MARYLAND TACOMAS

Good Morning MD

 

My pissed off FB post this morning!

 

Im thinking a lathe if you have access to a shop with one… long shot, but probably best bet. If not, I’d just rough cut what you need off with a cutting wheel. Then go back over with a grinder to clean up the remainder and smoothen it out.

 

Maybe cut a wood plug to fit in the center and use a hole saw? You could make the plug fit snug, lay it on a board and run a couple screws in a couple of the lug bores til the head is below surface to keep it from spinning? Then clean it up with the grinder or a file.

 

Yeah, no access to a lathe unfortunately. I called a few machine shops and they either didn’t call back or don’t really have time/interest in making a few one off parts. Am leaning toward the cut off wheel and just taking my time. The discs I have say they can cut aluminum. Though reading you gotta be careful or the disc may explode cutting aluminum.

I had not even thought of a hole saw…. That might work, just would need to keep it at a low speed and heat down to ensure the aluminum does not melt. Thanks for the idea.

 

Yep, just take your time and try to find a fine tooth one if you can, or maybe even a carbide one would work.

 

Aluminum is really easy to cut. You can mostly use wood blades to cut it. I cut tubing, bar stock, and plate with a standard miter saw and table saw using construction blades.

 

Good to know! Thanks

 

Looks great but how are you going to keep the jack, the cinder block and the 4x4 all together while you're driving?

 

I bleed manually, i havent had good luck with vacuum bleeders

 

I've only done it manually, too, so I may just have to resort to that.

 

“Two people and the scream”

“PUMP IT UP”
“HOLDING”
“OPEN”
“FLOOR”
“CLOSED”
repeat


works every time

 

I'm interested in knowing if the lower bushing was the same as the stock 4runner bushing. I'm close to making the outboard upper mounts to fix my crusty ride, the 80 series shocks seem to be a popular mod but I haven't found any info about how much of a "bolt on" operation that they are in regards to the lower mounts.

Lathe job, although I understand that you don't have access to one. Does the auto hobby shop on base have one? There are a few issues that I see from wanting to modify that part, the biggest one is that you need some hard numbers to tell the machinist exactly how much you need removed, a 1/2" difference between 1/2" and 1" is too vague. The other problematic area is that the amount of existing holes in that part makes for a lot of "interrupted" cuts for the cutter and it will make for a weaker part.

If you can make a good scribe mark around the circumference of the part, a variable speed jig saw could work if you aren't too worried about the appearance of the end result.

 

I subject my poor 'ol aging mother to this, but she's getting to be a real pro at it. Last one I had to do was her 2014 Tacoma when I replaced the front calipers. Couldn't get it to bleed with the pneumatic bleeder so had to go old school. Because the truck was up on jack stands I had to get a step stool for her to get in the driver seat

 

Bless my poor mother, she’s had to do the same. She even ran the top wrench inside the cab for me when i replaced all my cab mounts

 

Thanks. I have the difference in measurement since I didn’t say if I meant 1/2” in diameter or 1/2 off the edge lol.
Only slightly concerned about the integrity of the part but then you look at some coil overs and they only have the spring seat held in place by a c clip type ring.
I’m not sure if the base has one or not.
I think I might try hacksaw first or angle grinder with cut off wheels for aluminum. Or take it to a shop in person and see what they say.

 

Bungees and duct tape. The jack has good bearings.

 

Carbide and lube.
And yes, "that's what she said".