New lifted 1GT owner, need advice

After many months of looking for a tundra, I bought one. But she needs a lot of work and I need your advice please! Building this truck to be a overlanding vehicle I tour the west coast of the country lift. I want to live out of it for weeks-on-end and for it to be capable off-road and comfortable on road.

Current:
2004 DC 4x4 193k miles limited
3in body lift
crappy 34in mud tires
I think its got a- Tuff Country 55906KN 5" lift with SX8000 shocks (not the best lift)
camper shell


Need to fix-
lower the damn thing. 3in body lift is great, but I probably only want a 2in suspension lift.
smaller tires- 33in aggressive A/T is all I need
AC is not blowing cold at all



Questions-
With this Tuff Country lift, can I swap out the springs/shocks for "normal" height setup. I wasn't sure with the extended spindle and huge coil spacer. Is that even okay to have with decent off roading capabilities? I was thinking 6112/5160 shock combo, maybe AAL in the rear.

Do I take out the blocks in the back? I hate that it has a serious rake. Even with the camper shell its raked out.

Easy way to do a projector style headlight in these?

I have a problem with the door checks on the door hinge. When I open any of the doors, they can be easily closed or flown open because they don't have the progressive stops in them like any other car.

Where to start for AC being really weak? Dryer?

Can the steering wheel be swapped out for a new tundra or 4runner? My leather is shot on this one.

Is the soft cup holder spring replaceable? It doesn't spring up

Any double din radio you would recommend with apple carplay and backup camera capabilities?

I need to replace the speakers, recs?



I just replaced the- sway bar bushings, rack & pinion bushings, inner & outer tie rods.. waiting on the extended sway bar links to arrive. and to hear back from yall about shocks. Should ride pretty darn well after all these are replaced! Anything else you would recommend?

THANK YALL!!!!


https://www.youtube.com/embed/e6VIrr7rsVg

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! You'll get a ton of help here soon!

 

First things first, welcome to the forum. You may wanna hit this thread if you haven't already, it answers a number of your questions and/or it'll redirect you to the reading you need to do yourself, versus relying on one-liner answers you may get for replies, and you say you wanna know everything: https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

For now, with how well it's done, I'd leave the body lift intact. The suspension, I believe, was modified to route up and compensate for the body lift, you may be opening a can of worms if you try to nix the body lift.

Bracket lift up front, given it has SX8000 in the rear, I'm gonna guess it's this kit, and seeing it may help you visualize what you've got . I don't know as much about bracket lifts as others but we do have a few members here who have or had that kit. I want to say it's @Hi06silver who had it on his truck and removed it, and may be able to speak to how to remove.

Answering above:

• Do I take out the blocks in the back? ==> You may be able to get level pulling one of the blocks on each side now; trial and error. I'd ditch the blocks with the bracket lift if you plan that already.
• Easy way to do a projector style headlight in these? ==> https://www.tundras.com/threads/amazing-1st-gen-headlamp-upgrade.127384/#post-3252085
  
• I have a problem with the door checks on the door hinge ==> Known issue from abuse; buy new OEM door checks from a legit source ($$$$), or find the thread on here showing how to retrofit the kit from Ukraine or Russia (I forget which)
• Where to start for AC being really weak? ==> A/C shop to test refrigerant levels on the high and low side; unless you have gauges and know how to use them; possibly a simple fix, but I don't recommend willy-nilly trying to refill with a kit from the LAPS, don't want to overcharge.
  
• Can the steering wheel be swapped out for a new tundra or 4runner? ==> Newer, not easily. You can just unwrap it and get one of the Loncky kits to re-wrap for around $60. the similar model year T4R, LX470, LC and others will also fit. Main issue is, if you want to keep those controls working, you need to stick with generally the same wheel cage or get ready to adapt.
  
• Is the soft cup holder spring replaceable? It doesn't spring up ==> Just pull it, soak it, clean it, lube it, reinstall.
  
• I need to replace the speakers, recs? ==> See below bullets....
  
