture below). You'll need to take your phillips screw driver and pry that out.

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You'll need to find the "end that zips" and start backing it out from there. You'll probably notice that there isn't a zipper tab on the actual zipper "action" but it should be very easy to unzip at this point.
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This is what it looks like when you are halfway through unzipping it.
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Take the zipper all the way to the end (until you can't zip anymore) and then start removing the seat cover.
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[B]Step 3[/B]: Remove Seat Cover from Seat

Start pulling the seat cover off and away from the seat.
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Keep pulling the seat cover off until it is just hanging on to the top bracket at 1 point by the zipper.
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Remove the seat cover completely from the seat.
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[B]Step 4[/B]: Label Your Seat and Seat Cover

At this point you have your seat cover and bare seat. I do a lot of my work at night and I always try to come up with different ways to "dummy proof" things in case I'm tired the next day because there is NO WAY i can look at that bare seat and tell you which one it was. So, I took a Sharpie marker and labeled everything on the seat and seat cover.
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*Note: Just so you guys know, I label everything in relation to the way it goes as if you are facing the truck from the outside. So, when you are facing the truck, that seat labeled is on the "driver's side" and/or "right" side. The passenger side would the left side...

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You can see the peroxide and various rags as I tried to scrub both of the seats and it wasn't going how I wanted so I broke down, took them off, and washed them- which is what I SHOULD have done in the first place and saved myself about 25 minutes. This isn't hard.

Both of these covers are labeled on the tag on the inside of the cover.
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Step 5: Wash your seat covers

After you've gotten both of your seat covers removed, it's time to take them to the washing machine and get started washing them.

A few recommendations I have here:
-Shout the crap out of both of these things
-Machine Wash Cold
-Rinse Cold
-I did the "extra clean" cycle, but it's up to you

I had no idea if these were going to shrink or not so I did everything on cold. Cold wash, cold rinse.

**I'd show you a picture, but didn't think you'd want a picture of my washing machine...**

Step 6: Let Dry

These should be pretty dry when you get them out of the wash, but just give them a few hours (I did for 9 because I was at work) and then you can re-install.

I made this it's own step because I'm sure you don't want these to get moldy/mildew after you just cleaned them so to be sure, I let them get good and dry.

Step 7: Re-Install

I don't have a pic of it, but I even added- with my Sharpie- a "Start Here" arrow so I could get the cover back onto the seat the same way it came back on. That way, I would know which side it needed to be installed into the truck so I wouldn't get them upside down, and not be able to "flip up" under the jump seat back-rest.

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At this point I took a very small zip-tie and added it to the zipper so I could get it zipped back up. You'll have to work with it fairly forcefully, but work with it, and you'll get onto the cushion.

Also, you'll have to bring the zipper together with your fingers on that first big curve. Just work with it and it will get back together.

Now, once you have the zipper zipped all the way up and your cover back on, just take your screwdriver and shove the zipper ends back under the cushion so it's out of the way and re-install your plastic brackets.

******Carpet Install*******

I ordered my carpet from stockinteriors.com. It's a molded carpet, and mine is in the "charcoal" color, which is just one shade down from black. When I got it, I took it out of the box, and hung it from the rafters in my garage with rubber C-Clamps. I then took a steamer and steamed it until most of the wrinkles form the box were worked out. I also used about a whole bottle of Scotch Guard and let that sit overnight as well.

At that point, you can see where the molding is in the carpet. I vacuumed it and got it ready for the install. I kept the old carpet to use as a basic overlay to I could see about the general area where I would need to cut, and I used a piece of chalk to outline on the new carpet. I watched the video they had on the web-site about 3 times and then started to install.

This was a long project, and you'll go through about 5 razor blades when you do this. I don't have many pics of the install itself, but watch the video and they'll give you a good idea of how to do this.

Here are some ***TIPS*** for the install if you want to do this:
-I wouldn't get more than the "plush" carpet, or the basic one they offer online. They offer a super plush, and you can also order one with some type of backing on it. I wouldn't do that. The carpet they are going to give you is about 4 times- literally- thicker than the carpet in your truck now and it's going to be even that much harder to install if you get thicker and more backing.
-When they tell you to "make small cuts" and go from there. Do it. Take your time on this and be patient. Patience is something I'm not great at, but take your time and be patient. I only had 2 sort of "screw up" cuts, but otherwise it turned out great.
-When you're cutting the holes for the seat/seatbelt mounts in the carpet- make some small cuts and adjust. Remember, you can't get a cut back, but you can always cut more.
-Get an entire pack of razorblades before you start this- you'll need them.
-This carpet is much, much, much, much thicker than your stock carpet, so you'll have to work with it. Again, be patient.

