CowboyTaco's 2011 DCSB TRD Sport

Anathollo

Armorall is my choice of lube
Staff member
Been debating putting mine back on. The rig handles okay at normal speeds but if I am at or over posted speeds it gets a little dippy; worse with the RTT on top.
Yeah mine is the same with the RTT (That's why I don't have the RTT on full-time). But without the RTT, the truck rides just fine at any speed.
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
More AC electrical work. Cut the old harness out and crimped in the new one. I really don't like that both wires are the same color and Toyota doesn't sell a complete replacement, but I guess it is what it is. Used a zip-tie to hold the wires up so that they (hopefully) won't get kicked or catch anything. New connector is tight and the connection points on the blower motor looked good.

🤞

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Also, while I was still trying to diagnose the cause of my issues, I came across a post that suggested if the cabin air filter was too clogged that it could cause the blower motor to struggle and therefore cause issues. I figured it wasn't likely my problem, but I ordered a new one after inspecting the old. It was pretty nasty despite not being in there the full service interval. The ones at Toyota and the part stores were like $20-25. I got an "upgraded" one with charcoal for $10 shipped from RockAuto. Now I can fart and filter it!

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bakerla

Man, Myth, Legend
Got any tips on the replacing the LCAs? Looks pretty straightforward. Might do mine myself.l next week Was originally just gonna take it and have it done.
 

Anathollo

Armorall is my choice of lube
Staff member
Got any tips on the replacing the LCAs? Looks pretty straightforward. Might do mine myself.l next week Was originally just gonna take it and have it done.
It's pretty straightforward. Just have a rubber mallet on hand to help smack them into place.
 

PSU Taco85

Well-Known Member
Got any tips on the replacing the LCAs? Looks pretty straightforward. Might do mine myself.l next week Was originally just gonna take it and have it done.

you should be ok as not being in the rust belt, but the main thing is getting the old cam hardware out undamaged. Usually the cam adjuster seizes into the LCA bushing sleeve. If I were you I'd unbolt the LCA and make sure the adjuster is free before digging into the project. If they are seized, you'll need to order a boatload of extra parts, they aren't that expensive but will keep the vehicle down if you start tearing into it.
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
Got any tips on the replacing the LCAs? Looks pretty straightforward. Might do mine myself.l next week Was originally just gonna take it and have it done.

Before you do anything, use a paint pen to mark the alignment cam location. That way you can get it "close enough" to get to the alignment shop.

Pretty much what @PSU Taco85 said. Start by making sure you can get the alignment cams and bolts free. The very first time I did it, I think I needed one of those ball joint presses to actually get it loose enough that I could pull it out (though that may be because I didn't loosen those first the first time). Once you get them free, go ahead and remove them. I tend to lay them below the frame assembled in the same orientation that I took them out.

Once you have the alignment cams undone, remove the two bolts that hold the spindle to that little piece that attaches to the LBJ. The last bolt to remove is the shock bolt. At that point, you can just pull it down. Rubber mallet may help convince it to "let go."

Have some spare wood on hand. Support the LBJ bracket with something like 2x4 pieces and hit the LBJ with a hammer to get it to break loose. Move the LBJ bracket over to the new LCA and get the castle nut hand tight. Wait to torque it all the way down until it is back on the truck. Otherwise, the bracket will try to spin with it, and that's just unnecessarily annoying.

Assembly is not exactly the reverse of removal, though it is close. I'd get the alignment cams in first and get them assembled, but not torqued down. Then attach the shock bolt (go ahead and torque it down), and then the 2 bolts that hold the LBJ bracket to the spindle. You may need to use something to put upward pressure on the LCA to get the last 2 holes to line up. Either a jack stand (or some wood) under it and lower the truck some, or put another jack under it (like the factory bottle jack) and raise it. That'll make life easier. Once they are threaded, start torqueing everything else down.


Torque Specs
2 LBJ bracket bolts = 118 ft*lb (I tend to add locktite to these.)
Castle nut on the LBJ = 103 ft*lb (then enough to get a cotter pin through)
Lower shock bolt = 61 ft*lb
Alignment cam bolts = 100 ft*lb (I've always been told to wait on these until the vehicle is on it's own weight again. Not sure if that matters since you're going to be getting an alignment and will be matching it up to where it was before)

1629720921279.png
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
Thanks. Got all but one part which arrives Thursday and I'll get it done, hopefully, maybe, if my motivation is there, Friday.

Also, I forgot to mention, put grease on the cam bolts before you reinstall. That'll keep them from seizing in the future.

...not on the threads, just the bolt and sleeves.
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
More truck maintenance this past weekend. For a while, my horn hasn't worked. Well, I did figure out that it worked when you turned the wheel to the left. This isn't so much a problem if someone is on their phone at a green light, but turning into oncoming traffic while driving is not recommended.

It's funny because I don't typically use my horn. However, after I noticed that it stopped working, it seemed like I needed it all the time. (ATL drivers suck at staying in their lanes) Though my county doesn't require vehicle inspections, I know that a working horn is required to pass an inspection. So while the horn isn't critical to the function of the vehicle, I figured it was worth replacing. Plus, the air bag sensor, radio controls and cruise control all run through the same spiral cable. So if the horn wasn't working, there's a good chance the rest of it would stop working as well.

