Gray223's "The Resurrection" 98 rebuild build

The rebuild is officially OVER! Total time from start to finish: 115 days. But there is still work to be done. I would like to think both of my parents for helping me out with this project especially my dad who was working with me everytime i was up at the shop, even when I couldnt help, he would still be working.

1998 Toyota Tacoma TRD offroad
3.4I v6
4x4
Automatic

Exterior

• body and bed painted with Monstaliner pyroclastic
• Door handles, crowl, window trim, mirrors, and tailgate handle all painted with duplicolor trim and bumper paint
• Monstaliner black - inside of bed and bed rails, fender flares, front and rear plate bumpers, and grill.
• Custom satoshi grill - write up HERE
• 16" SCS F-5 3.5"BS in gun metal gray with red decals
• 255/85/16 Cooper discover st maxx - Pics of wheel and tire HERE
• MONSTALINER PICS HERE, HERE, HERE

Armor

• Both front and rear bumpers are made from 1/8" thick steel and fabricated by us. Pics HERE, rear bumper build in HERE

Lighting

• H1 retrofit kit from theretrofitsource.com - Pics HERE
• Gatling gun shroud painted with krylon fusion flat black
• ebay headlight housings painted with krylon fusion flat black
• 4300k bulbs
• Morimoto XA amber halos
• 3'" led pods in front bumper

Suspension

• Front - Icon 2.5" CO's standard travel
• Rear - Icon 2.0" aluminum series 13" travel shocks mounted outboard of frame - pics HERE, flexed out HERE
• Dakars with OME greasable shackles

Interior

• Painted with duplicolor vinyl and fabric in flat black and gray
• black vinyl floor
• Sounded deadened with shok sound deadening mats, pic HERE
• Cover king black ballistic tactical seat covers
• Red led in guage cluster, shifter, and climate control panel
• Custom stainless switch panel with 5 switches
• Pics of interior and red led's HERE, HERE

Misc

• Flowmaster 40 dumper after axle
• Frame plated 1/8" thick steel from front cab mount back
• Frame painted with 3 coats of chassis saver black
• Jegs manual bpv - Pics in HERE
• Stainless extended rear brake line
• Chassis saver painted underneath of cab, underside of bed, inside front fenders - Pics HERE, HERE
• gray wire mod
• Deck plate mod with afe pro dry s
• UWS slimline toolbox, pics HERE
• Ultaguage, pics HERE
• Mob armor cell phone mount, pics HERE
• rear diff breather mod, pics HERE
• E-locker block plate, pics HERE
• FRAME REPAIR AND PAINTING PICS HERE HERE
• Tundra brakes mod, pics HERE
• Weathertechs
• Fumoto drain valve
• Magnaflow catalytic converter

Maintenance records

• Oil changed and tires rotated every ~6000 miles
• Changed atf - 130000
• Changed rear diff oil - 13000
• New radiator - 130000
• Replaced driver side inner tie rod end - 130000
• Replaced idler pulley-130000
• Replace valve cover gasket-130000
• Replace spark plug valve cover seals-130000
• Greased shackles- 130500
• Replace passenger side steering rack boot - 134117
• Replaced passenger side rear axle seal - 134117
• Replaced carrier bearing - 134117
• Changed rear diff oil - 134117
• Greased driveline - 134250
• Installed rear e-locker - 135108
• New pcv valve - 135108
• Changed transfer case oil - 139481
• Changed front diff oil - 139639
• New rear passenger side diff seal - 140320
• New door handles(aftermarket) - 140320
• New window trim - 140500
• Replaced both rear wheel bearing - 142150
• Greased Driveline - 145950
• Greased driveline - 150359
• New fuel tube - 155300
• Ball joints - 155300
• New Sterring Rack bushings - 155300
• Passenger outer tie rod - 155300
• Plugs and wires - 168000
• Magnaflow catalytic converter- 188000
• Carrier Bearing - 200k
• Driver outer door handle - 200k
• Replaced clock spring - 200k
• Greased Driveline - 200k

TURBO
Interested in a turbo 5vz? I had made a list of parts and info needed to attempt the project. My plans have changed but the info can still be found HERE.

CVJ AXLE INFO - HERE



It all started when my dad bought me a 96 single cab 4wd tacoma for my first vehicle. He bought it on a salvage auction site, it had been hit in the front end, pushed the radiator into the fan bent the hood and broke some other stuff. Anyway we fixed it up, learned alot, and it runs and drives fine. Then I found tacoma world and instantly got more interested in tacomas.



My 96.
It is an awsome truck. But I kinda needed an extra cab so a year ago I started the search for another wrecked one and we bought this, 1998 Toyota Tacoma TRD OR 4x4 with 130000 on the odo.


As you can see, its in pretty ruff shape....and it only gets worst.

The truck was labeled as runs and drives, which it does, but not very far. The radiator was leaking and the back axle had been shoved forward putting the drive shaft at a weird angle. It would at least be enough for us to move it around. The valve covers were also leaking oil.

