Cruiseroutfit's 2004 Tacoma - Build Retrospect & Goodbye

[cruiseroutfit]

All dressed up for the ball - December, 2013 (Photo by Johnny Lange)

Finally getting around to posting a 'build thread' at a most ironic time... she moved to a new owner today. This build text/pics originally appeared in a 3 parts Tacoma Magazine (now TCT Magazine) series, copied here for posterity, discussion and goodbye.

Tacoma II Build Retrospective

Background:

My Tacoma story started over a decade ago now, it was 2001 when my father purchased a gently used 1996 V6 ExtraCab. He enjoyed the truck but as fate would have it I ended up buying the truck from him a few years later and was instantly addicted to the platform. It was originally intended as a daily-driver/part-runner though it soon became a trusted transport into the back country as well. The factory rear springs had the typical sag and eventually cracked under the loads I had in store for them, thus an OME suspension was one of the first modifications my father and I installed on the truck. From there it was a slow build, an ARB front bumper and winch, sliders and a rear bumper. Accessories such as a snorkel, communications and on-board-air followed suit. For five years the truck would haul me all over the west, commuting to school every day, hauling a bed full of Land Cruiser axles back from California or engine blocks to the machine shop. I put nearly 150,000 miles on the truck before passing it along to a good friend who has made it right at home with regular doses of abuse and the less than occasional car wash. Rather than a continuous build thread I'm choosing to retrospectively look back at the truck, the modifications and the repairs I've experienced over the last 7 years. I'm not going to detail my reasoning or install choice for each and every mod rather just highlight and briefly touch on a few aspects, if there is something that warrants more detail ask away, I'll gladly offer my thoughts.

Clean slate, ready for some love - Spring 2007

Acquisition:

In the early months of 2007 my needs had morphed. My wife and I had brought home Jada, our now 100+ lb German Shepherd traveling companion, and the Extra-Cab just wouldn't work for us and we needed something with 4 doors. Not only was I looking for a double-cab but I wanted something a few years newer and 100% stock with much lower miles. Keep in mind this truck was intended to be comfortable on the road including highways speeds and economy at full-load as well as capable in a wide variety of off-road terrain. Basically I wanted to start over and recreate my previous truck but on a low mileage 4 door chassis. At the time, the resale value of a low mileage 1st generation 4 door and the newer 2nd generation 4 door was almost a wash. I had some experience modifying the newer 2nd generation Tacoma's but there were a few things about them that kept me searching for the older albeit arguable harder to find 1st generation Tacoma. I searched all the usual avenues, classifieds, internet and dealer websites and found myself going to look at dozens of different trucks. I found a couple of clean double cab lease returns at Tony Divino Toyota in Ogden, Utah and decided I would take the hour drive up there for a closer look. While they had two trucks that fit my needs (I was picky, searching only for white, red or silver double-cabs, grey interior, etc), there was a truck being traded in while I was on the lot, a red 2004 double cab. They hadn't even cleaned the truck and it still had a scattering of the previous owners effects in the cab. I popped the hood and spotted the payday, a TRD super-charger. Eureka! The supercharger hadn't been a deal maker for me but it sure made the deal far more palatable. The price was right in line with the non-SC'd trucks they had on their lot and it had about the same miles I was searching for, under 50k. I did some background checking on the truck, clean VIN and the SC has been dealer installed when the truck was brand new by a tech I happened to know so I was confident with the install. The previous owners paperwork backed up the religious service the truck had seen making me feel even more comfortable with the purchase. The next day my wife and I trekked back up to the dealership to finalize the deal, an hour later we were driving it home and it was mine. Time to start the build.

First trip, enjoying the Great Basin Desert in Utah & Nevada

Initial Planning:

With the truck in hand I wanted to knock-out the bigger parts of the build as soon as possible. To streamline the process I collected all the parts on a shelf so that I could have it all ready to go. In one long weekend we tackled the Old Man Emu suspension installation, front ARB winchbar, winch, lights and the Safari Snorkel. Additional upgrades would take place over the next 2 years of ownership and in fact I guess I'm still adding little tidbits here and there, tailoring the truck to my needs as they arise.

