New to Tacoma preventative maintenance.

The last Toyota I had,I replaced my stock radiator with the "Replacement" from the local auto parts store. It fit fine. But my fan clutch started to run more often. It had less tubes. (Money saving)
I'd have the stock radiator cleaned by a radiator shop.

Also check your radiator cap seal. A bad cap can often be the source of mysterious coolant loss, as it boils and leaves no telltale trace.

Fan Belt tip: You want the belts just tight enough to work properly & not put too much stress on the water,P/S Pump or Alternator bearings.

In summer, spray the Radiator out with a strong garden hose or car wash sprayer.
You'll be surprised at all the dust that accumulates in the fins. Your A/C will be cleaner & perform better too.

 

So what I am using for most of my info on repairs or learning the in and outs of my truck is a Haynes Repair Manual. Is there anything out there that is better than this? Some of the info in here is uh.. Questionable.

 

I don't a car wash sprayer hitting the fins on the condensor or radiator. Could potentially bend them. Regular garden hose, wire brush and some elbow grease will do just fine.

 

You'd need a zero tip to get that much pressure, most car wash sprayers won't generate that much pressure unless you hold it right up against the metal. Of course consideration should always be used when spraying w/ pressure sprayers.

 

I have Haynes for my truck but in many places it sucks comparing to FSM. Haynes lacks of some steps or takes you to long way that makes some jobs difficult. It has some pictures which is good, but I found the Internet has more good pictures and videos too. Just you need to use your brain and not take everything what's on youtube for bible. There are some dudes who can fix everything with hammer and plug any leak with bubble gum. And finally TW is is a prime spot for getting information as there are many well known experts here - guys who knows stuff and are not afraid to share that info.

 

What does FSM stand for?

 

Factory Service Manual

 

Also EWD - Electrical Wiring Diagram . Haynes has electrical diagrams but while mostly they are correct, they are not complete and missing many important informations (connectors, junction boxes, locations etc.)

 

Any suggestions on who to buy tie rods and ball joints from? Which brands to look for?

 

Oem from @gunny1005 will be highest quality for the best price. Balljoints for sure.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/gunny-is-back.476544/

Tie rods are yo to you, but I'd go oem if you could. @Speedytech7 might have other suggestions for the tie rods I'm not sure though.

 

Thank you! Following along as I purchase my first Tacoma