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

I pressed mine out by using an older socket that’s about the same diameter as the ujoint, Get the ujoint level and off the ground a bit and smack it.

They can be a b*tch to get out...

 

If the crankshaft is out, what sst do you need? I used a magnet to pull the shim and often bucket out. Then a razor blade to pop out the shim if it was still attached.

If you do it yourself, don't forget to lock the scissor gears before pulling the camshaft. It's kind of a pain to reset.

 

anyone have a right up on how to reinstall front bumper and grille, im about to pull mine out from the shop cause its been in there for 5 business days without being touched.

 

If the cam is out magnet is fine you can change it with cam in and the bucket depressing tool

 

I need to replace 4 u joints and the carrier bearing

 

Check your control arm bushings for cracks. I went 300k on my original bushings, but they were probably cracked for a long time before I got around to changing them out.

 

The uppers and lowers?

 

$85 Dollars later...

I have the correct A340F dipstick and tube. They are indeed different between the E and F series. Now I can finally drive this damn truck out of the garage after two weeks.

A340F on the Left, A340E on the Right. I probably read every single 4WD PreRunner swap write up on this forum and ttora and non of them ever mentioned they were different.



As much as I like diving the E320 around I can't go back to driving a sedan after driving a truck. They're both different worlds handling, visibility, and comfort wise.

 

Probably because most 4wd swaps do a 5spd swap at the same time??

 

Slidazzz

 

I had the whole front end refreshed at once at 300K. New upper and lower control arms (bushings), new upper and lower ball joints, new shocks, new sway bar links, new brake rotors and pads, new tires. Had the steering rack replaced the year before, so it was still good. Interestingly, the original springs still feel strong - people on TW claim they wear out, but my front and rear springs aren't showing any signs of giving up. It drives and steers like a new truck again.

 

I think it's because most of the write-ups assume your transmission would come with the dipstick assembly already. I paid dearly for this assumption. That was 1/3 of the whole price of the transmission!

 

Where do you all buy your swing out parts? I want to weld my own and need the hinges and toggles etc.

 

That's why you have to go full nut job and own two trucks or a truck and an SUV haha. In all seriousness though I miss having a littler daily a bit, but then when I need to go over a curb or something I'm happy I have clearance.

 

What I learned about driving a Tacoma is that it stops, turns, and handles like an aircraft carrier. Seriously. You put me at the helm of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan and blindfolded me and I couldn't tell you the difference.

Driving that benz around I completely forgot was handling and cornering was like. I have this turn I make on the way to school and in the truck I usually have to do a two point turn to clear the intersection. Don't even mention how hard it is to park.

But damn I drove a lot of different cars over the past two weeks (the E320, Civic, and Camry) and they were ass to drive. Windshield defroster never worked, visibility was horrible, throttle sensitivity. I'm so used to laying my foot on the gas to get anywhere or stop in the truck I looked like I was mentally incapacitated driving the sedans around because my foot instinctly hits the floor to accelerate or to stop.

Even at stock height I felt like I was on top of the world in that truck. Visibility was night and day difference from a sedan. I could see EVERYTHING.

 

Comp4x4 has some good stuff.

Use a 2000lb latch found on McCar

 

You just have to find a vehicle that knows more than you. In the taco i rarely need full throttle and it is a super sensitive throttle anyway. The cruiser I barely need to think about throttle, it knows what it wants to do and would probably appreciate it if I just stopped giving my input haha. It can get up and go but really it just sorta does what ever the hell it wants and I use my foot to encourage more or less speed but it decides how long that takes and if it is going to happen at all. I really like that about it though, it is super predictable and always fast enough despite feeling like it just has one continuous speed haha. The taco is different, it needs all the input it can get and reacts instantly.

 

where'd you get your tires from, im dying to have them put on mine.

 

Could be just that the 4 Cyl is gutless but gets there eventually. Maybe because the Tacoma has a mechanical cable throttle versus the other cars I drove that were all electronically actuated.

To each his own. When I ride passenger in the E320 I always feel motion sick, my excuse was that it was "too smooth" handling wise compared to the truck. The truck has its original 1998 suspension and non-existent leaf springs so the cab bounces like hell going everywhere. No idea why but bouncing around in that truck never made me feel sick.