What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

If you have Moog LBJs now and you get OEM LBJs to replace them. You can literally grab the joints and move them by hand and you'll shit yourself with the difference in feeling. The Moogs are awful.

Only good for cheap trail spares maybe at best. Your old OEM ones would be better still.

The only reason there are so many failures of OEM LBJs out there(BOTH of my included) are due to not changing them in time. The design in flawed in them so they wear "quickly" compared to other ball joint designs. You should consider changing them at the same time as your Timing belt/water pump no matter how your driving style is to be safe. If you flog your truck in the way i do or others do offroad most of the time. Probably should be changed out sooner.

Or...don't.


Then join the club like me. But changing out the entire steering rack from being spling in half, tie rods, sometimes the steering rack mount, destroyed wheel, possibly tire, nuked CV axle and upper ball joint. It's not fun. Plus you could hit someone..or drive off a cliff like i almost did and die or kill someone.

Frank-3.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
Frank-4.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
Frank.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
SOSMeet-17.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
SOSMeet-18.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
SOSMeet-19.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
SOSMeet-20.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
SOSMeet-22.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

It's only $200ish dollars. And the truth is, these truck are getting old. Hell Frankenstein is 20 years old now this year. They are getting to the point where you have to just replace a lot of parts. To me, OEM parts got them this far. OEM will get them just as far again. It's expensive, but worth it if you want to keep the truck for a long time. Owning an "Imported" vehicle is expensive to maintain and own. They are cheap now on the surface to go out and buy one now, but not cheap anymore to maintain because they are hitting that point where they require the parts.

If you invest in the right parts. They will keep on going and going and going.


Or be cheap and cross your fingers...







Okay, Rant over

 

my moogs were japanese and fairly beefy. still changed them out for oem though. lbj failures sketch me out.

 

Anyone have an idea on why my truck is shaking more than normal when driving? It starts around 35mph and it feels like its just the front end and gets a little sketchy! After all this LBJ talk I'm fearing that? @Blackdawg any ideas??

 

Could be lots of things really. Bad alignment or unbalanced wheels..

Bad joint some where or bushing of course.

Is it speed dependent? like it gets worse the fast you go? Any noises associated with it?

 

Speed dependent forsure, it starts when I hit 35 and gets worse as I get going. Went to 50 and backed off, afraid of what would happen. I didn't hear any noises!

 

No whining or grinding or humming?? nothing huh?

 

Did it happen rapidly? One day no issues, the next you have the death shake?

Start simple and check those lug nuts.

 

Not that I heard, I did have the windows up and with wind noise and slight music, I didn't hear anything.

 

Well yes and no, I've had steering wheel shake when I hit 40ish but then it goes away once I get over that. Now it is just a lot more noticeable as though the wheel is about to rip off! I checked those as well as tire pressure, both seem fine!

 

Ok ok... didn't mean to start that... I will go OEM... what do you guys think about the energy suspension bushing master kit? And why do they not come with shock bushings?

 

Put it to work! First big day in the garden of the season. At least 1000lbs of compost in the back and some other stuff.

 

Driving across the state today and decided to stop for food and gas. Found a pretty cool looking rig but unfortunately the dog inside didn't have any clues as to who owned it so I didn't get to compliment them.

 

Not hard at all,
You will have to drill or grind out the spot welds.

 

Is it in the steering wheel? like the wheel is shaking?

 

Yes, quite a bit

 

well, check all the front end basically. Upper and lower ball joints, bushings, tie rods, steering rack bushings, CVs even. Rotors too.

 

Will do, I was going to take it in anyway soon to get everything checked! Thanks for the advice though!!

 

Could have cord pulled in the tire. Causing it to geta goose egg on it

 

Sexy!!

 

Put new OEM LBJ on and wheeled it. Gold Mountain at Big Bear.