Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 10:47 pm
Update and life and job and such:
Did I tell you dudes I started a new jerb a couple of months ago? Been focusing on that, obviously. Happy with the company, happy with the folks I work with, but the project I'm on is a bit of a mess and isn't the most exciting thing ever. I'm not too enthused about it -- the project. Otherwise all is going quite good. The GF's moved into my apartment in July and we're renting a house once my lease comes up in October. She's got her large dog here of course, so it's bit full with two big dogs and two people in 800 sq ft apartment.
Other than that, things have been good. The previous job had me burnt out quite back and I don't think I've fully recovered from that, but that's another story. My stress levels haven't really gotten down there where they should be, and lack of good diet and exercise didn't help -- it was kind of a vicious cycle. I've been getting my shit back together and for a while I've been heavily back into MTB riding and various other outdoor sports/activities with the GF and the puppers. Just gotta get those stress and anxiety levels down; it's an ongoing project, really.
Update on the 4Runner:
I'm right around 12.5k on my 4Runner since February and things are going well. I did have one very small problem where the coolant expansion tank's neck was slightly misshapen allowing a drop of coolant here and there to seep out between the cap and the neck. Dealer swapped the expansion tank under warranty and no more issue.
Small annoyances to report: steering wheel was slightly crooked since day one but I've not been bothered enough to get it fixed. Whenever I do align it next time I'll have it corrected. Bonus: my last two vehicles had alignment problems from the factory (F150 and Forester) causing noticeably abnormal tire wear. 4Runner's alignment is good, just the wheel isn't centered perfectly.
Second annoyance was tires not balanced all too well. I just took it to a reputable shop and had them road force balance. No more shimmy at 58-61 miles an hour.
Other than that, the truck has been great. I've taken it to CO over 11k foot passes, back country wheeling (no passes as there was still snow) and many rather remote campsites in a number of states. I've not done heavy wheeling with her yet, but I've got supporting mods planned for this (armor, really).
I've towed with my 'Runner more times than I have with my F150 in like a quarter of the time of ownership (also heavier loads than the half ton ever saw)! The Runner's not the fastest out there, but tows fine at 400ft (Dallas elevation), although I'd be really, really slow at anything over 6k feet. In just about a month she's gonna tow again, this time the largest U-Haul trailer when me and the GF move into a house we're gonna rent. Of note: even though she's rated for 5k lbs, my trim with the offload bits has a crippled payload of only ~900 lbs, so would most likely run out of payload before I run past the weight rating. The heaviest I've towed was around 3.5k and she did quite well.
Saving money to do an Icon stage 3 lift and some 33s. Going with quality suspension this time, which will improve the actual ride quality both inroad and off.
Botton line is I still love the truck as much as the first day I got it. It's exactly what I wanted - an honest vehicle that is simple, reliable, durable (both mostly by virtue of old tech) but still a new vehicle with warranty and my own farts in the seats. Despite its archaic underpinnings it's got a lot of charm for the right buyer and its sales numbers are proving it as the 4Runner is selling strong and has been seeing records sales in the last few years despite its old age. It's slow, it eats gas, but it's simple, charming and reliable while getting me around to see the most beautiful places on earth in the sate of Colorado.
Tats and shit:
Oh, I also got some ink done! First tattoo at age of 35. I'll share pics when it's finished; I've got to go back in 2 weeks to finish shading and filling. Two sessions total, first was around 5.5 hours and second should be around 2.
Did I tell you dudes I started a new jerb a couple of months ago? Been focusing on that, obviously. Happy with the company, happy with the folks I work with, but the project I'm on is a bit of a mess and isn't the most exciting thing ever. I'm not too enthused about it -- the project. Otherwise all is going quite good. The GF's moved into my apartment in July and we're renting a house once my lease comes up in October. She's got her large dog here of course, so it's bit full with two big dogs and two people in 800 sq ft apartment.
Other than that, things have been good. The previous job had me burnt out quite back and I don't think I've fully recovered from that, but that's another story. My stress levels haven't really gotten down there where they should be, and lack of good diet and exercise didn't help -- it was kind of a vicious cycle. I've been getting my shit back together and for a while I've been heavily back into MTB riding and various other outdoor sports/activities with the GF and the puppers. Just gotta get those stress and anxiety levels down; it's an ongoing project, really.
Update on the 4Runner:
I'm right around 12.5k on my 4Runner since February and things are going well. I did have one very small problem where the coolant expansion tank's neck was slightly misshapen allowing a drop of coolant here and there to seep out between the cap and the neck. Dealer swapped the expansion tank under warranty and no more issue.
Small annoyances to report: steering wheel was slightly crooked since day one but I've not been bothered enough to get it fixed. Whenever I do align it next time I'll have it corrected. Bonus: my last two vehicles had alignment problems from the factory (F150 and Forester) causing noticeably abnormal tire wear. 4Runner's alignment is good, just the wheel isn't centered perfectly.
Second annoyance was tires not balanced all too well. I just took it to a reputable shop and had them road force balance. No more shimmy at 58-61 miles an hour.
Other than that, the truck has been great. I've taken it to CO over 11k foot passes, back country wheeling (no passes as there was still snow) and many rather remote campsites in a number of states. I've not done heavy wheeling with her yet, but I've got supporting mods planned for this (armor, really).
I've towed with my 'Runner more times than I have with my F150 in like a quarter of the time of ownership (also heavier loads than the half ton ever saw)! The Runner's not the fastest out there, but tows fine at 400ft (Dallas elevation), although I'd be really, really slow at anything over 6k feet. In just about a month she's gonna tow again, this time the largest U-Haul trailer when me and the GF move into a house we're gonna rent. Of note: even though she's rated for 5k lbs, my trim with the offload bits has a crippled payload of only ~900 lbs, so would most likely run out of payload before I run past the weight rating. The heaviest I've towed was around 3.5k and she did quite well.
Saving money to do an Icon stage 3 lift and some 33s. Going with quality suspension this time, which will improve the actual ride quality both inroad and off.
Botton line is I still love the truck as much as the first day I got it. It's exactly what I wanted - an honest vehicle that is simple, reliable, durable (both mostly by virtue of old tech) but still a new vehicle with warranty and my own farts in the seats. Despite its archaic underpinnings it's got a lot of charm for the right buyer and its sales numbers are proving it as the 4Runner is selling strong and has been seeing records sales in the last few years despite its old age. It's slow, it eats gas, but it's simple, charming and reliable while getting me around to see the most beautiful places on earth in the sate of Colorado.
Tats and shit:
Oh, I also got some ink done! First tattoo at age of 35. I'll share pics when it's finished; I've got to go back in 2 weeks to finish shading and filling. Two sessions total, first was around 5.5 hours and second should be around 2.