The Resurrection begins:

First priority was to take off the bed and rear bumper to see the frame damage underneath.


As you can see the frame is kicked up and shoved forward on the drivers side. It bent the leaf and shoved it and the axle forward on that side.

Since we knew we need a new bed my dad started looking for a new one and found a 2wd bed of a 2003 for a decent price so he went and picked it up.
Its in really good shape, no rust, but one tail light lenses has a hole in it.

As we looked at the frame more, the more holes we found and places were it was bent. Lets just say I hate rust.
No more cab mount.

My dad actually took the touch and cut a slot in frame then heated the leaf spring and it actually moved a little.

Got the front bumper off.
That front cross member got push into the radiator.

Something caught the tow hook and instead of the bolt breaking it just bent the front frame on that side.

The bed got pushed into the cab and put a pretty good dent in the corner.

We started stripping the interior, the carpet was trashed.

Seats and console out.

Carpet out.

rear seats and interior out.

Door panels off.

Doors off.

Fenders off. Had the cut up all the plastic that was holding the antenna on the fender, was the only way it was coming out.

Every thing was rusty! Broke off 4 bolts that held the bottom of the fenders on.

Got the junk radiator out.

Hood off.

Shop is filling up fast!

Once we got the fenders off we realized that to get the cab off, the inner fenders and radiator support was coming with it. So we started disconnecting anything that wouldn't come up when we lifted the cab.
Got everything disconnected.


Had to cut some of the cab mount bolts

First attempt to lift the cab...didn't work.

Second attempt got it.

And with a little bit of picking the rear end up and swinging it around...its free!

Better pics of the frame...

 

Looks like quite the project, excited to see where it goes. What are you gonna do about the frame?

 

Subbed, can't wait to see this thing progress

 

We are not quite sure exactly how to go about trying to get it straight. Just try to cut and hit stuff tell it looks straight! I guess once we get it looking straight we will get everything lined up with the new leaf packs. A lot of the holes are going to be fixed by cutting them out and welding in new steel. Bad thing is that were its fully boxed, we thinks it rusting from the inside. Not sure if we are going to cut it open and try to coat the inside or what. Its going to be a project.

 

You almost need another donor truck with a frame that's in better shape. That frame looks like Swiss cheese!

 

ya, its straight tell you get to where it bends up and isn't fully boxed. My dad says we can get it straight, just going to be a ton of work. And the holes should be an easy fix with new steel.

 

The frame on my last truck was DONE after i got rear ended. No rust but it was twisted like a pretzel

 

Ya that looks pretty bad, it makes mine not look as worse. haha. The front end looks pretty wrecked too.

 

Yeah the camry i got shoved into got it worse but it sheared the steering and lca's mounts from the frame

 

Sub! This is awesome!

 

Got the Dakars, greasable shackles, and new bushings in and candy! Does anybody know why the dakars are different, and this pin looks like its sheared of.

 

They're different because of the gas tank, they're side specific. I'm pretty sure mine looked just like that. Can't remember if the pin was that short or not

 

Made another thread and put those pics on, and we concluded that the clamp on one had the rivet sheared off during shipping and then they just moved it to the other side. We are just going to weld it back on instead of going through the hassle of shipping it back. And one spring has a + the other has an O shape. Doesn't that mean one exceeded spec and one meet spec?

 

In the part number one should have an A and the other a B. I have no idea what the + or O shape mean. Are they stamped on the springs? Try calling wherever you bought them?

 

No there just painted on, I'm pretty sure I read in another thread they indicate how close they are to there factory specs. And which one goes were? Does A go drivers side?

 

more pics of the frame damage...

even the diff is really rusty


Started getting everything off the frame so we could get to straightening.

Fuel tanks out

Brake lines are off

Had to do some cutting to get the diff out.

Its out.

Cutting it up so we can get to bending.

This one came out pretty easy. We were surprised.

My dad worked on it a little more then tacked in a new plate of steel to hold it there.

Got the other side were we wanted it, got the bed mounts about even with each other measuring from the floor and the front leaf spring mounts are with 1/16th of inch from each other when measuring from the lca mounts.

My dad also said he got alot of the back end straightened out as well. Now we are going to put the leaf spring back on making sure everything is straight and lines up. More to come.

 

I believe A goes on the driver side.

 

since one rear bump stop is gone and the other in bad shape I've been thinking about some air bumps, maybe finding used ones for cheap, but cant really find anything on how to mount them on a first gen since the leaf pack is setting directly underneath the frame instead of to the side like a 2nd gen. Any suggestions?

 

If i do go with air bumps i will be doing something like this.

 

Took some pics of the frame after my dad got everything level and straight. The back drivers side rail is rolled in a little still, we are going to try to roll it back out. We need to mount the leafs to back sure they line up. As well as set the new bed on to see if it lines up.

muffler is pretty shot as well... what isn't? haha

Got the monstaliner and chassis saver in

Started sanding on the cab a bit.

We really need to set it down on something...