Hi- newb here - I've been posting over at toyota nation for a while, but it has been real dead there lately. I check over here, and find that I've been missing all the fun!

I bought my 89 V6 (boo hiss) 4x4 X-Cab in 95 at 107k miles, and with a few exceptions in the first couple years, I've done all the work myself. That included replacing head gaskets in 2001 at 218k miles. Miles are 281k and counting. Still has good compression, knock wood.

When I bought it, I replaced the wheels and tires with 7" steel rims and a set of 30x9.5 Dueler A/Ts. I didn't want larger tires since the vast majority of my miles are highway. I lived in New Mexico for several years and did some off road and a LOT of miles on some really terrible dirt roads, and the tires have worked very well for me. The same has been true in the snowy north where I currently live (CT) and in Quebec where I spent two winters. I kept the stock gear ratios and aside from some power flat spots, I've made out alright. I'm on my 3rd set of Duelers, REVOs this time, and I love them - quiet on the highway, excellent wet traction and great in the snow and light off road. I think they would not be great mudders, lol.

In 96 I tried to improve breathing with a K&N filtercharger intake - as most of you could have told me, that gave me zip. I also installed a Borla cat-back tho, and my highway miles went from 20 to 24, and there was a very noticeable bump in power (according to the 'Butt Dyno', lol). Whether the cat-back would have given such benefit without first opening up the intake side, I don't know. I've been a backyard mechanic since I was around 12 and used to love fixing lawn mower engines. In the 36 years since I've worked on all my own cars and those of many friends and family members. I've learned my way around the 3VZE fairly well, but I'm only so-so at suspension and drivetrain - a good reason to hang out here, I see.

Looking forward to some amusing threads and some good info.

 

Welcome and

 

Don't have many pics of it, but here's one from four years ago, taken at a friend's house in TENN. The snow is very conveniently covering the shot paint on the hood:

 

Welcome to Yotatech.

Please also review the rules at YT:
https://www.yotatech.com/rules/updated/index3.htm

 

Welcome to the family...

 

Whoops! Third post and I already broke the rules. Sorry about that. And thanks for the link to those - I looked for them but didn't find them.

 

what part of tenn. did you run from? I'm in knoxville, and originally from crossville.

 

I lived in Hohenwald in Lewis County while I was trained and certified as a mediator and then I mediated in Lewis, Williamson, Giles, Lawrence, Wayne and Perry counties. Loved the hill and holler country, the beautiful blue green rivers, the red buds, and I drove on the Natchez Trace every chance I got. Great BarBQ and for a (oops - was about to break that rule again) yankee I sure love them grits!