• Any double din radio you would recommend with apple carplay and backup camera capabilities? ==> See below

Answering your video:

• There was rust on that truck, it's been covered up with black spraypaint. You can see it at the rear shot you took.
• Roof naturally gets nasty if you drive around with the rear window rolled down, that's why you had to vacuum it.
• Nobody makes a drawer system for our trucks, you'll need to make it.
• $800 isn't horrible for a cap if it's new and/or fully refurbished and custom to how you like it, especially with west coast pricing.
• Those black flaking trim pieces (showing chrome) at the base of the window are $$$, best to repaint on the truck but we can help you get part numbers (there's a sticky thread in this subforum showing you hot to view exploded parts diagrams specific to your VIN).
• That K&N filter is doing more harm than good. More info in the link at the top of my reply. You'd be better to return to stock. Local junkyard will have the assembly you need. Seriously, get rid of it.
• The birds nest of wiring is part of an alarm, it looks like to me, with the big black box at the core (brain, see pic below, please pull it out and get me some model numbers off the box and I'll fill you in on more details). And it's installed using the most heinous T-taps that mangle wiring sheaths, complete bullshit, whoever installed it is an asshole. If you're not confident removing, hire a shop, as it's probably hooked into the ignition circuit. They may've installed relays in the doors also, any trained person can restore this back to normal, paint over the wire casing breaches with liquid tape, or ideally re-cut/solder/shrinkwrap since the t-taps used compromise the wire integrity (I really hate people using those things instead of Posi-Taps!)
• Drink holder needs to be pulled and cleaned, it's sticking because too many sugary drinks spilled in the hinges/springs most likely
• Radio is covered in the top thread, please read, and follow links to the head unit thread, and heed the warnings about OEM amp. HMU with a thread in the public part of the 1st Gen subforum (don't PM me, please) with pics if you need help figuring out previous owner hackery, I expect you're gonna find some crazy shit in the dash... You clearly have JBL system, so you need to figure out if the PO has done
• Careful with non-OEM gas caps; they tend to cause EVAP codes on all cars.
• Griot's Trim Restorer (the red-topped bottle with orange sponge) will help get that trim to being its natural charcoal grey again (it was never black, if you want it black, you gotta paint it). If installing a camper shell, I'd pull those trim pieces and replace with a double-bubble strip to seal.
• You may want to consider replacing the nerf bars/step with slider bars.
• In California prices, $10k is a good deal, but you really, really need to heed warnings about getting timing belt done with the OEM Aisin kit, purchased from a legit, knockoff-free place (i.e. avoid scAmazon, fleaBay, WallyWorld). Also only OEM on the LBJs when you replace.

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Dude thank you SO MUCH for this detailed response! This is killer.

1. Definitely leaving the body kit. Would be way too much work to remove. I'm wondering if I can directly swap in the shocks that I want in there and leave the spring spacer and drop down kit in.

2. Damn I feel mislead with the painted frame the cover up rust. Its still hard for me to tell if there is a lot or a little. They did a dang good job when they took off the body with the paint.

3. How do you pull out the soft cup holder?

4. Whats the PO in the audio system you're referring to?

5. Can I leave the stock plastic trim pieces on the bed and then use the double bubble seal over it?

6. How do I know when to replace LBJ? one side looks brand new with new bolts but, obviously, don't trust anything the previous owner did now.



Recap-
Ditching the blocks, Going to get the AC tested professionally, build myself a wood bed/deck system, clean/lube soft cupholder, plastidip window trim pieces, swapping my OEM intake and selling the K&N, going to audio shop? for BS alarm wiring, and eventually Aisin timing belt/OEM LBJ.


Thank you for the help!!