All that being said, I'm about 95% happy with the finished product, and it's not the carpet's fault on the last 5%- it was my own fault because I've never done this before. It's a little more challenging.

Here are some "after pics." P.S. The white spots are where I used Scotchguard 1 more time and they are drying...












You can see on that mount where I cut it too close...




Install Complete! With clean seat covers....







Before:


After:


Now for the update on what is next:

*Finally got my jack stands (10 ton) in from Northern Tool so I'll get getting the truck lifted up and work on the front end.*

Interior:
-Install/Make a Custom Dog Hair Cover/Protector in Truck
-Re-Make Custom Rear Dog Platform in truck

Exterior:
-Replace CV Axles
-Replace Lower Ball Joints
-Replace Anti-Sway Bar Bushings
-Replace Steering Rack Bushings (maybe??? Probably...)
-Paint Break Calipers (Candy Red)
-Paint Rotors (Candy Red)
-Install Stainless Still Braid Brake Lines (Wheelers)
-Replace Diff Fluid (already drained for CV work)
-Drive Truck Around for 2 Weeks
-Replace Drum Brake Pads in Rear
-Paint Drum in Rear (Candy Red)

That's where we're at so far.

I have to go to Austin this weekend so I won't be getting anything done on the truck until at least Sunday afternoon. My plan is to get the interior complete on Sunday afternoon, and at least get one side of the truck front suspension ripped out and ready to get worked on.

Trying my best to be diligent about getting everything done and keeping you guys updated on the "build".

I just need to have a killer day in the stock market so I can order the front bumper, winch, snorkel, new grille, new head lights, new tail lights, CB radio and antenna and add the extra battery... COME ON!!!!!

 

Nice work. Your coming along pretty good. Interested in the dog hair solution I have a yellow lab and loves to hang out in the passenger seat

 

Good choice on the dark colored carpet - I dyed my 2nd gen carpet and it worked alright with some wearing off of the color in high wear areas. The good thing is that it can be touched up without removing it once it's done the first time. If I had the $$$ I'd buy a new carpet for my first gen too - that stuff looks nice.

 

I've used Mud River seat covers before and they work really well. I still have one- with a slight rip in it- but it's in my garage. The only problem is, I have the jump seats now and it uses head rests to stay up right. Mud River makes a single seat cover that is the same as the double- just smaller. That would work well for your seat.

I'm going to use some felt carpet to cover the entire back- behind the passenger's seat and over the seat panel- to keep it as "hair free" as possible.

 

Thanks
I'm going to research about those seat covers.

 

They are a little pricey, but I've used one for years and it's been great. It's just time to retire it. I believe it's called the "single barrel" if I'm not mistaken.

I'll do you one better:

https://mudriverdogproducts.com/product/shotgun-single-seat-cover/

and

https://mudriverdogproducts.com/product/ducks-unlimited-shotgun-single-seat-cover/

You'd be happy with either one. They really are great. Also, if you didn't want to do that, the Carhartt seat covers are great too. Same stuff basically (and waterproof).

 

Awesome!

 

Alright, I got the [hopefully] dog hair carpet protector installed in the inside of the cab. I used this stuff:
http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/mossy-oak-infinity-carpet-floor-mat

I used some velcro strips to keep it tight/flush against the back panel. It's not "perfect" by any means and I kept it doubled up in some places along the seams to add even more protection. It doesn't look horrible, and frankly, I just care about the functionality even more than I care about the "look". It's not like this truck is going to any kind of show... It doesn't look bad, it's just not all completely seamless on the inside. I just need it to keep hair and dirt off my brand new installed carpet. Hopefully this does the trick.

I also got the new platform built on the inside of the truck for the dog as well. Last time I used a 1 x 4 base and thought I'd upgrade to 2 x 4's to make it a little more sturdy since I had them still from the rabbit cage I built. If you want the exact dimensions I can give them to you, but I'm really pleased and it turned out really well. It's even level!

*If someone wants the dimensions, boards, sizes of everything, I'm happy to do a post on it, I just didn't want to do it all if no one cared about it or wasn't going to add it.*

I still need to paint it and put carpet on it, but it'll be good. I have Mud River "kennel pad" that I'll use to go over it, but I think Grace (my yellow Lab) is going to like it better than her other one.

