Can we call this the maintenance thread.....seems that's all I'm doing lately.

96 4Runner
Antenna not descending all the way. Should I assume a piece has broken off and blocking the thing from sucking all the way in and pull the motor to see if that's the case? Prolly.

Did I tell y'all the horrible clunk is GONE?!!!

 

Try cleaning and re-lubricating the antenna first hab... there are a few threads around on power ant. maint. ... If I recall correctly the first thing you do is clean the ant. with some degreaser or alcohol then grease with some white lithium... run it up and down a few times. Check them out just to be sure though.

 

I replaced the mast in 05 so I guess I won't be surprised if it's broke, but I'll definitely take your advice on cleaning and re-greasing it either way, thank you for that.

I was hoping that having a switch and only using it when needed would help but I guess it wasn't all that long ago I put that switch in.

While I'm at it I need to check the 99's antenna/re-grease it. It works fine but makes a horrible schrech-chunk noise at the top of its extension.

 

Hello. I looked through most of your thread and must say I am very impressed!

I noticed you are running a set of Michelin LTX AT2's and was wondering if you could review them for me. You seem to do a fair amount of off-highway travel. What do you think about them in that setting? How many miles do you have on them? Would you buy them again?

Thanks!

 

Thanks! It's a budget build and my daily driver but I think I like it all the more because of that.

I've got about 30,000 miles on the AT2s. I debated heavily over those and the ol' faithful BFG ATs. Because I had excellent experiences with the Michelin LTX M/S (Ford Bronco II, Ford Exploder, this 96 4Runner) I went with the A/Ts for a little more of an aggressive tread pattern/look while still maintaining civility with my daily driver.

It's almost as good as the LTX m/s on the road. So far they've been as good as the LTX m/s on the trail- those m/s's actually did really well on everything I've driven them over, can't beat all those sipes. They seem to be wearing almost as well as the LTX m/s (got 80,000 miles on those!). I do not do deep mud, preferring rocky trails instead, and these have done great on those. I had a little slippage on one small rock ledge going up mineral creek outside Ouray, CO in the drizzle but that's been the worst of it and a better angle of approach did the trick there. I've done the same trail, same conditions with the LTX m/s with similar results. The ATs do hang onto gravel but not as bad as the m/s tires. On the little mud I've been on the ATs do better than the m/s. The ATs are quiet on the road, no rumble.

Would I choose something else? Is it wrong that I would want a set of ATs with siping like the m/s??? I'm going to see how these wear and then decide but if things continue as they are yes, I would buy again. Actually, come to think of it I did buy another set- the ones on the 99!
Just went out and measured- 9/32 tread left of the 17/32 it started with...not wearing quite as well as the LTX m/s, but not bad.

 

LOVE that style Chowder, .... only thing I use differently is Pasilla in place of Anaheim Chiles. (Pablano's by the time they get in the soup! lol. )

GREAT to see a build thread for ya going! Can't wait to see it come along. Mine has been budget as well. BTW, you ever use Pequin's? HOLY SMACKERAL! lol.

Hey, btw2, ..... is that picture I'm seeing of YOU, hiding in a specially formed tree crag? lol.

 

I am NOT brave enough for anything above a jalapeno!!! Give those to somebody else! This is my 'build' thread, cakes, recipes and oh yeah, sometimes a truck!

That is me in that there tree.

 

Hahaha... I hear ya! But, curious, you don't like Pasilla's? If they're not OVER ripe where they're turning colors... they're actually quite WONDERFULLY full of flavor and not TOO hot. LILLLLLLL warmer than an Anaheim.... but far more flavor. They're actually called Pablano's once you roast them, much like Jalapeno's are called Ancho's..... and then Chipotle's once they're roasted AND smoked.(Not a HUGE Chipotle fan, lol.... "played out" I feel is a fair term, lol).

Sorry, I'll stop with the tangent into 'foodz', lol... And that pic of you in the tree? FANTASTICAL! lol. Yes, you're pretty, but it's also a VERY good quality picture. Something you'd see in a Magazine or something, quality wise Where is that tree, btw? That's a TRIP!

 

Today I am learning about peppers! Last I tried pablanos they were too hot. I'm kinda wimpy when it comes to spicy stuff.

That tree is in Greensfelder park in Eureka, MO. We were hiking. It was there. I dunno, sometimes you gotta crawl into a tree.

 

Hahaha.... the last 7 words would make a great sig quote, lol.

Yeah, ..... could be that the Pablano was too ripe... they get SCALDING, almost over night, as they start to bleed from the veins and seeds into the flesh. But when just picked, still VERY firm, dark green, ..... if you halve them, carefully, and remove the seeds, and any vein you can, you'd probably find them more like ... oh, .... Spicy Mustard level on the BTU chart? lol. That's cool, you like what you like...... and you DON'T like 'TOO MUCH HEAT' in your chiles! lol. I mentioned them really because they have SO MUCH FLAVOR, compared to Anaheim chiles. Howeverrrrrr, lol.... I use Anaheim chiles all the time in a couple scrambles and fritatta's and even in some more Gringo Style Casseroles... They're less overwhelming like a Pablano, so they 'blend' better. But, when I work with Chicken, things with less 'POW', ....I like to use the Pablano's. ESPECIALLY like them with more sweet stuff, like Chowders, cheesy dips, etc.