 

1. I don't think that's wise, honestly, but that's just me. Really, I can't recommend enough that you wait for someone who's dealt with the Tuff Country kit to respond. I don't recall it requiring welding, but I may be mistaken. If it's easy enough to remove, honestly, I'd pull it, sell it to a member at a fair price like 50% off, and use that coin to buy the Bilsteins you want, potentially outright. Again - this is just ME. I know suspension, but lifting is NOT my thing.
2. There is not a lot of rust. But if you look carefully, I think you'll see overspray in there, it specifically looks like they sprayed surface rust on the rear axle housing, probably for cosmetic effect, not because it was "rusty" or anything. I also don't think that's desert sand buildup on the exhaust tips, that looks like surface rust to me. But seriously, NO BIG DEAL. What I see on your truck is superficial bullshit. Don't let it be a concern, nor a bonerkiller bro! I have a little surface rust on mine too.
3. The cup holder ... shit. Someone has a thread around here about it. There's a trick to it, like, two screws and a little tab you need to press up and it slides off. Honestly, you may be able to do it w/o removing anything. Get a spray bottle with a small squirt of dish soap in it. Lay a towel under the cupholder to keep from getting carpet wet. Spray the hell out of it, then slide in/out, while out, activate all the joints and springs, then spray it again to rinse it. Repeat a couple times. See if it helps. I'll try to find the thread after I get off my call in a few.
4. PO = Previous Owner (and by proxy, anyone who worked on his truck for him). This is a common acronym used on automotive forums. Commit to memory.
5. In theory you could leave those, but if I had a cap, I sure as hell wouldnt. Not only for waterproof/dustproof purpose, but also for looks and longevity. Those caps pop off, they're held in with plastic tabs. The driver's side one is already jacked up, you shouldn't be able to push down on it like you did in the video. If you want to see what's under, Start on the driver's side at the tailgate, rock the thing toward/away from you while GENTLY lifting up. It should pop free at the end. Repeat the rest of the way down, with focus on GENTLY. Last person who touched it probably snapped off tabs on the end which is why it's floppier on driver side.
6. The fact they replaced only one BJ is sketch af in my opinion. You should replace in pairs. You may or may not find markings on it that will help identify the thing, and who made it. If you plan to replace one, may as well replace both. Use OEM. Don't buy on scAmazon, fleaBay, wallyWorld. Get them Toyota direct, from a trusted source. I can link you to an article with more details (I think there's an LBJ sticky thread in this subforum too which is where I'd send you)

 

I haven't looked for the 1st gen Tundra but many bracket lifts require cutting the cross member, to relocate the diff/steering rack and therefore are not simple to remove.

 

You are correct. It was @Hi06silver, here is the thread where he "unfucked" it as he says, and here's his confirmation of what @assassin10000 is saying.

Starting to hunt that link for the cupholder now. That was quick, here it is: https://www.tundras.com/threads/first-generation-dashboard-cup-holder.120509/

This is what it looks like when you take the bedrail caps off, it's good to clean and wax under them, and to use restorer on them, while they're off: https://tnstatic.net/attachments/20200328_111703-jpg.409161/

 

@s25hanh , there are a great group of members on here that will not steer you wrong if you give them the info they need to answer your question. @shifty` is 1 of them.
Don't forget to use the search feature it kind sucks at times until you figure it out. Mainly just rewording your questions and typing in the right keyword lol.
There's a ton of rust proofing threads for trouble spots to keep an eye on also, I've removed the bed along with others for this.

 

Search works, but the thing is, if you just plug in keywords and click "SEARCH" you're doomed. It searches literally every subforum, for every generation, the sales forums, the audio, wheels, suspension forums, everything. That doesn't help when you need 1st Gen specific results.

You MUST use the checkboxes provided or you're boning yourself. The middle two I circled here - especially "Search this forum only" - are super important to use. The others are just modifiers.

Like, the main reason I was able to find @Hi06silver's Tuff Country thread is because I used the search term "Tuff", then put his name in the "Posted by member" box. then I checked off the "Search this forum only" and "Display results as threads" box to only show threads, not a bunch of replies.

The key to using this forum's search is using the filters/options you're given, and always being aware of "where" in the forum you are (i.e. which subforum, so you're not using 'search this forum' while you're in the 3rd Gen subforum and getting non-1st Gen results)

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