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

Merry Christmas y'all!

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Drove the truck home to VT from Cleveland for Christmas. Got a couple warning signs in the last 10 minutes, so went out and topped up the coolant this morning. It took about 1/2 gallon.
Fired it up, tons of steam out the exhaust. Bubbling in the coolant overflow reservoir.
Sounds like there's an exhaust leak in the manifold. Found another exhaust leak under the truck because of all the steam. Checked the oil. No water, but there's something weird in it, like rust. Tastes a bit like gasoline.

After I shut it down and let the engine cool off I checked the radiator again. Released quite a bit of pressure when I popped the cap. Coolant level was fine, but it smells a bit like gasoline.

I love the holidays.

Merry Christmas, guys.

 

Pushing the ball joint forward basically does that. Pushes the tire away from the firewall. It's a big difference for clearance and drive feel.

No one is going to make a custom spindle for this dying platform. Unless you custom order something.

 

And then add an adjustable upper and you can accomplish moving the centerline forward. Not just adding castor.

 

That idle is in park. From what I’ve read on the forum, ~10% is the correct reading so 11 is fine. There is room to twist the sensor just a hair when not tightened down, so yours could be twisted just a notch. Perfectly normal. I didn’t check the idle in drive but I’d say it’s similar. Again according to other members, the FSM says 700 +/- 50 rpm is spec

 

LMFAO... My luck, Solo will make a custom spindle that does magic shit 6 months after I buy their fully fabricated spindles... just like they did with their new LT LCAs. Watch... it'll happen

 

I have adjustable uppers on my solo xlt kit and only get 4.5* with the front centered and the rear all the way out on my lowers. The uppers only get maybe a degree or less before backing out the front heim 7/8” and the rear all the way in.

The solo stock length lowers on my wife’s 4runner along with the solo stock uppers are getting 6* with the same position of the lower cams albeit at a lower ride height.

You’re right, putting an adjustable upper would bring the whole assembly forward when coupled with solo’s or btf’s lowers. However I’d go for the lowers way before I’d go for heimed uppers - I’m not sure how much caster SPC’s / JBA’s add so maybe their lower price would be reasonable for the adjustment you get compared to $1k+ for TC adjustable uppers.

Anyway YMMV

 

The issue with jba is they add castor by bringing the upper bj closer to the firewall reducing clearance and you have to set camber with the LCA.

SPCs work but I'm replacing ball joints every year.

 

How long do oem's last?

 

I'm still on original SPC UBJ since you can't buy the old style anymore, I just assume they are lifetime joints.

 

Chrome delete. New grill and corner lights. Also installed a new Denso downstream o2 sensor which I’m praying will fix my p0420. Probably won’t.
Anyways, let’s see those parts y’all got for Christmas.

 

Not sure how long oem ubjs last but oem lowers last less than a year before developing enough play to fail the fsm spec. Moog last a lot longer in my experience.

Godspeed.

Give them a check next time you are rolling your floor jack around.

 

You can buy new ball joints and bushings ya dingus. Just can't get the tubular arm assembly anymore

 

Considering I'm an inch lower than stock, I'm sure they are really unhappy too. Probably just need to borrow a driveway and knock them out this spring. Along with the LBJs.

Ah I was under the impression that the old style joints were no longer available. Shows what I know.

 

Drive her to work today

 

Been watching Dirthead Garage lately and I didn’t know it was that bad up in that area (he’s been going through Idaho a lot lately). So basically anything only lasts a year in Idaho? Aren’t the SPC joints Moog or maybe it was JBA and SPC uses SPC?

 

He lives a little north of Spokane, I drive right by his work every morning on my way to work and see his little Mustang II or Suzuki most days. There's some terrain up here for sure and one of the trails he runs a lot locally is right across the border in Idaho and pretty hard on suspension.

 

Pretty sure spc uses their own ball joint.

I think dirt roads are requirement for wearing out suspension components. State doesn't much matter. Washboards, potholes, base ball sized rocks with tires at street pressure is hard on everything. Weight of the truck probably doesn't help either.