NW WA Meet / BS Thread

This escalated quickly from a cool DIY to level 12 anxiety https://youtu.be/7ghvw3F2uWA

 

I've certainly never done anything like that before...


Many years ago I was taking my motorcycle to the track, 4am in Seattle my trailer tire disintegrated, of course no spare. So I dragged the whole thing, sparks and everything back to Ballard. Had to get the canopy off my Silverado by myself with only a skycrane to help. Somehow it ended up upside down on a dolly, unharmed.

 

Most sketchy thing I’ve done in the shop was pick the pool table off a trailer with a couple come alongs hanging from the rafters and put the legs on it. Guy in that video about recorded his Darwin Award application.

 

OfferUp. Pick n pull and other wreckers wanted waaay to much IMO, like $4k for a 40-100k motor. I was actually able to find a complete motor and transmission, however at the time the guy wanted $4k for both which I wasn't prepared to pay, but in hindsight, I should have just to keep it all the same. Iirc I walked away with that motor for $2k or slightly less.. I'd have to dig it up.

 

i got lucky 10 years ago when i replaced my engine the first time. got an engine with less miles, with transmission, tcase, a ECU, wiring harness, and driveshaft for $2k. plus 250 shipped. the second time, i paid quite a bit more (think it was $3500) for an engine with a little more miles than what i had on the second one.

 

So my 4runner needs a new rear axle seal and bearings. I checked with the dealership and they want 1500 for that and another 800 for the brake shoes. I feel like that is pricey especially since they want to charge me 900 for spark plugs and 350 for a resurface….

Another shop i asked wants just under $2000?

Is this reasonable for a rear axle seal job with the brake shoes? I’m in the marysville area for reference.

 

Brake shoes are like $200 at a brake shop. Plugs on the 4.0 are an hour job, just because the back 2 on driver side suck, easy to do yourself. 350 to resurface rotors? You can buy new ones for less. Idk what a rear axle seal and bearings requires. I know the bearings in the back are a pita.

 

contact Randy’s ring and pinion in Everett/Mukilteo for a quote as well.

 

i will definitely give them a call. hopefully that’s not the same randy from randy’s off road in smokey point cause they were the ones who quoted me 2 grand.

 

randys ring and pinion is different and is over by paine field. i've heard nothing but good things from randys ring and pinion and nothing but bad things about randys offroad.

 

Thanks man.

 

It’s not a very exciting story. I live out by Lake Roesiger and we are the last to have our streets plowed. Long story short, I was coming up to a stop sign and my truck would not stop and I slid right through the intersection and hit a tree. It put my winch through my radiator and did a lot of frame damage. I’m thankful that I didn’t hit anyone!

 

It was an aluminum bumper! Next build will definitely be steel.

 

hopefully everyone is OK! I gave a steel bumper, but always curious about how aluminum would hold up. curious how fast the truck was going at impact but you can keep that a secret.,haha.

what’s next? 3rd gen taco?

 

never fun hearing a tacoma wrecked. glad your ok.

 

That $2000 price seems maybe a bit above or right in the ball park for the work requested. Dealership price, naturally is gonna be above what a private shops quote. A friend of mine just paid Les Schwab $1200 to do just the rear bearings on his 1st gen Tacoma.

The rear axle bearings are a mother fucker if you don't have a press and/or other tools that make the process the difference between "never again" or "yeah that's fucked, never again". That being said, I'd still have another go at it when mine go again.

I've done my Tacoma rear bearings once, and years ago I a set on a 83 pickup I swapped a early 90s axle under.


Also, I'm with dan, WTF turns rotors and drums anymore? I thought no one did that since it wasn't a cost saving process anylonger. For the few $$ you save, it's more cost effective to just remove and replace with new.

 

They sell a loaded axle with a bering for $450. Not as cheap as swapping the bearing but probably would save a half a day trying to fight it or running it somewhere else to get swapped. I think the 4Runners have a rear disc with a parking brake shoe. Ready built axle pads, shoes, calipers ads up pretty quick. That being said rear brakes are probably my least favorite thing to work on with a Tacoma. I’ve had the pleasure of doing 5 sets now. It doesn’t matter how many times you do them they want to fight the whole way and each one has a different step that refuses to corporate.

 

Best thing I ever did was get rid of the drums.

 

Link no worky...

 

Tried to head up to hansen creek trail but it was pretty slushy and raining. Took a break mid way since the kids were getting restless so we just called it there. Intentionally got myself stuck to try out my max trax clones (xbull I think) and they did alright. Better than nothing if you’re by yourself but a quick yank from a friend would have been way quicker.



Note: didn’t get stuck here, just a cool pic a buddy took




couple of the nubs were burnt a tiny bit but overall in good shape.