Here are some pics of everything here:













I'm getting the list together for all of the other stuff I need so I can see how much $$$ I'll need when we have our killer day in the market so I can go on a shopping spree???

*Badland Bumper
*PIAA Off Road Lights
*Smittybuilt Winch
*Tire Gate
*Snorkel
*Extra Battery Install Kit/Fuse Box/Wiring/Switches

I got it. We just need a couple killer days in the market here so I can liquidate!!!!

Come On Now!!!!

 

Love the idea ryan, specially since u have dark carpet now and a yellow lab
I also put together a nice stand for my dog. However, I made it at the same level of the seats and on both the driver and passenger side, since I have 2 dogs.
By the way I'm really liking where you heading with this build.

 

I really appreciate it. It was pretty cheap and saved me a trip from having to go the fabric store to find something else...

You really will only see part of it because it'll be covered by the stand. I'm about to get out and get it painted tonight. I have some old/unused rattle spray cans from when I did my boat so I'll see what I have left over and get it painted up. I'm going to carpet that little lip that goes around it and then carpet the bottom of it as well so her kennel pad won't slide around so much.

I realized when I took her [my dog- Grace] old platform out I was like- WHOA!!!! LOOK AT ALL THAT HAIR DOWN THERE!!!! It was literally a little 1 inch thick line of hair and dirt (labs hide dirt really well in their fur) all the way around her platform. That other side I have to keep open for my "can't get wet" gear like my pillow. It's big enough under her old platform that 2 shotguns fit down there perfectly, but I'm going to add a sort of "emergency" dry box under this one since I increased the height 2 inches.

Every little inch of this truck has a space that is planned out and it all fits perfectly since it's not a double cab. My wife RARELY rides in it- and drove it once... I think my buddies and my dad have spent more time in the front seat than she has!

I'll get it all finished up tonight and post up some pics tomorrow.

I'm getting the itch to get something big... I'm thinking I'm going to order the snorkel here pretty quick... I don't know. I feel like I need to add a "big" thing here soon since I'll be all done with the interior.

 

Interior is COMPLETE!!!! (Until I add a CB Radio/HAM Radio and wire up the switches for the extra lights.)

If somebody wants the dimensions, I'll go out and take them, but you can see what it looks like complete. I sort of got this thing thrown together using wood, nail gun, staple gun, extra/left over camo carpet from the "protective liner" and I had some old bunk board carpet that I used to keep the wood from rubbing against the seat.

I also made this thing 2" taller than my last one, so I'll be able to fit an "emergency" dry box under it between the rear jump seat pan and the driver's seat. I'll get together here soon, but the interior is complete until I start wiring for other electrical "extras".

I also hand scrubbed with Dawn soap and a brush to clean these as much as I could without a power washer (the preferred method).

Here is what it looks like done.









Yes, that's my frame down there rust-less. It's a Texas truck... I have kept it "mav coated" because I go in and out of a boat ramp all the time and it's done a really surprisingly great job. I think the Mav Coat even adds a little darker tint to the factory paint, but it's good.

I'll probably take a little break tomorrow night, and then I'll get the front all ripped out and then I'll be doing all the other work.

 

Just ordered the snorkel from Wheelers. I had to.

Getting started on the suspension tonight- hopefully. At least maybe I can get one side pulled apart.

 

Wow you are an energetic little monkey, good job on the work you are doing. I would be interested in the dollars spent just on parts.

 

If I had the time this is what my build thread would be like too

Until then looking forward to reading more.

 

Here is what we got in the works so far:

Got the front driver's side basically ripped apart, but we're waiting on parts and paint right now...

Here's where we're currently at:

I got the driver's side basically ripped out and ready to go. I got the new CV axles ready to go, but I'm trying to get everything cleaned up, sanded, painted and have everything ready for the install once everything gets here. I WAS going to paint the calipers, but decided against that and went with the "big brake" upgrade. My garage is a wreck and it's a damn wonder anything can be found in there right now, but surprisingly, everything shows up when it needs to. I got the passenger side wheel off and most everything in there ready to go as well. I kinda wanted to keep at least one side as complete as possible so I could use it as a frame of reference. I think once all these parts come on, we'll be ready to rock and roll. I'm hoping to have all current mods complete in 2 weeks. Waiting on parts and my case of paint to get here.



