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

I agree. I'm working with my '03 taco and '96 4Runner to route an over-engine (well, more in front but overish) strut tower brace that would interface with the top plates. My concern is that once the coilover buckets are made impenetrable, the towers themselves would likely crack nearer the frame (or twist, possibly?) Plus, something overhead could double as an upper bump mount for the crazy desert guys who might run a fabricated UCA (just spitballing here)

Something to consider is that I ran my top plate back into the engine side of the coil tower as far as I could to get that extra leverage. A simple circle above the coilover certainly will just move the cracks to the edge as you guys stated. Wings would be a simple addition to the top plate, but not the best solution either, IMO (which is why I didn't add them, but I certainly could if my strut tower brace doesn't work out.)

Being self-locating is a major consideration with this stuff, I agree.

 

I don't understand why no one makes a slip-in spherical solution for our LCAs - like the SPC Axxis joints or similar. If the eccentrics aren't in perfect alignment, the bushings are fighting the axis of rotation to some extent?

 

Yea but that was 20,000 miles ago, didn’t know this so will look at this too

 

Scanguage

 

He’s using a OBD2 device. @1997tacomav6 maybe change the water temp sensor.

 

that must've been a monster hail storm that probably killed or seriously injured anybody caught unprotected outside
i envision bowling ball sized chunks of ice?

 

you do not want that engine to overheat!

 

With the thermostat out the engine would not warm up and gauge said 130 or something, so that’s correct info tho

 

Of course not, it’s not leaving the dealership till it’s fixed, it’s been there 4 days now

 

Excuse my ignorance because I have only run stock UCA's so far. Can any uniball UCA be adjusted for alignment purposes? Or only SPC since the ball joint can be moved into different positions on SPC's? From what I can tell from my Icon UCA's is that I can't make any adjustment on them for alignment purposes.

I've seen this too that I feel does the same job we want to do and thensome.

https://www.chaosfab.com/accessories/1996-2004-Tacoma-Dual-Shock-Hoop-Kit-96602

It pushes downwards on the coilbucket while allowing the use of a secondary shock even for those of us sticking to stock width. It was something I considered for a hot second before I realized I was already blowing my budget on this current project.

I'll be interested to see how my truck holds up after I do all these gussets. Really it's just where the crack will go next right? I have always been limited by my front shocks, but with all the gussets and nice shocks all around I'll finally be able to beat on the truck like I've always wanted to. It can be a good case study for how it holds up with good gusseting from the jump. 3 year old frame combined with TC and Eimkeith gussets, and limit straps eventually.

Anywho, got one side all fitted up. Took a ton of grinding and fitting to get these tower supports where I wanted them to be. Will work on passenger side tonight after work.

Untitled by Michael Halat, on Flickr

I'm going to use fender washers on each end of the UCA to add a little spacer when I tack it all up based on @Squeaky Penguin's recommendations so that I am not fighting to get the UCA out when I need to.

 

Obviously the pump works otherwise no coolant would flow and tempts would sky rocket with no thermostat in place.

So it's the thermostat again.

Just put an oem normal one in. The motor was designed to run at 185 anyways.

Duh.

Twist would be eliminated with coil bucket gussets really though. Which if you're running a cross brace..you're going to have those too.

That would be bad ass. Camburg is the only company I know of that makes lcas with bearings in the lcas. But that's a long travel kit.

 

"Blackdawg, post: 22022020, member: 48500"]Obviously the pump works otherwise no coolant would flow and tempts would sky rocket with no thermostat in place.

So it's the thermostat again.

Just put an oem normal one in. The motor was designed to run at 185 anyway,,

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That’s the plan for today to install an OEM thermostat and see what happens.

Will be thermostat number 4 in the last week tho,

If it’s running hot after this then it’s time to check water pump and or timing belt situation.
Not sure if a loose timing belt would cause the water pump to slip? Maybe the timing belt tensioner?

Just running out of ideas.

I tested the other two thermostats and they were working correctly opening at 170-175 degrees
and before last week have had zero issues with running over 180-185 degrees when it’s 100 degrees outside outside.

Having the engine at 195 degrees when it’s 20 degrees outside at idle or highway and 100 degrees
difference from the top to bottom radiator hose has to say water pump or thermostat.[/QUOTE]

 

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Love the comment. Can I put this in my signature line?

 

you can probably tell from my ramblings that i am sometimes a retard and not very mechanically inclined as most on TW seem to be ... don't know nuts about bolts at times
so I'm just brainstorming the situation from afar and the flow chart points to one item that has changed in your system recently,
that custom built radiator
perhaps its not within OEM exact engineered specs?
please don't hate on me if this is the stupidest idea going...

 

No, with the thermostat out the radiator kept the temperature at 130 degrees or something so that’s not the issue

 

i am happy to report my 'summer gremlin' vibrations at certain RPMs (2.1k) finally seemed to go away or at least not noticeable (it was bad at times!), because i have not had to operate the A/C in hot temps
it most likely will return sometime next year...

 

Yeah, that would be nice. My 2nd set of whitelines are shot because they only really contact on one edge with my crossed up cams.

SPCs adjust from the balljoint. Yours have no adjustment.

You could have got heimed UCA too like I recommended. I would like a set because they would fix my aforementioned LCA bushing issue by aligning it without the cams crossed. Of course that would also mean I would loose caster at the LCA and loose tire clearance to the firewall as well.

Was also pondering if it would be possible to move the LCA forward somehow, but that's probably above my skill level.

Go for it.

 

I hope the OEM fixes it.

 

Heimed UCA was out of the question as I was already all set on the Delta's setup (in my hands under the work bench) especially for the price I was getting it for. I was merely asking because I didn't see any way to adjust mine, and wanted to make sure if there was supposed to be a way to adjust it, I wouldn't some how fuck it up with the way I position the tower gussets. I don't mind adjusting at the LCA's TBH. Now that I have all of it out and it came out with no issues, I can liberally anti seize the fuck out of it all and hope it never gets seized up. Speaking of LCA's and locking alignment there has been some interesting mentions of ways to lock your bottom alignment in place with cam eliminator setups people have been making on IFR.

 

They put in a New OEM thermostat and told me to see how things go in real life driving conditions.
Tech said the OEM is holding at 185 at idle which is good news for now, will see how this coming week goes, the other 2 thermostat were not OEM that I put in, will be shocked if
the OEM was the fix