How did you start working on your trucks?

My graduating class was 50 and we had 2 shops and multiple classes but I guess that's more than you. Sorry man. I guess, read read read, buy some books, read on the internet, then get out there and do hands on stuff. Make it known you're a car guy and want to help/learn. People are always doing SOMETHING.

 

My Dad. Always been interested in cars and trucks. Most I've learned has been from him. Still learning

 

Study, research, trial and error, google. Do whatever classes you can afford. I got my welding certificate from a cracker jack box (Youtube).

 

My Dad got me into it at an early age, but for a while - like college and all, I stopped doing it myself. After I got my Tacoma, I started back because I really like working on things and I also like my truck. They are super easy to work on and all. Also, as my son grows, I want to do the same with him.

Now to answer your question, since you don't have a lot of experience, I would get a good manual, use TW as a reference - have you seen the awesome write-ups? - and get yourself a good set of tools. You have a wealth of information in this forum at your fingertips, and with the exception of a few smartasses, everyone is more than willing to help. Heck, I have asked quite a few dumb questions and have always been helped!

I wouldn't be afraid to work on it - start small like changing oil, etc., and then move on to bigger and more involved work when needed...

 

First thing I worked on was a suzuki samurai, then some rx-7's and then graduated to our tractors when they broke down..... plus it helps when all the vehicles you have bought were sitting in a field and don't run... it took me a while to really mod my truck just because I never had something so new haha

 

Research and more research. I make sure I am over prepared to take on a task and then read a few more threads on whatever I am trying to do. Unless you are doing a custom fabrication on something - all work will require putting a bolt in the same spot it came out of.

Just keep track of what goes where (when I take a piece off, I put the bolts in the exact hole it came out of with the part), and write down the order you took things off of. I had no real mechanical experiences but I have a garage and have slowly aquired the proper tools, it is all a linear process of steps.

 

be movtivated - work at a dealership get an entry level job and work your butt off learn as much as you can. it pays well and i have learned more in a dealership about people and cars than i could have learned in a 4 year engineering program.

 

I started out as dirt-poor in the middle of nowhere in central Wisconsin in the 1970s.

I could have anything I wanted, so long as it didn't cost anything!

So, I grew up with 'field cars'....anything mechanical that I could make run to haul my ass around the northwoods built out of junk yard parts and whatever else was laying around.

As life went on, I just kept doing mostly my own maintenance on my vehicles, since I am already pretty handy with the wrenches.

Now, I know the value of my time. I can swap my own brake pads in an afternoon, or I can take the truck and a 12-pack to a buddy's shop and have it done in 30 minutes while we suck down Sam Adams and talk shit.

But, it is nice to be able to do it yourself, and more importantly, know when others are trying to snow-job you on something.

 

You could try this.
Attend a local TW mod day even if you don't have anything to mod.
Watch, help & learn.
I did the watch, help & learn about lifting & then did my own.

 

The graduating class this year has 5 My class has 12.
Thank y'all for the answers. Tacomaworld is awesome

EDIT: Actually only 4 are graduating haha 1 won't quite make it.

 

Jesus

mine was around 300. Never took shop because the teachers brainwashed me into thinking I needed to take 4 years of foreign language to get into college

 

I am glad I didn't take shop, for one, teacher was a big control freak dick, and two I take pride in learning through trial and error. Read dozens of repair manuals and did it myself. Took a long time to where I could do anything without the manual, but now most things I can jump right in and tear into. But, different strokes for different folks, do what is best for you! But, I'd highly advise buying a old Jeep if you wanna learn to work on things heh heh. They aren't junk, but they need a lot of love now and then.

 

My technical knowledge had encompassed playing with plastic screwdrivers and inflatable hammers before this site

if all goes to plan I'll be doing an entire suspension swap by myself in a few weeks


this site has destroyed my free time

 

my dad taught me a good bit about mechanical work and have quite a few mechanics in the family, also A LOT by trail and error. If there is something i get stuck on or cant get i just look at youtube videos and research some things. This site is also a huge help when it comes to tricky things i havent tackled before. You have a lot of experts or well knowledged people at your finger tips by using TW.