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

Did some research and tinted headlights are illegal in my state and just about every other state in the Union.

 

Any alteration to headlights is illegal, even projector upgrades. Realistically tinting will decrease output but something like a bhlm doesn't hurt a bit.

 

Yep. Had to bend that ‘reflector/protective’ bracket out of the way first. I installed a T10 and bent the bracket back. Put a piece of foil tape on the bracket and its reflecting/enhancing the light nicely.

 

Hey guys! Ive been off the forums for awhile, but I'm back at it. Got my leveling 5100s in the mail today! How big of a pain is it to fit them back on the truck? I have no problem compressing springs, but if it is a huge struggle to put them in I was gonna pay my local 4 wheel parts to install. I tried spacers first because I was being cheap and for the life of me I could not get that bottom bolt back in, same issue when putting in 5100s on the top setting, or does it go in much easier?

 

A little trick I learned a few years back is to use your OEM spare tire bottle jack between the upper control arm and the inner fender. Crank that sucker down until your bottom bolt lines up, it's a piece of cake. Without that, you have to disassemble the upper control arm from the knuckle and it makes it a bigger PITA.

 

Never have replaced shocks before but from watching vids the back looks easy. The front is a different matter. Depends on rusted bolts etc. Personally, I paid someone to do my shocks when they rebuilt the entire front end. Maybe try the backs and see how you feel?

 

This and the bolt goes in easier the opposite direction from removed.

 

Thanks! Bottle jack never crossed my mind when I was trying the spacers. So yall leave the ball joints completely intact when yall did them?
I've played with cars plenty in recent years, but on my previous project cars I always went lower. Got a tundra and now I'm going up!

Added a few screenshots from my IG of previous projects. Hope yall dont mind the non tundra content!

 

I wanna see more of the nissans! Post up in the other builds section.

 

Had them replace (for safety) the lower ball joints as they were the factory recalled (replaced) ones with 130k on them. Had them check the upper ball and tie rods and all is good there.

 

It was a 2 man job when I did em on my 99 taco

 

My buddy and i jammed a crowbar in the UCA and he stood on it while I put the bolt in the bottom of the coilover lol

 

Idk what the big deal is. Maybe it's harder for 4wd? I disconnected the sway bar and put a foot on the lower arm, no problems.

Got some stuff in my trunk to install soon


Old bearings were thrashed. ABS rings were fine but I put new ones in anyway.

 

When I installed mine, I suffered with a rented spring compressor and could not do it. So I took them to NAPA and they put them in for me for a few bucks in a few minutes. Rest of the removal and installation was pretty straightforward.

 

I replaced the sway bar end links in 30 minutes, and decided I might as well try to do the rear shocks. I suffered for hours - top nuts were seized. I was able to cut them with a sawzall on the driver side, but my blade wouldn't reach on the passenger side. Struggled for 2 hours with a hand saw - those shock bolts and nuts have a force field around them and are made out of kryptonite-reinforced titanium. Just learned that they sell longer sawzall blades *$&^^(*&*(&8$@. I have a Lowe's 2 minutes from home, I could have easily saved myself a lot of grief. Lesson learned.

Now I have 5100's front and back, new sway bar end links, new spark plugs, new engine oil, and am waiting for a nice day to replace diff oil, transfer case oil, and transmission fluid.

Enjoyed some rust as well, but I guess it's not as bad as some others have it. Should I do anything about this?

 

Holy Bearing

 

I’d get the surface rust off (wire wheel) and get a good layer of paint going to prevent it from getting worse!

 

Any paint in particular? I just started the research on this, I keep hearing about “spraying oil” over the frame. I’d love to stop it from spreading.

 

POR-15 is what a lot of people use. POR = "paint over rust". If you do an internet search starting with this, you'll encounter other options and a lot of opinions about best options, best prep, that one time at Band Camp....

 

Thanks!

 

You're welcome! Keep us posted on what you do.

 

Exactly my thoughts. Wondering if the mine look like this. Trying to wait another 40k before doing them.

 

I have an 02’. For years I’d go under and spray flat black Rustoleum on the frame every few years. Changed to spraying/using Fluid Film and rubbing is in with a rag. Now, I’ve combo’d to rubbing grease on everything I can reach as its a protective layer ontop of the Fluid Film penetrant. The frame looks nice and dark shiny.

In your case, things look bubbly so you may need to wire brush (or wire wheel if you have drill) and scrape the flake off. Then do the above.

 

This POR stuff has great reviews. I’ve considered it, but man thats alot of work. Plus, its hard to get the product in hard to reach places where a spray penetrant can easily get to with way less effort.

 

Check your rear differential breather to make sure its operational. Mine was stuck in the closed position which lead to my rear axle seals blowing out due to pressure/heat build up.

 

That is on the list - I need to change diff oil so I’ll go under for that soon.

Diff oil, transfer case oil, transmission fluid, throttle body clean, pcv valve replacement - that’s what’s left on my maintenance list, other than dealing with rust.

I know I probably should include both control arms and joints, but I’m too scared of what I’ll find - I don’t want to do any more wrenching in 30-40 degree weather. Other things will have to wait for spring/summer.

 

I’m really interested in one and done solution.

I found

$114 Magnet Paint & Shellac UCP99-01 Chassis Saver Paint Gloss Black, 1 Gallon Can

this - apparently it needs way less prep than por-15. That’s interesting to me because I don’t think I have the patience or the means to prep the chassis proper for a por-15 application.

 

I’m thinking angle grinder, wire wheel and... that’s where I can’t decide. Fluid Film looks great, but it’s a yearly application sort of thing. I loath yearly application sort of things if alternatives exist. Heck, I only buy perennials for my yard as I’m too lazy to plant annuals

 

Asked Toyota for a price on alignment cams and they were well over $200, that's just murder. Ordered up a set of SPC kits from Wheelers for $70, I can live with that. I'll let everybody know how they are after install.

 

What part of the assembly are these, what do they do?