Jalepeno's are pretty tolerable, until you get to the veins and seed... they carry a LOT of CAP... Then, you get one like a Serrano Chile, .... WOW, they can be MUCH hotter than Jalapeno's. Traditional Pico de Gallo should be made with Serrano's... but WOW, they're just too much for the average person, so I stick with Jalapeno's.

Since you like the lil less hot'ns, ... you should try "Hungarian Peppers".... VERY good, not really noticeably hot and GREAT flavor. You can find em in the Whole Foods stores and such on occasion.(in season). There are several varieties from there... but the most common one you'll find in store is the Sweet, somewhat VERY light green, lighter than Anaheim, but shaped more like an "in-between" the Pasilla and Anaheim.

Bon Gastronomique, Hab! lol.

PS> If you make Cornbread, .... try it with a lil MILD heat, roasted Jalapeno's mixed into the mix, some time... Even Anaheims work well in them.

 

Lol. Heated cornbread sounds good, I'm gonna try that. I grow my own peppers and the jalapenos burn my fingertips for days when I cut them up for freezing. Don't know if I'm ready for any more pain than that, even with gloves there's a little burn. Bad news for a nail biter like me!!! I've heard of hungarians but never tried them, I'll look for those.

Maybe I'll go pull my antenna so this still looks like a build thread.
Can't help it, you keep saying good things I gotta reply to.

 

Antenna guts and mast removal/ replacement

Radio off. Unscrew this counter clockwise


and take off


hit this button (or turn radio on if you don't have that antenna switch )


Antenna poops out. It's nice to have someone catch this for you.


Here's the antenna with intact plastic track

 

undo 10mm bolts that hold plastic wheel well cover on
There's the antenna just in front of the passenger front door


Follow the electrical wiring to the plug. Disconnect plug


Undo 10mm bolt just under antenna motor.


there is a tab holding it in place but it's not hard to unhook from bracket to pull motor from fender


One antenna motor, antenna wire still attached.


There are 6 screws to take the cover off. 1 in the middle, 1 at the top ground, 4 on the peripheral. I used a screwdriver to carefully pry the thing apart, they use an ooey gooey gasket to seal it.

 

Here's the innards. I cleaned and regreased this stuff after making sure there weren't any broken bits














Then I put it back together, bolted back into the truck, plugged the connector back together, screwed the antenna nut back on (where the antenna comes out). Next I cleaned the gunk off the plastic antenna track and regreased that. It was pretty solidly gunked up near the top which was prolly why it wouldn't retract entirely. I had my helper push the antenna switch on (turn radio on), waited for the noise from the antenna motor to quit, then put the track down into the motor until a little bit of it caught. Next my helper push the antenna switch off (radio off) and the antenna track sucked into the motor as I guided it. It took a couple of tries to get it far enough in to get the motor to pull it the rest of the way in. I tightened the antenna nut.

 

Ta da!!!


Gunked up antenna track was my problem.

 

Hahaha, ... my bad, so sorry! lol.

Antenna works, "Ta Da", GREAT news!

Mine went bad and wasn't rebuild-able. So, I had to put in an aftermarket one(grrrr, PIECE of JUNK! lol)... When I upgrade my deck I'm going back to one of these^^^. It worked for 23 years, .... while I've been through 2 of these and am on my 3rd in 8 months! lol.

Seriously Hab, GREAT write up.

PS> I ALWAYS, to this day, wear latex gloves while handling peppers, especially for doing Jelly, Canning, Jarring, Sauces for freezing, Chile'. Haven't had a burn since I have.(sometimes, I forget.... and yes, IT SUX! lol)

 

Thanks. I'm going to try to take more pics as I do stuff. Hopefully somebody will benefit from it.
I have a feeling I could learn a very lot from you. My poor family is stuck with my cooking skills and I like to throw random things in the pot. Sometimes this works, sometimes, not so much.

 

Hahaha... Hey, like I tell most people, ... "Keep trying new things, otherwise you'll get bored and lose the appreciation that good food deserves"..... You know, like 'eating roast chicken for the 4th night this week....... WITH carrots, ..... and green beans...... and Russet'..... And HEY, don't get me wrong, it's all good, and more importantly, for many, HAVING CHICKEN 4 TIMES A WEEK IS A BLESSING! But, .."if one can, one should try different things, at least 'recipe' wise."

I'm sure your family is VERY lucky to have you slinging new things out for them... whether it always works out perfectly or not! lol. What is it that didn't/doesn't work out so well for you?

I plan to, one day, do a GREAT blog about food, linking to many of my recipes, prize winning or just favorites of mine and my customers over the years....what nots, ....but alas, I've just not had time to get it up there! And, well, some of it, it's NOT going to be shared, lol... Hey, Trade secrets still happen, believe it or not, .... even in this "Food Networks" Era! lol.

OK< NOW BACK TO YOUR BUILD hahaha.

 

96 4Runner 230,000 miles

Replaced front brakes with Wagner Thermo Quiet pads. As some of y'all know I have a beyond serious brake dust problem with the Wherever Gold pads. When we did the Tundra upgrade to the 99 we used Wagners and they are nearly dust free which is what made me choose to put the same brand on the 96. Oddly for as much dust as they produced the Wherever pads are barely used. Oy. Well, here's to cleaner wheels!

 

YEA! ... here's to 'cleaner truck feet and being able to stop before THAT DEER!', lol..