kpoon

the company's called oemrims inc, & their ebay user id is "oemrims-company." i was considering getting this done for my toyota sienna wheels but decided against it once i found out that the chrome doesn't hold up well against road salt. therefore, if you live in a snowy area, you'd have to change the wheels out every winter to avoid damage. good luck.

thanks for all the info & advice.

what's the advantage of 100 series pads? what should i ask for if i want 100 series pads? is there anything special i need to do to install them?

my local toyota dealer is having a sale this weekend. they are selling toyo oil filters for $3.95 & toyo brake pads for 20% off. i'm thinking of getting both items for my '97 lx450. if i ask for those parts for a '97 land cruiser, they will fit my lx450, right? i just want to make sure before i buy them. also, what is a good price for brake pads? i want to make sure the dealer isn't overcharging me, even though they say they're giving 20% off. thanks for the help!

i took it into the shop today. turns out the front wheels were "toed out" pretty significantly. they fixed it for me no charge. thanks for your help.

i was in an accident last year, & the body shop replaced my steering stabilizer as one of the repairs. since then i've noticed that the steering wheel tends to "jerk" slightly to one side or the other whenever i hit minor bumps in the road. this is especially noticeable at highway speeds, even when i hit something as small as a lane reflector. the "jerking" of the steering wheel is not so bad as to actually make me change direction, but it's enough to make the vehicle feel pretty unstable. i feel like i could lose control at any minute, & i don't have confidence in the vehicle's handling. could these problems indicate that there's something wrong with the steering stabilizer, or does it sound like it could be something else? thanks!

i replaced the exhaust manifold on my old jeep w/ a header. it was a pretty big job, & it took me a long time, mainly 'cause it was the first time i had ever done it, & i was working alone. i followed the instructions in a haynes manual that i had. if you have all the right tools, don't run into any major problems, & have someone helping you, you could probably replace the exhaust manifold in one full day. i've never replaced a head gasket, but i imagine it would be at least as much, probably more, work than doing the exhaust manifold. if it is a blown head gasket, you should get it fixed right away. if you have the time, basic mechanical skills, the tools, & the interest in doing it yourself, it is certainly possible. whether or not it will be worth it is up to you. it was worth it for me to do it on my old cherokee 'cause i learned a lot in the process, it was satisfying to me to do it myself, & i saved a lot of money. i probably won't be doing much work on my '97 lx450 on my own until the extended warranty expires in '06. the stakes are higher w/ this vehicle than w/ my jeep. good luck.

i live in salt lake city, where the winter this year has been pretty cold & snowy. with all the snow we've had the past few weeks, my lx450 is pretty dirty w/ road salt. it's too cold to wash the car by hand at my house. what do other members do to keep their cars clean in winter months in areas where it's too cold to wash by hand? also, anyone in the slc area know a good touchless carwash or at least a do-it-yourself place that's heated?