Any Okies in here?

If anyone wants a Gaia route i just explored the ouachitas in Oklahoma starting near hodgen. One of the roads on the OAT was closed due to a washout so I did some of my own exploring

 

Right you were, scored a coilover set with UCA’s and rear shocks on FB for $350, put them on today. I’d love to upload a photo of the finished project, but I was also doing wheel bearings, and hit a snag. Short story long, it’s no good to put everything back together without the disk rotor shield in place, and new components fit TIGHT!!! I had to beat the hell out of the axle to get the new hub back off, and nicked a thread in the process.
Now I’m waiting for a spindle thread repair set to arrive so I can finish.
Otherwise the today made for some very satisfying wrenching!!!!

Pre breakdown


Old and new.

At least this side is ready for brakes and wheels!!!

 

I've been through once the other year and shot a few at the gun range. I enjoyed it, not bad for under 3 hours from OKC.

Sharing is caring!
I'm trying to compile all of the GPS routes I've found for OK and Western AR. I would like put them in a public link on Google or something, but I want to verify a lot of the routes. Maybe build a google map that people can update with last known status.

 

https://www.gaiagps.com/public/RVSLF6Ll0nRXZtwQ4nZfIye8

Nothing you really need 4wd for but definitely off the beaten path. There was one hill I didn’t track that was a bit of a fun technical climb. My buddy in a stock rubicon high centered a couple times and I did not bottom out at all when it was my turn

 

You running a 3rd and 2nd gen? Just noticed

 

You need to do that. I need somewhere to take my CRF250L too. Not much down this way, lol.

 

after exactly one week of living in Lawton - I kind of like it. I am not much for comparisons - but leaving western Germany for here i expected to feel cut-off or otherwise isolated but i don't. I've seen dozens of Tacomas but nobody seems to wave nor acknowledge; 95% are stock. Coming rom a CooperS, I thought I had a pretty good-sized truck (OME with 255/85/16s) but everywhere I park I'm one of the smallest trucks there - i'd feel a little funny except 90% of the bigger trucks have 40 series tires it seems. That look is way too popular here.

Couple notes and thoughts -

• When I call the witch-it-ahh mountains the 'wuh-CHEETA' people look at me funny. See also: Chee-KASHA (CHICK-uh-shaw)
• Most people move to the right lane in traffic, when just cruising - but not all. One guy camped in the left lane for half of the 100 miles between here and OKC, going the same speed as me, but slightly in front of me. Move right, bud.
• People have seemed mad when they wear their OKC Thunder stuff and I say "oh! I see you're a Sonics fan, too!"
• Feels strange and kinda neat but weird to be working at the same base where i took Basic Training. I have not yet driven over to my old unit - but i will.
• My coworker was a Battery Commander in the same Battalion, at nearly the same time, in which I took Basic. He commanded A Btry, I was in E Btry - he left command just five months before I arrived. Would have been nuts had he been my commander.
• I am gonna need to google more dirt roads - most are paved in the hilly areas near me.
• My truck Gets about 15.5mpg no matter what i do
• While it drove fine on my city test drive two weeks ago, My truck has a not-reported-by-seller strong pull to the right at freeway speeds. Drastic pull. An alignment did not fix it. And rotating the front tires didn't fix it - except created a hard shake at 40-48mph.

 

Yup. 3rd gen is for sale, wife wants a new car.

 

Well you are keeping the right one, lol

 

Now pronounce Chickasha , dont cheat, lol.

Check all your tie rods and other wearables. Bearings. How wore are the tires. I'm 15mins east of Lawton. Country living, lol

 

Lol!! I will miss aspects of it, and not others.
Love the ‘tallica avatar. Saturday I had a beautiful day of wrenching on the ‘08 while listening to “...And Justice for All” album.

 

You're lucky to get 15.5! Lately the best I can do is 14.8. It kills me to know that there are full size pickups running around getting 24mpg with a turbo V6 or a V8.

Even my Dad's newer 4Runner and basically the same engine gets around ~19mpg.

 

Thanks neighbor! can you suggest a good alignment or suspension shop? Had a solid alignment in Michigan and i would have thought the tech might have mentioned worn parts. Guess i will need to buy a jack.

