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

Mine is under the hood as well. 2001.

 

Mine is a Cali truck.

 

My 48 state truck (2004) sold in Roanoke VA has an EGR valve. I dont think its particularly rare to see that.

 

Replaced the center carrier bearing this morning. A couple of hours (working at old man pace) 11 bolts to remove and replace, and just make sure that you keep all of the parts in the same in the same orientation. Easy peasy, especially since most everything was taken apart last year with my frame replacement, and my tech, at my instruction, put every bolt and nut back together with anti-seize on them!!

 

After the new tires being so quite. I am hearing many noises, squeak from the lower joint on my kings. Sprayed some teflon lube on it and gone.

Now I have brake squeak like they are stuck on driver side. Also metal to metal? Think they could be sticking due to being maxed out? Just checked them about 5k ago and they had a good 40%left

 

any alarm guro's?

 

4 wheel alignment today at Toyota 89.02

 

Make sure to swap the lower spherical bearings before they destroy your lower rod ends. If they're chirping they're probably shot.

They cost like $10 and don't take very long to swap.

 

My lock froze bad on my driverside, i sprayed my key w wd40 and put it in the lock and jiggled it around, it ended up loosening the lock ip and havent had any issues since. Not the most professional way to clean it but it worked.

 

Guess that means I might as well rebuild them while I'm at it, got around 40k miles on them

 

Maybe or maybe not. My lower spherical bearings only last a season.

 

Making me wish I went with foxes or bilsteins.

Dont have the time to keep up with maintenance like I should

 

Foxes would use the exact same bearing, and you don't want bilsteins.

COM10T

Like I said they cost ten bucks, and you're doing it wrong if it takes more than an hour to swap both sides.

 

Thanks man, might just take them off to lower them and do this as well

That a hearing that can be found in an auto parts store or the like?

 

For locks, you are much better going with one of the spray graphite products. It won't attract dirt like WD40, etc.

 

I used to install professionally, and am something of a guru with 12V. What do you need?

 

Last night I noticed the bolts were already pulling through the thin aluminum of the toolbox- partly from use long before I got the truck, partly from the way I mounted the box. I had intended to fab bridge plates of steel this weekend, but then I realized a couple pieces of cast-off unistrut would work perfectly, as well as give me usable options inside the box.

While I was at it, I cut two 18" sections for the box internal clamps (plates mentioned above), 2 11" sections to mount along the vertical strength rib at the back of the box, and two 60" sections to mount in the outermost full-length rib of the bed, right up next to the wheelwells.

Why?

The box inner plates (18") were to mount the box, as I mentioned. They will still enable me to remove the box easily, too...

The 11" sections vertical, will be used to place a piece of unistrut across the back of the bed, level with the top of the wheelwells, for transpo of sheet goods (plywood, drywall, and the like), said unistrut being kept in the toolbox so I don't have to go hunting it when I (rarely) need it. So to rig for sheet goods (which, really, won't be an often thing), I remove the toolbox, install the crossbar on the verticals, and go get the stuff. That will take all of 10 minutes, if I'm not awake yet.

The 60" sections on the bottom of the bed, are for transpo of engines and the like- this will be MUCH more common, as I have a 90 XJ and an 87 Fiero which both need motors. This way I will have plenty of lashing points, and no concerns of the load shifting. I didn't go the complete full length of the bed, since that would have been something like 66", and would have left me a few awkward length drops I don't want to deal with. As this sits now, I made it from junk I've accumulated over the years and different jobs.

I am going to attach everything with 3/8-16 nutserts as I have been, with the possible exception of the head and foot of the bed plates- I will likely use large fender washers under the bed to spread the load, again 3/8-16 bolts. Honestly, I don't think that's necessary- unistrut has some ridiculous strength to it- something like 1600 pounds on a 2' span. So even with "just" the steel nutserts, anything lashed in the bed will be trying to rip the entire bar out of the bed before it does anything else. Hell, maybe I'll get a half-inch fender washer, drill it out a bit so it fits the 3/8" nutsert, then have my son hold that in place against the bed bottom as I install the nutsert. Many ways to play this. As it is, I'm at work stoppage- I am awaiting delivery of more nutserts, and some corner braces for the strut at the front. Also ought to pick up some spring nuts now I think about it.

This weekend, I will be purchasing black textured Durabak 18 (the UV-stable stuff) and Schutz gun in preparation for bedlining the bed. When I do that, all of the strut is coming out, as is the toolbox. I will prep and mask off to the outer top of the bed rail, and apply the stuff as directed. I am more likely to spray instead of roll it. I will update here when I do that. Also, when that is done, I will wire brush the toolbox, etch it with vinegar, and then bedline it as well. All of the unistrut and hardware will be sprayed, too- though possibly just with Duplicolor or something in a rattlecan. I am not sure how far the durabak will go in a sprayer, and don't see any point in buying a quart of it just to shoot a few bars and bolts.

 

It'll be easier to adjust the coilovers on the truck.

And you won't find those bearings at any auto parts stone.

 

Dam, got an 8+hr trip next week. Getting stuff fixed before hand