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

Is anyone working in any supplemental grease into the ball and socket before installation?

 

Yep. I'm pretty sure not airing down and going fast over small rocky terrain is how I kill them so quickly. If I would have been on top of this one I likely could have had it warrantied. This is the 3rd one that's lasted less than a summer season.

My steering rack guide bushing needed to be tightened after only 13k. I had noticeable play in the guide.

I'm not kind to this truck and it shows. Basically treating it like a race truck and after every trip I give it a good inspection of the steering and suspension components.

 

How different are there LCAs?

 

I always air down and mine didn't last much longer lol. Just the nature of the crappy design.

 

Got 15k miles on my last set before they had a noticeable amount of play.

Gotta pay to play...

 

@eon_blue what grease are you using on your Daystar greasable shackles? How often?

Been about four months since install and things are getting squeaky back there.

 

Energy suspension grease or the Daystar grease that they sell, it's a silicone based PTFE one. I've heard that the Super Grease you can buy at Harbor Freight works too

 

How do the long travel guys keep up? They still use stock LBJ's right?

 

I think the difference is an occasional jump versus thousands of miles of spirited driving on bumpy roads...



.... and the occasional jump.



I'm sure they would kill them too, but a heavy vehicle used frequently for what we do is harder on parts that what most LT guys are doing.

 

2006

 

Working on my rooftop lighting project. Switches showed up today from @OTRATTW. These guys are awesome! If you need switches, check them out! 15% off for labor day as well.

 

I personally don't think it's that crappy of a design. I beat on it hard and it doesn't fail. The failures are from people not having there stuff inspected when it's beyond worn out. It's a wearable part. It sucks that the spindle separates but any other bj that's worn past its life will pull out of the socket also. Most you usually hear or feel it before it's to that point though. Owning a vehicle is your responsibility to maintain it. If that means taking it to someone to inspect it then it should be done.

 

LT guys are often driving in sand which is a little more forgiving than rock also.

 

RE-Istalled my reverse camera. it stopped working for a few months. I replaced all the cables so hopefully I won't have any more problems.

 

You could very easily have a tie rod joint fall out of the socket if it is to far gone. You'd more than likely feel this. The point is once the ball in any ball and socket joint wears enough that it's diameter becomes smaller than the sockets, it's been fubar for way too long.

 

This is true. It's the fast driving on the 4-6" roundies at a decent pace that I'm sure fucks it up for me.

Thanks homie.

They still connect to the spindle the same way.

 

Going to get my oil changed today at Meineke bc they give me offers in the mails for the changes at 21.95. I called and asked about the cost to change rear diff fluid bc I know that needs to be done as well and I'd rather avoid doing it in AZ at 115 degrees. This mf had the nerve to quote me $129 to do the fluid!! Do these shops really have people dumb enough to pay for that?

 

the arms are longer and i think wider. but the part the balljoint goes into is similar. might be able to make a tundra ball joint fit the taco lower. my tundra rolled and landed on the driver front bending the control arm. ball joint is original at 200k and is still tight even after that. the spindle is also different (larger bolts for the joint) but technically i think it'd work on tacos if the LCA can take the joint. 00-04 tundras were identical spindles to the tacos

 

Yep I'm sure some people who dont have the time or tools.
You can stop buy and do mine while your at it. I'll even let you narrow my shop fan . Ya know to help circulate the heat. Lol

 

it cost $14.99 to change that out in 1992 at the quickie lube i worked at then

$129 does seem a lot, are you sure that is not for the 4wd service and all diffs and transfer oil, even though you don't have the 4wd, perhaps they were confused?

just curious if you have to bring your own toyota oil filter and possibly oil or do they stock that at Meineke, nevertheless 21.95 is a nice price
make sure they get the oil drain plug back in securely