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

So many rock chips, so little time.

 

Shouldn't ever have to line them they have a Teflon liner for that. Just power wash it after a trip and you're good. Mine don't make noise on Frank.

That said the liner won't last as long as an SPC ball joint. You'll have to replace the uniballs ever 20-50k depending on useage and such.

 

Finished up retrofitting a bedslide into the Tacoma. Took a good minute, but stoked how it turned out

 

on my way to work in my Auto V6 04' DC i noticed a slight shaking while on the highway at around 65mph. it felt like i was driving over an uneven section of road. the shake began just before my exit. Sitting at a stop light the shake is more noticable. i drive again to about 20mph and the shaking is now slightly less noticable. i park and it is now more noticable again. i put it in Drive, slightly press on the gas and the shake is VERY noticable with a faint squeak as well. Does anyone know what this issue could be? there is mechanic 2 blocks from my job i could take it to today. id hate to have something fail on my 1hr home commute. thanks for any input.

 

Sounds like engine firing issues. Any engine codes or check engine light yet?

I’d start with this in order:
Spark plugs
Wires
Coils

 

what is the approximate lifespan on those radiators?

 

you have that many miles on one of the aftermarket radiators mentioned?

 

i had read the OEM radiator is most likely done for at 150k miles?!?

 

Might want to check your flex plate if you’ve gone through spark, fuel, compression and all check out good. A power balance test would figure out if it’s a misfire or something else.

 

Do you have a link for that??

 

long drive to Plano TX?

US75 is right down the road from me


https://www.google.com/maps/place/P...aa036489cd602b!8m2!3d33.0198431!4d-96.6988856

 

I’ve gone through 4 I think radiators and the champion aluminum one just crashed on me with with 30,000 miles
on it.
They failed from cracks and just old dirty plugged and beaten up radiator fins.

 

getting the rear lug nuts powder coated currently to sharpen them up

has anybody ever had 'em PCd and what are the results over time with rotations, etc.

 

30k is that covered under a warranty?

 

well they look old lol and new ones are quite a bit more than a PC job to try it out

 

I imagine new lug nuts wouldn’t cost much more than powered coating them if you don’t have a friend doing it for cheap.

What kind of lug nuts - oem or acorn style?

 

they are a buck a piece to PC

$1

how much are new ones? i have not really checked yet, i just suppose they are $10 a piece

 

It has a life time warranty but the problem is they don’t have any in stock.

Bottom line is the aluminum is thin and bad quality of most all these radiators.

Even the OEM radiator is made very poor quality.

The only way for a really good radiator is to have one made, but that’s 600 and up.

So for most the opinion is just to replace it like the timing belt.

The stock radiators weight is only 10 pounds.

 

Spool gun?

 

trail performance coatings, same place that did my spare wheels and lower fuel shield skid