Suspension/Axles

Basic Specifications:
OME 882 front coils w/10mm poly spacers & 10mm aluminum top-out spacers
OME Nitrocharger Sport Struts/Shocks
Dakar Springs w/AAL
Maxxis 32" Bighorns on steel wheels
OEM E-locker in rear axle
Energy Suspension Poly Rack & Swaybar Bushings

Notes: I had been thoroughly pleased with the Old Man Emu (OME) kit on my previous Tacoma, when the time came to setup this suspension it was somewhat a no-brainer. However I did switch up a few things from my previous setup. As the front axle weight of this truck had greatly increased, I needed to bring up the front a bit. We experimented with about 5 different spring/coil/spacer combo's until I found the the current setup which has seemingly solved my woes. I've since installed similar setups on other 'heavy' front Tacoma's and 4Runners and found it to be a rather satisfactory setup. The rear axle weight was also much higher on this truck with the addition of the RTT and Bakkie Rack setup, weighing ~200 lbs of constant weight. To combat the added weight I added an OME additional leaf to the spring pack. Old Man Emu did not initially have an AAL application for this model but I had the luxury of having a pile of their different offerings in stock to play around with. I had actually been through this on a customers truck a few years earlier so when it came time to bump up mine it was literally as easy as bolting the desired leaf in. In the last couple years I have been using a hitch mount dirt-bike hauler to move around my 300 pound dirtbike, the suspension squats a bit under its weight and leverage but really holds its own even when full loaded for a trip, perfect! There are higher performance (adjustable & remote reservoir) front suspension components available for the Tacoma however for my needs the Old Man Emu components strike the perfect balance between performance and longevity with an attractive price to boot. Many of the upgraded adjustable coil-overs don't fare well in Utah's harsh and salty winters or caustic desert environs. Having to rebuild a coil-over regularly or deal with a blown assembly in the middle of nowhere wouldn't work for me thus cementing the OME option. It has rarely left me wanting and given my uses for this platform I would absolutely repeat. (Update: OME now offers the OME D6XL additional leaf for the CS046R leaf springs, if I find my springs apart in the future I might swap them out with the AAL I've been using but is far from a priority as its working fine as-is)

Lift/tires - Check.

I've dabbled with a variety of different tires on my 4x4's over the years but the last set of tires I put on my previous Tacoma had really proven themselves to me, the Maxxis Bighorns. While I don't feel they get the longevity of other similar mud-terrain offerings they work well in various off-road conditions and have stalwart sidewalls. I've now had 4 sets of the Bighorns on my Tacoma's and knock on wood I've never had a failure of the tire in fact I've had just a couple of leaks caused by sharp rocks or nails/screws. Its far from conclusive but its won my repeat business.

San Juan Mountains, Colorado

As with any TRD package Tacoma of this generation, it is equipped with the factory electronic rear locking rear 8" differential. This addition wasn't a deal breaker for me when purchasing the truck as I'm a big fan of the non-locked 8.4" differential upgraded with an ARB Air Locker but having the e-locker meant one less thing I had to install. Too boot the Toyota e-locker is a fantastic design and when needed is there at the push of a button.

Engine Compartment Layout (Photo By Johnny Lange)

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Protection/Bumpers:

Basic Specifications:
ARB Winchbar (XD9000) w/ End Cap Mod
Custom Sliders welded direct to frame
Bud-Built Skid Plate System
All-Pro rear bumper (modified for towing abilities)
Rear Frame Stiffeners

Notes: When I installed the ARB bumper and winch on my first Tacoma the end cap mod hadn't yet become the 'to-do' mod it is today in fact I had never even heard of a failure at that time. In several years of winch use the frame end caps did crack, one side completely separating from the frame. The fix was easy but a hassle to remove the bumper. I also noticed less bumper vibration and flex following the end-cap. With this Tacoma the end cap mod was done right off the bat, I consider it a mandatory modification for all bumper/winch installs on the 1st gen Tacoma, regardless of bumper brand or design. The added weight of the bumper particularly those with winches is just too much for the near sheet-metal cap on the factory frame. It adds approximately an hour to the install time and for those with out a welder you'll need to work out that detail, but it really is critical for any Tacoma's that are going to see repeated winch use or a heavy bumper install.

While the rear bumper was the same basic All-Pro design as my last Tacoma sported, I opted to modify this one a bit for heavier towing capability. I moved the hitch receiver from the bottom of the bumper to the center line (horizontally) and added reinforcement straps from the back of the receiver to the Tacoma's frame. This mod does require the license plate to be removed while towing which is a bit of a pain but using a set of plastic screws and wing nuts I can have it on or off in a minute or two. I just toss the license plate in the rear window and call it good. If I towed enough I would look into an alternate mounting for the plate, possible mounted in some fashion to the tailgate. I haven't used it to tow anything too extreme but it has handled the dirt-bike carrier, my Trail-Trailer, and even an empty flat bed car-hauler trailer without any flex or tweaking.

