Fixed wobble in center console.
#1
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Fixed wobble in center console.
Hi all. Just thought I would share an irritating problem I came across, and the solution I came up with.
I, since I bought my 1998 Taco several months ago, was very concerned with the amount of freeplay in the center console, because, as we all know, a sturdy center console is the cornerstone of any drivable manual, and to a lesser extent, auto transmission. With this in mind, I decided to investigate one afternoon when I swapped out my shift seat/socket with heavy-duty Marlin Crawler stuff.
As I rooted around, I found that the bracket immediately behind the shifter was bolted down with two bolts. I then noticed that these two bolts were placed towards the center of the bracket, not more inward, as would promote a more stable mount.
A closer look at this bracket revealed a crack that had formed because of the extra stress caused by the incorrectly mounted screws.
So, I decided at first to take out the screws and remount them further out on the bracket, but then I decided to leave the original screws intact and in place, to add a bit more strength. I figgured it couldn't hurt.
So I drilled holes throught the bracket and the tunnel...
And in that picture, you can see the length of the bracket extending after the original screw, totally unfastened... It's about the length of my thumb.
Then after a bit of digging, I found 2 screws, and 2 rubber washers, and I mounted the screws in the holes.
This fix was cheap (free, since I found I had all the necessary tools and parts already), and easy (mainly since I had it all apart already). Since then, my center console has been much more stable.
I hope this helps someone else cure their center console blues.
The FingerMan
I, since I bought my 1998 Taco several months ago, was very concerned with the amount of freeplay in the center console, because, as we all know, a sturdy center console is the cornerstone of any drivable manual, and to a lesser extent, auto transmission. With this in mind, I decided to investigate one afternoon when I swapped out my shift seat/socket with heavy-duty Marlin Crawler stuff.
As I rooted around, I found that the bracket immediately behind the shifter was bolted down with two bolts. I then noticed that these two bolts were placed towards the center of the bracket, not more inward, as would promote a more stable mount.
A closer look at this bracket revealed a crack that had formed because of the extra stress caused by the incorrectly mounted screws.
So, I decided at first to take out the screws and remount them further out on the bracket, but then I decided to leave the original screws intact and in place, to add a bit more strength. I figgured it couldn't hurt.
So I drilled holes throught the bracket and the tunnel...
And in that picture, you can see the length of the bracket extending after the original screw, totally unfastened... It's about the length of my thumb.
Then after a bit of digging, I found 2 screws, and 2 rubber washers, and I mounted the screws in the holes.
This fix was cheap (free, since I found I had all the necessary tools and parts already), and easy (mainly since I had it all apart already). Since then, my center console has been much more stable.
I hope this helps someone else cure their center console blues.
The FingerMan
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Originally Posted by FingerMan20
Hi all. Just thought I would share an irritating problem I came across, and the solution I came up with.
I, since I bought my 1998 Taco several months ago, was very concerned with the amount of freeplay in the center console, because, as we all know, a sturdy center console is the cornerstone of any drivable manual, and to a lesser extent, auto transmission. With this in mind, I decided to investigate one afternoon when I swapped out my shift seat/socket with heavy-duty Marlin Crawler stuff.
As I rooted around, I found that the bracket immediately behind the shifter was bolted down with two bolts. I then noticed that these two bolts were placed towards the center of the bracket, not more inward, as would promote a more stable mount.
A closer look at this bracket revealed a crack that had formed because of the extra stress caused by the incorrectly mounted screws.
So, I decided at first to take out the screws and remount them further out on the bracket, but then I decided to leave the original screws intact and in place, to add a bit more strength. I figgured it couldn't hurt.
So I drilled holes throught the bracket and the tunnel...
And in that picture, you can see the length of the bracket extending after the original screw, totally unfastened... It's about the length of my thumb.
Then after a bit of digging, I found 2 screws, and 2 rubber washers, and I mounted the screws in the holes.
This fix was cheap (free, since I found I had all the necessary tools and parts already), and easy (mainly since I had it all apart already). Since then, my center console has been much more stable.
I hope this helps someone else cure their center console blues.
The FingerMan
I, since I bought my 1998 Taco several months ago, was very concerned with the amount of freeplay in the center console, because, as we all know, a sturdy center console is the cornerstone of any drivable manual, and to a lesser extent, auto transmission. With this in mind, I decided to investigate one afternoon when I swapped out my shift seat/socket with heavy-duty Marlin Crawler stuff.
As I rooted around, I found that the bracket immediately behind the shifter was bolted down with two bolts. I then noticed that these two bolts were placed towards the center of the bracket, not more inward, as would promote a more stable mount.
A closer look at this bracket revealed a crack that had formed because of the extra stress caused by the incorrectly mounted screws.
So, I decided at first to take out the screws and remount them further out on the bracket, but then I decided to leave the original screws intact and in place, to add a bit more strength. I figgured it couldn't hurt.
So I drilled holes throught the bracket and the tunnel...
And in that picture, you can see the length of the bracket extending after the original screw, totally unfastened... It's about the length of my thumb.
Then after a bit of digging, I found 2 screws, and 2 rubber washers, and I mounted the screws in the holes.
This fix was cheap (free, since I found I had all the necessary tools and parts already), and easy (mainly since I had it all apart already). Since then, my center console has been much more stable.
I hope this helps someone else cure their center console blues.
The FingerMan
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