Undercoating and suspension replacement

Step one.
Grind off all the rust.




Need to go over with wire brush and hose off today before shooting first coat of primer.

To be continued.

 

whereabouts are you located?

 

Connecticut

 

are the inside of those drums in good condition, lots of lining left?, or are they needing replaced?

 

They aren’t too bad but will be replacing them at some point in the near future. Il post a pic Tuesday when I get back to work on it.

 

how long has this tacoma been in your care?

 

Progress



The family. 81 GS750, 68 Lotus 7, 84 G20, and 02 Taco

 

I bought it 8 months ago but have only been around for 3 of those. I travel a lot for work and finally have a bit of time to get some work done.

 

just in time for the winter season! (in a few months)

 

Yes, exactly. I ordered the OME suspension kit with Dakar Leafs and Light Racing UCA’s from HeadStrong, which should be arriving Tuesday. Replacing front bumper as well. I should be able to have it done in a few days but I’m expecting a challenge with seized bolts... any recommendations on where I can order front end hardware?

 

the LBJs are probably best sourced as Toyota OEM parts, I have used Camelback Toyota in AZ, they buy in bulk and have much better prices than local dealer markups and have a flat $20 shipping. The McGeorge Toyota in VA also has good prices but shipping seemed to creep past $20 after a certain number of items.

i am currently looking at replacing suspension parts for the first time, they are still original at 22yrs and 125k miles and definitely will have some crusty stuff (I think my springs are probably ok, just need cleaned!) I was able to easily remove the bolts on the lower fuel shield and have it sanded and powder coated so perhaps the bolts on the rest won't be too difficult. I need to remove the bed to clean up spots I have always had the hardest time hosing down in the middle of the winter. So while the bed is off is probably the easiest time to change out the rear parts.


are you working with a replacement frame or is it the original?

 

Front end for bumper? I bought the 3 parts of Amazon and got the clips and bolts from napa.

 

Thanks!

I will let you know how it rides post new suspension! 22 years is a long time... my shocks and springs were totally shot. I have original frame which is actually in pretty good shape despite the rust everywhere else.

 

One side done. Had to cut U bolts and chassis bolts. Relatively straight forward to install. Would be far easier with two people as the leaf spring weighs about 60lbs and is awkward to hold in place. My biggest error was that I got too eager with my angle grinder and cut the U bolts on both sides which left the axle with no support. Once I sorted that out I was able to get the center pin flush on the axle mount. Highly recommend using new hardware all around.
The white frame is primer waiting to be under coated.

 

progress looks good, i need to refresh and re-read (but will ask again if not already answered)

those look to be the original shocks? and if so how many miles on them?
i probably should order some new Ubolts (mine were probably that black at one time ) and not worry about cleaning them up so can just cut em off at some point


what kind of primer are you using?

 

The shocks were original with 180k... totally shot. They were beaten up more than they should have since the leaf springs served absolutely zero purpose.
I highly suggest new U bolts and replacing just the shocks if leafs are ok still.

I used a basic Rustoleum spray primer. Two cans for the entire truck.

I’m a bit suspect of the front leaf bolt I used. It’s a Grade 8 1/2-13. there’s a bit of space in between. I couldn’t find accurate detail on OEM bolt and I cut mine to pieces. I need to get an exact size and swap it.

 

Looks like you did a very thorough job of cleaning up the frame. What were your tools of choice to do so? You are adding a lot of life to that Tacoma by doing that for sure!

 

Thanks! I’d like to keep her alive as long as I can! I used a wire wheel on grinder for all the big surface areas and a wire brush for everywhere else I couldn’t reach with the wheel. Did the best I could inside the frame and used compressed air to blow out any particles. Then hosed her down with soap and water. Looking forward to seeing how the undercoat turns out!

 

Nice - ever use Fluid film? It stinks but you can get an attachment hose for it so you can spray the inside of the frame. I do it almost every year for the piece of mind. I can't see in the inside of my frame and I take care of it. Looks similar to yours.

 

Il get some and try it out!