Tale of woe with the 2006 White Toyota Tacoma 4X4 Pickup...

It was the original Factory Clutch, and we bought the Truck with 130,000 Miles on it.... It now has 160,000 Miles on it so, it was time,... Just finished up, the Test Drive after completing the ReInstalation of thenew stuff... We are ready to hit the road, first thing in the morning... and on to Texas....

 

We are now closing in on Four Corners... Clutch is Super Tight, and we a “Styling”...

 

We have been in Austin, Texas for a few days now, and I think I like Texas, as long as I can stay inside with the AC on... The 2006 White Toyota 4X4 Pickup Truck is running perfect, and we are averaging about 21 MPG for the Trip, so far... The Radios are playing nice except I lost the Tap Listings for the HF Antenna somewhere, so I can only listen, mostly on 20meters... The Super CB Antenna loads up just fine, and the Truckers say it sounds good, so I guess it is a Keeper... I will update this thread again when we start heading back North...

 

Update Report.... I am back Home just a day over One week.... The Truck is running GREAT... We averaged 20.6 MPG for the whole Trip which was 5235 miles long.... No WheelBearing Issues AT ALL.... No Shimmy @ ANY Speed, Period... One thing i learned is that at Toyota of Seattle, when you take your vehicle in for service, they have these 4 Rubber Mat Things that they drive your vehicle over when entering the Service Area, and these are the sensors for a Computer Based Tire/Alignment System that measures the Tire Wear and Wear Pattern, on all four Wheels, and checks the Front End Alignment, on the vehicle, before the vehicle ever even gets to the Repair Bay... We got a Print Out, Before we left on the Trip, after they installed the After-Market U-Joints, and after the Road Trip, when we took the Truck in to replace the After-Market u-Joints with the REAL LIVE Toyota Factor U-Joints... So there is only about 1/8" of tread left on the Tires, but NO Anomalies, or funny Wear Patterns on ANY of the Tires, and the Alignment IS, and Always has Been, "Spot On"... So for the October 2018 Road Trip we are getting New Rubber, All the Way Around... before we leave...
AlaskaChick flew to NYC this morning, for 6-8 weeks of Overseas Deployment Team Training for MDs w/o Boarders... She has two sessions to do, of three Teams per session, at the Training Facility in Rochester, NY... and also Meetings at HQ for the Policy, Procedures, & Protocol Committee, which she Chairs... So I hope to see her just before July 4th...

 

Hey, BT. If for some silly reason she's driving from NYC to Rochester, she almost has to go past my QTH. If she wants to take a break, I'd be delighted to find her a cuppa whatever. That would be a long day's drive, but ---

 

MDs w/o Boarders has a 9 Passenger Van with a Professional Driver that they use to transport folks to and from their facilities, and pick up, and deliver folks, to and from Airports around the area... You have seen these type Guys, standing at the Exit from Security, with a sign that has the Passengers Name on it...
A couple of years ago she was in the Van going to LaGuardia from Rochester NY, and they were just 10 minutes from the Airport when the Van got crunched between two 18 Wheelers full loaded, and put the Driver in the Hospital for two months, Dang near Killed him, and She was in a day, for Observation/Concussion... They wouldn't let her Fly Home for 5 days because of the Air Pressure Issue if she had a concussion, or Brain Injury... They bought a NEW Van, cause the Old one, was TOTALED... I just got a Phonecall from the Hospital, cause she was Irrate that they were NOT letting her get on the plane... I had her call her Sponsoring MD (a Retired Park Avenue NeroSurgeon) who then called the two Hospital Docs, and after they told him the DEAL, He called her back and told her "You are GROUNDED for 5 Days, and it is NO USE trying to go around me, cause I ALREADY called the Travel GUY... So get your stuff, Go to the Hotel, Your Trainning Partner (DR.Sue) will Meet you there, and supervise you, for the NEXT 5 DAYS, PERIOD"... She arrived home a week later...

 

You have never watched my wife slip the clutch, starting up a Hill....

 

Clutch abuse!! Clutch abuse!! Write your congress critter, there NEEDS TO BE A LAW!!!