"Stuff" I'm Waiting On:

1. Inner Tie Rods- Low Range Off-Road- Wednesday of Next Week
2. Outer Tie Rods- Camelbak Toyota (OEM)- Wednesday of Next Week (hopefully)
3. Bellow Replacement Kit- Low Range Off-Road- Wednesday of Next Week
4. Chassis and Roll Bar Paint- Home Depot (free shipping)- Thursday of Next Week
5. Sway Bar End Links- Ebay (OEM)- No Idea, but hopefully soon
6. Snorkel- Wheeler's Off-Road- No Idea, but hopefully soon
7. Tundra Brake Upgrade Kit- Power Stop [powder coated red]- Got Shipping Confirmation but Didn't Look at Est. Delivery Date

"Stuff I have:

1. SS Brake Line Kit- Wheelers
2. CV Axles- Local Auto Parts Store
3. Truck Bed Liner- Home Depot
4. Lower Ball Joints

Pic Dump and Semi-Daily Progress Report:

Got the Sway Bar totally stripped, wire brushed, sanded, and ready for primer/paint. It's going to be multi-colored. Just wait and see...



Crazy messy garage.



Pile of decoys I need to re-string. I have all the stuff, just need to finish the truck project. The decoy cord is literally there next to them waiting to be put on... Haha.



Various truck parts and alternate work space



All the crap on there with a clean sway bar.



Pile of 2 x 4's I used to get the damn truck off the ground with the jack.



"Cleaned" front end. Ready for sanding/painting. Literally took a scrub brush and scrubbed it.



Grease. Was. Everywhere. By the way, did I say grease was everywhere???



More of the cleaned front end.



Clean metal on the frame...



Partially cleaned up caliper that stopped and hasn't continued because I decided on the brake upgrade.



Bracket that was on frame holding some cords that was rusty is getting the "Rustoleum Rust Reversal" spa treatment.



Picked up this guy for $25.00 at Wal-Mart while cruising the isles while "looking" for something else. It's an Ingersol Rand and has up to 250 ft-lbs of torque. I'm a big proponent of you get what you pay for- but if it craps the bed, who cares.



Work Space



Filing system that works for me.



Transmission Fluid Filter that doesn't need to be changed, but I'm going to do anyway.



Necessities



Primary Work Bench




That's a pic dump of where we are right now...

Also, I had an idea on replacing the clip-on apron... What if we used thin neoprene to replace what is currently there. ****I'm totally open to suggestion if anybody has one...

Looking forward to continuing.

 

*Update*

I finally got the LCA off... This was kind of a pain. Well, a lot of a pain... Had to get the steering track loosened up and pull that back a little bit to get the camber bolts off. Finally got it done and pulled the LCA. Also, got the front end of the frame cleaned, sanded, cleaned again, sanded again, and painted with truck bed liner.

Now that I got that LCA off, I'll go in and paint the underside where it attaches to the frame.

The passenger side shouldn't be that difficult because I already got the steering rack loose and should be able to pull that right out.

Once I get the other LCA out, I'll clean up everything and get it prepped for painting/spraying.

The key to this was masking... Took a little bit of tape to keep it looking clean.

Pics below:





Also got the sway bar primed, and used truck bed liner on the places that do not contact the or attach to the truck. I'm going to use paint and cover the priming- where it attaches and where the bushings go. I also really need to clean up the mounts where it attaches. There is a little bit of rust in there where water has sat in the mount, and where the bushings attach. I'll get all that cleaned up, sanded and painted as well. I'm probably going to use paint instead of bed liner on those because I don't want anything to happen to the bolts that are on welded on to the brackets there.







On the sway bar, I did a full strip (aircraft stripper), wire brush to get ALL of the rust out/off, primed, truck bed lined, and then added paint to the ends and where the bushings attach in Candy Red. I ultimately ended up painting the whole thing red... Will post pics of that later.



**Edit** I have ordered replacement inner and out tie rods, as well as replacement bellow. There is 0 play in the tie rods so I think I'm just going to clean them up, re-grease them, re-bellow them and then just replace the outer tie rods. I'll keep the inners (OEM) for spares.

Also, when I attach the new CV axles, I'm going to cut the clips off and do the 'CV Mod' for them using pipe clamps. I wanted to get them installed so I could see how far they need to be pulled out before I do that so I'm not doing it twice...

