SuperTaco’s 2003 Ext cab build/4wd Fabtech 6in removal

It has been a long time coming, but I am finally making some head way on my 2003 Tacoma. I’ve had it for about 6 years and i have not been able to even use it much, ran in to a number of different issues over the years.

To start off this build thread I am going to be starting with my MCM long travel install, which will be taking place this next week. While the MCM long travel isn’t too big of an install, I will have the added challenge of removing my 6in Fabtech lift and welding in the stock cross member i picked up from a Toyota dismantler, and basically going back to stock before adding the MCM kit.

I will be posting photos later this week, I’ll try to get some photos up each night after the progress I make. So stay tuned in for the progress!

 

Well it had snowed on the first day I was to work on my truck, so plans got a little skewed. After clearing out, got it up on jack stands.


got the wheels off



I don’t mind working in the cold too much but the wet and ice is not my favorite.

We got the lift out by: 1. disconnecting the shocks from lower control arms(LCA), 2. upper ball joints(UBJ) from spindles. 3. Removed and hung; rack and pinion and front drive shaft from front diff. 4. Unbolted the fabtech crossmembers and lowered the entire assembly out on to cart.

here’s a peak of underneath with out the fabtech cross members.



i will be updating this a lot more, and with more pictures/videos. I’m filming a lot of this in video and time lapse.

 

Did some prep and painted/treated, with rust oleum rust inhibitor, the passenger side of the bed frame rail.

Driver side before treatment
Passenger after treatment. They were very similar before conditions.

 

I'm in. Where you at in California?

 

Thanks! I’m in the San Bernardino county area. I’m off for a ski trip so I’ll be back at it next week.

 

Well, I missed the week of 50°+ last week while I was gone, and it snowed 3” today. I did get some more steps in today though.

Today I ground down the replacement crossmember to LCA pockets and popped the pockets out.


Here’s both sides, you can see this crossmember/diff support is basically a sleeve/shell that would sit on the rear LCA pockets and is welded together

Driver side


Passenger side

 

Alright, alright, alright, did some grinding welding and painting the last couple days. I’m a little slow, school has really gotten me out of my wrench abilities.

here is some photos of the spindles. Don’t judge me on my welding, I haven’t touched a welder in probably 5 years.

Grounded/in the process of grinding


Gusset welded, backside
Little closer.

front/outer side
Forgot to get some pictures of the painted spindles tonight, but I got one of the wheel bearings pressed in and had to do another coat of paint on the other spindle.

 

I got the cam tabs drilled and ground down a bit. Still have to do the driver side but I was getting sick of sitting crouched under my truck. Here’s what I got so far, and some shots of the cam pockets.

front view before

Here you can see where my buddy cut the rest of the “sleeve” of cross member off of the LCA Cam pockets.


Rear cam tabs grounded and air hammered off


This was the first front tab I had to drill the spot welds on, and I came in at a weird angle and got a little trigger happy with the air hammer and cut into the pocket on the top left there. I’ll straighten it out a bit more, weld and grind it flush before welding the tab in place.


Passenger side tab removed and grounded ready for crossmember to be welded in.


This is looking from the driver side to passenger on the rear cross member/front diff support, you can see through the driver side pocket... you shouldn’t be able to... who ever installed the fabtech lift cut WAY too far into the pocket. I cut out that piece from the donor frame section and will get it welded back in so it’s braced.

 

Here’s a picture of the spindle painted and bearing pressed in.

here’s the big one, got the cross member welded back in! Going to still need a bit more fabrication, I’ll figure it out when I get the cam tabs lined up, since their placement may provide some material for the gap on the drivers side pocket.

passenger rear
Passenger front, quite happy with this weld.

here on the drivers side photos you can see the gap that I’m going to have to fabricate a bit and get some plating in there.
drivers rear


Drivers front


Here’s the cam tabs all welded together and ground flush.



started snowing again today and looking like more tomorrow but I had enough of the cold and called it a night. Back at it tomorrow!

 

I don’t think I’m doing much more welding today....

 

Well, it’s been a little while, but I “completed” the project! I drove it out to hammers wheeled fairly aggressively and MCM LT kit did amazing literally absolutely insanely good even with out the bump stops added in yet. The rear could not keep up though.

I surprisingly didn’t get any video or pictures out at hammers, Life has been moving quick for me the last couple months. I’ll be back to clean and edit this post up soon, but as a bit of an update here’s two photos.

first of the crossmember welded and painted and the front diff bolted back in.


and secondly, a free/full droop on the lift. Also, those are 315/70r17s for perspective.... while wheeling through the whoops I never bottomed out the front. only limiting factor in the front was these giant tires rubbing and bumping aka self clearancing the inner fender.



sorry to leave it on this note for the time being but school is taking a lot of time again, and I’m now working on getting this truck smogged and the rear end dealt with for the time being.

 

My next steps are smog and upgrading the rear end, I’m looking to keep the current 10” bilstein with resi’s and the deaver? 6 leafs packs and the front hanger has been moved forward ~4.5”.

I want to remove the 3” lift blocks and do a longer rear shackle. I really don’t know if that’s a good way to go about it, but I’m going to get shackles and try it out and see where it lines up I guess. Trying to avoid any fabrication if I can right now. If any one has any suggestions let me know, I thought i knew stuff about rear suspension but I am just clueless. Haha

 

Well making “progress” on this ol pig. I mocked the 7in shackles after removing the 3inch lift block. I THINK it’s going to work. Waiting on u bolts and looking for an extended rear brake hose.

pulled the leaf packs and sanding them a bit and painting them and replacing the leaf bushings. Going to sand the drivers side frame and get some rattle can rustoleum rust converter on it for some protection.

 

I also picked up a Ford 9” for the rear. Going to be getting 4.86s rear and 4.88s for the front. Looking to get it Fab’d and mounted end of this summer.

 

This is exactly the post I have been looking for. I have a 2003 Tacoma with the awful fabtech lift as well and have been working on getting the parts to uninstall. If you remember, what is the part number on the frame assembly? I have found several that seem to be the same, but have different part numbers. Please let me know. Thanks!

 

He hasn't been on here since July 10th 2023. I wouldn't expect an answer from him. However, you might get lucky.