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

That's the one I just book marked. I think mine will be a touch heavier because I plan on putting a lift and lay on it too, but still should be okay at 3ft.

 

The raptor line hasn’t cracked. Been about 6-8 months. I love the way it looks. Better than the dip or chrome IMO.

 

That's the same spring I have.
The temp fix in Moab was to wrap the spring in duct tape to limit extreme angles.

 

huh, maybe that extra 1' really does make a difference in leverage on the spring? can't imagine it'd be that much but who knows...maybe mine is running at the ragged edge of the spring's stiffness/ability?

 

Like a f-ing BOSS in the "Chairman/President/Reserved Parking"

 

Covid-19 work-from-home ensures the mystery crawler will not be caught. LOL

 

I imagine the mount has flex in it too. Flex in mount adds more movement to the spring probably. FWIW I have a 4 ft on a pot belly right now and it flexes like a mother fucker. Maybe I'll run pot bellys up front.

 

that's a good point, the bumper mount that mine is on has almost no flex at all. it's the same metal thickness as i'd assume most ditch light brackets are (1/8") but it also get a lot of structural rigidity from the bumper.

 

That's exactly what I did before I went from Expos to Alcans.

Dakars aren't designed to hold much more weight than the stock leaf springs are, they're just designed to give you lift. Probably why they ride so nicely compared to a lot of other leaf packs. But even with the AAL in them they won't hold a fully loaded bed that well, mine didn't and it sounds like you're in the same boat.

I had Expos on for awhile they didn't hold an RTT + fully loaded camping bed very well either. Was better than the Dakars but they still sagged to where the back end was lower than the front, and my front is only lifted about 2". I eventually got custom Alcans made and installed them about a month ago. So far they ride better than the Expos did and don't make any noise like the Dakars did. But I haven't wheeled with them much yet.

They'll make them to your exact specs, you tell them how much weight you carry fully loaded and what kind of lift height you want and they build them for you. About twice the cost of Dakars but it's worth it if you can afford it.

 

I've had a 2ft firestick for 3 years with no spring and it's been fine. It's mounted on one of the hood hinge bolts. I almost think my bracket would bend before the antenna snaps.

 

yeah, x2 on this point. the dakars ride excellent, even with the AAL, but aren't the best at carrying super heavy loads. when i get in the bed it doesn't compress at all but that's only around 200lbs. a RTT will be at least 250 i'd guess, and that doesn't even include a bed rack or camping gear. i've been very happy with my Dakars so far, but if they start to sag once i get the topper back on and put some more miles on them then i'll likely look at expos, Alcans, or deavers. for now they're great for what i need, but i can see myself upgrading in the future if need be. another note on the AAL. unless you're just running OME 881s or 5100s with pre-load on stock springs, the AAL is well worth it. i am running OME shocks with the Toytec 620lb springs and i needed the AAL just to get the rear higher than the back. the Dakars compress a lot without the AAL... probably why they ride so good.

yeah, i'm also a bit paranoid on it because a buddy of mine snapped the 4' firestik he had on his ranger. we stopped by a mall one time to grab a bite to eat before heading out. i got to the top of the parking structure first, and then waited like 5-10 minutes for him. i thought that was pretty weird but wasn't sure what else to do. when he finally got up to the top i noticed his antenna was missing, and when he got out of the truck he was holding the snapped antenna in his hand. Not sure whether he got it replaced before the truck developed the infamous 4.0 Ranger timing chain "death rattle." at that point he was faced with selling the truck or rebuilding the engine, so he elected to sell it and bought a GMC 1500. the transmission was on it's way out anyways so i think he figured it was time to call it quits on that truck.

 

I had it on a ezgo golf cart for a few years, it held up great and the body on those rattle and flex a good bit.

 

I've been working on doing a deep cleaning today. I'm also looking to cover my seats. I've been doing a bit of research on sites like https://driverskill.com/best-seat-covers-for-tacoma/ . I'm not sure which one I'm gonna get yet. Love reading you guys' responses!

 

So this is what I'll be doing this weekend...

 

Where do you guys source your parts from?

I need OEM parts as well as non-OEM parts. Curious who you guys buy from.

 

really depends on what you need. to give you an idea... i buy OEM spark plugs, but when i had to replace my O2 sensor i went with a Denzo from Orielly's. where you buy IMHO depends on what you're buying.

 

I need front end suspension parts.

 

if you need shocks, coils, front brake lines, UCAs, or stuff like that (meaning components related to suspension lift) then i'd go with aftermarket. Wheelers, Allpro, and Toytec all sell good stuff. 4WP is a solid choice too. if you need brake pads and rotors, then OE is a solid choice but if you are able to pay a bit more i've heard really good stuff about the EBC stuff. when i next need to do my pads i'm planning on going with an EBC kit. you can generally find places that sell them with a simple google search. steering, sway bar, and everything else... your best bet is with staying stock (unless you want to go with a longtravel setup or similar).

As far as where to get OEM parts, either Rockauto and buy the AISIN stuff or your other best bet is the dealership. the prices are high but the parts are usually quality because they're Toyota parts.

i realize that i might've hit everything except the target here so let me know if missed the mark.

 

Super helpful.

I gotta do LBJ's, UCA, Tie Rods at minimum I think.

 

yeah, for the LBJs and Tie rods i'd go OE. if you're running a lift kit or plan to in the future then i'd go with aftermarket UCAs. JBA makes good stuff i've heard, as well as SPC, Icon, Allpro, Total Chaos, and Mevotechs are basically Old-model SPCs for cheaper. the most cost effective options are going to be SPC, Mevotech, or JBA. If a suspension lift isn't in your future... then i'd just stick with stock parts. usually a bit cheaper and they do just as good of a job on the non-lifted vehicles.