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

I will post one, Probably be this weekend before i get them on.

 

Holiday mod!

 

Guess I got lucky haha. I don't recall having much issue with the sway bar. Got in the way a little on the passenger side ones, I think, but nothing major. I try to remove as little as possible when I do jobs. Sometimes it bites me in the ass, and I struggle until I do remove something, but often enough I do the job without extra removal. Less work is welcome!
I did the ES bushings/brackets + Moog end links a little while back, so even if I have to remove things, it's not bad. And going from old and busted to new always feels nice.

 

I'll probably be ordering the ES sway bar bushings and Moog end links this weekend. I was kicking myself in the ass that I didn't order them when I ordered the tie rods. My diaconnects are pretty well worked over. Boots are shot and they have play in them.

 

I tried doing this. It wouldn’t come off. It’s almost like they are frosted by being bead blasted......does anyone have these on their truck?

 

is it etched in?

 

It’s hard to tell. It feels a bit gritty. Which is why I think it’s blasted in. Just wanting to know if anybody else has the same windows because I’ve never seen them before....The tint guy scratched my window pretty bad. And I’m worried that if it has to be replaced I won’t be able to get a matching one.

 

That looks etched in. Cool.

 

If its etched, lots of dealers/distributor do that kind of thing. I have seen it on my sisters Lexus.

 

Etched!

 

ACE Hardware $8.29, LED takes 3 AA's, 10 ft... I have 2 strands inside the cab.

 

You essentially have the rack removed though, just still attached to the input shaft and lines. I had a hell of a time getting the horizontal bushing out. Ultimately used 2 sides of a 3 jaw puller to get it. I was nervous to smack it while it was hanging there on the lines and shaft. Vertical popped right out with a clamp and sockets though.

A couple tips that I wish I remembered/do was make sure you put the u-shape bracket on before you put the big bolt or top bolts in, and use a ratchet to start driving the big bolt through the sleeve once you get it lined up. Those threads are heavy duty and don't mar easily.

 

Made some 5.5” x 2” metal mounting tabs to lay across the indented strips that run through the truck bed underneath the box as to make a flat mounting surface. Drilled and bolt em down. Solid as a rock and the metal strips will take most of the stress if I’m carrying tools or other heavy cargo while hittin the desert.
$75 and 2hrs And it was done.
Easy peasy.

 

Back in the day the custom mini trucks used to sandblast flower and other patterns on to their windows. I bet thats what they did.

 

I used a large C clamp to press the big horizantal bushings, I first tried to pound it in with a dead blow, but it was pushing the other side of the polyurethane out. The C clamp pushed the metal bushing in while keeping the poly in place.

As far as lining up the horizantal bushing... I used a large drift punch to align everything. The big bolt went in no problem.

 

Oh yeah I did the same with the metal sleeve, I was more talking about getting the OEM bushing out. It only comes out one way, towards the frame. And it fought me tooth and nail.

 

Yes... It was a bitch. I used some colorfull language while I was beating on it. That was the part that caused me to remove the way bar. I couldn't get a good whack on it. After I removed the sway bar, I put the head of a 1 1/2 pound dead blow hammer between the rack and the frame and then beat the shit out of it with a sledge hammer and old 14mm socket. It argued with me, but finally gave up.

 

Glad I wasn't the only one! I also cut the lip of the bushing from the side you beat on to try to help work it's way out.

Seriously people, if you are going to put in a new rack, OEM or otherwise, it's much easier doing the bushings while it's out lol

 

Definately have to cut the outer lip of the old bushing off (on the side towards the rear of the truck). I have no idea how much cussing I would have done otherwise. That bushing would still be in there and I would have had to walk to work lol.

The bushings weren't too bad to do overall... but yes, I can definately see how it's easier on a work bench than laying on your back under the truck.

 

Does anybody else besides @TashcomerTexas have the 285/75r16 MTR on their first gen? I think these are the tires I’m going to go with but I’d like to see them on more first gens.