Kokopelli Trail

The Bud-Built skid plates are stalwart, and do a great job protecting the vulnerable radiator, steering rack and oil pans. My only complaint is that the oil drain hole is too small and the rest of the plates don't have any holes, thus mud really cakes up on top and its near impossible for it to drain out. It would get bad enough to create a mud 'cushion' between my t-case and skid plate, making a pronounced 'thud' when the mud dried up and the drive train flexed. I had them off for one of my steering rack replacements and decided to change that. I drilled a couple of dozen holes in the bottoms of the skids, they are small enough that the effectiveness of the 'skids' are not diminished for my uses yet large enough that most of the snow, mud, sand, etc drains out and if not it is easily pressured washed out. It has worked wonder for keeping the caked up mud out from under my truck and I would recommend it to anyone with skid systems, Bud Built or otherwise, that see lots of miles down muddy roads.

Installing the rear frame stiffeners

Exterior/Storage:

Basic Specifications:
ARB Simpson IIIB RTT
Front Runner 'Bakkie' RTT Rack System
Front Runner Windcheetah Slimline Rack (prototype mount setup)
ARB Touring Awning
Bedliner and exterior panel coating
Core-Trax Load Tie Down System

Notes: With a cab loaded with passengers (or a 100 lb dog) and the short bed of a double cab, space instantly becomes a premium on a longer trip. Add tools, recovery gear, camping gear, fuel, water and some firewood and the DC's short bed quickly become stuffed. The RTT mounted above the bed helps in several manners. Not only does it eliminate a tent packed in the bed, it allows for a place to store a couple of sleeping bags and camp pillows as well as a partial cover over the bed, keeping some degree of the elements off the gear in your truck bed.

I won't go into too much detail about the ARB Simpson III tent, but if your interested in knowing more about tents and their pro's and con's in general see my previous article: Is a Roof Top Tent for me? The RTT Conundrum

Southwest Utah Exploring

As time has progressed, my trips have gotten longer and more and more I find myself transporting more people and their gear. The Winchcheetah rack was an effort to find 'more room' for lightweight yet bulky gear. Things like camp chairs, clothing bags, etc. The rack is new to me and I have not yet really figured out how much I will use it. With the mounting system I was able to design for it, it comes on and off in just a matter of minutes. Its extruded aluminum design (same as that of the Bakkie Rack) means it is not only strong, but extremely lightweight, so maneuvering it on and off the truck as well as storing it in the garage can be handled by a single person. If this were a traditional rack that took extended time to install, had a more permanent mounting system or was heavy and bulky to store, I don't think I would be experimenting with it.

Bed pulled for Reflex Lining

I recently added the Core-Trax tie down system down both sides of the bed, this allows for infinite mounting configurations and thus easier loading, unloading and reloading. Each mounting ring is rated for 500 lbs, giving me plenty of trust that my fridge isn't going to bounce out of the back of the truck as I scoot down a wash-boarded road.

The ARB Touring Awning is one of my most commonly used additions. It is setup to allow mounting to the Windcheetah rack from either side. When the tent is deployed its opened out towards the drivers side, so the predominant mounting of the awning will be from same side, this gives some nice shade under the awning as well as the portion of the tent. I've really been enjoying the shade and rain protection it provides. With the Bakkie rack tent setup, the deployed tent sits just under my walking height, so while its great for a camp chair or two and keeping gear dry, its not a comfortable place to stand, cook, etc out of the sun or rain. With the awning I've got some decent coverage that is at full height that I can walk in an out without problems. Like the rack I wanted the awning removable in a matter of minutes, in this case with the mounts used it comes off in a matter of seconds and is easy stored out of the way in the garage or bed of the truck.

