1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

Now the eternal question... Bathe yourself in grease and reboot it or buy the assembly. If you lengthen your axle shafts you only have one choice. There's a reason my cv boots are pulled further to the center of the shaft. I want them to last long. I hate that job!

 

Honestly these were cracked to hell to begin with. I’m amazed they lasted over a year since the lift. I have boots. You know what I’m doing

 

Make sure you have Hulk Hogan with you when you put the new boots on cause the straps on those suckers are so hard to tighten properly.

then again, that’s just my experience with Toyota Straps

 

I’ve done the boots quite a few time. I know what to expect lol. I dread doing them. BUT. I hate aftermarket

 

Does anyone make shackle mounts to replace the factory tow hook up front?

 

I was just looking at my one tow hook today thinking that. Should I have two hooks and should the hook be bent to the passenger wheel? Lol. Think mines been ‘used’

 

Yes.
I could of used front shackles today moving shit in the barn. Got me thinking

 

I hope to make the Tacoma look like that tomorrow - but without needing a tow.
Tonight's prep -

 

Yeah I figured. I just thought you might want have some serious cv joint fun. If shipping wasn't crazy I'd ask if you wanted to sell the old cv when you replace it.

 

What are y’all running for tie rod ends? Any reason not to use moog?

that total chaos kit is sexy but I have no plans to go long travel lol

 

I just went Moog. Nothing fancy. Just get an alignment afterwards

 

speaking of parts...it looks like my radiator is starting to weep at the top cap. OEM here or is it worth it to go aftermarket? @empty_lord

 

Just curious, is that from not using one of these?
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SER...WHMXY8L7wJ4KKH8Dqzrxpf6snsLCqzxoCO5UQAvD_BwE&
I once had my shocks, water pump and timing belt(my cost) replaced under warranty only to find a boot strap missing when grease was getting flung out of my cv boot as I started to drive away from the dealer. Brought it back 2 minutes later to have them replace the missing strap that was there when I brought the truck in for repair. Twice replaced since it wasn’t tightened down correctly. The third time I had to wait over the weekend for a new strap to come in and the tech who had the right tool to tighten it. They gave me a rental for the weekend for my inconvenience. A lot of money/time wasted for a ~$5 strap that couldn’t be tightened correctly.

 

Lol... I’ve been trying to find a oem axe for the driver side

 

Denso aftermarket. Unless you want to go custom like me


Actually CSF makes an all aluminum
For the double cabs

 

Hear me out on this. Nothing wrong with spending on a Custom Radiator ($600-1k). They do have weld problems per reviewers long term. Also, fitment isn’t perfect. One of the custom companies has a lifetime warranty. Possible backordered. It doesn’t cool any better than the Optimum Engine Temp of 180°+/- .

Main reason for Radiator? To cool her. I went from an 8 year old Denso to a new Denso and the temps dropped from 195-200° to average 181-185°. Cost $140. I’ll replace it again in about 6 years when this new one is on its 3rd Coolant refresh (every 2 years). New radiators cool better.

Point: New Denso isn’t sexy but it cools down to the proper Optimal 180° temps for the engine. Save your money and buy a Denso and 5 more down the road for the same cost as Custom. Or buy a Custom and I’ll give you a Thumbs Up!

 

No experiance with CSF since it didn’t fit mine. But my custom ordered Oregon performance radiator has been flawless. But again. $$$. But god damn does it fit good.



you will burn the shit out of yourself on an aluminum though. Fair warning

 

May I suggest a new brake pad upgrade?

 

Yea but then the rotors become the wear item

 

I have no desire or need for a custom so Denso it will be. I’ll check around. Thanks.

Also, here is the problem I have with buying locally, Napa doesn’t have the denso in stock and it’s $258 from them…I can get the same part number radiator from the rainforest for $140! Makes it hard to buy locally when I try to pinch pennies and the spread is so big.

Also, going to replace the upper/lower hoses as well as the T-stat and gasket...anything else I should order for this?

 

T stay, upper and lower hose, new clamps from Toyota (don’t use use damn worm clamps.. they destroy hoses)

 

Do they still exist? I rebooted one of my factory axles and one I got from ebay that supposedly had under 100k. I should still have a pile of parts around here somewhere in case one of mine goes bad. What the hell I do when getting a decent factory joint is impossible is beyond me. I guess that's the day I make my own spindles and convert it to d44 hubs with toyota inners and I joints.

If that day comes... I'm going to need 3" bypasses and new coilovers. That's the next rubicon for me. Or maybe it's cutting the back frame off? Who knows.

 

I bought mine through Local Stealership Parts Programme ($144) order the Replacement Radiator not the High Dolla one thats the same Radiator. Prices have risen since last Sept.

 

you can still get OEM reman for $$$ from toyota i believe... a used set is fine for me. i'll just reboot. but shipping usually kills them.. want some with no rust or anything... i hate dealing with rusty parts lol

 

Getting the out of the cv joint that's held in by that tension ring... I hate that part. Not sure if there's a better way, but I used the "slam it against the ground while it's supported by a pipe" method. There are chips in the concrete by the bench I was working on from all the slams against the ground. The side with the clip that you can expand is easy.

 

wheels back on the taco after 5 years.

 

That pic creates a weird optical illusion. It looks like the driver's side of the frame is bent down and the right rear shackle is about 5" farther forward.

 

No illusion there...I believe that frame is straight from Compton, ghetto lean edition. More rare than the Darrell Waltrip edition.

 

Ah - the new parental App to slow the car when the kids are driving too fast.
So much better than my friends app that only let him see that his kid was speeding, but couldn't do anything about it.

 

Got the Taco dirty & a few branch kisses today. Couple of wet crossings, but no real mud. Ended when Po Po said go & don't come back no more. Oops.
Tundra totally wouldn't have fit. Don't think I've used 4L on the Taco before. maybe - I'm old, I forget. Glad that front diff leak was found & fixed last week.