1st Gen Front End Refresh

Hoping to pick some brains that have gone done this route before! A year ago I bought a 2003 Tacoma Access Cab 2.7L 4 Cylinder 201,000 Mile truck. I love it!! In the spring when it warms up I want to go through and redo the suspension and front end.

The truck drives ok.... Truck feels like it "sails" on the freeway, pretty loose steering. Also doesn't feel like there is much shock dampening happening anymore. As far as I know, all the steering and suspension components are original to the truck.

Can you all help me spend some money and create a shopping list? During black friday, i purchased: 555's Upper and Lower ball joints, inner/outer tie rods, sway bar end links. I also plan on buying https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/8.18107 and redoing the uca, lca bushings, steering rack bushings, sway bar bushing etc.



1.) Other then doing Ball joints, tie rods, sway bar end links, UCA/LCA bushings, steering rack bushings, what else should I be touching/replacing while i've got it all torn apart?
- Do I really need new lca cam bolt set ups etc?



2.) Suspension Suggestions? I don't really care for a lift, if I get 1" that's fine, but not looking for it. Budget ~$1,200 or less if possible. My 3rd gen had a full set of ADS with clickers, SPC UCA etc. I'm not looking at ever doing that again, the truck sees offroad, but mostly just firebreak type roads to mtb trail/camp sites.

- I've had my eye on eibach's

https://www.shocksurplus.com/produc...ing-struts-adjustable-shocks-e60-82-005-02-10

or

https://www.shocksurplus.com/products/eibach-pro-truck-shocks-e60-82-005-01-10

Finding stock OE like springs is impossible, i think i just have to use my stock coil springs.

 

As for cam bolts etc, I think that will be more of a will see as we go thing. Is it from a rust belt state?
Mine turned into a major project but it will be worth it when its done.
Is this the truck you did the head job on?

 

I've got the Eibach Pro Trucks shocks on my 2000 Preunner and like them. They are to me a very well made shock at a good price. I used my old coil spring as well. Next time I get shocks will probably get the springs done as well.

 

Go with OE lower ball joints.

 

It is the truck I did the head! I really really enjoy driving this thing, quite a bit more than my 22' DCLB.

The truck has minimal rust, I've replaced the head and the w59 transmission,** this is going to curse me, but never came across a tough bolt.**

 

ooh! I'm hoping more people chime in on the eibachs! Did you do the silver or the black version? I can't find much info on the differences.

What springs would you do?? I keep coming across the Moog one from a few years back that people use to use, but it is no longer available.

 

My understanding is the 555's are the OEM without the stamp, could be wrong!

 

They are the black ones.

 

Hey man, 1st off, 3rd gen’s are for quitters.

I hate, that I love my 1st gen so much. Cause it sucks to drive 1,000 miles a week.

 

You may be correct, but for reference the OE's are about $250 a pair and worth it. Or at least they were in June of this year when I bought my last set. For some parts I think OE is way better than OEM.

 

Ouch. That's a ton of miles in a first gen per week.

 

No, 555 JAPAN and OEM LBJs are not the same. I have used both types on my '97 V6 Taco 4x4 over the past 26 years. The 555s lasted half as long as the OEMs and the 555 boots were not durable for my off-roading purposes. At approx. 6 years, there were pin holes in both of the 555 JAPAN LBJ boots. I originally thought that the zerk grease fittings installed on my 555s would allow them to last longer for my off-roading given regular greasing (below). But that idea was proven incorrect. Several years back, someone dissected both types of LBJs and the difference in the machine work on the actual ball was night and day. The 555 JAPAN ball was dull in appearance showing porosity while the OEM ball had a mirror finish. .02

Greaseable 555 JAPAN LBJs were installed in 2013:
Greasable '97 Tacoma 4WD Ball Joints? - YotaTech Forums

 

have anything to compare the ride too? Know the difference by any chance vs the silvers?

 

That's great info, I should have done more research.

 

Ride won't be a factor unless they are broken. Then it gets interesting!

 

To be fair, my Tacoma is backup for my 1st gen Tundra that has 335k. And yes it’s been driven to the moon, and it has crazy idle time hours on the 2UZ.

 

Awesome. My 2000 Taco has about 150K on it, almost broken in, my dad bought it new and it was used as our farm truck until he passed away a few years back. They keep going if ya take care of them.

 

The ride of these shocks are a little more forgiving than the 4600's, in my mind. They are pretty close to the same. I believe the black ones are OE, adds no lift. The silver ones, I think add some lift.

 

Anyone know of oe replacement front springs people use? With no lift

 

Hah, I just went through this earlier this year, and you're in luck - the attached PDF is also for an '03, all the part numbers should be correct. It compares selected OEM resellers, McGeorge Toyota is now Ourisman and the prices appear to be the same. Mine is 4WD/6 cylinder, but they ask you to enter the VIN when buying so you will get the right parts.

Search around here for tests you can do to isolate the issue, it could be anything (or everything on a 20 year old truck.)

Sway bar bushings and sway bar links, on the list of suspension part costs these are on the lower end.

Depends, those are $200+ for a full set. Mine came out almost rust free, some of them almost fell out, so see if it looks like any of them will give you trouble. Side note, be sure to mark them before removal.

Go OEM on most all of the suspension parts if you're staying stock - Ball joints, LCA's, TRE's, steering rack. You've two options replacing LCA bushings, remove and replace the bushings yourself or replace entire LCA's, which is what a shop would do. I went for option 2, and I'm glad I did, it was enough work getting 20 year old parts apart. "Anything" suspension is going t give you more trouble than you expected, take at least 3 times what you thought, so you should probably throw the extra cash at assembled items rather than manually pressing out bushings.

Yes I think OEM springs are no longer made, but if you want stock, you simply cannot beat this deal on assembled coilovers, Moog 81104 coils, bilsteins all around making the update as close to stock as possible. Like the LCA's, you can compress the springs and just do shocks, but you'd have to replace the top hats and hardware, this is a good deal and saves hours of time.

https://www.suspensionlifts.com/sho...with-rear-shocks-for-1995-2004-toyota-tacoma/