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

If I did that in my driveway, my whole backside would be bloodied.

 

M'fers keep stealing my Toyota receiver covers, so I finally resorted to using a blank one.

 

I pressed the old UBJ out and the new one in with the c clamp style press and associated couplers. Like this:
https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...MI1Mu5yryyiwMVtCvUAR0j-iMfEAQYByABEgKscfD_BwE

And this

https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...MIybmP_ryyiwMVPS7UAR1yTTLbEAQYASABEgLp5fD_BwE

but just rent them, don’t buy them.
And make sure everything is straight. I pressed one in kinda wonky and it turned out fine but I was puckered up a little bit while I was doing it.

And you have to take the whole knuckle out. The press won’t fit in the fender. And cut the threaded bit off the UBJ before you press it out or it’ll just pivot all over the place when you start to press it.

 

How much are these weighing in at?

 

Yeah, the last one I had was on there a whole 2 days.

 

Replaced the belt molding. Same ones as @DBombs from Trail Runner Customs. Same slight misfit. Quality feels decent, just not quite right at the 'rear of the rear'. Not a major thing, but if you are persnickety, these may not be for you. I imagine a little heat would help form them, but I don't care enough for that.

Noticed my passenger steering rack boot was torn when I was looking for the non-existent transmission thermostat the other day. That part arrived today so installed that. New clamps too. Also ordered one for the other side, but haven't put that on yet as it's not torn so not urgent. May do it tomorrow.

Was going to do the diff oil, but when I opened the fill plug, a little trickled out and it looked brand new, so PO must have done it. Decided to save the new gear oil for later. Did replace the breather thingy though.

Also, when I got the truck, it was missing those little covers for the stake holes in the bed rails. So, when I ordered the steering rack boots, I added those to take it over $75 for free shipping. I had intended to wait for the next sale, but needed the boot right away, so they only ended up costing a few bucks thanks to the savings on shipping. So put those in too!

 

I'm guessing somewhere round 60# a piece, Ill weigh one when I take them off for paint.

Definitely hurting my weight weenie status.

 

Honestly that’s not that bad. I would’ve figured more than that.

 

I agree with cutting off the old one coming out, makes it so much easier.
Did I just get lucky? I didn't have to remove the knuckle/spindle. The clamp screw was about an inch or so away from the fender but enough room.

 

I didn’t lean mine out like that. I don’t have enough brain cells to think of that. “Me shade tree mechanic. Clamp don’t fit. Must remove knuckle”

 

I could tell stories about things I've done just like that or worse... I get it.

 

Don't feel bad. Conventional wisdom around here is to remove the knuckle. `shifty recommended it so I went ahead and did it when I replaced my UBJs. Depending on the truck, depending on the clamp kit, depending on how much you want to bend stuff and be working in cramped positions etc., it can be done either way.

But even though it feels like a huge thing to take the knuckle off, I think I had it off in 15 minutes once I was in there. An extra half hour on each side to have all the room you want is worth it to me. There are some jobs I'd do things the opposite and do whatever I can to avoid taking off that "optional" part to make things easier. But for the UBJ, at least on 4wd trucks, I'm pro-'remove the knuckle'.

 

It was a while ago so I don't remember it clearly, but I think I popped the CVs off the diff to max the distance? And if you go by the "one use" on the LBJ bolts and properly re-torqueing the axle nut... I think that's why I went that route.
I didn't have a vise at the time... or a proper torque wrench. I was just winging it

 

Yeah. My word for the year is COMMIT. Just do it. Make pretty good plan and do it. Don’t get lost in the weeds for hours trying to make the perfect plan. Take the knuckle off. I’ve always been an analysis paralysis guy and I’m trying to fight that this year.

 

I did one of my UBJs in place without removing anything else and it was probably one of the worst automotive jobs I’ve ever done. I’m sure it’s worth a few extra steps to take more apart and gain better access.
I never did the other side, didn’t need it but would have liked to. I used a Moog for the one I did… I know… it’s what was available in a hurry. I would like to replace them both with OEM at some point.

