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

I agree! the redline kit was so easy to install too.

 

Any chance you have the model/part number for those hood struts? The only ones I can ever find are for 2nd gen.

 

https://www.redlinetuning.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=Toyota+Tacoma+2004

 

Sure. I have the basic model.
https://www.redlinetuning.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=Toyota+Tacoma+2002

 

Is that you under the truck?

 

Both those links to Redline come back as...

Category Not Found
Sorry, the category you are looking for is not available.

 

Went to alignment shop and they tried quoting me 700 for lower control arm bushings and an alignment, looks like a have a project for this weekend

 

The bushings are a bit of a pain in the ass but they are definately do-able. Use the ball joint press you can rent at O'Reillys... and also get the 4x4 ball joint adapter kit. Just press the entire bushing towards the outside on each side of the LCA. Once I got them under a lot of tension I smacked the lip that hangs over the LCA eye using a big f'n hammer and a punch. They popped right out.

If you have a porta power that will fit between the arms of the LCA, that would be even better.

 

@tymeson If you can get Whiteline bushings part #

$101 W53377A - Control Arm - Lower Inner Bushing - Front

W53377A... those are hands down, the best way to go.

 

They work for me, try the one below

https://www.redlinetuning.com

 

Naw one my my friends. I didn't want to take the skid plate off myself.

 

I bought the Plus kit: https://www.redlinetuning.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=21-27009-02

Here's the basic kit: http://www.redlinetuning.com/product-p/21-27009-01.htm

Here's the Elite Kit: http://www.redlinetuning.com/product-p/21-27009-03.htm

 

AWESOME! Those links work. Adding them to the list of things my wife will be disappointed that I bought without telling her.

 

Was that on your Prerunner as well?

 

Yes... they aren't listed as fitting our trucks, but they DO fit.

 

Today,

I had my Dorman LCA's waranteed out by a local shop after the bushings developed a crack within a year of installation (~20K miles). Since they were doing the labor to swap the LCA's I took the opportunity to have them replace the Dorman LBJ's with OEM parts and paid the difference to upgrade back to OEM LCA's ($100 upcharge, ea.) but they charged me zero labor for the entire operation. After reading the back & forth on here about the OEM vs. Non-OEM LBJ's, I didn't want to risk it. (Sorry El Taco Diablo).

My new MAF sensor came in the mail so I swapped it out. No 5-minute job for me, oh no. The cruise control was in the way so I had to remove that to get to the MAF, and one of the 4mm philips screws stripped (of course), so I replaced them with hex socket head screws. Since hex wrenches come with a 90 deg. bend on them I won't have to remove the cruise control when I clean the MAF.

 

@tymeson

Lol... no worries dude. You can keep your loose, rubber, OEM bushings. I know, without a doubt, my polyurethane Whitelines are better

 

This one hits home haha too real.

 

I figure if the bushings go bad again I can always put polyurethane in the next go-around, I just didn't feel confident running Dorman after seeing the pictures of all the lost wheels we've had on here recently.

 

@tymeson... you are also going to find that there is not much room between the rear LCA alignment bolts and the steering rack. I had to un-bolt the rack from the crossmember to give me clearance to get the rear alignment bolts out... that would be a good time to do an Energy Suspension rack bushing kit (around $25).

...aaaand... to get the rack to move back, out of the way far enough, I had to drop the sway bar at the brackets... Energy Suspension bushing set around $15.