Wacko's new tacoma

Here is exactly what you need: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/going-back-to-stock-losing-6-db-kit-yes-it-can-be-done.88767/

 

Pretty much. Although still doesn't quite solve the finding a new cross-member or the welding bit. Anyone know of a place to get a cross-member that won't break the bank around Bozeman?

 

@PLC721 had a cross member replaced on his old truck but it was 2nd gen. Its a big project but can definitely be done

 

Looking at one of the above posts it doesn't look like it should be as bad as I thought it might. Looks like I have to take pretty much all of the front suspension apart anyway to completely remove the lift. From there its a lot of cleaning up the frame and the cross member and a few welds. Still in the process of hunting down the cross member, as I haven't had good luck finding junkyard parts here. From there I just need to find some welding skills. I might know someone at work that would help, but I guess I could take it into a welding shop to have welded in, the only issue with that would be getting it to a shop while the whole front end is apart.

 

Well being that I'm still on the search for that cross member I decided to work on other small things.

Today I pulled the radio and the instrument cluster. Surprisingly given some the questionable things around the truck the radio was wired with a proper plug and the wiring harness has not been cut on! Its also very apparent that someone spilled soda across the dash and let it seep in. So everything is all sorts of sticky and dirty.

Got the instrument cluster out, it was just a hair dirty.

I've had the dash out of the 2000 so I thought I knew what I was doing. Forgot a few things, but the big issue was the fact that the 2000 has a digit dash and this doesn't. Therefore it makes it seem like the dash is really stuck, until it all comes apart when your hand is fished behind trying to find what the cables are caught on.

Planning to get new dash lights as the current ones were out. Also wanted to get a better look at the crack:

As it turns out this goes pretty much all the way down and around the plastic face. So I'll have to replace that. Verified that the piece is removable. So I should be able to replace just that piece and not the whole dash, assuming I can find one. I guess I will attempt to glue it back together for the moment.

 

Well got the dash reassembled. In the process took the time to clean everything up. It was pretty obvious that someone had spilled soda out of those stupid dash cupholders and never bothered to clean it up. Smelled like some sort of cola. Which now that I think about it is what the whole truck smells like. Reassembly went fine but did find some more interesting things. Ash tray is cracked, the cup holder is missing a tab to keep it in the dash. I think at some point I'll find the shifter trim kit that has cup holders, as those are much better.....

I also removed some after market wiring that I can only assuming to have been for a stereo. Looks like several era's and weighted about a small child once removed. Most was fairly normal and looks like someone had run a sub at some point. The one that was not was more interesting. There was a piece grounded to the bottom of the passenger seat belt bracket (the cover for which is missing), and a piece routed up toward the dash. I broke a cheap socket getting the one from under the bolt in the seat belt bracket. The other resulted in pulling out the trim along the passenger door to find. I then mistakenly assumed it back towards the drivers side. Instead it was routed through the firewall (with a cut in the rubber boot) and hooked to the positive terminal of the battery. Removed that real fast. The more interesting part is that both the of these cables were stripped on the end and simply shoved under the passenger seat, while one was grounded and the other connected to the battery. Thankfully the positive line was fused, but that could've been nasty even still. And while digging under the seat found the reason the passenger seat doesn't slide forward on its own is that the return spring is missing.

This isn't even going to be one of the more interesting parts of the project, but things are slowly getting worked on. Have some UCAs in the mail, still looking for a crossmember. Got a lead from a friend at work on someone good to weld it in, once I find it.

 

There's another thread with similar TM lift issues. I'd try to find someway to put on an upper arm with a long coil over and leave the drop bracket be. Replacing it would lead to more issues and liability.

Or SAS it. At $1500 it's worth playing with.

 

I have thought about doing coil overs on the front, but to me a 6 inch lift is a little tall. The plan has been to just remove the lift and weld in a new crossmember. As long as I can find a decent one it shouldn't be a liability as long as it's welded in properly, which is why I won't be doing that portion myself. The goal for the moment is to clean up the truck and take it back down to stock suspension. Having done this I can still decide to put a shorter coil over lift on it later.

With the current set of skills I have, the workspace I have to work in, the budget I have, and the majority of what the truck does for me at the moment I have no business trying to SAS it. Maybe one day.

 

Exactly what I was thinking!

 

Take the time, do the legwork/research, and Pick&Pull the parts needed. SAS on a budget.