 

Gave it its first bath in years. Will have to was a few more times to really see the white. It’s squatting because I left about 500lbs in the back (which I’ve decided to go ahead and remove…. Our weather goes South on Tuesday and this being 2WD….. well let’s just say I’d rather have the 4Runner.). BTW…I use one of those lawn sprinklers underneath after Winter weather just to was away any possible salt. You know the type that go back and forth. Any rate here she is semi- clean for now.

 

I love the proportions of the RCLB.

You may want to look into an add a leaf of a heavier leafs if you have 500lbs of load on the regular. Thats quite a bit of squat!

 

I thought the same thing, I actually left the weight in because the I’ve been fish tailing at stop lights. It’s so light in the back end that the V8 wants to get out from under me…. But it is fun!!..

 

Super clever setup with the socket and isolator cup to prevent the UBJ spindle from walking!

Yeah, I can tell you from experience, on my 2006, that wasn't possible. I couldn't clear the fender flares. It probably would've been possible with the CV axle popped out, but with it attached, I wouldn't have had enough movement outward to clear the flare. I tried a bunch of different ways of clocking it, and it seems if you pitch the knuckle out at about the same direction and angle as the windshield and in the same direction back/outward, that's your best bet to attempt it. I wouldn't do it without two pairs of hands, one to stabilize the C-clamp part of the press, and the cups.

That said, I've posted several times, some guy with a Sequoia who shows how to do it.

 

I bent my friends 'antique' vice to the point of making it useless trying to clamp the knuckle down tight enough to keep it from moving. Soon after I did mine, someone else here did theirs and when I saw the photos of how they clamped theirs I realized I made it harder for myself than I needed to...but oh well.

I still don't personally own a vice. Nothing about the UBJ job is easy, unless you've done it before and have all the right tools. Even with all the research I did on this site, getting the "correct" press kit from the parts store etc., I still had to kind of fudge it. Nothing was "just right". But it worked.

Luckily the UBJ job is really a once-in-a-Tundras-lifetime job. When I sold my Tacoma at 330,000 miles it still had the originals. But when I bought the Tundra at 225,000 the boots were cracked and the joint was dry, so it had to happen. But I'll bet a lot of first gen owners could get away with never having to do it.

 

I love the regular cabs. It's what got me looking at first gen Tundras in the first place. But the one that caught my eye, and any other than came up after, either had rotted frames or were 2wd.

I guarantee you're going to be either looking at new leaf springs, or add-a-leaf. These trucks were never meant for real weight, they're now pretty old, and my experience with Tacomas and Tundras of this era is that it only takes a little overloading of the leaf springs to completely blow them. I saw your post where you had 2,000lbs in there. I wouldn't be surprised if you started hitting your bumpstops whenever you go over bumps in the road soon.

 

Attended "Rigs and coffee" this morning. This kind of thing is uncommon around here, so a pleasant surprise that it was about 90% Toyotas.Probably around 25-30 vehicle's, lots of taco's, 4runners, 2.5 gen tundras. Saw a bunch of aftermarket parts in one place which has the creative juices flowin'.

 

Over here it's Caffeine & Octane. The youngest is a fanatic, so we're usually at a few per year. They happen once a month. Strangely not a lot of Toyotas in the FJ/LC/Tundra/Taco/T4R vein. Sometimes a classic LC but ...

Tons of FRS and 86, though. Both in the show, and in the parking lot. Typically a lot of the neg-camber LS430 brodudes too. Always up to 300-400 cars.

 

I may have worded that funny. The street car guys have them often in the warmer months, but this was geared towards Overland/offroad stuff. I don't idle well, but all in all a fun hour to take a lap of the parking lot with dale and chat a bit.

 

Any more pics of the meet?

 

No, sorry. Im really bad about taking pictures I'll do better.
There was a nice 80 series and a Prado that you guys would have loved to see.

 

I do quite miss the Sunday morning cars & coffee events I go to in the summer. It’s run by an organization specifically for pre-1995 European cars only. They’re strict on it too. Really neat because you won’t see old guys with corvettes or stance kids with slammed LS400s.

They really like that I’m a younger guy with this older car. They often give me a really good spot, sometimes next to Ferraris or Porsches worth at least a few million.

 

A Porsche 356 is one incredible looking car, and possibly my favorite ever.