What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Did you remove the original seat frame?

 

Most definitely, just unbolted everything and binned it. cut the carpet back and sound matted the floor inside the new box.

 

Do you have a pic of the original seat frame out? I want to see what it looks like to possibly scheme on building something similar.

 

I'm curious if the seat frame adds some structural integrity to the cab. Mine is still installed but I've had some spot welds fail and cracks appear in the passenger cab corner. Not saying this to worry you just something I've considered removing and making something similar to you but it's made me think more about it with my current problems popping up. My truck is a shitbox though and gets treated as such.

 

No progress pics unfortunately, but the metal subframe is just held in with screws and comes out in two pieces. Its decent gauge sheet metal but I suspect thats for holding up butts.

I cant imagine its helping anything, or integral, from a structural point of view.

 

Found a pic where you can see the two pieces I removed:

 

hey I know that shit box

 

I've got a few pics of removal of the full interior as part of sound deadening:



I removed almost everything in the first part, but the sheet metal for the rear seats I ended up removing in the second part as it made the mat installation easier to have it removed.

 

One thing not covered that I would highly recommend is removing the OEM tar mass damper material on the floor. You may find that large pieces are no long adhered properly, and are therefor contributing to NVH and not reducing it as it once was fresh out of the factory.

 

Lol, well your picture, and the whole write up were quite useful, so kudos to you sir!

Hows that vinyl treated you other than the instal hassle?

 

It's been great to be honest, one of my favorite mods in the truck. Makes it super easy to vacuum and clean.

 

Raptor lined my truck. Got it all put back together today.

 

Came out awesome!

 

Thank you, I'm happy with it.

 

Washed out the inside of the frame with a pressure washer. Not sure if I was more satisfied or terrified as shit came pouring out of the front (and newly created rear) drain holes. It wasn't just dust/dirt that came out. There was a good amount of rust flakes. To be expected, I suppose, on a 25 year old truck, but still.




I was a little worried about whether this pressure washer "kit" would fit into the frame, but it was no problem through the big round hole on the side of the frame. The "mushroom" fitting - third from the left, which rotates about 1M revolutions per second, spraying water diagonally backward, seemed to be the most effective.

 

I think I'm still finding moon dust from my frame from driving through that silt in Hidden Valley on our way out of Teakettle Junction two years ago.

 

Do you not fluid film the inside?

 

Never really felt like I needed to, given that I live in WA and don't DD the truck. "Wet" weather it sees is largely water crossings, or rain on the trail, hahaha.



Also spent some time replacing spherical bearings today. Rears went fine. Front uppers are still tight. Discovered that I waited too long for both front lowers... Time for new rod ends.

 

Those rod ends aren't fun to change, was that your squeak then?

 

I suppose so. I mean, I knew it was the bearings, but I thought it was just the bearings. Oh well. If they are that hard to change, might just send them to ADS to fix.