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

Yeah after the first one broke I read about that, I think it was in your thread actually. Every time I've had the doors apart (which has been at least 6 times in the past few months) I've cleaned everything I could and sprayed it down with lubricant. It feels much better opening them now but that damn plastic lip on the OEM ones keeps failing on me. May be that there's something bent with the metal rods inside my door but the bigger lip on the Dorman handles at least means it'll be less likely to fail on me in that regard. Hopefully the plastic they make them out of will hold up though, that's my biggest fear with the cheap handles.

 

yeah idk what it is but Toyota's plastics are strong as fuck.

Odd though. Something doesn't sound lined up.

 

So at the junkyard I was able to scoop up a locking glovebox handle (brown), the tow hooks and a tensioner for the alternator from a Kia Sportage.

By chance does anyone know the bolt size for the tow hooks?

 

yeah it's weird, and it's always the driver's side. I replaced the passenger side with a Dorman handle when the original OEM one broke, and it's been fine since. When the driver's side broke, I went with OEM replacements the first 2 times and they both failed within a few weeks. The last one happened last week and I put a Dorman one in and so far so good, but we'll see.

I told myself if the thing breaks again I'm going to cave in and take it to Toyota...I'm so sick of taking apart my doors lol. I've gone through so many of those annoying plastic retaining clips...

 

Weird thing on mine was that it was the passenger side that broke even though it gets way less use that the drivers side

 

do you have one of these?

ManyMods-74.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr

never broken a clip with that.

 

I certainly will now...that looks way easier than me trying to dig the stubborn fuckers out with my knife and pliers

 

yeah like 15 bucks at the store. Worth it really I think.

 

I made one like that out of a cheapo wide flathead screw driver and a dremel in about 5 min and it’s worked like a champ. Just didn’t wanna wait to order one online mid way through a project otherwise I definitely would have bought one

 

For those that don't know the prybar method to check ball joints. Here you go. Front tire is 1 inch off the ground supported by floor jack under control arm.
https://youtu.be/EX6WWCO2IFA

Any movement larger then 0.5mm is bad.

 

@JKO1998 I'm getting you that ignition today. They got a bright traffic cone orange Tacoma last week.

 

This is the way I've always done it.

 

Oh cool, lemme know if I can help in anyway, over the internet, I guess.

 

And also, it’s not the key cylinder or key switch, or the sleeve thing that holds all the pieces together and attaches to the steering console, it’s the rod that goes between them. Incase you forgot.

 

unfortunately it's not a part that has to do with lubrication, at least not as far as I can tell. It's the lip (circled in the photo) that stops grabbing and pushing on the metal latch; it basically just falls behind it and doesn't engage the handle at all.



I've had this happen to 3 OEM handles, 2 were brand new. The Dorman brand has a bigger lip that goes over that metal latch.

 

it's weird though because they were all brand new, greased up from Toyota and everything. To fail so quickly (each one within a week to 3 weeks) makes me think there's something up with the rods in my door. That one rod that connects to the white plastic clip on the inner handle might be pulling backward and causing the metal latch to fall out of alignment with the lip. Who knows...I'm so over my door issues lol.

Knock on wood the Dorman handle is holding up the best so far, so hopefully I'm good for awhile.

 

How much were the dakars?

 

$182 per side from 4WP, so about $365 for the leaf springs themselves.

Plus $33 for 2 sets of OME bushings, $40 for an extended SS brake line, and $20 for the exhaust relocation bracket. Not sure if I'll need that or not but just in case.

I'll be reusing the U-bolts I currently have as I already have extended ones from the 3 leaf AAL packs.

Think all in all I paid under $500 for everything taxed and shipped (free shipping from 4WP and Headstrong). 4WP has an active $10 off code for orders over $150, too.

 

Okay I’m here right now how the hell do I remove it lol

 

does it have a key.....