Underbody on 2001 w/115K Original Miles

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently thinking about making an offer on a used 2001 Tundra SR5 (AC) with 115,000 original miles. The truck is a one-owner and has lived in Southern California its entire life; the seller has been incredibly forthcoming and provided a complete maintenance history.

I'm an out-of-town buyer, so the seller provided several pictures of the condition of the underbody, suspension, etc. My question is: Would any of this scare you away, or is this about as good as you might hope for from a near 25 year-old truck?

Thanks in advance.

 

Not seeing pics. You can use the 'Upload a File' button in the chat box to share pics. Upload as many as you like in a row to compile multiple in one reply.

 

Dont trust people. Trust your eyes and ears.

 

No pics would scare me.

 

Ok pics are there now.

8-9 out of 10 for me on quality of frame. There’s overall some evidence of surface rust but nothing I’m seeing that’s catastrophic. Front end needs suspension work, nothing major, typical, but will cost a few grand. Consult here before proceeding, since the lower ball joints are a massive concern; you should replace; need to use fresh hardware, and CANNOT use aftermarket parts for that item.

I’d need to look on a larger screen to see if anything jumps out at me.

Also note the rear diff is LSD. You CANNOT use any-old-fluid in it else you’ll get chatter. And don’t just Willy-nilly use slip additive in it because you read it’s OK to do so (it’s not advised to use unless you have chatter).

Timing belt, water pump, tensioner, pulleys should already be done. It was due at 9yrs/90k miles. If not already done, dealership will charge $1,800 - 2,400 on average for those things depending on locale. Failure to replace timing belt can boat-anchor your low-interference engine there. DO NOT accept verbal that it’s done. You need to see proof. Some ppl confuse timing belt and serpentine belt. Two totally different things.

Low mileage isn’t a good thing on trucks this old. More issues with rubber/seal rot and engine sludge. 125k-175k is about right. This isn’t far off.

 

Thanks, Shifty.

Yes, can confirm via sticker, receipts, and vehicle history report that timing belt, serpentine belt, water pump, tensioner, and pulleys we’re all done at 105K miles.

LBJs (OEM) would be the very first thing I’d do. I daily an 01 Tacoma and just replaced the LBJs on that one recently, so I’m very familiar with the importance of doing so on these trucks.

 

So where’s the rust to be concerned about?

I see new Ford pickups on the dealer lots with more rust underneath.

 

Looking at a big screen now. Man, I never realized how open it is up under the truck on 2WD trucks not having the transfer case, driveshaft, CV axles and front diff under there!! Holy crap. It looks so weird after staring at the underside of my truck for more than 5-6 years now

Seeing the side of the transmission pan like that caught me off guard. It's just sitting there, like, "HEY, I'M A TRANSMISSION PAN!"

 

@shifty` What kind of “typical” front end suspension work do you think it needs (maybe outside of upper/lower ball joints and control arms)?

 

Frames looks good in the limited pics shown. Place to look is under bed above spare where crossmember is. LBJs like need replacement and perhaps out tie rod ends. Can’t really see the rubber bushings but at this age they may be due. I’d definitely pull a timing cover. Also drain and fill fluids. As Shifty notes, use Lucas LSD oil for rear diff. Post more pics. We don’t mind critiquing on this site.

 

Those are the only pics I have at the moment. They came from the seller as part of a recent inspection he had done prior to listing the truck for sale.

 

Bryan nailed it here. I'd mark up your pic for a sec.

Blue box, you're over 100k miles, it's time to replace the front struts, blue box. Bilstein 4600 will give you OEM-equivalent ride (no lift, maintain the factory rake), it's nearly identical to what came on our 1st gens originally, though you get the same factory KYB's my 2006 had. Re-use the OEM springs and tophats/isolators.

Yellow box, swaybar links. Note the rubber bushings at the top are absolutely fucked, rubber is rotten as shit. Careful what brand you pick.

Red box, outer tie rods. I suspect their rubber boot is dried and cracked up, you can see how the grease has crawled up the arm via capillary action.

And of course the LBJ and their 4 bolts each, as you mentioned. If you do the work yourself, you're looking at about $500 for a pair of struts up front. LBJ with hardware should put you around $300 for OEM. Tie rod ends and swaybar links (or just the bushing if the link is good) are $150-$300 depending.

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This is so helpful. Can’t thank you enough.

 

@shifty`
I guess the dumb question is the one that isn't asked. So I will ask! What identified it to you as an LSD? Unless I am missing something, I did not see the sticker. I see a faded sticker at the 10 O'clock area, but I thought all of them came with some form of sticker at one point.
Reason I ask is I intend to replace the diff fluid on mine, as I don't have proof of service history. My diff looks like that, and has a faded sticker at 9'0clock.
However, four things make me think mine is not LSD. 1) I raise the rear and turn one wheel, the other turns in the opposite direction. 2) There is no mention of it when I go to 'My Toyota' and put in my VIN, 3) The fact that I have seen several photos of the LSD sticker and it is 'tall and thin' and several of the pics show evidence of a second sticker. My faded sticker was shorter and wider. 4) My 'A' code on the door jamb is A01A and as far as I have been able to research, although the meanings of the letters have changed by model/year, everything I have found so far, the last letter being an 'A' has been consistent in meaning open differential.

