2000 TRD OFFROAD MT (Black Betty aka Black Hole aka Tamiya Bruiser II) Rebuild Thread

https://sdhqoffroad.com/products/95-04-toyota-tacoma-front-diff-bracket-bushings

Also, the diff tube uses a seal too you'd want to replace.

 

Yeah, I got the seal as well. Those are not the bushings I need. Due to my sweet drop brackets my front bushings are different. I need the rear one with the hex bolt.


This guy.

 

Front diff is mostly assembled. Everything went smoothly up until I was installing the ADD actuator.


I snapped a bolt trying to torque it to 15ftlb. Lol. But I actually was pretty lucky.

The bolt snapped but it stayed in one piece! I was able to back it out with my fingers. This has never happened to me before.

I think the last person to work on it just way overtightened these and yielded the metal. I'm surprised they held and were soft enough not to be able to apply 15ftlb of torque for my reinstall. 15 is not a lot even with the added lubrication of the FIPG.

 

Surprised you didn't replace the E-torx bolts!

 

Why, 11mm fits perfectly! Not trying to replace things that don't need replacing.

 

A little progress. Feels good to put stuff back on the truck. Next step is to burn out the old bushings in the control arms so I can install my Whiteline and Energy Suspension replacements. Hopefully more updates soon!

 

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!

 

Almost ready to buy new LCAs. WTF!!!! Anyone with tips? I'd put it in my press but I don't think I can set it up right due to the lip on the sleeve.

 

F*King Victory!!!! That took 30 min of straight air hammering.

Now just 7 more.

 

I ended up taking my upper control arms to a local mechanic to have him remove the bushings. He used an air hammer and it worked. Next time I’ll probably just shell out the money for new control arms. Very difficult.

 

BOOM!!!! LCAs done. Lil cleanup and I push in them fresh White lines! Think I'm going after the UCAs first.

 

The trick was use a sawzall and CAREFULLY cut into the sleeve in two spots to let the air hammer carve a chanel.

 

4 control arms sans bushings. You gotta be happy with the small victories. Hoping to have these on the truck tomorrow.

 

It's crazy the difference from a rust-state to a rust-free state.

I've pushed those out with the factory bottle jack, no fuss.

 

I had a real struggle trying to remove them from a used set I purchased from a guy in San Diego…

 

Goal is to rebuild these today.

 

Progress. Have to go to auto parts store to get a ball joint tool and hopefully some new snap rings. I'm going to have to replace them as they were bent out of shape before I even got to them.

 

BLAM!!!!

sooooooooooooooooooooooooo..............

I kind of

Forgot

To grease one of the new seals between the wheel flange and the bearing.....

I'm thinking I'll leave it. Disassembling the flange from the bearing will harm the bearing more than a bad seal....

Thoughts?

 

So, I pressed in the Whiteline LCA bushings. The uppers are a whole other story. I didn't realize the uppers needed the steel sleeve...

Whiteline doesn't make UCA bushings. Seems nobody else does either. What gives?

Ideas, help?