Raz's '04 Tacoma TRD build

@eon_blue , Thanks for the reply, I feel a bit relieved. I was worried that I might have over torqued those bolts. Thanks for clearing this up for me.

 

Yeah I've been using 59 ft.lbs for years now and have done them numerous times, no issues. Every post I've read and torque reference I've seen has said 59 as well

 

Update 12/06/19:
I replaced the clutch master cylinder finally last night. It wasn't too hard, but I made a couple of stupid mistakes which made it frustrating. Went with the AISIN one from RockAuto. I figured $35 wasn't bad for an OE part. the toughest part was learning how to bleed the system. That had a kinda steep learning curve but I figured it out eventually. Also did the brake pads this past Tuesday and an oil change the previous one. didn't bother taking any photos of those because they are just routine maintenance. I think that's the last piece of maintenance the truck really needs. I think that the next thing will be replacing the old and worn out suspension with an OME kit. I have the front suspension on order but it hasn't come in yet so that'll probably end up going in in late December or early January.

photos:

Also, that liquid that has dripped down on to the fender in the photo of the actual master cylinder is not brake fluid. it started raining pretty hard about half way though the job so that's just water from that.

 

Update 12/12/2019:
just picked the truck up today from having the clutch replaced. it failed pretty violently on Monday so i didn't really have a choice in the matter. not a real big fan of how light the new pressure plate is but i guess i'll just have to get used to it. drives like a whole different truck so i'm not too thrilled about that but what can ya do. the old clutch wasn't slipping at all but it apparently was down to the rivets on the disk. if nothing else, i'm glad it's done because it's one less thing to worry about.

 

I replaced the clutch in mine this spring and am not a fan of the pressure plate feel. Almost feels like there is nothing there when you push in the clutch. I’ve finally got used to it, but it’s far from confidence inspiring. I have a feeling it’s not going to last long. I think I’ll grab a clutch kit from marlin crawler if and when this one goes. Nice looking truck, by the way!

 

Yeah, 59 *seems* low, so I'm glad I looked up the specs before I did the install. Not knowing any better I easily would have over torqued them just based on the German "gudentite" guidelines.

 

They break easily too, I learned the hard way..snapped one off inside the spindle once, that was fun

 

haha yeah same thing happened to me. Felt that bolt snap as I gave it one last turn...freaking heart sank. After much trial and error I realized I could twist the broken half out of the spindle using a pair of needle nose pliers, worked like a charm

 

yeah, i don't know. we'll see how long it lasts. i've ordered a brake return spring to put on the pedal though so hopefully that makes it a bit stiffer. i've got no worries about the disk but you're right, the pressure plate just feels kinda chinsey. clutch felt a little better driving home today so i've got a feeling that some time in the saddle along with the added spring will help out a bit.

thanks! you too! Red trucks for the win!

 

I about shit myself when I wasn't paying attention and pulled a couple threads out of the spindle when I used the short bolts where the long bolts were supposed to go.

 

Mine was in the concealed portion too, I had to take the brand new LBJ off to get the broken half out and I ruined the boot in the process lol. Had to run out and buy another oem LBJ for that side, sucked hard

 

update 12/19/2019:

replaced the upstream o2 sensor yesterday afternoon. went pretty smoothly, i can definitely see why the old one started throwing a code though... it was pretty crusty lookin' . unplugging the sensor was a bit of a bitch, the wiring harness is above the trans so i ended up with one arm on either side of the bell housing, fumbling with the harness blindly until i finally got it unplugged. from there it was pretty easy. no siezed nuts or bolts and the only issues that i had were with the design of the truck.

old vs new:

 

new goodies came in today...

They are OME Nitrocharger shocks with Toytec/Eibach 620 lb springs. just went with the generic 1" Toytec diff-drop. went with the eibachs instead of the OME springs mostly becuase they are taller and stiffer than the 2883 springs. thinking that i'll do the sway-bar delete when i put them in since the spring rate is so high. Really busy right now so they probably wont get in till after Christmas, looking forward to it as this will be my first time working with suspension. Can't afford the rear yet but we'll see where i sit after my next paycheck and Christmas. Thinking i might go for a new rifle first but if the bro-lean is too bad with just the front then i might need to suck it up and get the rear as soon as i have the money.

