Old Man Emu: Questions, Answers & Pictures

Seems we were both under the same correct assumption; new bushing is the fix. That other guy confused the hell out of me.

 

Yeah, had me worried for a minute. Still not looking forward to tearing out my CV axle but i'll do it at some point this spring. Not in a real rush, doesn't look like the slop does more than be annoying. Several folks drove it like that for a long time and it didn't seem to hurt anything else.

 

This may be a dumb question. Recently my T100 vacuum switching valve went out. Instead of spending the money to replace, I bypassed it and ran constant vac to the diff to keep it locked. I then added some Warn premium locking hubs to reduce driveline drag in front since I recently started DDing the ole T.
If this was an option for 2nd gens, wouldn't this be a simple cost effective way to address vibes from from front end, especially for those who rarely use 4x4 but still wanna lift?

 

I believe the ECGS bushing is a simple cost effective fix for the 2nd gens

 

Yeah, the bushing is a pretty cheap and fairly simple fix. Even if you need to buy a couple tools, it can be done for less than $200. The actual part is only about $80 I think.

 

I see. I've been quite pleased with my manual hubs so far. 200$ and a simple 30 min install, but likely not doable on 2nd gens anyway and wouldn't truely fix problem like ecgs.

 

I just installed my Nitrochargers, OME 885x's with the 3/4 inch toytech spacer, LR UCA's, Spidertrax 1.25" spacers, and DAKAR Leafs with some 265/70/17 Goodyear Wrangler Authoritys. I love the way the truck looks and how it rides. It is not stiff at all like some people say and think it rides as smooth as the factory ride. I didnt get any vibrations out of the set up either. I do get a slight rub with the tires when backing up and almost at full turn. Here are some pics and my alignment numbers pre and post alignment.

 

You can "cheat" the spindle forward a little by setting the upper balljoint on the UCA to 1 degree as opposed to the 2 degree (neutral) setting and then have it realigned. It'll get rid of the rub on the rear inner fender. Worked wonders for me.

 

Yeah I think that is what I am going to do. I bought the unlimited alignments from Firestone so I will go back to them now that I know that it is rubbing.

 

I'm surprised they only set your caster to about +2 when the LR uca's at the "D" (+2). When I had mine done, my pre-alignment caster was at 5+ with the D setting. Like he said above, set to the +1 only to move the tire away from the cab mounts.

 

Yeah these UCA's were bought used so they were already set for somebody's truck. My Caster was initially set at 3.1. before I had them adjust it. I told the guy doing the alignment I wanted between 2.3 and 2.5 of Caster. He got it as close as he could, to what I wanted, without adjusting the Upper Control Arm. I was at the shop for about 7 hours waiting for it to get done, so when he got it that close I told him that was fine and I would take back if I didnt like the way it drove.

 

Holy shit. What took so long? Were they slammed?

 

LCA bolts seized ?

 

Oh no I waited 5.5 hrs just for them to pull it in the garage....Then it took maybe 30 minutes to install the tires and maybe an hour to do the alignment while I stood by him while he did it.

 

I'm new to Tacoma World and fairly new to modifying trucks. I recently bought an 06 TRD off-road access cab 4X4 V6. It's my first Tacoma and my 2nd Toyota truck. My first was a 98 4Runner SR5 V6 w/ 3" Rough Country lift and Savage Bumpers... she was my first truck and quite possible my first love as well .
I've bounced back and forth between OME and Bilstein/Toytec lifts (or a combination of the two) about a thousand times and have spent hours upon hours reading into different threads on this forum. This truck will see a lot of different driving conditions from highways, city and moderate/advanced offroad but not gonna be rockcrawling. I'll be driving on ALL surface types we have here in Colorado and want it to handle everything. The most it will be hauling is a couple snowmobiles (approx 1800lbs including trailer) with some sandbags and ski gear in the bed.
I'd like to get some thoughts and experiences others have had with 2nd gen V6 Access cabs running OME lifts. So here's the options...

-COILS: 885 with spacers? or 886 without? (I want a full 3" and hope to add an ARB bumper in the next year)

-SHOCKS: Bilstein 5100's? or OME NitroCharged? (Reliability is important, I like a tight handling stiffer ride but still want performance offroad)

-REAR: Dakar leaf pack? Toytec 2'' AAL? 1.5" AAL? (Don't want the bed to sag prerunner style, prefer if it's level or even a bit high. Will see moderate payload from time to time including topper, sandbags, etc)

-ADDERS: Definitely getting the 5mm spacer to alleviate the "taco lean". Planning on aftermarket UCA's to help with alignment and tire clearance. Is the differential drop necessary or just recommended? Any experiences without it? Will i need new brake lines?

Anything else to consider?

Thanks in advance for any responses... I'm really excited to get this build started!


PS If there's any Tacoma gurus in the Denver/Boulder area that want to lend a hand PM me because I have connections with a microbrewery and can definitely make a trade

 

I have a double cab and I went with the 886x coils for 3" lift and bumper. I love it. I also plan to add a plate bumper, winch, and full skids. I already have sliders.

I have and really like the OME NitroCharged. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the OME shocks are bigger in diameter than the Bilstein 5100's and can handle a bit more.

I'm running the Dakar leaf pack. It gave me the full 3" of lift in the back and leveled the truck out within 0.25" (unnoticeable to the naked eye). My research found that the complete pack was the better option than an AAL. Keep in mind though, that I was choosing quality over cost at every decision point.

I didn't install the spacer and still have the Taco lean after the lift, a full 0.75". If you want to avoid that, I would recommend the spacer. I chose to add Total Chaos UCA's. Again, quality over cost. I was able to align my wheels with no problem. I still have some trimming to do though, so the UCA's don't alleviate that issue. I installed the differential drop. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. I also added stainless steel extended rear brake lines for the same reason.

Give yourself plenty of time to complete the lift properly. It took me 6.5 hours with two people to complete the install. Also, double check all of the torque specs for the bolts. I had a rear shock come unbolted and I lost the bolt. I'm not 100% on the cause (I discovered it after I slid off the road into a snow bank at 55mph) but I'm guessing it's because I forgot to torque it down.

 

Nice thorough answers you gave the man

I think some might argue that the DD might make you sorry not safe. Kyle, I say leave it off.

 

Agreed!

 

DD doesn't do much of anything, and if the armor is weak (or doesn't exist) it increases the potential for serious damage. I've got it installed, but if I didn't have serious armor it would get the delete. Might get deleted anyway if I can find the time, or maybe when I do the ECGS bushing.

 

I'm no expert. But I don't see how it can't help. I lifted mine a few days ago and after the DD the CV angles looked much better.