4Runner

[MrH]

So the dealership put none stainless bolts in to hold the license plate.  Totally rusted to the body.  Fucking ridiculous.  I've been wrestling with it for awhile now.

Got one out finally after a ton of work.  The other is realllllly stuck.  Stripped it too much to keep trying the conventional way.  Tried a screw extractor kit, didn't work worth a shit.  Tried to dremel a flat head slot into it, couldn't get enough surface area on it.  Ended up cutting top and bottom off it so I have two flat surfaces to grab.  Just been hitting it with PB blaster and going at it with pliers.  Got it about 3/4 of a revolution out, so now I can get PB blaster in there better.  It's soaking.

Going to have to chase the threads to clean them up, get new hardware and put some anti-seize on them.  Fucking license plate bolts shouldn't be this much of a headache

[MrH]

This is the one that came out with relatively few issues


And here's what was left of the one that was stuck. First three threads were cross threaded. Dealer just jammed it past that. Then it corroded too.

[Rupert]

Non-stainless screws are pretty standard for license plates... Looks like the problem was the dummy who cross-threaded it.

[MrH]

Alright, finally got it all cleaned up. Totally gummed up the first few threads. Had to chase them, it's nice and smooth now. Blasted it with anti corrosion goo, and put new hardware in.

[CaminoRacer]

Non-stainless screws are pretty standard for license plates...

I have no idea why. I can't stand when the rust runs down onto the license plate. Eww.

And phillips heads are the worst.

[Rupert]

All true. I don't think stainless fasteners can be found anywhere on a car, even in places where their reduced strength isn't an issue.

[AutobahnSHO]

but.....  It's "Stainless". So it won't rust....   

[MrH]

So I realized there are a few reasons I really like the body-on-frame vs unibody in an SUV:

- It feels incredibly sturdy compared to unibody crossovers.  Roads in Ohio are awful, and it feels fine in the 4runner.  I can go over railroad tracks and pot holes just fine.  Element I'd have to slow down or it'd feel like it would shatter.
- The seating position is very different.  You can only make a vehicle so tall.  The floor on the 4runner is substantially higher than most unibody crossovers.  In order to make enough head room, your feet are much more out in front of you.  Most unibodies have a driving position similar to a minivan.  The 4Runner has a more car like seating position, just higher in the air.


Also, what do you guys think of this?  Stock, the vehicle has a 1" rake (the rear is higher than the front by about 1" - 1.5").  Most install something to level the front.  This guy added the suspension I have sitting in the garage, but also included a 2" lift in the rear.  This maintains the rake.  Is the rear too high here?

[Raza]

I like the dog.

[Rich]

+1 dog is cool

[BimmerM3]

Is the rear too high here?

Yes.

[68_427]

Bit too high IMO

[Cookie Monster]

Too high

[Lebowski]

Too high

[MrH]

Alright, stock springs in the rear it is.

[Raza]

Yes.

Bit too high IMO

Too high

Too high

You guys fucking suck.   

[MrH]

You guys fucking suck.   

You don't think it is?  I was leaning that way, just wanted to hear some other opinions on it.

[Raza]

You don't think it is?  I was leaning that way, just wanted to hear some other opinions on it.

No, it is.  But I was hoping more people would comment about the dog.

[giant_mtb]

Too high for a curb hopper.

(In reality, though, it does look nice to me.)

[Soup DeVille]

Looks perfectly reasonable to me.

[CaminoRacer]

That dog is too high 

[giant_mtb]

That dog is too high 

Awwww yeeeee

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Looks perfectly reasonable to me.

Same here!

[Rupert]

So I realized there are a few reasons I really like the body-on-frame vs unibody in an SUV:

- It feels incredibly sturdy compared to unibody crossovers.  Roads in Ohio are awful, and it feels fine in the 4runner.  I can go over railroad tracks and pot holes just fine.  Element I'd have to slow down or it'd feel like it would shatter.
- The seating position is very different.  You can only make a vehicle so tall.  The floor on the 4runner is substantially higher than most unibody crossovers.  In order to make enough head room, your feet are much more out in front of you.  Most unibodies have a driving position similar to a minivan.  The 4Runner has a more car like seating position, just higher in the air.


Also, what do you guys think of this?  Stock, the vehicle has a 1" rake (the rear is higher than the front by about 1" - 1.5").  Most install something to level the front.  This guy added the suspension I have sitting in the garage, but also included a 2" lift in the rear.  This maintains the rake.  Is the rear too high here?

I don't think either of those are because it's BOF vs. unibody. I've been in lose feeling BOF trucks, too. And Toyota is known for that car-like seating position in their trucks, going at least as far back as the early '90s. Most trucks have an upright truck-like seating position.

I'm still rolling my eyes at your posermobile mods, but I know you don't care.

[MrH]

So I was driving to my parent's house the other night.  They've opened a new road into their neighborhood (it's a relatively new development).  Cuts a few minutes out of the drive.

I go down this road.  At the end, giant concrete barriers.  No room to turn around, so I just jumped the curb and drove off road the rest of the way   Another win for the 4Runner

[2o6]

It was probably a low curb. I could have probably hopped it in my Sonic.

[CaminoRacer]

I find rental cars are the best curb hoppers

[giant_mtb]

So I was driving to my parent's house the other night.  They've opened a new road into their neighborhood (it's a relatively new development).  Cuts a few minutes out of the drive.

I go down this road.  At the end, giant concrete barriers.  No room to turn around, so I just jumped the curb and drove off road the rest of the way   Another win for the 4Runner

Was that 4Runners first time on dirt?

[MrH]

Was that 4Runners first time on dirt?

Ha, not quite.  It's great to have that flexibility though.

It was probably a low curb. I could have probably hopped it in my Sonic.

It was a big boy curb.  Would have crushed the Element

[Cookie Monster]

It was probably a low curb. I could have probably hopped it in my Sonic.

So do you know where his parents live or do you just like to make up random shit?