What have you done to your 1st gen Tundra today?

For whatever reason those 285's look massive. Looks great! I was able to achieve 3.5 degrees of caster on the passenger side and 4.0 degrees on the driver side with JBA UCA.

 

Rattle. AutomotiveTouchup.com

I have no painting equipment. I setup a makeshift paint area with a fan and some ceiling tile hanging wire in the garage, to hang the part. I used a new high-adhesion primer (Rustoleum Ultimate Bond?) after filling some imperfections, wet sanded the primer coat with 600. There’s more info/pics in prior replies in this thread (check the quoted text in this reply link for start-to-finish pics).

They sent Natural White 056 base coat and a can of clear. Single-part rattle can paints just like Rustoleum or similar.

Prep, prep, prep. It’s all in the prep. I can show you every mistake, there are a few but 2-3ft view, it’s really difficult to find any flaws. Better than a Maaco job. If I take time to wetsand and cut, you won’t be able to tell the diff between this and a pro job, I’m sure.

FTR, this is how I paint bike frames and other stuff I want to turn out nice.

I wanna do it. I really do. But can’t focus on that right now. I’ve got the bumper picked out, i definitely won’t be painting it. Cost of repainted bumper is less than I’d pay for a new primered bumper and paint*. I’d really love to find another member in my area who needs a chrome bumper and line up a sale, if i could get $100-150 for my mint 4-5yo bumper skin, it’d cover 1/3 - 1/2 the cost of a repainted bumper and I could use that financial relief!

 

If I were you, I'd just paint the chrome.
I've painted 2 Tacomas chrome bumpers front and back. Prep, as always is key. Gotta sand the shit out of the chrome, with a few different grits and some water, clean it off with a solvent, spray self etching primer, then you know the rest

 

I've tried the chrome thing twice now. It didn't hold up for more than 2-3 years.

I think if I were going to do it, I'd ping a few vinyl wrap companies to send samples of their whites, find one that matches, and just vinyl wrap the damn thing. I've been threatening to go that route, but ... meh.

 

Yeah 2-3 years sounds about right lol

 

hit it with adhesion promoter before primer. Seems to really be helping with really half assed prep work. Lol.

 

I would think hitting it with a self-etch (given it's metal) would probably work better than using adhesion promoter, which seems to be a good fit for flexible plastics.

 

I really need to redo my front bumper. Does automoticetouchup.com have the correct paint codes for our trucks? @shifty`

 

My rear bumper is painted chrome. I scuffed it thoroughly, cleaned it, used self etching primer, then bed liner coating. Since it doesn’t see any road debris like a front bumper, it’s held up very well. It will still likely get chips now and then, but the bedliner is easy to touch up.

 

I did the same thing on a rock, perfect time to get a steel bumper!

 

I would they just look too bulky in my opinion. Lol

 

Bulky? Go high and tight option

 

I love the tint conversation. It's low on my priority list but if I had extra money to spend, I'd swap what I've got for the darkest tint legal. I really do like the daytime, summertime impact my dark tint makes. But it does suck after dark. I'm definitely sold on having tint, but it could be a few shades lighter.

Seeing FrenchToasty's photo reminds me - I'm now about 70% content that my Tundra will be able to get me 90% of the places my Tacoma could, and that's good enough for me. I took it up a boulder-y road yesterday, and it had plenty of clearance. I've always driven the original size Toyota pickups. An 83, 86, 87, 92, 94, then my 98 Tacoma. So I knew those trucks well. Clearance, where the low and high spots are underneath etc. I had a lot of confidence coming up to a rock or ledge on whether I'd clear it. I don't have that confidence yet with the Tundra, but I'm starting to get it. It'll get me down the type mountain roads I want to get down for hikes. Just needs to be tested in the desert, and I'll be happy with it. Don't know yet how it'll do in the sharp drops into dry washes driving down desert roads, that drop sharply down then straight back up. Departure angles. If I can save enough, I'll test it next spring.

I keep meaning to compare the stats of the Tundra vs Tacoma. Overall length, clearance. I'm guessing the clearance is similar, but obviously the Tundra is longer and wider.

Nothing crazy obviously, but a good example of about as crazy as I need to drive to get to trailheads.

 

I have stock UCA’s and just got my truck aligned. I know there is a thread on it but how do these #s look? Truck ride really nice and planted and straight, unfortunately did catch a small rub turning right over a speed bump lastnight.

 

That’s a local trail called Rice Peak. @robabeatle and I did it once and didn’t know about the bypass to go around a reverse switch back; the switchback is so tight, you have to turn around and reverse up and reverse back down

 

Looks like a fun trail.

