2025 San G Family Reunion 09/05/25 - 09/07/25

I think my girl friend was jealous of your trailer.... she kinda wants me to get a teardrop or something like a gfc in the future

Whewwww and I thought Minnesota was cold while I was out there a couple weeks ago

Mmmm honey baked ham

 

Ordered my CV axles from NAPA and waiting for store pickup notice... likely ready for pickup by tomorrow?

Anyways, going to look into my bed bolts this Sunday now that I have just about all of my tools.

CV axles and very likely the LBJ's will be done by next weekend??? I still need to buy gear oil and axle seals. There is a slight issue though, my parking is on a slight incline. It doesn't look good regarding being able to properly "level" the diffs for the gear oil.

There is no place where I live, believe it or not that is "level".

Anyways, I'll figure something out regarding that aspect.

@kyle11863 I'll take pictures of the bed bolts so you know what I'm talking about. WHERE can I buy a TAP set and how do I figure out what the Toyota bed bolts thread pitch is? Anyone? It's a 1998 Tacoma Reg cab.

I do have brand new OEM bed bolts that I bought a while back.

 

take the new bed bolt to a hardware store. they should have a thing you can thread it into which will tell you the thread pitch

 

Just like I figured, my CV axles were ready for pickup from NAPA today. I mean, they look and feel pretty stout?



I don't really rock crawl like some of the more experienced dudes although I've had my fair share.

Anyways, I should be installing these here soon. I still need to buy new axle seals and the gear oil. I also need to find a "flat spot" to work on?

When I take out my OEM axles, I will be cleaning and inspecting them to see if they are okay to rebuild? I think they are still okay? I won't know until I take them apart?

Here are my new bed bolts. The T looking/L looking bolt are the ones that go in the rear... just under the tail gate.


Then the regular looking bolts, there are a total of four of these that are holding the bed on to the truck. I had forgotten I bought extra bolts.


So, a total of 6x bolts altogether that hold the bed to the truck.

I will go to Home Depot after I get out of work tomorrow to see if I can find out the thread pitch on these things, just in case I need to buy a TAP tool if I need to "retap" the mounting holes. I just hope the mounting holes are not too trashed and savable so as to avoid drilling a bigger size hole.

 

if the cv's aren't making noise yet when driving with the hubs locked they should be good. Given the fact you have manual hubs on that truck I can't imagine those things have more than 10,000 rotational miles. The boots only split because of 30 years of turning left and right.

 

@kyle11863 Kyle, here are the bed bolts results...
3x of the 4x "regular bolts" were pretty much trashed as you can see... basically like how I was describing of how I remember them.


The L-bolt/T-bolt, the ones at the very rear of the bed located directly under the tail gate were totally fine... exactly as I remember them as well.


I am very happy to say that ALL of the regular bolts went back in just fine... with the ONLY exception of one that sort of fought me as I was fastening it back in. I removed it before going any further because you could just feel the "metal on metal" just starting to, grind is the best way I can describe it? So, instead of continuing to force it, I removed it, put a little bit of EZ-Break on, something I learned working at the tire shop way back when, and more or less slowly coaxed the bolt to thread in and could tell it wasn't really stripping going in. The bed bolts don't really have a torque spec per se, but a LONG time ago, I remember seeing 55-60ft-lb and looking in TW, it was about the same from what I remember.

Anyways, since the threads were somewhat compromised, I did 75% of said approx torque spec. I wanted uniformity tightness is all I was really looking for. If they were head bolts, wheel lug nuts, things of that nature, then proper torque starts to become important. Bed bolts, just holding on a bed and just tighten down with some form of reasoning and just common sense in the end. Again, not head bolts or something that requires more critical attention to.

Anyways, they all went in just fine and did 75% of what I remember, which comes out to 45ft-lb. While I was tightening, you could tell that 45ft-lb was definitely reasonable tightness with just a little bit of common sense in the end.

With that said, 2x of the bolts were DEFINITELY loose, like how I remember. So, the bed was fine that whole time, a couple of years and no issue. So, again, just a little bit of common sense.

Regarding the axles, I gotta find a flat spot to work on? I basically live on a hill, so there really is no flat spot where I can work on my truck here at the apt.

I'll figure something out? I still need to buy the gear oil and seals anyways.

 

Just found out today that I am supposed to go on a trip in Sept. I don't know the dates and likely won't know until July/August. All I do know is that it lasts for a whole week.

Very likely won't be coming to San G. Not a whole lot I can say. The boss above my boss is calling the shots.

 

Boooo

 

Yeah, it really DOES SUCK!!! I was not happy to hear about it.

Well, not complaining too much because I WAS supposed to go to the East coast late last year, but my trip was cut, for me, about two weeks before I was supposed to go. So, this time, it is only like two states away and very close, considering.

