What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

Today was the first step in getting bigger tires installed on my truck....obligatory cab mount chop!

Went to Mikogenfab in Milpitas...it's conveniently located next to the tire shop I've been going to for close to 30 years (Auto Innovations).

He did an amazing job and was very thorough masking and making sure everything was done perfectly. He's pretty aggressive with his chops so I have no doubts lager tires will clear once I get to that.





Chop Chop Chop


Proper masking...I appreciate that




circumcised cab mount


Last coat...

 

Picked up a rubber stall mat from tractor supply and trimmed it to fit over the spare tire. Hopefully this will prevent sidewall creases from the spare tire cradle.

 

It’s an oddball number to make you pay attention. You have to do more than glance at the speedo to see that you’re doing something that doesn’t end in zero or 5. I’ve seen that in many neighborhoods.

This is all my guessing and, based upon my inability to read/ comprehend, take that as you will.

 

Damn....that is CLEAN.

 

Thanks...yes I'm very happy with how it came out.

 

They do this at some military bases too and makes you look twice. Very hard not to notice.

 

Just cooryis ...

At 15k. Reasonable for oil change. But since I have the engine skid off and I do offroad a bit (not every weekend, no rock crawling) does it make sense to get the front/rear differential and maybe the transfer case?

 

I did all driveline fluids, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, belt, hoses, coolant around 18k, but 6+ years old. If I recall front diff was pretty dark, but transfer case and rear diff could have gone a while longer. Noticeable improvement with trans drain and fill and power steering fluid change.

 

I am less than 6 years in ... might wait 5k for diff/xfer. But propeller lubrication seems reasonable. Are the zerks covered by the transmission skid? Would rather just pull all skids now and reassemble all at once later ... transmission plate is painful to align.

 

I don't recall. Last time my grease gun fitting wouldn't fit between the zerk and the end of the driveshaft so I gave up and figured I'd come back to it at the next oil change. That reminds me I need to pick up a tube of grease.

 

Rear brakes

 

Dang

 

There’s only 2 zerks and they’re both on the front driveshaft for 2018+ rear DS is sealed.

 

May remove the transmission skid to look for those as I suspect the skid is hiding one or both. Too tired now.

My 1/2 breaker bar (12 in? 18 in?) was necessary for the filter canister removal and removal of the canister-drain plate. Spent too much time putzing changing sockets or just being slightly fearful of not breaking an oil containment part. But the Fumoto valve is in so engine skid can go back on (no splash on it), new filter and seals are in, 6 quarts of oil are in. Have a 7th quart to top off last 0.2 quarts but oil shows 3/4 between the two bumps on the dipstick so will let the oil circulate instead of overfill.

13 inches of room (9.5 plus my 4 in mini-stands) still is not much fun.

 

Thanks! Great advise!

 

I saw that as well and thought the same thing!

 

Looks like a nice clean job
Like they say measure twice and cut once

 

I'm newer to Tacomas so which model years/trim levels came with reds guts? I'm thinking that would look pretty good in my truck.

 

SR5 models and maybe SR? I know it started in the 2016. I think it also only came in certain colors. some had a tan / orange

 

Yeah I’m pretty sure just sr5