So, a couple weeks ago this olelongrooffan was hanging out at the Taj Mahal, probably doing a blog as that seems to be my life these days. Other than scleping trailers that is. Anyway, the massive communications system lights up and it turns out it is BabySister. Now BabySister often calls just to make sure her older brother, the "oldest of the four little kids" hasn't yet kicked the bucket...I think she just wants my Comanche when I do eventually pass. "What's up BabySister?" "Well longroof next week I am going to replace the CV joints on my '08 Highlander," was her response. Yeah this is my 46 year old BabySister.
Before this olelongrooffan can share BabySister's current story, a little background information about her is relevent. She is the youngest of ten kids, all by the same parents. My dad, TheGentlemanFarmer always joked that he and Mom kept having kids til they got one with blonde hair and blue eyes, as he had. Well all of us kids have brown eyes and when BabySis popped out with blonde hair they decided that was as close as it was going to get. I think Mom's OBGYN had a lot to say about that back in 1966.
Anyway, as the baby, she got away with everything. She was one of my dad's favorites and he liked to call her "Bill" after his brother who passed away at while having dinner at a restaurant table at age 36 having dinner with his wife and another couple.
So "Bill" has always been a roustabout. When we lived on that farm, she, at about the age as in the above image, trained a wild western plains that been relocated to Haven Lee Farm pony single handedly and without anyone else's knowledge. The day she rode Rebel around the corner of the barn atop that formerly wild pony, we all about died. Yeah she is quite the horsewhisperer, owning a few of them these days. And if any ya'll want to read a pretty good tale about "Bill", my horse Buckskin and that Catholic nun driven 1974 Chevrolet Caprice, head over here when you have the time.
Over the years, she has always had some renovation project of some type going on. Whether nearly single handedly putting in new kitchen in her home in upscale Bay Point in Panama City, Florida or building a new barn for her horses on some acreage she owns in rural Washington County, Florida.
A couple years ago while up visiting in the Ozarks she became reacquinted with thejeepjunkie's best friend during the late 70's and they hooked up. Greg asked for, and received, permission from thejeepjunkie to ask BabySister's hand in marriage. And they did, moving to some not insignificant acreage in some small town I can't rightly remember the name of just outside Hooterville.
So, anyway, sorry about that longwinded white beard kind of story but this olelongrooffan must share with my fellows Hoons that when BabySister told me she was going to perform this surgery, I was not surprised. I merely asked her to capture the pertinent information and grab a few images and this olelongrooffan would work something for here and over in the Hooniverse.
Yes she lurks around from time to time, mostly commenting on my posts via texts.
In her typical cut and dried fashion this is presented for our, hopefully, pleasure.
Pertinent information : 2008 Toyota Highlander, 119,000 miles
Repair place : Mike Avante's garage, He is a friend and build street rods.
Sorta of had an accident couple of years ago ...drove up a concrete curb and hit a tree. Ever since have heard a clicking noise when turning sharp, especially when backing my trailer.
ORLF note: I can only imagine what all she has transported in that trailer over the years.
Have hauled trailer alot, specifically when moving to MO to marry Greg. Had it LOADED down. Clicking got worse. 2 different automotive guys told me it was the axles (cv joints).
Bought both sides from buddy at Toyota (Rick) whole awesome.
Went up the hill (hey I'm in Missouri, that what we do...go up the hilltops to your buddy's with a shop).
Started at 4:30 pm Thursday, June 28. Disassembled passenger tire, brakes, rotor. Went to take axle out and it broke off at the boot by the motor mount.
After 4 hours of cursing, fuming, banging knuckles, did I say cursing? We took bolts out of motor mount, still wouldn't budge. Got impact hammer stuck, finally pulled it out.
Decided to cut the shaft going into the transmission housing. Cutting torch didn't even don't the shaft
so we used a grinder (3 wheels it took). Damn it was hot too!
Finally got both sides of the shaft out, motor mount too. The part of the axle that goes onto the motor mount had rusted to the motor mount.
We put the motor mount into vice
ORLF note: this 46 year old woman knows what a bench mounted vise is.
and Greg had to hit the shaft with a sledge hammer to get it out. We got the new axle installed within 5 minutes.
While Greg went back down the hill to grab us some beers, Mike and I replaced the drivers side axle.
Next day I went to O'Reilly's and had rotors turned and bought new brake pads. Went back to Mikes. He taught me how to put rotors and brakes on. He did passenger side, I did drivers side.
Final info:
Passenger side axle : 4 1/2 hours
Driver side axle : 7 minutes
Axles cost : $970.00
Brakes & rotors turned :$126.00
Labor costs: 4 beers and feeding chickens for Mike for 3 days.
Bravo BabySister. No surprise at your success. But it still amazes this olelongrooffan what this 46 year old woman can achieve when she sets her mind to it. And has a little help from her friends.
Yeah she really knows how to Celebrate Life.
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