Christian's "One rusted nut at a time" thread

This build thread is the story of my 99 Tacoma.

I've had this Tacoma for roughly 8 years, but have only recently decided to begin a build thread. The last 8 years are summed up in this post, with photos in no particular order. Any and all future maintenance and modifications will get their own post as well as a brief edit to this post.

This Tacoma started life in Connecticut in March of 1999. For reference, I also started life in Connecticut, but in July of 1999. A previous owner had installed an aftermarket stereo-system and subwoofers. To do this, he cut a hole underneath the backseat and created a fiberglass tub. The stereo system was removed when sold. He also installed an aftermarket security system which is still currently in the truck and exists as a jumble of wires and relays under my dashboard. - Photos of both to come.

Fast forward to 2004, and the truck was sold by owner to my parents as a vehicle for my older brother for only $10,000. I can't really say much was done to the truck other than general maintenance under my brother's ownership. In 2015, my brother decided he needed something more practical as a family vehicle, and handed the Tacoma down to me. Although Mississippi is currently home, the truck spent 16 years up north, hence the title of the thread… This truck is rustyyyyy.
-Below is a photo of the truck in 2015.

As of 1/23/2024 - 208,000 miles
Notable Maintenance, Modifications, and Repairs
Steering/Suspension
- New Toyota steering rack E
- NAPA reman power steering pump (x3(trust me it'll work this time))
- Bilstein 5100 w/ OME 881 coils (set at zero, 1/4" spacer added)
- Bilstein 5100 rear shocks R, S, T, U, V
- Rear 1.5" shackle lift
- Toyota upper ball joints N
- Toyota lower ball joints
Engine/Drivetrain
- NAPA CV axles
- Junk yard 98 4Runner air box (original cracked)
- NAPA starter motor
- Rear axle seals
- YotaShop rear diff breather extension (^lesson learned) O, P, Q
- Upstream O2 Sensor (

$51 Denso 2344162 Denso 234-4162 Oxygen Sensor with 4-Wire 10.5” Harness for Non-California, Non-4WD Lexus/Toyota

Denso 2344162) W, X, Y
Armor
- TrailGear front tube bumper w/ hoop
- 4xInnovations rock sliders D
Lighting
- Cheapo 14" light bar
- Auxbeam ditch lights
- CBI ditch light brackets
Wheels/Tires
- KMC XD128 16x8
- Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 - 255/85R16
- Spare - 265/75R16 Cooper STMaxx on Toyota wheel
Miscellaneous
- SafeTCap frame repair caps for leaf spring mount-section of frame A, B, C
- SafeTCap rear pass. shock mount L, M
- Flowmaster 40 muffler
- Right side tail light replaced after trail damage F
- Right rear bed dent painted G, H
- Anzo replacement headlights
- 500 MPH aluminum aircraft tape covering a body rust hole
- Door lock cylinder - driver side Z, AA, AB, AC
- Rough Country 9500S winch with synthetic line AD, AE, AF, AG
- Throttle Position Sensor replacement AH, AI, AJ
Upcoming...?
- Washer fluid relocation kit
- Spicer carrier bearing
- New door checks
- Durobump front diff mount bushings
- Wheeler's rear bump stops
- Full vacuum line replacement (not including ADD)

Below is a photo of how it sits today

 

Trips
March 2018 - Land Between the Lakes, TN/KY
March 2019 - Land Between the Lakes, TN/KY
March 2020 - Land Between the Lakes, TN/KY

July 2020 - Ozark National Forest, AR


January 2021 - Ozark National Forest, AR


January 2022 - Windrock Park, TN


July 2022 - Hawk Pride Mountain Off Road, AL


January 2023 - Windrock Park, TN


May 2023 - FlatNasty Off Road Park, MO


January 2024 - Windrock Park, TN

 

A few weeks ago, @Justinogo and @TundraLivesMatter4.7 helped me install new OEM upper ball joints (

$52 43310-39016 Genuine Toyota Parts - Joint Assy,Fr UPR Ba (43310-39016)

43310-39016) and weld on a steel plate to reinforce the frame since it's been cracked for a while. Ball joints went way easier than I expected.

 

Last month, I replaced the front coils and shocks with a pre-assembled Bilstein 5100/OME 881 setup from Wheeler's. The other day I saw rear 5100s on sale with free shipping, so I jumped on it. I know that 5100s are an extended length shock, but it's kind of wild to see the 5100 and factory replacement 4600s next to each other (R)

A little backstory: In 2018, on my first ever wheeling trip, the passenger rear shock mount snapped (L). Flexing too much and bottoming the shock out is all I can guess. The old shock mount was so rotted it was only a matter of time anyway. In its place is a SafeTCap shock bracket welded on by a local collision repair shop here in Oxford.

Replacing the shocks went without a hitch until it came to installing the passenger side on that new mount. It seems that rather than a replacement factory bracket with threads to accept a bolt, SafeTCap decided to use a long threaded stud all the way through. This made things difficult because I had to compress the new bushings just to even get a nut started. I learned that it would be best to just let the shock hang straight down without any pressure on it to try and do this. They also had a sleeve for the bushings to go over before installing. The replacement bracket itself was starting to look a little corroded so I cleaned it and hit it with some undercoating (S, T, U). At the end of the day it worked fine, and the ride is great. Took it down a bumpy gravel road and much of the bed chattering is gone. I wouldn't say it's night/day but I can definitely feel some difference.

For a 24 year old truck that really had no business being on the road 7-8 years ago, it rides pretty well

 

After getting a repeating P0420 code for quite a while, I've decided to change out the upstream O2 sensor. This decision was partly influenced by the potential for better gas mileage.

