New England B.S. Thread

I like Kenwood Tire in West Bridgewater. I swap wheels so often they know me by name.

They have time to actually do work when they’re not spamming Craigslist?

 

CL is dead to me lol

 

Same here, but they’re still spamming away.

FB Marketplace has a better selection, but whoever coded their search feature needs to be taken behind the woodshed.

 

Man I wish we had been able to go!

I'm hopeful that this rebuild will last me a good long while.

We've put close to 400 miles on it since rebuild, and I started being a bit mean to the truck giving it some WOT therapy, and it shifted like dogshit.. It shifts to the next gear then lurches back and forth like when you start out in first in a manual and it bounces back and forth between the engine and the slop in the driveline... but at speed. VERY weird. I'm going to see if I can reset the learned values now that I have a low-stall converter, fresh clutches, and a shift kit in it. I probably should've done that before taking it on the road at all.

Easy, denied.

OOOOOH I like that! I want to add strobes capabilities to the front and rear lights on my truck for safety and whatnot!

 

I have the Auxbeam 8 gang switch like this one and just installed it in the Taco.,.....highly recommend.

 

Did you modify the valve body? Or just a trans-go type kit?


This is what I used, their converter, etc.. Truck shifted amazing.
https://racerxusa.com/product/racer-x-usa-full-custom-valve-body-ford-4r100-transmission/

I'm VERY much eye-balling one of those....

 

I either buy new takeoffs from the turd gen ORs or go to a local used tire guy. Mount and bubble balanced a-okay. Only "critique" is I get in and he's got them sitting at like 45 PSI. But otherwise, local good ol' boy from RI. I have the TPMS toy to reprogram them too now, gamechanger that thing is. about 200$, so not cheap, but good to have.

CL and FB are good for take offs and some stuff. But yeah, the recent FB changes are bonkers. Makes it a pain to search, but I've only used it on my phone so - could be better on a computer, I just don't know.

Specific stuff like a 1997 Tacoma left front control arm bolt seal or some crap like that, chaos. But for wheels/tires, whole vehicles, etc. it seems to be okay.

Spring and next year always an option! Spring we probably won't do the trains if that's a big draw.

Really good for the dust. I use it for the providence goodnight lights too. but otherwise meh.

 

I have like 8 OTRATTW switches sitting in my garage waiting for me to finally revamp the wiring in the FJ.. I've had them since 2014.. Wonder when they'll see their day in the sun...

I did the trans-go tugger kit. It shifts VERY firmly from first to second, second to third. I have no issue there. It's the "oh shit, gotta go" downshift that is giving me that lurchy almost hunting for a gear feeling. It doesn't know if it wants to unlock the converter, lock it, or what.

 

Definitely going to happen, just too much going on right now

I want to add strobes for winter mostly. I have recovered people stuck in snow storms and stuff. I just want amber strobes for added safety/awareness. I don't want to get smushed being a good Samaritan, ya know?

 

Stupid question.....

Tuned?

When I did my trans, I had to have the tunes(Wildman), modified to reflect trans upgrades, shift kit, etc. The tuners increase line pressure IIRC to affect a better shift, and with the valve body mods, theyd... create a conflict(going back a LONG time, so, bear with me).

 

I've been very pleased with the Diode Dynamics SmartTap. https://www.diodedynamics.com/smarttap-cf18-led-flasher-module.html

It has a bunch of features I don't really use (the tap-to-change-lanes feature and the extremely programmable blink durations), but the hazard strobe is great.

I run DD on the whole truck for lighting, minus the headlight bulbs. 100% trouble free and all of the amber emitters (turns, DRLs, and even the amber pods/bars) are the same shade

When I start modding my bed shell, I'm going to retrofit a couple DD ambers into some old school armored semitruck marker housings to add to the top rear corners for extra visibility/chase lights.

 

(These don't work on third gen tacomas, not that Alex cares, but just a heads up)

I use the tap to change lanes thing all the time. Need to get into tech stream and change it to 5 instead of 3.

I won't lie - I've been impressed with the chinesium lights as of late for off road at least. I know they aren't SAE, but ditch/chase/aux lights aren't allowed anyway

Fogs make sense.

 

#Diodegang

 

Bone to pick with Rockauto.

Other than their Colorado shenanigans, they buy and set up warehouses all over the place. That's fine. No issue with that. My issue is when you say "I need X Y and Z" - now they hit you up for 3 shipping fees from their 3 warehouses. They are the ones who needed more space and set it up elsewhere, they should be able to handle logistics of shipping. I get that they're sent completely separately, but now I am paying for their logistics that they should own. If I go to Vatozone and get a coil pack, engine/cabin air filters, and spark plugs - even if they're at 4 different stores, I can get a pickup at one for free. Rock has X number of warehouses (however many it is), if they need to coordinate between warehouses, that's on them, not me. If they want to have it be different shipping, it shouldn't be under the same company umbrella.



To their benefit, they have added a "select the best" option - you check like 14 different options, it picks the one that will be cheapest since it will be in the same plant as other stuff you've already got in your cart.

But my point still stands from above. It shouldn't be needed. They created THAT feature, instead of (a) programming their stuff to work for Colorado and (b) creating their own logistics and transpo between warehouses.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

 

I agree with you but there is a simple solution, don't order from them! If enough people stop ordering from them then they will fix that problem. If everyone keeps ordering from them then they will never change it.

 

Or, complain politely. Maybe they will give you a break. Maybe they will change their formula for figuring out shipping costs.

 

Maybe I'm just stuck in my ways. I don't know the alternates - it's just always been "Oh I need something that isn't a fluid - Rock!" who else we got? Happy to try somewhere new

I only care enough to spend a minute ranting on taco world. Not that big of a deal. Shipping was under 15$ combined anyway, so not a big deal. Just a (in my mind) shenanigans approach to expanding your business like that.

 

I buy aluminum flat bar for my side gig of selling plate brackets and I end up buying from a supplier in Minnesota and have it shipped to Maine. They used to have pretty regular 25%-28% sale but have stopped that policy. And aluminum prices keep sky-rocketing so I sometimes go web searching for a "better deal". Every time I have looked I have discovered that no one can still touch their prices. So even though I pay $60 or more in shipping the price of buying local is still significantly higher. Rock Auto is probably the same way, you may pay a little more in shipping but the overall amount is cheaper than elsewhere.....

 

Car on Route 24 kicked up a rock and once again my windshield has a crack. Actually, a star shaped crack, but small enough to attempt to seal. I have to be at Safelite tomorrow morning. If I want to have it done at home, it will be a week before they have a tech free.

With luck it won't take all morning and will actually take. The first time this happened, about two weeks after I got the truck they sealed it, but the crack spread anyway and I had to have the windshield replaced. The second time, the fix held.

I swear these windshields are more fragile than a soap bubble.

We need transparent aluminum. C'mon Scottie, get it going.

 

Yeah - I got one same idea. Popped the windshield, seal didn't take. Knew I had to get it replaced so I was a bit more care free when I drove under a tree in the woods and it cracked it the rest of the way.

Insurance takes care of 1/year in RI. If this truck ever dies I will absolutely pick up a 2017 without the camera shenanigans and calibration with windshields. A 2017 a new windshield is like 150-200. With calibration on the 18+, I think mine was 750 - can easily see it being over a grand.