Low hanging fruit for 1st gen mods?

I have a 2002 3.4L Ext Cab Tacoma, and looking for some of the most common and easy-to-do mods (now that I'm graduating in the spring and will have some time and money). What are some of the things y'all have done to your truck that are the most bang for your buck?\

 

Lower ball joints

 

Brakes and valve cover gaskets.

 

Remote locks
LED projectors
Android head unit

 

Outside of maintenance...

Smartphone mount + Bluetooth for the stereo. You can get a solid one from Crutchfield for under $200 if you don't care about a touchscreen, and a number of single-DIN aftermarket stereos look surprisingly OEMish if you set the lighting to amber. Or there are kits that will plug into the CD-changer port on the back of the factory stereo.

Any time you take off trim, put soundproofing under it. turbodb has a good guide on his Adventuretaco site - biggest thing I notice between driving the Taco and my Mazda3 is noise (And Mazda likes to skimp on sound insulation, because weight). Even if you off-road this a LOT, you're probably going to put highway miles on it to get to the trailhead, and while you're in there, soundproofing is pretty inexpensive.

And finally, lots of people do a diff breather relocation for the rear diff. I think the most common place is by the fuel door... lots of guides if you look it up. Not a huge deal, but worth doing in a shop day while you're working on the truck anyhow.

 

Depending where you live, waxoyl the frame inside and out. Waxoyl everything...
Replace all the rubber bits under the hood.
Lower ball joints as said.

These are more maintenance than mods. Mods depend on your intentions with the truck which are different for each person. Pretty truck -- Jade is best!

 

honda odyssey windshield washers, led map and dome bulbs, hidden kill switch

 

Door scuff plate MOD
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/easy-door-sill-scuff-plate-mod.511039/

 

Lower ball joints. Not doing them will be a very expensive mod.

 

yes, this 1st!!

 

Great suggestions. For basic extras I like adding gas struts to the hood. It's really nice to have the prop rod out of the way. A small mod that is just nice to have.

 

Upgrade the old cracked rubber vacuum hoses to silicone in the engine compartment.

 

Please expand upon this.

 

The ball joint design of the first gen is the worst part about them (other than the clock location.) The entire weight of the vehicle pushes down on the lower control arms and the wheels are holding it up, so basically the ball joints are in a constant case of trying to pull themselves apart - and often do, with catastrophic consequences. Recommended OEM replacement - and only OEM - is at most 50-70K miles. The real problem is you don't know when they will go, could be at 100K, could be 400K - but in the end they will and take a lot of other stuff with them.

Maintenance and upkeep just to keep it stock will take up any budget you want to throw at it (which brings higher resale value anyway.) Your truck, and mine, are over 20 years old and every bit of rubber, particularly around suspension parts, is likely beginning to deteriorate. A front end refresh is probably first up, and will likely include a new rack.

What we haven't seen is the condition of the frame. If it doesn't pass the hammer test any mods you're putting in are a waste of time and money. Get a ball peen hammer and tap all along the frame, front to back, especially around where the rear suspension bolts in. You should hear a clear metal ringing sound, any dull clunks are signs the frame is rusting from the inside out and there's your first huge "mod."

Full front end refresh (drives like new)

Repaint the wheels (a half decent job that is still holding up)

 

LBJ's are still being replaced at the dealer for recall. Wouldn't hurt to call your local dealer and ask.

 

I'm sorry to hijack this thread, but it has enlightening me about the lower ball joints. Mine have never been changed and at 196k miles I'd better look into it.
Tomorrow, I plan to go by our local dealer to buy two rubber bumpers for the gas cap door. I'll inquire if my truck qualifies for the recall and/or price for a new pair of ball joints. What's the part numbers for these?
Here's an older thread discussing the recall. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lower-ball-joint-recall.97304/

1/28 Edit: Today the dealer told me their records show my lower ball joints were replaced, under recall, in 2006. I didn't remember, but it was a long time ago.
I'll check them and replace again if needed.

 

If you can lift the front end of the truck off the ground, it's pretty easy to check if your LBJs are still good. Use a pry bar to check for movement. Full credit to turbodb here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu2...s://adventuretaco.com/&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE

They're not the most expensive part in the world, but if they're solid (no movement), why rush to spend money?

 

Honestly I wouldn't even drive it until they are replaced. 196k is extreme risk.

They don't take very long to change, just make sure you use the correct torque spec for the bolts you use. There are different types of bolts available.

 

Cheap fun mods (kind of think that’s what the op was asking, but obviously do your maintenance, lbj, upj, timing belt, hoses, it’s a 20+ year old truck now)

4Runner sunglass holder https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/anyone-have-a-4runner-sunglass-compartment.564973/

Also love the Gentex mirror mod
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ap-homelink-temp-compass-auto-dimming.553041/

After that it gets pricey and involved
-233mm Tundra front brakes
-retrofit projector headlights DO NOT JUST PUT IN LED OR HID HEADLIGHT BULBS, very uncool to everyone else on the road
-expensive but awesome, add a supercharger
https://urdusa.com/urd-magnuson-super-combo-5vz-3-4l-supercharger-system/

 

Grey wire mod. If you like driving shenanigans.