If I do come back Friday night, I may very well still do a Saturday visit? All depends? Again, don't even know the dates yet, which is pretty retarded. I even told my supervisor that I need to know ASAP because I need to figure out a plan on taking care of my cats? Especially the one that needs the special diet. I can't even come close to affording another $13k operation. Yes, you see that correctly... $13,000.00 for an operation!!! If he ever gets that critical again, I simply wouldn't be able to afford it!!!

Annnnyways, trust me Nick, I'm not very happy not just because of the San G, but at least for now, my cat. He's finally gaining his weight back as well... finally.

 

Lame
But hopefully things will work out

 

Yeah, it came as a surprise for sure? I FINALLY have an opportunity to do this and then this?

Now, my worry at the moment is my one cat. He's been doing fine now, but dude, I came damn near having to put him down and the little guy is only about 1yr old. In short, he was born with a very rare birth defect, is the best way to describe it. It's called Urachal Diverticulum. It's an operation that can be done and has a good success rate, but expensive.

Anyways, the initial cost was X-rays and eventually a Ultrasound about $2000 total
The operation was roughly $8600
Then overnight stay costs because it is a very invasive operation so that's an obvious, but that was roughly $2500

I have all the paperwork, but those are numbers are fairly accurate without looking at the paperwork. It added up to about $13k when all said and done.

He was taken care of at a Vet Urgent Care and then transported to "Veterinary Specialty Hospital", which is more or less UC Davis for veterinary.

It wasn't anything I did wrong. Just a not very common condition and it gets worse as time goes by until it finally shows up as a UTI, but by then, it's much worse than a "regular UTI".

I took immediate action as soon as I noticed something wrong with him. Again, by then, already too late, in that sense.

So anyways, in a nutshell, that is why I am worried because I was fortunate enough to get funds. He needed the operation, pretty much ASAP... that's ASAP!!! His particular case was pretty bad and multiple vet doctors apparently looked at his case and agreed it needed to be done very quickly.

So now, present day, about 2 months later after his final full recovery, he is doing so much better. He lost so much weight and it's finally back to roughly where he used to be.

The day I was able to bring him back home. His operation was Feb 14, 2024... I was able to bring him home like the 16th. This is "Beethoven" and his stitches


After maybe a week later.... I can't really remember, but I was trying to document his recovery for any issues that may arise.


The white cat "Blizzard" slept next to him during the whole time of his recovery. I had to buy one of those big dog kennels so he had water and a kitty litter box inside. I bought the paper pellets as the substrate. Let me tell you, the paper pellets is F'N HARD to keep clean!!!


So, I don't mean to hijack this thread, but just letting you all know what I went through and not just the truck.

Not gonna lie, I was crying fucking HARD because it came that close to having no other choice but to put him down. The medical system, vet, human, it doesn't matter what medical system, is just so immensely expensive and, quite honestly, it's all about money and NOT their "oath to saving a life"!!!

But, at the same time, I can't complain as he is at least here with me still.

Now, he is on a fairly strict diet. His water intake is extremely important and the prescription diet as well.

I must be doing something right because since his recovery, his weight is finally back to normal and those two knuckleheads are just happy as can be!!!

LMAO, now I want to kill them both from time to time just "BEING CATS" and their typical destructive behavior!!! Now how ironic is that???

 

Damm kids lol!!!
Some nice cats man!

I know you will figure something out. There is still plenty of time

 

"Damn kids..." Yeah, right???

Yeah, there is still time. Just wish I knew what their dates are??? Last year was the same thing, I was going, I was going, and then about two weeks or roughly a week before "I was going", I was cut from going?

This time, it is very likely I am going for sure, just no exact dates?

Either case, I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO GO!!! I'm not much of a traveling type. On a personal level, yes, I love to travel/explore/get out, but not for "business related" shit.

 

Totally understandable man!
I hope all works out man and go they what you hope for

 

Took me way too long to do this... booked Site 9

 

Got my weekend schedule for work, I got this weekend off woot woot

 

I still have yet to find out about my dates?

As far as I know I am still scheduled for this coming Sept trip and it is very likely going to clash with the San G dates? I simply won't know until it gets closer to the dates?

Got my LCE long tube headers though. Waiting to be able to get my cat-back and hopefully soon.
But, at least I got the headers.




My sister is gonna let me use her driveway so I can install my CV's and her driveway is "flat". My parking stall is just too much on an incline and especially for gear oil. Even my oil dipstick doesn't read right even though I know it is good. So go figure how hard it would be to "level fill" the gear oil.

I'm still going to do my best to show up to San G if possible???

I've been working on other things, some wiring, etc. in the mean time.

Hoping to get my gauge pods finally all wired up and working too. Mounting is the most challenging.

 

Hell yea, I wonder how the exhaust will sound after those headers

 

Awesome. I loved my headers paired with a magnaflow

 

Coming together