I got a Denso part number

$51 234-4162 Oxygen Sensor with 4-Wire 10.5” Harness for Non-California, Non-4WD Lexus/Toyota

234-4162. Hopefully anyone who google searches about this topic will see this.
Oxygen sensor vs. Air/Fuel Sensor:
I've come across many posts on this forum claiming that the front oxygen sensor for the first gen tacoma's are all the same part and are called and "Air fuel ratio sensor." Or that it's either A/F sensor and then California vs. non California. It seems that 95-00 are actually just called "upstream oxygen sensor" and the 01-04 upstream is called "Air/Fuel Sensor."
California vs. non-California:
As seen in picture Y, my truck has a sticker that says it is California emissions certified. For the 1999 model year only, do not trust this sticker. Go to the dealer with the VIN and ask them directly whether your truck is federal or California emissions certified. For some reason, thanks to information from member @Jeff Lange Toyota used the same sticker for federal and California emissions. With that said, my truck is federal emissions, automatic, and manufactured in 3/1999, and used part 234-4162

No codes as of now. I'll update with gas mileage calculations.

 

A few weeks ago I went out to the truck and I couldn't turn the key in the driver door lock cylinder. Instead of getting a new one from Toyota I got this WVE one from Rock Auto. The part is WVE 9D1150. If anyone is trying to change out a door lock cylinder on a 1995-2000 Tacoma it is insanely easy.
Timmy the Toolman has a great video on the replacement of these, but it seems that Toyota changed the design of how these are held into the door handle either depending on the year or depending on whether you have a key fob. I do not have remote locking doors, so the process was similar to the video but rather than a clip holding the cylinder in, you simply unscrew the door handle and twist the old lock cylinder out.

I'm convinced this could be an OEM door lock cylinder because the old and new cylinders both have "L2131" stamped in them. If anyone wants to add to this please do.

Separate door and ignition keys FTW i guess?

 

Think of it as extra security.

 

Exactly

 

Did you check for exhaust leaks or try to resolve any other potential issues before replacing that sensor? Currently trying to fix my P0420 code as well.

 

I did not, but the code wouldn't come back immediately every single time I cleared it. It would sometimes be weeks in between CELs. But about 100 miles on it and nothing so far.

 

New Rough Country 9500S winch is installed. I went out to Sardis Lake to test it out on flat ground and tension the winch line but have yet to use it. This is my first ever winch. I hope that I get to use it. I have been in situations where a winch would have been really helpful, so I'm surprised it's been this long before getting one.

I also went ahead and added on a Badland wide mouth winch hook and rewired my battery terminals with new splitters (AF).

The winch mounting holes on the TrailGear bumper were close enough to the front of the bumper that it caused issues with mounting (AE). I removed the front aluminum cap that holds the control box onto the rail with "Rough Country" printed on it and affixed it to the rail with zip ties (AG). Overall the winch is a tight fit. I've got a tree saver, soft shackles, d-rings (bow shackles), and a snatch block. Can't wait to use it! Going to Windrock Park in January.

 

Update @ztwatson still no CEL

 

Thank you. I ended up clearing my 420 code be sealing up an exhaust leak between the rear cat and rear O2 sensor. Been about 1,000 miles without the code so far.

 

Yeah that’ll do it. Your sensor wasn’t accurately reading what was coming out of the cat if it was all going out into the environment haha.

 

P0120 code and rough idle forced me to change the Throttle Position Sensor. Spent my money on a Toyota one rather than taking a gamble. Found a dead spider in the little area where the TPS sits.
From what I've read, TPS reading should be around 10% at idle and 700 +/- 50 rpm. Spot on.

And after a laundry list of small maintenance items like greasing the driveline, tightening valve cover due to a small leak, fitting a bolt-on exhaust hanger, oil change, checking diff fluids, and patching the driver seat, I'm ready for Windrock in January!

 

My CEL came back with the P0420 code again on my most recent trip... The O2 sensor was worth a shot. I don't think I will worry too much about it as the cat was replaced about 10-12 years ago, i.e. it's not 25 years old.

 

Had some fun on the rocks at Windrock Park with @ThunderOne @TundraLivesMatter4.7 and @Justinogo, then got stuck in Memphis in the snow storm last weekend! We did trails 83 and 42 (which were less exciting than expected) on Friday, then 35 took up most of the day on Saturday. We came home early on Sunday and barely made it back to Memphis. Shout out to @TundraLivesMatter4.7 for this sick video of trail 35:https://youtu.be/TlaasELE1J4?si=NNdO3Q3C7hfVKR1s




The picture below is of Mississippi State Highway 6 two days after snowfall. No salt, no plows.




The truck ran well on this trip. Power steering has been very sluggish in the past when cold. New Toyota rack, but a NAPA reman pump trying to push 33s in the cold doesn't go too well. Tightened up the belt just a hair before we left and that seemed to help some.
Some goals for the spring are:
- Put on new VentVisors that my girlfriend got me for Christmas
- Washer fluid relocation (If anyone has experience with the Scarab Offroad kit please share)
- New Spicer carrier bearing
- Durobump from diff mount bushings
- Driver and passenger door checks
We will see when this all gets done lol

In other news. Per the state of Mississippi, this truck is officially antique. MS has no restrictions on when/where you can drive an antique vehicle.

 

Sorry if you took offense, but that weld is not safe. I said it in what I thought was a joking way, but it needs to be rewelded.
It’s a vehicle, we all share the road with you

 

I was lucky enough to get a URD sim before the gubment started cracking down on them.