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

So that was the cheapest one on RockAuto which I'm going to guess was probably FCS or GSP... But what's the cheapest one on Amazon? Hell I'm going to try to find one on eBay now, they got that special level of cheap shit known as Detroit Axle

 

Can you beat the local junkyard?

 

That's what my place charges for em pulled already too. They don't sell the pieces individually if you grbem pre pulled... Never tried bringing a partial to the counter at the u-pull lot tho... Only ever seen 1 1stgen/3rd gen runner there and I pulled everything of value anyway

 

Ouch, that's real slim pickings. Upside of being in front range CO is that the yard averages at least one new 1st gen Tacoma/3rd gen 4runner per month. Downside is that they're all picked over within a few days of showing up. Rear diffs and engines are usually gone before the truck is even listed on the website.

CVs are attainable, especially if you want ADD and don't care if it's OEM. I've found a few OE sets, too--I don't think the professional pickers care to grab them.

 

Tacomas and Runners never make it to the u-pull lot here, they're bought private from insurance auctions to be fixed or private part out. I have a part out guy locally for that reason. Can get tundra and Sequoia stuff all day long though here, no one gives a shit about those things.

 

Took it out on the beach yesterday. My youngest son and his girlfriend followed us in his ‘02. It hasn’t rained in so long that the sand was super soft. Nothing the Tacos couldn’t overtake though!

 

Funny thing, the pro pickers rarely touch the Tundra and Sequoia diffs. Best guess is they don't want the 3.x ratios.

 

Same here. Either airport auto in Reno or the yards in Sacramento have get them. I can't find one on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace for less than 3k now.

 

what a sequoia axle then?

 

The OEM tundra CVs I bought cost me $60 for the pair of them. The whole Sequoia rear axle I bought cost $150 with a 4.10 differential in it still

 

I had a spare set that I had sold a while back that I now wish I kept. Whomp whomp.

I looked around and about the cheapest I could find was around 70 bucks for a single axle. GSP. Probably could have bought a broken one off of forum member and had it shipped for less, but I wanted to have it in time for a trip coming up.

I would have gone to a Pick-n-Pull if any of them had a vehicle I could pull from. The only ones that had them were far away enough that my time and gas wouldn't be worth it compared to buying a cheapo online.

 

good to know...good to know..

 

If you have an account there are more than 100 1st gen Tacoma trucks at auction now for the scrap yard buyers.
https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=2004 Tacoma

 

Started removing spring hangers and testing fitting the replacement caps.

 

I've been suprised at the luck I've had with the yards in Idaho. 75% of the time I seem to find what I'm looking for.

 

Removed the chrome grill and installed a black TRD knockoff. Not bad for $199. Came with letters and three little lights for the top. Now my son thinks he's in a Raptor.

 

Installed Icon UCAs, Stock LCAs with Eimkieth reinforcements, King shocks, inner and outer tie rods, lower ball joints, and new steering rack bushings, then took it Les Shwab and had it aligned

After that I gave Gertie a nose job, headlights are in progress..



Silvers are close enough to pass until paint time, need to get those rear fender grommets pulled. On an unrelated note I'll be listing a complete 01 front end in first gen parts if anyone is interested

 

You backdating your Taco? That's gonna look great.

Also, how is the new ride quality?

 

It's a 4runner front endnhe put on, same gen though

 

The ride is much improved!

I want to give all the credit to the kings but honestly so many things got refreshed it's hard to say.

But the used King shocks, with 600# springs are a night and day difference compared to what I pulled, which was new OME struts with 500# springs

much less chatter over bumps

I swapped them out in anticipation of adding a winch, and because I got a great deal on them