ARB Tent & Awning Setup - Lone Warrior, San Rafael Swell, 2010

Electrical/Lighting:

Basic Specifications:
Odyssey dual battery's
National Luna Dual Battery system
IPF 800MSR Front Lights
Edge Insight CTS Diagnostic and Scan Computer
gamviti switch bezels
Panavise dash mount (Ipod or GPS)
OEM fog switches

Notes: Installing dual battery's into the 1st gen Tacoma is a bit of a chore compared to the wide open engine bays of Land Cruisers that I am accustomed to. I had installed a couple of setups in customer Tacoma's in the past, in those cases I used a battery tray mounted on the passenger side and the stock battery size in the stock location on the front drivers side. I wanted to conserve space under the hood for future additions as best as possible and I wanted to use some of the Odyssey metal jacket battery's which are only available in a smaller case size. A perfect fit. The smaller batteries allow for a dual battery mount in the stock location using a custom battery tray and clamping system. To control the batteries I utilized a National Luna Intelligent Solenoid, another product I had been familiar with from customer installs and was excited to use on my own vehicle. Its been a fabulous addition to date, in cab controls and monitor and a truly 'idiot proof' charging system that does all the work for you.

Death Valley, California

The Edge Insight CTS gauge display and monitoring system is one of my latest additions, while its one of those things most useful when you have a check engine light displayed, its also very functional in detailing the running conditions and perimeters of your vehicle including coolant temp, miles-per-gallon, engine load, intake temp, corrected speed and much much more. It simply connects to the OBDII port, meaning if you want to take it in and out for aesthetic or security reasons its just seconds to install or remove. I chose a more permanent mount for my install, routing the cable behind the dash trim and mounting their provided suction cup mount to the lower left hand corner of my windshield. It doesn't block any visibility yet is easily monitored by the driver without distracting much attention from the road. The software behind the CTS is continually being updated by their engineers and are easily downloaded by plugging the head unit into a computer. With their last revision I now have a maintenance manager that keeps tracks of things like oil changes, tune-up needs and the last time I put in an air filter. Very handy to have one less thing to worry about forgetting. Future additions to the CTS allow the user to add their own sensors which in turn will feed digital gauges on the CTS, this means I can have the single CTS unit monitor my supercharger boost or trans temp, two things Toyota never included in their diagnostic perimeters. At one point I had planned to add a gauge pillar for these same two variables, thankfully I put it off as the CTS is a far cleaner implementation and allows me to set audible alarms if/when I have any out of bounds gauge readings. [Update: I swapped this over to my 100 Series and am enjoying it there as much as the Tacoma]

Dual Battery Setup

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Communication/Audio:

Basic Specifications:
Yaesu 2M Ham Transceiver
Cobra CB Transceiver
Alpine DVD system w/ XM Satellite Radio
Byonics Micro-Track Vehicle Tracking System

Notes:

Choosing electronics can be a major headache, I don't deal with them on a daily basis like other vehicle accessories so when it came time to choose my components I made a few calls to those that do, Ratio Electronics and Communication Products. Between the two I had a game plan for a dialed in system that handled not only my current needs but future needs as well. The Yaesu ham radio units are time proven and reliable radios, simple as that. I wanted a small unit, the Yaesu FT-1500M fit the bill and was in fact small enough that I was able to mount it in the location of the stock ash-tray, out of the way and visible for the driver and passenger. My mounting took several hours with the dash torn apart and I no longer have an ash tray, but the simple and clean install was well worth the cons and I have a console with plenty of room for the inevitable junk that would have ended up in the ashtray. To keep up with the clean and un-cluttered approach to electronic mods, I went with the Cobra 75WXST CB radio, having had it in my previous Tacoma I like the way they mount for the most part behind the dash and when not in use the mic can be stashed in the console or glovebox leaving just a single connector visible. The Alpine DVD/Stereo system came about due to the fact my factory head unit failed, when removing it from the dash, dust was literally dumped out of every hole in the thing, I'm sure leading to its demise. I must admit its been nice to watch a movie while waiting out a rainstorm in the mountains or my wife in the mall. I've since added satellite radio and an IPOD interface to the setup, allowing me to have music in the middle of nowhere or listen to my favorites off the IPOD, all controlled by the head unit.

