New to me 03 Limited 4WD AC

Good morning all, I just wanted to introduce my latest acquisition. It's an 03 Limited w/ 214K miles, that belonged to my best friends dad, so one owner and garage kept. Overall super clean, no rust whatsoever and just a few dings and scratches here and there. I was able to buff out or hide most of them when I detailed it. We had a 17 Limited up until about a month ago when we traded it in, but the first gen is new to me. So far I'm digging it, very primitive but drives great and feels nostalgic. I've inspected the truck, changed the rack boots and rear window latches out already. I have an appointment to have the timing belt changed (I was going to do it but it's a mess and time consuming and since I didn't pay anything for the truck, I don't mind paying someone to do it.) Next will be wheels/tires and suspension, ball joints, etc. (it's all original)

 

Welcome! Nice looking truck, except for that goofy stepside. Ya either love them, or you hate them. I'm obviously the latter. Lot's of knowledge here. Be sure to read the mega thread. Tons of information in there, and will answer many of your questions. Looks like you've been around a while though, at least in the 2nd or 2.5 gen forums.

 

Welcome to the superior gen crew. I take it you've seen this already?

Four things to stress:

1. LBJs ... make sure they were replaced by now. If not, replace with OEM LBJ and fresh bolts. If they were, make 100% sure they were replaced with OEM LBJ. If they were done more than 100k miles ago, replace again, with new bolts.
2. Go over that frame with a fine tooth comb. One not-obvious place to check is the entire section of framerail where it angles up, just below the brake booster, we keep seeing cracked frames there. You may need to pop off the top of the LL splash apron to properly inspect.
3. Radiator ... if not done by now, or not done within the last 100-150k, proactively replace to avoid pink milkshake. Use Denso brand. Don't order on scAmazon or fleaBay.
4. If you plan to park outdoors, be aware of the cowl fastener leak. It's two specific fasteners on the passenger side, above the a/c air intake inside the cowl.

When you want to start digging in and making improvements, holler!

And looking at the exhaust, is that the TRD dual exhaust? If so, that's $$. The muffler rots out supposedly but it looks and sounds good.

 

Nice truck. Most of us are not fans of the step side but they are rarer and you score a nice one for a great price. Agree with Shifty’ on replacing TB and LBJs ASAP. Failure of either will destroy your truck. Only use OEM for LBJs and bolts. For the timing belt we recommend the AISIN kit from a reliable source like Summit or Rock Auto. For electrical you want only Denso. Don’t buy any Toyota parts from Scamazon or Fleabay - too many Chinese counterfeits. Suggest you read this thread:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

 

Oh yeah I've read the mega thread already. I'm having the timing belt done and plan to tackle the LBJs once it gets back from the shop. I did take a pry bay to them and there is no movement whatsoever but I'll still replace them. I agree, I'm not really a fan of the step side but I'm not going to complain about it and it is kinda growing on me. Yes, that is the TRD dual exhaust you see, he had it done at the dealer when he bought it, sounds pretty good.

 

I can't contribute to the mechanical or maintenance discussion, but I wanted to say congrats on that truck. I wouldn't have a stepside today but I like the look of that one. Beautiful classic!

 

Beds are easy enough to swap. At least once a year I'll see one in red or in green on FB Marketplace or Craigslist for $400-900 depending on condition. Sometimes they're in surprisingly good condition. Not usually as nice as yours, but ...

What I'd tell you though, is those stepsides actually look really damn good lowered, and SOS Performance has much of what you need to lower cleanly. Not saying you should, just seeding some ideas.

Overall that's a gorgeous truck. Good score! Keep that thing waxed!

 

Haha, nah I'm not going that far. I'll keep the step side, it is somewhat of a rarity. I'm not lowering it but I do plan on lifting/leveling it and changing the wheels/tires, I need to get the offset correct so they sit flush and not tucked in so much.

Alright, I have looked and searched but didn't really find the answer regarding Bilstein 5100s. Why are the Blisteins limited to 1.1" for a AC 4WD but the Eibachs (which are essentially the same thing) you can go up to 3"? I've never seen that with Bilsteins before and I've installed them on several trucks.

 

Good looking Tundra.

 

Oh and here are some more pics:

Near minty interior!

No rust to speak of

 

Looks good. Notice you have a LSD rear differential. Be sure to follow Shifty’s advice WRT fluid changes.

 

First off, the undercarriage looks great. Really really great.

RE: 5100s. 1.1" will get you damn near level. You don't need to go any higher, and you'd be doing yoruself a disservice and causing extra wear and tear you don't want. Where am I getting that from? Well, here are my 2006 AC/4WD measurements from center of hub to fender with 75k miles on it, before I lifted it:

Front D: 20.5"
Front P: 20.75
Rear D: 21.75
Rear P: 21.5​

Driver side had 1.25" discrepancy. Passenger had a 0.75" discrepancy. This is typical to be off side to side, the "Tundra lean".

If you're only lifting 1.1" you can probably get away with simply readjusting the swaybar links up a little bit. And leveling like this, it should be easy enough to tuck 265/70r17 tires on to give a full inch more sidewall, at the same width, and look pretty damn mean if you go with A/T tires.

You really don't need more than that IMHO. And you'll be doing yourself a huge favor by not lifting 1.5" or more, which would put you in a place where you need to start thinking about collateral wear & tear.

 

Yeah that's probably the direction I'm going. I think I'm going down to a 16" wheel/tire combo, I like the look of the smaller wheel bigger tire. I'm going with a 265/75/16 which is the same exact size as a 265/70/17. Trying to get rid of the old man look of the truck, haha.

