What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Love my 255's.

 

Swapped front differential bushing. Replaced fluid. swapped oem disc rotors and pads for power stop brand.. so far feels good. tomorrow will replace rear diff fluid. Its been fun in this damn heat

 

Finally washed

stay safe everyone!

 

Cleaned up the MAF and Throttle Body tonight. Was surprisingly cleaner than I had expected prior to cleaning.

 

new lightbar and winch

 

My Saturday...

Took the truck in for inspection last week and it failed. Needed license plate lights and an upper ball joint on the driver's side upper control arm.

Having watched and read multiple tutorials on both replacing the UCA's and/or the UBJ's, I set out to do one... but should have done the other...

Bought some MevoTech brand because they looked good and came with zerk fittings, and I love me some zerk fittings!

Surprisingly, things went quite smoothly... until I needed to press the new bj (heh!) in. I had managed to make the press fit to get the original out but, having to flip it over, there wasn't enough room to get the press into the wheel well and still use all the cups and spacers I needed, so... I ended up doing what I was hoping to avoid doing: removing the control arm itself. I was pleased that I didn't have to bend the wheel well back very much at all and had I known how smoothly that part would go, I'd have saved a s#!t-ton of time and just replaced the whole UCA with ball joint included.

Once the joint was pressed in, I re-installed the control arm and went to put the cool looking, blue rubber booty up over the actual ball joint. No dice. I wondered what the hell was going on as every time I got one side on the other would slide off. Tried using a plastic cup of the same diameter, thinking the rubber was just really thick and not very stretchy and that this would give me the necessary leverage. Still a no-go. Before I reached "RAGE" levels of frustration, I check YT to see if I was missing something. I was! Found a review and the guy noted that this brand has a metal ring imbedded in the rubber. He then demonstrates, with a 20 ton press, how impossible it is to get them onto to lip where they need to sit. Well, 4 hours into the process, there was no way I was going to undo all that I had already done. Went back to the garage and sat, looking at the wheel well area of the truck and that's when inspiration struck!

I noticed that a few other "booted" areas used zip ties to hold them in place and I thought I could make that work. I took the boot and snipped just enough to break the metal ring. BAM! Right over the lip it went! Next, I grabbed a small zip tie and pulled it snug as a bug with needle nose pliers. Pulled and pushed a bit and it seemed solid! Got everything else back on in short order and should pass inspection!

Lesson learned? That I'm very often a "work harder, not smarter" type of mechanic! But next time, I'll know to just replace the whole UCA. That part was actually fun compared to the rest!

 

I got the same one!!!

 

I’ve been looking at getting that. How bulky is it compared to the stock. It looks like it would be bigger than the stock
One.

 

Here's a little tip:
when you cut your mat and you want to make a mirror copy for the other side make sure you flip it the correct way
Good thing I caught it early and I have more mat (I could probably use the cut piece for the lower part of the door).

 

FAIL #2, I installed the mat, no issues there. I then put on new butyl, then installed the moisture barrier. I forgot the big metal plate that covers the service hole. Had to rip off the butyl and plastic.

 

Any pics if this? I am doing my truck soon, just so I know exactly what you are talking about.

 

Here’s my AJT fob next to my stock fob for reference. The AJT feels significantly better in your hands

 

Thanks! doesn't look too different. Pics are so deceiving.

 

It isn’t too different. It’s skinnier and a little wider/taller

 

Fluid filmed my frame

 

Uni filtered the SAIS. Startin' to feel like one of the cool kids!

 

Appreciate your exactness!