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

While we're talking crawlboxes-

Aside from cost, is there a reason not to put a Marlin or a TG in front of the stock chain tcase?

 

Replaced my lower ball joints on the 2004 I bought last year. Not knowing the full service history of this vehicle I wanted to do this as soon as possible. Of course that means 12 months later.

The boots must have been leaking grease for a long time. Tons of fresh grease and gunk on the lower control arms. Ugh.

First side took me 1.25 hours because I had to make two separate trips to the same parts store . Second side took me 15 mins.

Questions:

1. Has anyone ever seen this rubber cover (thingamagiggy) over the ball joint boots? It's not on my 1998 and in all my years on TW I've never seen it. Clearly it does nothing.



2. I don't have a bench vise but I figured I'd check out the old LBJ versus the new. The old one had a megashitton of movement to it within the ball joint. Laterally, up and down and it spun so easily... without any force whatsoever. For shits and giggles... were the old LBJs shot?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQtZJ13DErw

3. After I lowered the truck I noticed that the camber looked off and maybe even toe. I drove it around and it seemed to have gotten better but it still looks off. I always thought that an alignment is unnecessary after changing the LBJs... they only go back on one way. Do I need to get an alignment or am I imagining things because I'm super dehydrated?

@Blackdawg @Squeaky Penguin (interested in your thoughts on #3, thanks fellas).

 

The dust boot came on later model 1st gens...2000 or 2001+ I'm not sure. But the early models didn't have them covering the LBJ boots. They can break off easily.

 

I have them on my 04 but didn’t on my 02.

 

I'm fairly certain they were on the 02s but maybe not all. But they do break off easily especially if they're old, one of my original ones broke off last time I changed out my LBJs. They can still be bought new, I prefer to have them on so rocks/road debris doesn't puncture the LBJ boot resulting in needed to change it

 

I also appreciate that it contained all the LBJ grease within the dust boot and not sling it all over the rest of the truck

 

Either the last alignment was done with the shitty ball joints or you are seeing things. When you first set the truck back in the ground it will be off since the tires are not resting in there natural position.

Grab a tape measure and measure the same tread block in front of the wheels and behind them. A simple level guage and flat plate that reaches opposite sides of your rim should give you an idea on camber. Smartphone app may even be good enough.

 

Appreciate the insight.

The previous owner either had the alignment done with the crapped out LBJs or not at all when he bought new wheels/tires for it last year. My guess is he didn’t have the wherewithal to get an alignment with new wheels/tires.

With the tread blocks (front and back) what exactly am I measuring and from what?

Thanks.

 

The distance from one tire to the other. Just use the same tread block edge to keep things accurate. Try to keep your tape perpendicular too.

 

I stripped out the factory chain drive input shaft and from that point on I didnt trust it, hence why I built the lefty. The gear drive cases have a much longer input shaft that reduces the ammount the coupler and input shaft wobbles and starts fretting corrosion. The chain drive case itself is strong as hell, I just never could trust that input shaft again. I know a lot of people run them in front of the chain drive case with no issues. I think the claims that running the 4.7s in front of the chain drive case can break the chain drive case internals is mostly unfounded at this point.

 

Atlas over duals all day. Especially a lefty dual setup since that’ll run you to essentially atlas cost. Get a 2speed with 4.3:1 or 5:1 (what I want).


If you do go duals I have no regrets on my tg cases. Bought them from low range and have had zero issues with them and ordered on Monday and had by Thursday. All my issues have been the adapter between transmission and tcase from inchworm but they discontinued it cause of the issues.

or do an automatic swap and axle gears. 4.7 is perfect with any auto. More than low enough to do serious crawling while still having halfway speed.


Twin sticks is nice too. 2wd low is cool and I use it a lot. Takes unneeded stress off the front components when not needed and can be used to slide the rear over on climbs to line up straight.

either an atlas or duals will be a lot of work. Requires clearencing of the tunnel, a crossmember, new support, shortened rear shaft and long front shaft, center console/floor work, etc. definitely not a bolt in deal.

 

Got it. Thanks.

 

Nope that’s what I run and is definitely the only way left hand drop dual Toyota cases make sense. I actually don’t think you can get a lefty anymore. If one is solid axle swapping and wants a right hand drop, just drop a 4.7 rear case in behind a 2.28 stock 23 spline case

 

Doesnt TG still has their shitty chinese attempt at a lefty called the verso?

 

And people will always say marlin is superior to tg but plenty of people running tg stuff with little to no issues. (Myself included) Supply and demand is a big thing and tg filled that role. If you have a year to wait for parts. Go marlin and hope you get actual marlin parts (last batch shipped sith inchworm adapters). If you want it now, go tg.

Atlas will take 2-6 weeks depending on their lead time and is superior in every way. Stronger. Sealed unit so no leaks. Front digs. Can use cable shifters and mount them anywhere. Run yoke style driveshaft ends if wanted. Etc.

 

I think that was pretty short lived and I haven’t seen them for sale in a while. I think they didn’t make enough sense money wise.

@Squeaky Penguin this was my chain drive transfer case input after 6 years and 30k+ miles behind a crawl box with TG adapter plates. No problems with fretting at all with anti-seize on the splines at assembly.

 

Just a quick search I did on tgs site but a crawl box with 4.7 ready to bolt in besides driveshafts and crossmember is a little over 2k. Fits 2.7/3.4

https://trail-gear.com/drivetrain/trail-creeper-tacoma-crawl-box.html

 

I would think that tire size also has a role on how easily you can fret/strip the T-case input shaft too. 33's/34's would put a lot less of a load on the connections versus say 37's.

 

It happend on 33s. It has nothing to do with stress, fretting is two surfaces rubbing against each other like splines.