 

Trust me, coming from a fellow AC/4WD owner with roughly 2" - 2¼" lift with near-33" tires (275/70r17 oversized at 32.5", and soon to be 285/70r17 at 32.8"), based on your other comments, you probably DO NOT want to go 3" or even 2". With the tire choice, I'm sitting pretty high. Kids had trouble getting in the car, wife too. (they're all 5'3" and under).

Those 5-spoke splits are some of the best OEM wheels (design-wise) Toyota ever made and at 17" and 5.0 backspace, a pretty good option. If you were to keep those and go up one size, with a 265/70r17 (31.6") A/T tire, it will look substantially meaner/truckier. I know tire size is one of those things, you don't want to dick around with, it's an investment. But generally speaking, we have a lot of 1st gen folks in that arena and happy. Better stance, taller tires, meatier look. They just lack the extra bullshit I have which other people don't want:

Road noise. Loss of MPG due to 50-75% more tire rolling weight. Extended swaybar links or swaybar delete. Aftermarket upper control arms. Diff drop. Cruise control searching/hunting/jumping gears in hilly areas due to the added weight. Speedo being miscalibrated by 5mph once you hit 60ish due to larger diameter. More jarring travel due to wider tires that are higher load rating. Having to throw on HD leaf packs to get the rear up as high as the front, giving me a stiffer ride out back.

What I've learned is, there is a threshold of diminishing returns. I'm already in it for $4k-5k on my suspension, "so what's another $500?!", and I know a lot of guys on here would tell you, "HUCK IT, HOSS! WOOOOOOH!", but if you're wanting OEM+ looks and feel, without the side effects, Bilstein 5100, 2nd or maybe 3rd notch on OEM springs, and throw some 265/70r17 nice all-terrains on those 5 spoke splits and call it a day. Worst case, you hate the look (I doubt it) and you can always get 16s with whatever meatier tire you want, then think about lifting more. Which will consist of installing lifted springs in the 5100s and running on the bottom notch. Throw some 5100s in the rear for good measure. Or if you want a more sporty suspension, go with Bilstein 6112 and run them on 2/4 settings.

I think a lot of people who haven't been-there-done-that think 1" lift is nothing. It actually is substantial. And when you toss a tire on that's 1" taller, it amplifies things to look more like 3" taller overall.

 

I've definitely been there and have done that. My '14 4Runner started out with 5100s, then I went with the 6112s (garbage and I'd never buy again) then I finally ended up with Icon coilovers. I'm not a huge fan of Bilsteins based on my experiences and I'm hesitant to buy them again but this is not my daily and they are the best option I think. My overall favorite has been Old Man Emus that I installed on my FJ but I don't want to go that far with this.

 

The OME kit for our AC 4WD trucks is not good. Here's one example why. He did everything right, and their 3/1 kit, which isn't even designed for the double cabs or Sequoia, technically, definitely showed its ass on the access cab.

You may've hated Bilstein suspension on other chassis, but the 1st gens are maybe different? OEM they all came with either KYB, or (basically) Bilstein 4600s which are virtually identical to 5100s, but different color, and notched for a circlip. It may ride like shit if you run the clip up too high, but if you generally like how coilovers ride in other vehicles, maybe it'll be cool with you.

I've seen all of 1, maybe 2 people on here complain about the ride with 5100s. For every 20 people who like or love how they run, there's one who'll complain or be indifferent.

 

I like the ride of the Bilsteins, I just had issues with the quality of them. The anti-corrosive finish didn't hold up for crap on any of the Bilsteins I've had (4 sets), I had a spring break on my 6112s and then when I went to change them out, the shaft of the shock unthreaded and blew out.

 

Ah, you're in salt country. Yeah, the 5100 and 6112 won't hold up for shit without treatment. I've seen pictures of what the rust belt does to brushed metal shock/coilover bodies. It's not limited to Billies.

If you prefer a painted finish and you're cool with assembling your own, get 4600s, go buy some OME 2883 springs to load in them, and get a KYB isolator and tophat kit. You'll get roughly the same level, but the shocks and springs and isolators will all be powdercoated or painted.

 

I wouldn't say we are in the rust belt, at least not that far north but we do have our years. Maybe I'll try applying a clear to them before installing.

 

A few updates to the new ride. I had the timing belt service completed, changed out the LBJs for another set of Toyota ones, new sway bar bushings, Bilstein 5100s and of course the new set of wheels/tires.

 

If those new bushings are poly, make sure you use poly-safe grease on them anywhere they may touch metal, unless you love squeaking.

Truck looks great!

 

Are the front tires touching the A-arm? Are you running a thin spacer?

 

Dang that looks great. Did you reuse your stock front springs? What circlip did you go with?

I’ll be in the minority but I like the step side especially that color with the bigger wheels

 

Nope and nope, wheel and offset fit perfectly without rubbing anything.

 

Yep stock springs and I went with the third clip which it says is the highest I can go with a 4wd AC. Yeah same here, I've never like the flare side but now it's lifted with bigger tires I think it looks pretty good.

 

I think my 5100s on second clip are too stiff for my liking. How does it feel for you on the 3rd?

 

Are you missing cotter pin on LBJ.

 

I was told to point bottom spring perch 180* from where u have it. I think josh @ firstgenoffroad mentioned that. Not sure how important it it. Very clean truck.

 

Nope, it's there, that's the butt end.

Huh, never heard that before, not sure what difference that would make.

I think it's pretty much like stock, maybe a hair stiffer.

 

Me neither. I have just heard it a few times. But, you know.... on the internet....