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

Lens was only 15.00 from the dealership so went that route, I did use the headlight polishing cream
on my speedo cluster and that looks like new now

 

Did the new lens come with a new gasket?

 

Of course not Lol

 

nice... thanks!

Edit: looks like the gasket is about $8

https://toyotaparts.mcgeorgetoyota.com/oem-parts/toyota-lens-gasket-8157204010

 

I was unaware of that option.

 

Advance auto has a headlight polishing kit for 8.00.

Comes with the buffing compound and the polishing sponge

Works excellent

 

Doing it! Thanks bro

 

@Fernando , this is from another user who replied to a post I made about dingy headlights, hell I'm going to give it a try, only going to lose the cost of a tube of toothpaste.

Have you tried Colgate Extra-Whitening Toothpaste (NOT Gel) on them yet? I just applied a couple fingers worth of that toothpaste to mine, and rubbed it in real good for about a minute or two, then used a wet terry-cloth towel to wipe them clean and they looked brand new.

Granted, it's about a year later and I need to do it again, but... it sure beats having to replace them outright if it works, amirite?

 

@Taco critter , if your truck is truly only a mall crawler, I hope that you have everything locked down on your truck to prevent theft of all the extras that you have attached to your Tacoma. Even if said thief didn't need it, he could always pawn it for cash money.

 

Plan on rebuilding my drums, front passenger caliper and replacing my coil spring insulators/top hats. I’ve got an annoying squeak coming from my driver side front. I’ve replaced both control arm bushings, so a little investigation is in order.

Headed out to Montana next week for work. Going to be out there for about a month. It’s going to be a long drive from SC, but I’m really looking forward to it.

 

that should be an awesome drive, be safe and enjoy the scenery.

 

Thanks man! Gonna give it a go today

 

Thanks, bud. I’ve been everywhere except the upper Midwest. So I’m excited to see some of these places. The wife is coming out near the end of the job and driving back with me. Planning a nice road trip across ND to the upper peninsula and south through Appalachia’s. Should be great leaf viewing. So to anyone reading this, any recommendations on places to to see are more than welcome.

 

well if you haven't seen it, the Devils Tower would be cool, as would be Mount Rushmore. Grand Tetons in Northwest Wyoming, along with Jackson Hole are great places to visit. Yellow Stone is also right there nearby. I would suggest getting a Road Atlas of the Continental US and just look and see what might be in and around where your going to be, and the route your going to come home.

 

Thanks for the advice, that's the way I had been trying yesterday, I just think I needed a little more force. I coated the inner side of the cv with vasoline to keep the c clip centered in place, put the axle nut back on, gave it a few whacks with a hammer and I got it seated. Wasn't having any luck with the prybar on the cv bell indentations technique.

 

If you’re going that way, Custer State park in SD is awesome. The UP is awesome. Marquette is cool, Sault St. Marie is cool. There’s a little motel in a town called Strongs between Marquette and Sault St. Marie called the Clarke Motel. The place is very much worth the stop even if you don’t stay the night. There is some weird stuff going on there.

 

I usually get mine in that way (hammer the end). Sometimes the pry bar on the indentations works though.

One time I actually got the axle to slide all the way in easily by hand, I was in disbelief lol. Must have been perfectly lined up, splines and C clip and all. Hasn't ever happened twice though.

 

After the 3rd time replacing the drivers side axle:
1. use bearing grease on the c-clip to keep the opening pointed down and centered within the gap that houses the clip.
2. Rubber mallet for solid blows on the end of the axle.
3. Push to compress the axle so there isn't any play that would take away from the mallet so as to seat properly.
4. Be careful with the c-clip and do the work yourself, if you can. Found this INSIDE the front diff just sitting there in pieces after a local shop replaced a seal (their installation/repair quality has been declining).

 

Correct finger for the bad shop!

 

What’s the largest size tire you can run on our 1st Gen rims and what’s the stock backspacing?