WHAT TO DO NOW

I am now the 2nd owner of a 03 prerunner and I need some advice on what to do on it. Functionally and cosmetically so Advice for specific parts or brands or just any information is appreciated. Specifically as of right now at least I want to do what I can to smoothen the ride on it so I don’t feel every nickel in the road and increase the drive height (under 6”) but seriously all links any recommendations are appreciated

suspension/undercarriage/kit recs
Tire recs
Rim recs
Headlight recs
Accessories, interior exterior, small or large just everything and anything you got!

 

Replacing lower ball joints should be #1 thing you do on it! Get them from Toyota, not 3rd party.
TEQ Customs and a few other companies make LED headlights, but if you want to stay halogen I've had good luck with TYC and can be found on RockAuto - just don't put LED bulbs in those halogen housings as you'll blind people. Interior I'd say a ScanGuage II is SUPER helpful if you want to track fuel mileage, transmission and engine temps, as well as any check engine codes that might pop up (main reason I got mine). They sell ScanGuage mounts that replace the ashtray which is what I did.

 

Wonton and 4dz

 

Check the steering rack bushings, sway bar end links- if they are originals I would replace them.

when was the last time the timing belt changed? Don’t buy the cheap Amazon crap

I picked up a set of Trd oem wheels from an online Toyota dealer and they have been great.

 

4x4 swap!

 

Check the frame well and drive it at least a few K miles before dumping money into it other then mechanical stuff that needs actual fixing.

Not what you want to hear but it's what you SHOULD hear.

 

so the guy I got it off of had it for 22 years in Florida only, has 148k so he drove ~6k miles a year and has shop records from 2003 to last month (even has the original window sticker from the dealership). Well maintained rust isn’t a problem at all. Got it pre inspected prior everything’s solid besides it being 20 years old. Right now I know I need to get dust boots replaced, transmission and brakes serviced, I have rotors and pads to be put in, replace ball joints, new tires, and honestly new rims because I’m a diva and can’t control my spending. Other shit too but these are the things I need to spend money on right now

 

Okay does this mean no to rockauto ball joints? I’ve driven fords my whole life, I’m new here

 

Welcome!!! Btw!!!

 

Yeah don't get them from RockAuto since they're all going to be 3rd party. There was a recall on the truck due to a design flaw with the ball joint so I would only get them from the dealer. Toyota will probably do a 4th of July discount sale on their parts site so I'd get them then.

 

What tire pressure are you running? If you are running them higher than necessary, it will definitely make it ride rougher.

 

there’s a lot I want to do to it but right now I just want to cover my bases mechanically, from what you can see here how much of a rush should I be in? Do these look solid at least for the time being? For sure even just by principle want to replace the lower ball joints but the truck ran me 8.5k so my budget on any bigger purchases is necessity only. Looking to do any work myself but never worked on undercarriage before so all of this is new territory for me

 

Forget the pictures.

Get yourself a 3-foot crowbar or an 18-inch flatblade screwdriver and a jack of some kind. Jack up one wheel and use the crowbar or the flatblade to check for looseness. If there is any visible slack when you check, and I mean ANY visible slack, even the slightest teeny tiny itty bit, replace both LBJs using genuine Toyota parts.

You can search this forum for instructions on just where to place the tool to check for LBJ wear. And you can, and should, search "Tacoma LBJ looseness check" for videos.

 

Suspension work will kick your ass, especially if you havent done it before. Might want to save some money and pay to have it done by a reputable shop.

 

If no known history: change all fluids.

Change lower ball joints: OEM

Change headlights: OEM

if tires need replacing, do those first for safety.

 

toyota lower ball joints only

 

OEM headlights?

 

yes.
Read crashnburn’s ultimate headlight upgrade thread. It has an incredible amount of knowledge in it.

OEM is the way to go for housings.

 

I'll have to check it out...recently upgraded to a pair of TEQ customs led setup, and I'm VERY happy with them.