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

Not today but yesterday... Installed Redline hood struts. Install took about 35 mins. Just by removing the prop rod, the engine bay looks so much cleaner. Also, changed the oil and installed a fumoto valve.

 

Put some more life into the suspension. . .Installed Bilsteins' and Wheeler's 4-leaf pack.
Before:




After:




Wow! Gained 2 3/4" at the aft end, and the truck feels so much better. No more smacking the bump stops on the rear axle; I can actually go over bumps without slowing way down

 

^^ that was a nice gain. Truck looks good

 

Wow! You GOTTA post pics up of all that!

 

Added these

 

There will be updates in my build as progress is made .

 

Jealous of this one it looks great

 

Finished spindle lift with new ball joints tie rods and shocks and bout wheels and tires. Finally the beefy bumper makes more sense





http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-builds/222985-plate-steel-offroad-bumper-build.html

 

Took it out shooting for our black friday fun and hit a rock on the way home, cut the sidewall.

Fuckin duratracs, they have been pretty good so far and were great in the snow, but a fucking rock on the road? Damn expensive offroad/shooting trip.

 

Why I won't run good years. Even the Kevlar ones tear.

 

I read up on all the "pictorials" for the suspension on TW, and the links provided in the "stickies" on this forum. Thanks!

On my front Bilsteins, one of the bolts for the left lower ball joint would not budge, so I had to break out the Sawzall and cut it. Getting the lower A arm loose is the key, so the lower ball joint has to be unbolted to let the A arm completely droop. With my floor jack under the A arm, I let it down slowly, and the spring completely relaxed.

Halfway through the left side, I decided it was time to put a new plug on the big compressor I had been given back when an older mechanic friend passed on: it came with both a 1/2" and 3/4" rattle guns! I picked up a set of impact sockets and life became much easier! Laying under the truck, there is not much room for breaker bars, but there is room for the rattle gun! One of the how-to's praised the ratcheting wrenches, and I can confirm they are worth the money.

I added a smaller set of jack stands to use in supporting the axle, and sprayed all the bolts with penetrating oil twice over the course of 4-5 days before starting the leaf spring R&R. The front bolts were really tight, but I just kept hitting the trigger on the rattle gun

Disconnecting the rear flexible brake hose so the axle can get low down made removal and replacement of the leafs way easier. I had ordered the longer rear line from Wheeler's anyway, and swapped it in while replacing the leafs. Also easier to install the shocks when the axle is low down: the mounts are really close to the length of the extended shocks.

Very close to 1K in cost, with the new brake lines. Definitely worth it!

 

Yeah, it sucks, I didn't know of the weak sidewalls until after I bought them, so I'm kinda stuck till they need replacing.

What do you run?

 

!!

 

Installed '02 Subaru WRX seats today! But for once, I don't have pictures.

 

guys if my mt/r's tear on lava I will send you all bags of coffee with pictures of my crying face on it

 

BFGs man. Best tire brand ever.

sick!

but...

I expect this..haha

 

then I'll get another set of km2's and call it a day.

Still havent had the chance to test the mt/rs out yet though. Only a few more weeks left in the semester!!