So, now, here is what I'm going to do:

1. Pull passenger LCA.
2. Clean, Sand, Paint LCAs
3. Replace LCA bushings
4. Replace passenger LCA
5. Clean, Sand, Paint LCA brackets on frame
6. Clean, Sand, Paint Sway Bar brackets/clamps on frame
7. Remove outer tie rods and bellows to clean and re-grease inner tie rods, replace bellows, then replace outer tie rods.
8. Remover passenger lower ball joint.
9. Remove passenger CV Axle
10. Clean, Sand, Paint passenger frame and LCA brackets on frame
11. Attach passenger LCA
12. Re-Attach newly completed steering rack
13. Complete CV driver/passenger CV Axles
14. Attach driver/passenger lower ball joints
15. Re-Attach outer tie rods to lower ball joints- both sides
16. CV Boot mod- both sides
17. "Big Brake" upgrade both sides- complete with SS Brake Lines from Wheelers
18. Re-Torque everything attached to spec to confirm
19. Put both wheels back on.
20. Install Snorkel

That's a lot to do... I'm HOPING to have all of this done by next weekend.

I'm sure I forgot to "attach" something in the steps- but that's it in a nutshell...

 

That frame is looking shiny as heck!! I did a horrible job with my painting my sliders, and will need to do it again sometime this summer. Do it right, do it once!
It seems you got that down pack.

 

There are a couple of tricks with painting...

1st trick is to do a really, really, good job on the prep. I try to take it down to bare metal if it's a possibility.

2nd trick when using spray cans/hvlp gun/ siphon gun is to do a light coat first. Typically spray cans say to hold the can 10-12" away from what you're trying to paint, but on the first coat you want to hold it a little further that that and get a light first coat. After that, from what I've found, is the paint "grabs" onto itself a little better and you can put a little more volume out there after your first coat.

That truck bed liner comes out FAST out of the can and it's such an enclosed space it's hard to move the can around in there. Just do a bunch of super quick and light sprays to get the first coast done, then you can add a little more volume.

Also, one thing that helps too between the second/3rd/4th coats is to let it dry a little longer than what the can says. It says 1-2 minutes, but you really want to give it 5-7 after the first coat so it's really nice and tacky.

 

PM Sent

 

Parts Update here:

Inner Tie Rods and Bellows- Arrived
Snorkel- Arrived
Outer Tie Rods- En Route
Chassis and Roll Bar Paint- En Route (Thursday)
Brakes (Power Stop Complete Kit)- Should be here today or tomorrow (Summit Racing is quick...)

Work Update:

Got the LCA bushings removed last night with the bottle jack and blow torch method. THAT was an adventure. I was using a 2 ton bottle jack (because I had it) and a 20mm socket to push the inside of the bushing. Had a little difficulty getting one of the bushings out, so I kept heating it with the blow torch... When that thing came out. WHOA! That bushing shot out like a rocket and I thought it put a hole in my roof. I was afraid to look up because I was expecting to see a hole or some type of big dent in my roof. I wish I had it on video, but I was too nervous with a sizzling blow torch in my garage that I didn't even get pics. I'll get pics the next time. I still haven't found the 20mm socket I was using, so who knows where that thing ended up.

Now, here is my issue... I got the bushings out to replace with Energy Suspension bushings, but I have to use the washers that are currently on the truck. I don't have the ball joint press to do it, so I was hoping it would be easier than it is. No dice. I tried every trick I could think of to try and get those things apart. Nope. Not happening.

I'm assuming and thinking I need the press sleeves, so I can use the sleeve, a socket (for the smaller washer) and my vice to get the washers out of the stock rubber bushing to replace with the ES bushings... Once that's out then I'm hoping I can do the reverse and use my vise and get the washers pressed onto the ES bushings. That's my thought process on that anyway. We'll see how it goes.

Pics of the bushings.



Below you can see the pic of what I need to do. I'm really, really hoping it works out with the sleeves and vice to get them pressed out and back in again. I'm of course going to clean the washers up, and I think I'm going to do a pretty serious MAV Coating over the metal part before it goes back into the LCA.



I'm honestly learning as I go.

Research, watch YouTube videos, read forum write-ups, ask questions if needed, give it a shot, find out I screwed it up somehow and order a new part... Just kidding about that mostly- but I did screw up the outer tie rods trying to get those banged out, I think I'm going to invest in a smaller arm puller for those. The one I have works great on the ball joints, but too big for the outer tie rods. Lesson learned.

I'll get some pics posted up later of the LCAs cleaned/sanded/prepped and then the after of what it looks like with the spray on bed liner.