PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

Master cylinder = MC

 

The other thing I really want to add is cruise control. Do you think that is worth it?

 

The same issue will plague disk brakes as well if your axle seal is leaking.... the issue you are having is leaking gear oil on brakes and the dealer cant get the job right.

 

Thanks!

 

But what drives me nuts is that I can’t visually inspect the brakes without removing the wheels and the drums.

 

Like stated a properly setup drum brake shouldnt need much in the way of inspection at all. You would have to pull a wheel off to inspect disk brakes anyways. Pulling the drum off is literally just as easy as threading an M8x1.25 bolt (with parking brake off) to push the drum off the flange if you really feel the need to inspect the drums.

 

You guys have convinced me (again). What about cruise control though?!?! Yay or nay?

 

I’m just gonna chime in and add that blown axle seals are in no way related to your drum brakes... not to mention that you wouldn’t be able to see the seal area any better if disks were on there. If you’re chewing through seals you’ve got an issue with A: the seal installation B: the sealing surface on the axle shaft or C: the axle shaft itself (I’ve had bent ones that wouldn’t seal, but that an extreme case)

 

The original cause was a “notched” wheel bearing that the tech failed to mention to his supervisor. The new seal failed within a day, the tech got read the riot act, and the dealer ate the cost of both the wheel bearing and the axle seal, along with labor costs. My uncle’s friend who has been a mechanic for close to five decades says that the dealer probably failed to replace the inner and outer seals.

 

Makes sense. Outer seal is a piece of cake, inner requires a little more work. Nothing like doing the job twice. Just sucks for you having to drop it off twice, etc etc.

 

I finally added variable intermittent wipers to my truck in December 2016 (after owning it 7 years), and my only regret is not doing it sooner!

I’ve seen some stuff online about how our trucks are prewired for cruise control. Is this true? Can I really buy the control stick then “plug and play”?

 

Yeah, but the dealer did own its mistake so that’s why I’m not blowing a seal...

 

How often do you inspect the rear shoes? They wear much less faster than the fronts.
If you do a lot of driving on freeways cruise control would be worth it probably. I've installed a lot of aftermarket cruise controls but every vehicle had an actual throttle cable which Tacomas do not have. I have never researched adding cruise control to a 2nd gen or later Tacoma.

 

@Kyle01

After that, only “DJ Pete” will be working on my truck from now on! We call him “DJ Pete” because in addition to being a mechanic he DJs at bars and weddings.

 

Pete (see above) looks at them once or twice a year.

 

I watched a YouTube video where a guy installed both intermittent wipers and cruise control (OEM parts) on his 2009-2010 base model DCSB in a matter of minute; I’ve done the wiper mod and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done after the backup camera!

 

The two best things I’ve ever added to my truck are intermittent wipers and an in-dash backup camera!

 

Why?

That is great info! I've previously read quite a few options are pre-wired in the harnesses which is something that Toyota never used to do. Toyota used to make each harness per the options on each vehicle.

 

I am not equipped to be taking my rear brakes apart in the driveway, and in ten years this is the only time I've had trouble with them...

 

Normally I try to avoid the dealer, but I'm particular about using either OEM or Denso parts, so I got my control stick at the dealership for a little under $140.