The old one, right before it came out:
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Everything removed:
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Almost done:
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All back together:
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This seems to be a pretty well documented process. I watched several videos before starting and they were all pretty much the same....full of BS and 4x the required length of time.

Process is pretty straight forward:
Remove side pieces of steering wheel and use a T-30 bit to loosen the two screws holding the airbag in.
Disconnect horn wire, 2 connectors at the clock spring and 2 connectors at the airbag
Paint pen or punch to mark the steering wheels orientation (recommended to have the wheels straight to begin with).
Remove the 19mm nut.
Pull on steering wheel or use a puller (harmonic balancer puller worked well).
Remove plastic trim under steering wheel.
Disconnect 3 clips and pull out on the old clock spring while releasing the plastic tabs that hold it in. (I found that a pick worked well to get the top one. It was a PITA and the pick kept me from fighting it)
Move steering wheel position sensor from old to new.
Installation is the revers of removal.
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
Finally got to replacing UCAs.

So far, I'm really happy with the choice on these BDS. Truck is up at Firestone now waiting for an alignment because they couldn't get me in on Saturday after I finished.

They came with all the necessary parts. The UCAs, a clip for the ABS wire, dust caps with o-rings and grease. It's been a while since something I ordered for the truck came with an instruction manual, so that was a nice touch.

20211016_090251.jpg


Uses a Moog ball joint. This is one of the reasons I went with the BDS. I did not want a uniball. I've read all the internet arguments for and against uniballs. In the end, I decided that I like the idea of the OE style BJ. I also didn't want heim joints. These use an OE style rubber bushing. Winning.

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Here's the old right before coming off.

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Side by side comparison.

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Newly installed UCA!

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My only complaint so far is that I did not particularly like how they went about holding the ABS wire. The OEM clips hold onto a protective sleeve that the wire can sort of slide through. It also holds onto the wire in 2 places to keep it more steady. The BDS ABS clip is just a hoop (drawing a blank on what they are called) that the unprotected ABS wire can slide through. I opted to take a cutoff wheel to the OEM clip so that I could use it to hold the wire by the protective sleeve and also keep it at the right angle.

Other than that one little thing, which isn't really a big deal, I'm really liking these. I wasn't familiar with BDS because they aren't popular among Toyota forums....in fact, I had never heard of them until I went to the OffRoad Warehouse grand opening and talked to the guy at the BDS tent. I had no idea that they are actually manufactured by FOX. Until then I hadn't really considered them an option, and considered them to be among the ranks of "Freedom OffRoad" or one of those other value UCAs.

I had also considered JBA, SPC, and OME. JBA has had a couple runs of bad ball joints. SPC has had a couple runs of bad ball joints and breaking arms (the broken arms is a thing of the past, but I just can't get those images out of my head), and the OME says that it is good for 0-2" lift. Not reading anything good or bad on the BDS, I decided to give them a go (again, made by Fox)!
 
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CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
Oh, and I forgot to mention. They have an advertised "No fine print lifetime warranty." So that automatically puts them above the competition.

Hopefully it isn't like the duralast LCAs that I had where I had to use the warranty every 12 months.
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
Just picked up the truck from getting an alignment. I only have a 17 miles total driving since having them installed and maybe 1.5 miles since getting the alignment. Steering feels tighter. Not sure if that is a good thing, but it feels tighter. Like it takes more effort to turn the steering wheel if that makes any sense.
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
Just to put it on the same page, here's the alignment numbers from the previous page after I installed the OEM LCAs. I know the geometry changes when you lift a truck and the factory spec is no longer the ideal, but nice to see the added caster bringing it back within spec.

UCA before.jpg
 

CowboyTaco

Well-Known Member
I got a new battery yesterday.

I'm sure some of you remember me talking about it starting to struggle to start the truck a few months ago. Well, it finally kicked the bucket. I thought I had purchased the battery 4 years ago and the warranty being a free replacement for 3 years. So I didn't bother checking the warranty. Well, turns out I bought it 3 years and 3 months ago. So had I gone in when I first started seeing signs of issues, it probably would have been covered under warranty.

That said, I didn't. So I was out of warranty.

Walmart has the best deal on batteries. Even with the recent Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals at places like AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, Batteries Plus, etc. The regular price on the Walmart batteries was still about $50 less. So I decided to head up to Walmart, where I had previously confirmed that they had the battery in stock. They did not have the battery in stock. Not only did they not have the Group 24F AGM in stock, which carries a 4 year warranty, they didn't have ANY batteries in stock that would fit the truck. Not a 27F (OEM), 24F or 34 in either the AGM or Flooded Lead-Acid.

I gotta give a plug here to the 12volt.solutions remote start. It has "pit stop" mode, so I was able to leave the truck running while removing the key and locking the door. So no worries about the truck not starting.

I had seen a group 27F in the Sams Club next door a few days before. I thought it odd, because I don't normally see that size in stock many places....if ever. For only $10 more than Walmart, I might as well go get the OEM size and put it in. Higher CCA and Reserve Time than the 24F equivalent that I had planned to get at Walmart. So over to Sam's I went.

Sam's had gotten in a Group 24F AGM battery since the last time I was there. Not only that, the guy working said it was close enough that he swapped it out under warranty. Score one for Sam's club!
 

Silverback

Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Awesome deal!
 
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