 

Previous owner said he got 320ish miles per tank. Not sure how. But i am used to low mpg for the power. My rx8 has about 215hp at the crank and i get about 17mpg :-/

 

I get about 16. But I'm fine when it

I get about 16mpg, but i dont mind. I love that its a dumb engine that will last forever with basic maintenance. I dont want a turbo thats gonna go out every 80-100k or a bunch of fancy electrical gadgets that will break just as often. Wifes Ford turbo went out on her explorer around then. Electrical power steering was going out, at 100k, have to tear dash apart to get to it. Shifter wouldnt register it was in park half the time, so couldnt shut it off, push button. Had to sit there and jiggle it for 10 mins. Oh, and the transfer case, whatever their car version of it is called, kept leaking and seals kept going out. Get this, its sealed and their is no fill hole. They finally replaced that just before 60k warranty was up. When i got in it one day and steering was tough to turn and was like, oh you probably just need some power steering fluid and then couldnt find a reservoir and figured out it was electrical and you had to tear the entire dash out, i was like, yep we are trading this terd in and your getting a Toyota. Their are about a dozen other little eletrical things i am forgetting. She got a highlander, lol. No turbo or super fancy electronics. We will see, but i expect it will be fine. People say the same thing about it. This v6 only gets 20-24 mpgs! I am like, ya i dont care as long as it doesnt constantly have something going out on it.

My tacoma has about 140k now and only thing thats really been an issue is the chirping TOB. But i am not going to do anything to that. Talked to several others with 200-300k on their chriping TOB. Noise dont really bother me, i use and abuse this thing like its a full size farm truck. Live on 20 acres with a bunch of animals to take care of, land to work, tractor to pull, etc... Hell, i pulled the neighbors skid steer out of the creek a while back with it. He couldnt get it out with his Dually, lol. Really harder on it than i should be, but hasnt let me down yet. Time will tell, lol. So far its been way better than the Dodge, GM, Ford, and Nissan trucks i have had. Its just not as refined and fancy. Ya i dont have power seats and could care less, lol.

 

Do not go to Kasey's Tire and Auto, whatever you do. I went there cause i knew the guy. Those tards bent all my cam tabs flat and broke a snap on socket into on them. I had to go out there and had to show the dingle berries they were trying to loosen them from the wrong damn side.

Auto Alignment & Frame Company is just around the corner and they actually told me to limp it over there and that they are better. They have a guys that have been doing it forever and were even able to get it aligned with the cam tabs flat. I eventually bent them back and ran a weld on the back of them. The place isnt much to look at, but i bet they can figure it out. I have also had good luck at the Ford dealership on the west side of town. Little fancier, but a little higher turnover, so maybe hit and miss. I just went in and said give me your best tech. But i would start with Auto Alignment & Frame Company. They wont gouge you on price. I havent used the Toyota dealer in town much, they may be an option if AA&FC cant figure it out. They have just changed owners like 4 or 5 times in the last 10 or so years. Also, one time i took my wifes TC at the time, in to get an oil change and they brought it back to me, and oil was pouring out the bottom. I was like, hey, see that down there. Again,i had to go out in the shop and show them they had two damn o-rings on the filter. So that kinda turned me off of them, but they may be fine now. Start with Auto Alignment & Frame Company and tell them a guy that brought his Tacoma there a few years ago recommended them. Hopefully they still got the same old guys in there. If i remember right, it was an old timer that had the store forever and i think his son n' law or maybe son. Just drop it off if you can and tell them you arent in a hurry. Let me know how it goes.

 

Thank you so much. If you want to hit any trails around here - IF there are any, holler.

 

Hang on - why are you living my dream life? What kind of animals? I'm itching to start a small homestead once things normalize for me...want to have chickens to milk and cows to pluck and all that.

 

I can get behind the idea that the 1GR-FE engine is pretty old school and isn't the most efficient, but has great reliability.

But you can still see where Toyota had to make weight cuts on the Tacoma in order to meet CAFE requirements and this is what disappoints me about the truck. The polymer bed, thin windshield (mine already cracked once), and a few other things just seem unwarranted.

This is my first Tacoma and probably my last, but I say this as someone who drove an F150 for 13 years prior to the Taco. Domestic brand trucks just seem better built for work and nowadays come with a lot of engine options like turbo or diesel.

 

Thats fine, just dont expect to drive one of the new F-150's without quite a few fixes in there in that 13 years. Wifes explorer had the same v-6 i believe and always something wonky, including having that turbo go out. I have already beat the piss out of mine for 5 or 6 years with no real repairs. I like the polymer bed, beats having to throw a liner in it. Buddies aluminum f150 bed leaves a lot to be desired. You should see what the recent hail storm did to all his alum panels too. Mine was same area and only needs $1300 worth of paintless. They are like skinning his whole truck, lol. Tearing roof off and all that. I do like all the old ones though, even GM's. They just dont build them like they used to. Ford is definitely one of the best. I am curious about the new Tundras due to come out, but i like a stick, so may be stuck, lol.