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

nw_chris - can you tell me where to find those shovel brackets; down the road I am going to be looking...

Thanks.

 

It's not gonna hurt anything. As long as youve never overheated it will be fine.

 

@BartMaster1234 7.2qts total

 

I have no idea how to find the original thread where this conversation started, but I bought new tires a week ago - and did go down from 256s to 225s. (The new tires are Wrangler Trailrunner ATs and I paid $165 each fyi. They were the best that I could find given the Consumer Reports reviews for the past couple of years, including most recent, for the road conditions most common to my area - wet.)

I drives much better; corners much better; and sticks to the road much better. As for the speed/odometer issues related to changing, I couldn't get a straight answer out of the Toyota people, so I will figure out another way to figure out how fast I am really going when the Speedometer says I am going 60 mph.

The door jam label that gave me the info on which tires best fit the truck (thank you to whichever one of you recommended that!), also gave the info on Gear Ratios, and there was some talk here about that. And... someone here published the key to translate what those numbers represent (I think so anyway, moving around and keeping track of which conversations refer to what - and which gen of Tacomas is tricky to say the least.) Anyway, my B07A translates into (1) and 8" ring gear, (2) 4.30 gear ratio, and (3) 2 Pinion, Open differential. Since I have no idea what all of that means I took it to Randy's Ring & Pinion, the guys who re-built the differential on the 2000 2WD Tacoma that I have For Sale - and I asked the old guy there to decipher it for me. He never explained the 8" ring gear, but said the 4.30 ratio means it is "low" and therefore higher RPMs at any given speed (translates into using more gas). But he said that it also means it is relatively better at the 4X4 functions, and carrying loads, and that it would get better acceleration. It was the lowest (?) ratio on the chart (I think it is funny that the highest number represents the lowest gear ratio.), so I am happy with that I guess. In describing the 2 Pinion, Open aspect of the differential, he tried to get me to understand what "4X4" really means: I may or may not be clear on that, but we had a conversation about "pausi" units and "limited slip" and what that would do for acceleration and 4-wheel drive functions. Seems that, except for the money which is considerable, who wouldn't want that? We'll see. If there is a downside, I would like to know what it is.

Lastly, after lots of thought about shocks, I picked up new ones for the front and back at the Dealer yesterday. They were able to come up with the same ones that were originally on the truck, so I got those. (I think, but don't really understand, that all the suspension elements are "tuned" to the truck when build, and I was concerned that beefed up shocks could somehow through off the orchestra involved.) I figured that I couldn't screw up with original equipment.

Now, since everyone that has looked is talking about brakes in the not-too-distant future, and since it will be torn apart to do the shocks, I am thinking I will get the brakes done at the same time, probably week after next. All the mechanic types that I know are basically overwhelmed with work... (And I see no sense in having the Dealer do any work since they like to charge about 3 times what my regular mechanic does, and would never do better work.) On that note though, I was thinking about having the Dealer do the shocks simply because the Maintenance Manual stated that if the Dealer sold them to me and installed them, that there would be a lifetime warranty. I was planning on making them pay for that statement, but alas, that all changed: that warranty was withdrawn January, 2013.

 

Good I bought two gallons. Just bought the cheapo supertech stuff at Walmart I plan on having it flushed properly.

 

You shouldn't need to have it "flushed", and the SuperTech stuff is just fine, it is made by Ashland, otherwise known as Valvoline.

 

Flushing is not always a good thing.

 

After seeing the black fluid that came out of it when I bought it, I felt that it should be flushed. Maybe I'm wrong, what's bad about flushing it? Not just drain & fill - some shops have those machines that shoot pressurized ATF through the system.

 

Drain and fill is a better option if it drives nicely and shifts good. Pressure flushes tend to shake shit loose that shouldn't be shooken loose, then it lodges in a shift solenoid or a capillary line. Those pressure flushes oddly enough are better on a transmission you have the whole history of becasue they can keep it from ever getting varnished or having buildup, but this late in the game with no records it would be taking a chance. I'd say run it around for a month or two with the SuperTech and then drain and fill with Castrol TransMax, if in that time you don't feel weird shifts or slipping then it's fine don't try to make it better (often just makes things worse with auto trannies). The first couple drives it may act a tiny bit goofy because it is burping air.

 

That makes a lot of sense. I wan't planning on running the SuperTech stuff for very long, I was going to replace it with a name brand later on after I did the swap - it was just to get it up an running.

I just finished rebuilding the front differential - got the manual axle tube on and replaced and drove all the new oil seals. Working on the spindles/knuckles next.

 

I think we been talking about rads, not Tranmissions. Flush the rad is just fine. I agree on drain and fill for trans fluid.

 

Multiple conversations going on as usual

 

The farthest right number (116) is the torque amount in ft lbs. right?



@Speedytech7

 

I've noticed a few Imperial Jade green trucks being posted here lately. I'm still waiting to get my bed back for mine, but I did take it for a rip today without the bed.

 

Post the rest of that page so I can look it up, I can't remember but that doesn't sound unreasonable

 

Well I need to learn to look at the whole damn page before I start asking questions...



It's n-m (kgf-cm, ft-lbf) according to the little diagram on the bottom.

 

Glad I could help

 

Front differential is all done and rebuilt.

Replaced both Axle seals, removed the ADD tube and replaced it with a manual hub Axle tube, sandblasted, primed, and painted the whole clamshell. POR15 is pretty good stuff.

What a difference from the greasy rusty mess-of-a differential I pulled from the 1996 4Runner.

Before/After




Putting your axle tube to good use @Shubin

 

Purty.