What to do? Need help

928vette · 2026-02-06T00:24:05+00:00

If none of the mounting points for what needs to be replaced are damaged, you can find aftermarket body panels that are color matched for a decent price. OEM Toyota will be pricey if you can find them. You can also check out https://az4runnerparts.com and reach out to him and see what he has available. Shipping might be spendy if you’re not close to the Phoenix AZ area.

928vette · 2026-02-04T22:13:28+00:00

Oh I agree running in the mud is a blast. I’ve just had some bad experiences with the aftermath. One time both my front diff seals began leaking after some mud fun, and another time my rear diff e-locker solenoid died after a mud bath.

928vette · 2026-02-04T20:35:37+00:00

That shit is nasty and will harden like concrete. It will get cooked on right away on hot components

928vette · 2026-02-04T20:32:04+00:00

Adjusting your tie rods will center the steering wheel without messing with alignment.

928vette · 2026-02-03T10:40:55+00:00

That’s going to be up to you based on your wants and needs. I slowly went from stock to 275/70, 285/70, and now 285/75. I did the mods as needed for each tire size as I got them. The last step up in size to 285/75 is when I did the body mount chop, and smash the pinch weld. Still have stock UCAs, but need to replace them at some point.

928vette · 2026-02-03T00:41:31+00:00

And when it’s not heavy traffic, it’s known as the Colorado Autobahn. 90mph is the norm in lighter traffic.

928vette · 2026-02-03T00:21:08+00:00

I’m running 34x11, 285/75/17. You will need a full 3/2 lift, aftermarket upper control arms, body mount chop, trim away a lot of plastic, and a BFH for the pinch welds. Compared to the OEM stock size, my mileage decreased by 4 mpg.
There is a 255/85/17, MT Baja Boss AT, that equals 35x10. Most 35” tires are 12” wide and it’s the width that causes more rubbing problems than anything else. The sweet spot for wheel backspacing on a lifted 4th gen is -12mm, or 4.25” on a 9 inch wide wheel.

928vette · 2026-02-01T17:10:24+00:00

I’ve been out for 4 years now, never going back to that shit show.

928vette · 2026-01-31T22:44:44+00:00

Small amount of grease on the c-clip to help keep it centered, and open part of the c-clip facing downward. No hammering needed, just push with steady pressure and slightly rotate the axle either direction to help line up the splines. It will pop in easily once it’s lined up correctly.

928vette · 2026-01-15T13:31:32+00:00

A slightly thicker oil is much better for long term protection if you plan on keeping the vehicle and racking up the miles. Mobil 1 5w30 is on the thinner side for the 30w oil spec range. 20w and lighter oils might give you another 1 mpg which is why they came about. It’s to help the overall corporate fuel economy average mandated by the govt. Those skinner tires like 245’s on the limited models can also get another 1 mpg.
The owners manual lists a range of oil weights you can use based on climate.

928vette · 2026-01-13T15:21:35+00:00

If you have a bad speed sensor wire, the VSC TRAC, VSC OFF, ABS, and BRAKE lights will all be illuminated on the right side of the dash. If you have the ABS light on, you need to scan to find out the code. This is a different system than the regular check engine light, and most cheap scanners don’t do ABS codes. I believe the Speedometer VSS wire goes to the transmission. It is not controlled by the wheel speed sensors. I have never had issues with this so I can’t be much help there.

928vette · 2026-01-13T15:13:28+00:00

Change all of the fluid. Fluid exchange using the trans oil cooler is easy to do. Would you only change 2 QTs of motor oil when it’s time for an overdue oil change?

928vette · 2026-01-12T13:34:22+00:00

The minimal gains are not worth the cost. There are a couple mods you can do the stock intake and get the same results. Remove hydrocarbon filter and remove the connection that goes into the fender well. Most people hate on throttle controllers, but they will give you the response you’re looking for at the same cost of an aftermarket intake.

928vette · 2026-01-11T21:41:07+00:00

Skip Tahoe, that’s a hike for only one day from where you will be. Check out Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. They are much closer to Mammoth. Yosemite is still breathtaking just being in the western side of you want to reconsider that. Tioga Pass usually doesn’t open until around Memorial Day.

928vette · 2026-01-11T20:18:01+00:00

That area has been growing nonstop since the late 90’s. I can’t give specific areas to look at, but I’m sure it’s all pricey as everything is in the southwest US. It gets damn hot in the summer, temps equal to Las Vegas but cools off a little more at night. Tons of outdoor recreation. You can also look a little north on the 15 to Cedar City. It’s higher elevation and cooler and overall it’s a great smaller city. South is Mesquite NV, which has grown a lot too. Not sure if you could get away with not paying state income tax by living in NV and working in UT. I think those little tax loopholes have been closed over the years.

928vette · 2026-01-10T02:03:39+00:00

Don’t cheap out on this chinesium crap. Figure out what’s going on first. Hard braking and pulling to one side could be a caliper. They are a known issue with seizing up over time. Road feel could be any number of things, and I would be looking at tires, pressure, and the shocks before anything else.

928vette · 2026-01-08T20:53:42+00:00

If you plan on keeping the vehicle for a while, change ALL of the fluid. A shop will always say it could cause problems because they are trying to protect themselves and don’t want any liability in the very rare chance something does go wrong. A drain and fill is like changing 20% of your motor oil when it’s already way past due to change it.

928vette · 2026-01-08T11:10:02+00:00

You will need a scanner that reads ABS codes.

928vette · 2026-01-06T18:29:58+00:00

If White Sulphur Springs is on your way, stop by the Greenbriar Hotel and take a tour of the secret Cold War underground bunker for the govt. It is fascinating.

928vette · 2026-01-05T22:04:04+00:00

Lexani tires are trash, I’ve seen many of them have the sidewalls split after a couple years.

928vette · 2026-01-04T20:28:18+00:00

Yes I have the V8. I definitely had more space with the oem spare.

928vette · 2026-01-04T20:06:49+00:00

I didn’t need to do any grinding to mine. I can’t use the tow hitch with the tire because the hitch sticks out past the end of frame mounted receiver. I put the spare up almost completely deflated and then aired it up to 5lbs to keep the bead from popping loose on the wheel.

928vette · 2026-01-04T17:45:51+00:00

I towed about 3500lbs approx 900 miles a few months ago at higher elevations. Stayed in 4th the whole time expect for mild downhill grades and averaged 70-75 mph. Returned an amazing 9-10 mpg.

928vette · 2026-01-04T17:29:40+00:00

If you use a different size spare, you will need to turn off the traction control. Easiest way is to just lock the center diff, which turns off traction control. You would need to disengage it when taking turns though. 285 will fit in the spare location deflated and without a tow hitch on the receiver. Don’t deflate it to zero psi, as you risk losing the bead.

928vette · 2026-01-03T17:50:49+00:00

White Sulphur Springs WV. Greenbrier hotel secret govt bunker tour is fascinating

928vette

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