Not intending to hijack at all, but thought it was at least tangentially related to the thread. Just wondered what the 'tell' was.
That and I have 4 quarts of Valvoline 75-140 ready......

 

Valid, good call on that one. I assumed that sticker was it actually, but the sticker is typically just above the fill plug now you mention it, and there's a corrosion/peel spot almost in the shape of the LSD sticker in the spot it should be on his. More after the pic...

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If you worry if you have LSD, then know this: All your factory drivetrain info is directly on your driver door jamb stickers.

The breakdown using the door sticker in my truck is HERE, though the stickers vary from year to year, so check the reply below my sticker to see other examples.

You're interested in the "A/TM" number, specifically. I believe the distinction is as simple as "ends in A, it's open, ends in B it's LSD", at least for our trucks. You see the two examples in that link I gave. Mine is A03B, I've got LSD. The other truck on sticker below it, A03A, should be open diff? The 1st letter is the ring gear size, 2nd + 3rd digit is the axle ratio ID, the 4 letter identifies whether it is locked, open, LSD.

Side tidbit: That number will also tell you your gear ratio. I want to say @whodatschrome broke all that down at some point but I may be wrong. Like ...

A03A is 3.91 open diff
A01A is 4.10 open diff
A03B is 3.91 LSD

Of course, you can always chock your front wheels, jack up the ass-end of the truck at the diff/pumpkin, throw the truck in Neutral, and spin a wheel. If both spin the same direction, you have LSD. If they spin opposite directions ... open diff.

Edit to add, I found this axle code doc for 2000-2004 trucks but not sure how accurate it is. I couldn't find similar for 2005-2006 trucks.

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Thanks shifty'. Yup, my A (axle) code ends in an A and the wheels spun in opposite directions when I did the 'lift and turn' test. I'm a lot more comfortable now using the 75-140 I acquired.

 

Man, the PTSD is real

 

Yeah man, but respect and kudos to you for getting yours swapped after it grenaded. I dunno what you paid, but @evanhmn was saying his local Yota (private, non-dealer) shop is $6k all-in for a freshly rebuilt 100k mile trans. (installed)

 

$1800 shipped

 

@shifty` If I could bother you (or anyone else here, really) with one more question: Based on what I've shared here, what would you feel comfortable offering the seller? He has it listed for $15K, which I sort of understand in this market, but would also never pay myself.

 

Underbody looks untainted

I’d walk at 15k and not look back. He has it listed that high he won’t take any reasonable offers. See if it’s still listed in a month

 

The price is typical for SoCal trucks. And the rust I see is typical for what you'd see out of a truck in a seaside area with salt in the air, or where the driver periodically drives on or near the beach.

While I tend to agree with @MEWaters because I'm always hunting a deal, I'd totally pay that much if it was 4WD, if there are no clean-framed options in your area, and you're OK with paying 'rust tax' (i.e. more $$ from a market with known-clean frames), I'd probably do it. But I'd really need to see more pics of the interior to get a feel for condition. The fact it's one-owner, (no accidents, straight body?), only 115k miles on it, well-maintained, not rusty, and apparently only needs expected maintenance for the age, the market is in the seller's favor here....

I assure you, if that guy listed the truck on Bring a Trailer's website, he'd probably get within $1k of his ask price. He will get that much $$ in SoCal, eventually. But if you wanted to use the front end rebuild stuff as a means to cut $1k off, and you're brazen enough to throw out the offer, $14k? If you don't think tossing out an offer will spook the seller, go for it. $14k is probably a fair sale/buy to both parties. I think $13k is the better deal for a buyer. I think $15k is the better deal for the seller.

You must also consider this seller may already have other potential buyers lined up, but he's doing you a solid by keeping in touch. Again ... pricing is market specific and most people prefer to deal locally.

 

Thanks, @shifty`— FWIW, it is a 2WD truck with no paint oxidation whatsoever, an immaculate interior, plus towing package, and a bed cover.

 

Honestly, some will think I'm crazy, but I think the price is actually pretty fair. I personally would like to get it at $14k knowing it'd probably fetch in the $14k-16k range on the BaT auction site. But yeah, you'll be dropping about $1k into suspension to get the front end up to date within the first 1-2 years, so ... your call. You don't find accident-free trucks with solid options, notably low mileage, immaculate paint and interior, and good maintenance upkeep, that are virtually rust-free these days. That comes with a premium. This is one of those times I'd tell you to trust your gut.

 

I appreciate the input. Gonna' mull it over and will provide an update on what I decide to do.

 

Personally, I couldn’t invest that much into a vehicle knowing if it ever got totaled I wouldn’t recoup that money back via insurance.

 

No way I’d pay that much for a 2wd. Market has to be more like $12k.

 

Given all the problems with new trucks, Tundras included, 15K for a 1st gen Tundra with low miles and a clean frame sounds like a pretty good deal. What else can you buy nowadays for 15K in the truck department? Many examples of the early Tundras making 300K plus miles with just basic maintenance. That's why I still have mine after 24 years now. New trucks are stupid expensive and not very reliable anymore, IMO because of emission requirements, both noise and air quality requiring crazy complexity.

 

You can buy a really nice 4wd first gen.

 

This line of thinking is also why everything is so expensive now. Things don’t have commonly accepted values. People just pay more for things cause they can. Houses, cars, everything.