Driving down the rabbit hole....

Hello fellow Tacoma enthusiasts!

A few weeks ago I finally pulled the trigger on an used 2017 Tacoma TRD Sport Double Cab MT! It was a pretty good deal, and since my (long sold) 2011 Ford Ranger FX4, I've always dreamed about getting a newer truck with a MT that I can do some light mods to and customize a bit. Fair warning, I've never off-roaded before, and I have zero fundamental understanding of anything mechanical - so I'm not going to pretend to be anything but a noob.

Since buying it, it's been a roller coaster of emotions. I have a family friend that manages a performance shop in town, and I jumped in feet first by taking the shops recommendations on lifting, wheels and tires, intake and exhaust. I love the look, and they said that while it still has stock shocks, the lift will give me a *little* bit more off-road capability (for things like logging roads, but not rock climbing). The cat back exhaust is a little louder than I'd like, but it does sound cool, and I'm sure I'll get used to it.

The dark side is this: The non-Toyota dealership I bought it from wasn't exactly forthcoming with their "inspection". When I took it for a test drive... the clutch didn't feel right. I had never driven a Tacoma before, and asked them about the clutch. They said that their "head mechanic" had done a full inspection on the truck and the clutch was fine. I asked them to look again, 15 minutes or so later, same answer "head mechanic says it's in great shape, no issues". They told me "you just need to get used to it, it's a truck with a manual transmission". Giving me a whole explanation about how their service department is independent from sales and that they have a financial obligation to report any deficiencies.

As I mentioned, I'm not a mechanically inclined person, and I believed them. I have driven stick on and off for the last 14 years, but again, never a Tacoma. TBH I've gotten used to it, and it seemed fine, BUT... Once my modifications were done, I started getting the subtle "rumble strip" sensation / sound from the front end at city speeds, the lift has settled and the tire alignment has gone bad, the shudder when taking off has gotten worse... etc.

Took it back to my family friend's shop and sure enough, without any provocation he tells me "that clutch is TOAST, also the needle bearing is failing". It's got 65K km's on it. There goes the honeymoon phase... I love the truck, it looks amazing, and has been fun to drive... but I'm feeling a bit depressed.

This forum has been an incredible resource in all my research and decisions so far (like tire offset, tire size, the needle bearing issue etc.), and it's amazing to have a community of folks passionate about this unique truck, so I felt I needed to join.

Hoping for some encouragement from other Taco owners that will make me more confident and excited about my truck... I mean I expected it to be kind of a money pit... but a fun money pit - not an unfun mechanical issues money pit. haha

Cheers everyone, thanks for reading!

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW! Replace the clutch and move on, hopefully there are not any more surprises.

 

Get the needle bearing replaced with an ECGS bushing. That is a common (almost inevitable) problem when you lift these trucks.

As far as your clutch is concerned, "great shape" could mean a lot of different things to me.. It could be in great shape "all things considered" or something along those lines. I do believe if your clutch needed to be replaced they would've replaced it (unless you were asking for it to be replaced under warranty).

Get a new clutch in it, replace the needle bearing with ECGS bushing and you'll be good to go.

 

nice lookin truck

couldnt find did not see ...................how many miles on clutch ?????????

 

Welcome!

 

I appreciate that man. That's the plan, ECGS bushing is in, clutch is on order from Toyota. Hopefully it all gets done next week.

 

Clutch had 40,000 miles on it. My mechanic thinks (based on the aftermarket rear bumper and slight pinch dent on the tailgate) the previous owner did a lot of towing... perhaps he/she rode the clutch when towing or something? Either way, nothing I can do but fix and move on I guess.

 

Welcome to TW those are some awesome looking rims!

 

Thanks man. ProComp. They look great and are pretty inexpensive too!

 

Well, a month later and I have a new OEM clutch, pedal bearing, resurfaced pressure plate and a ECGS bushing. Finally fun to drive! Can't wait for the next blizzard!