 

I think you're overthinking it. Go out and test your limits. I've comfortably spent a ton of time over the last 10 years with my truck, much of it in very rugged and remote locations, but I know my limits. I enjoy taking random unmarked washes, etc. and navigate through dropoffs and banks in dry washes.

I do drag my receiver quite a bit, but I've never gotten hung up on it. I have had to stack rocks to get clearance for my front bumper on some steeper inclines.

If you spend a lot of time in boulder fields though, I do recommend transmission skid and transfer skid are a must since they hang so low. The cross member before the transfer case can save you depending on the hit, but coming down on that isn't fun.

 

Had my 2nd water pump & timing belt replaced @ 270,589.

 

Well, overthinking it is what I do, but I'm not stressing it. Just saying I don't really know it's limits yet, and don't want to find out by doing damage. I'm driving the roads I want to drive, it's just when I approach a boulder, I don't have the confidence of "oh yeah, I can definitely clear that by putting my tire 'there' " that I did with the Tacoma. It'll come with time.

 

Horrible. Needs more caster. Like 2.6+, and slightly into the neg on camber.

Edit, from the megathread:

• Alignment numbers after lifting: This is important, if you want a roadworthy driving experience without eating tires after your lift, there's a sweet spot for the 1GT that's been road-tested and proven. Specifically ask the shop to aim for the following, per our resident expert:
  • For 'normal' or 'mostly freeway': -0.3 camber, 2.6 - 2.8 caster, 0.1 - 0.2 total toe (0.05 - 0.10 per side).
  • For those who like to corner faster: -0.5 camber, 2.6 - 2.8 caster, 0.1 - 0.2 total toe (0.05 - 0.10 per side).
  • Basically, get that camber closer to -0.1 if you're mostly driving freeway, but aiming closer to -0.3 may help offset outside-edge tire wear.
  • IF you are running SPC upper control arms: Some shops may be unfamiliar with this product, it allows camber/caster to be set from both lower and upper control arm, versus OEM, which only allows setting from below. My advice? Consider pre-clocking your SPC uppers at "C" before going in for alignment, or tell the shop that's installing to clock at "C" instead of "D" so you can max out the caster later. Possibly the easiest way to get there would be to max out the cams with the LCA as far forward as possible (front cams pointing inward, rear cams pointed outward). Use the SPC balljoint slot to get things in the ballpark, lock down the balljoint, then fine-tune with the cams on the lower control arms. On mine, with my alignment already good, I found clocking the UBJ at "D" puts you in the OEM ballpark, "C" puts you close to the numbers above. When you get it home, make sure the UBJ shim is properly in its slot, then confirm the nut is torqued to spec (150ftlb)!

 

damn it rides really nice the way it is right now. What would those numbers provide me over what I have now?

 

195k miles, going strong, in south Louisiana.
Water pump / timing belt up to date. Fluids good.
What's next? Any aftermarket ideas? Headlights, foglights?

 

Pushes the wheel more towards the bumper and will help prevent footwell rub. Makes it even nicer.

Also having -0.1-0.3° camber will help with outside edge tire wear.

 

Image saved

 

Here, this one better?

 

I just spit my drink out laughing LOL

 

From the looks of it I'd run it without polishing up. Looks good.

 

Do you have a lift? If so, depending on how much with stock UCAs can be hard to get caster super positive.

 

I bet you @VR6T would sell you his front bumper. Not sure if it'll work since it's for an AC though.

Have you viewed the armor thread?
Brute Force Fab and Coastal Offroad both make great products that are high and tight. There's a few other brands too.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/1st-gen-tundra-armor-thread.50877/

I'd also be willing to trade someone in TX my Coastal front bumper plus cash for them to order a BFF front with just the center brush guard (police style, not the hoop). I love my Coastal, but I wish I had gone with the bumper I originally wanted as described from BFF. Then my sliders and rear bumper would match the front too.

In this TX heat and a black truck, I need better tint. I really want the ceramic at 5% for the windshield eyebrow, 20% on the front doors and 15% on the back windows. But first I need to solve this leak at the top of my driver side a-pillar/windshield.

Last summer I forgot an unopened can of Dr. Pepper in my black truck and it exploded. The next week I did the same in my white truck with a Coke and it didn't explode. Just goes to show how much hotter a black truck gets sitting in the sun vs a white truck sitting in the same spot.

You can always get high clearance bumpers and/or Bob the bed for the ultimate in clearance on these rigs haha

I know that all too well

What are your goals and uses for the build? That should determine your direction modding forward.

 

I took it to the shop with the SPC uca install last week with it set to C. I asked them to hit the “normal/mostly freeway” numbers mentioned. This is what I got back with a note saying that it would be maximum handling/tire wear. I know nothing so tell me what you think? 255/85/r16 on stock offset 06 16” wheels. Lifted 1-2”? (I didn’t have a stock “before” number).