New Member 05 DC 4x4

Hey everyone,

New member here. Just bought my 05 DC Limited 4x4 and had it shipped here to Lexington, SC.

Im building a BTTF tribute Tundra. Happy to be here and look forward to sharing with the group and getting everyone’s input.

 

https://www.tundras.com/media/albums/purchase-pictures.20225/

Not sure if this is the correct way to share my first album.

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Welcome aboard! Already a stunner of a first gen. Shame to mess with that, but hey, you gotta make it your own.

 

Thank you. I was very lucky to find it. Mods won’t be anything too in depth, mainly cosmetic. I’m looking forward to the project.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

Welcome from Texas!



My favorite FGT is black, but I'm bias

 

The only thing that concerns me, right off the bat is this garbage I've circled in red OP, look at the front struts and see if there is a spacer between the strut and the mount. I bet there is.



So ... you wanna buy / just bought a 1st Gen Tundra, eh? | Toyota Tundra Forum

• This was said earlier, some lifts to avoid: Avoid Rancho struts, and maybe all of their stuff, the lower bushings on their 1GT truck kits blow out, fast. Avoid Rough Country kits. They're cheap as hell, and too many people have come here with damage or issues from the kits, which is unfortunate when you can pay a hundred or two more for a solid Bilstein 5100 kit.
• Other things to avoid for moderate offroading: Strut spacers --- talk with a pro before mixing spacers with a lift kit. Skip lifting blocks, add-a-leaf is a better option, while a new leaf spring pack is ideal. As mentioned above, the "HD" springs from ATS are well-proven by forum members. If using blocks or strut spacers, and even wheel spacers, aim for steel vs. alloy parts if possible.

• Don't be tempted by cheap lifts. Brands like Rancho, Rough Country (not to be confused w/Tuff Country) triggered threads by people who had issues with and/or damaged their truck using those brands. It's not worth the 10%-30% savings, considering you'll pay more than that on consequences.

 

@The Black Mamba first of all, THANK YOU. That is the knowledge I am here for.

you are 100% correct on all observations. The dealer had everything installed prior to listing it and from my understanding, this truck came to him bone stock. I bought it for the overall condition of the truck, not the aesthetic lift. I will absolutely follow your guidance here.

Ball joints were replaced when the lift was installed but my plan was to swap over to the Total Chaos Uniball fronts as soon as I can afford it. I was thinking about doing their UCA kit with coilovers and LCAs at the same time. Rip the bandaid off and get the cheap stuff out.

I appreciate your input and look forward to sharing the build.

-Travis

 

Can we see pics of said ball joints? I doubt they are OEM and I would not recommend driving on non-OEM for any distance. Please see this thread. Not as a scare tactic, but for knowledge. Also, unless you're planning to go LT, the TC lowers and uniballs are nice, but over kill. I run the OEM LBJs TC uppers, SPC lowers and 4600s on OME 2885s up front (but that's me) with 5100s rear. Others will give you plenty of other options, opinions and advise.

EDIT: One thing to keep in mind with my set up is I have a much lighter truck upfront than you, even with the winch and damage multiplier.

 

Absolutely. I’ll get some pictures when I get home today.

I did look into the kit SRQ has with 5100s, TC uppers and the add a leaf option instead of the TC kit with the coilovers. $1k cheaper and it comes with 5100s for the rear.

my goal ultimately is to build in as much reliability & durability with the parts installed. I won’t be doing anything aggressive off-road, but I want to maximize performance and handling while maintaining reliability.

thank you again for the guidance and I’ll have those pictures posted this evening.

 

sorry for the funky angle, its hot as hell today and my driveway is a bit toasty.

If the quality of the lift is any indication, these probably arent quality ball joints.

I'm learning as much as I can about the ball joint/uniball topic and so far, the uniball design seems to be the choice if cost wasnt a factor.

The truck will not see anything but the streets of the South Carolina midlands for probably the next year as I save for a proper suspension setup so hopefully the stress will be minimal. I have a VW MK6 Golf TDI as a commuter (also a project as the DPF is clogged so thats getting removed in 2 weeks) so the truck will see light use until it gets better parts installed.

 

Welcome from NC that truck is boss

Options for pics:

leave the link you posted as-is

or

Edit this post and add the pics at any time.