 

@razhick4x4 , My vote goes for the new rifle, and just out of curiosity and being nosey, what are you thinking of buying, New hunting rifle in 270, 30-06, 6.5 creedmoor. Maybe a new "Evil" black rifle in 6.8 spc. The suspense is killing me, and if it isn't against the rules here, please let us know.

The new rear shocks can always wait another payday or 2.

 

still not sure, but so far my ideas are...
Winchester model 1892 lever gun in .357 Mag.
or
Ruger American in .308 with a Vortex diamondback scope
or
Ruger Hawkeye in .308
or
Marlin Model 1894 lever gun, also in .357 Mag.
or
some kind of WWII era mil-surp. bolt gun, maybe a Mauser (likely a postwar Yugo M48) or Swiss K31

Leaning towards either a lever gun or one of the bolt action sporting rifles. I love old military guns but the ammo is just so damn hard to come by; can't just stroll down to Walmart and pick up a box of 7.5x55mm Swiss or 8mm Mauser like you can .308. at this point it's really just down to whether i want a bolt action or a lever action. wish i could go Semi-auto but WA gun laws prevent me from buying those "evil, black, semi-autos" until i'm 21. we'll see though, at this point i want to see how the truck sits with the lift up front before i decide what my next big-ticket purchase will be.

 

@razhick4x4 , if you really like lever guns, then you need to check out an older Savage Model 99 in 300 savage. That round was what the 308 was built off of. This gun was way ahead of its time. Look for one made in the 50's, and in good shape, and you'll have a winner. but it really helps if you reload, makes ammo so much cheaper.

 

Got a cheap Amazon tri-fold tonneau on the recommendation of @jdmstuff. I think that it looks pretty good and i'm especially happy with it for the price. i havent sold the canopy yet and i'll likely hang on to it for the time being, still not sure if i'll stick with the Tonneau for good but so far i'm digging it.
Link to the cover:

Stehlen 733469491323 Compatible with 1995-2004 Toyota Tacoma / 1989-1994 Pickup 6 Feet (72") Short Bed Lightweight Hard Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover (Black) with Truck Bed LED Lights

https://www.amazon.com/Stehlen-7334...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TBF3QP725DD7B9E0CXW6
Before:

After:

 

ended up going with a Mossberg Patriot in 30-06. Wasn't planning on buying anything big for a while since i just had the expense of replacing the clutch on my truck, but i got a good deal on it. thinking of is as my Christmas present to myself. still need to buy a scope for it but that's looking like about $400 (all in with rings and tax) so idk when i'll get around to that. . who knows, as much as i want a Vortex Diamondback those Cabela's house brand scopes are looking pretty good about now. at this point i just want something to be a little easier on the wallet.

 

@razhick4x4 nothing wrong with a 30-06. I have a Marlin MR-7, that was only made a few years. Great Rifle. You can go into any sporting goods store big or small across America, and they'll have 30-06 ammo. I've read some decent reviews about the Patriot rifle, and hope it's a good shooter for you. If you don't, you really should look into reloading. Very relaxing hobby, with great rewards. Hand loaded ammo will almost always out perform Store bought. If you can find, that one sweat mix for you gun, it will shoot very good groups. I killed a 10 pointer several years ago with a hand loaded round. It put a smile on my face. Let us know how she shoots when you take it out to the range.

 

i've looked into reloading but after purchasing this i think i'll give it another look. in addition to it being relaxing, the cheapest box of 30-06 that i can find the gun store i normally go to is $30 for 20 rounds (I checked today when i went scope shopping). i don't have an issue with spending money for good ammo for hunting but i don't see a point in getting the expensive ammo just for trips to the range. I'm also not real keen on driving 30 miles to my nearest Cabela's, Sportsman's warehouse, or Bass pro shops, just for a couple of boxes of cheap ammo. if i'm in the area fine but it's a long way to go, especially with seattle traffic. maybe the next time i'm there i'll look into some reloading supplies.