Canyonlands Maze District, Utah

The APRS tracking system is the latest electrical addition to the truck. By utilizing 2M ham radio repeater system, the APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) sends out a digitized GPS coordinate and time stamp to a 2M ham repeater every few minutes. That repeater in turn basically re-broadcasts that coordinate and time to digital systems, allowing the real-time location of the truck to be viewed by anyone with internet access. For example I can be in the middle of the Nevada desert out of cell phone range but my wife back home can see exactly where I am and good or bad can even see how fast I am driving. Other uses include allowing late parties to catch up to our group or see where we camped that evening and it allows me to view my track when I'm back in front of a computer. The system can be disabled at will and for those wanting more from the APRS system it can even send outgoing status messages or other data. You can read more about the APRS system on wiki here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Packet_Reporting_System

Dash/Coms Layout (Photo by Johnny Lange)

Performance/Accessories:

Basic Specifications:
TRD Supercharger
Helton Hot Water Shower System
Safari Snorkel
ARB CKMA12 Air compressor
ARB Freezer-Fridge

Notes:

As mentioned the supercharger was not a deal breaking accessory I needed or wanted to have when truck shopping, however in hindsight I don't know that I would have it any other way. The 1st generation Tacoma Double-Cab is only available in an automatic transmission package, and while the automatic transmissions are fairly bulletproof they rob much needed power particularly on a heavy laden truck spinning large tires. Many choose to re-gear the axles to get the power back however the supercharge more than makes up for the power loss, allowing me to easily maintain speeds even up the steepest grades and headwinds. My ideal package would be a manual truck with the supercharger but it just wasn't an option and truth be told I've really come to love the automatic.

Where to start with the snorkel, either you like them or you don't. For me the priority of additions has far less to do with aesthetics and far more to with practicality and sometimes that practicality means planning for things that 'could' happen, even if rare. Snorkels don't only allow for an increased water fording depth but they also allow for cleaner, cooler air to your engine. I recently wrote a snorkel specific article for the Tacoma Magazine, you can read that article here: http://www.tacomamag.com/rokstories-frontpage/february-2011-volume-1-issue-1

Fremont River - Outlaws Run (Photo by Perry Loughridge)

The Helton Hot Water Shower system is typically able to heat water upwards of 150 degrees, far too hot for a shower. A typical installation utilizes a manual control valve under the hood that limits the amount of coolant entering the heat exchanger. Rather than use the manual control valve I opted to mount the heat exchanger inline with stock heater control valve controlled by the knob on the dash and used to control the heater temperatures inside the cab. In this manner I am able to adjust my shower output temps using my dash controls with no tangible side effects on the stock heater system. Showers are just 'one of those things', sorta like a 12V fridge or a portable welder. Until you need one or use one, they have little or no real value to you. Well I can promise you I've sold more showers by loaning out a bar of soap and some hot water than I have giving my sales spiel to a would be customer, simply put they sell themselves when in use. My wife was the first one to say "we'll never use that thing", after having installed one under the hood of my FJ40, fast forward five years and she is the one hooking the thing up at the end of a dusty day on the trail. Even a good face wash down is a godsend.

Skyline Drive, Utah

I've bounced back and forth between CO2 and actual mounted compressors, I came close to mounting a CO2 bottle in the bed of the Tacoma as I had with my older truck but it just doesn't work for the way I often load this truck, taking up precious space in an already limited short-bed truck. For the time it would just stay packed away in a Pelican case, neither convenient nor space saving but I had convinced myself I would find a better solution. That solution ended up being a different air source altogether, an ARB CKMA12 compressor. Again I had a fair amount of experience with these through customer installs since they were first introduced a few years back but I'm still running an older ARB RDCKA in my FJ40 so it wasn't something I had personally used over and over. I wired it to a water-proof switch in my fuse block/dual battery solenoid panel under the hood, that way I can turn it on and off without needing keys in the ignition and even if left on its air-tight so it will just cycle for a few seconds and turn off. The compressor has proven completely adequate for airing up tires but on a recent float trip I realized I'm not quite done with my love affair of CO2 as the volume available from this compressor was a grim attempt at filling rafts/tubes. No doubt I will leave the compressor mounted under the hood but I'm still loosely considering a CO2 mount as well. (Update: ARB recently introduced a new continuous duty air compressor with double the output of my CKMA12, I had known it was in the works for quite some time but with it finally on the market I might yank the medium in favor of the new offering)

The fridge, where to start. Some might consider this a general accessory however I consider it an appliance and its spends enough of its life in the back of the truck to be considered a permanent fixture. 12V Freezer-Fridges - Do they bring the heat?

Let there be heat - Helton Hot Water/Shower System

Parts Acquisition:

I'm fortunate to have many of these parts 'on the shelf' at my shop (Cruiser Outfitters) so when it comes time to update or repair something I don't have to look to far. The National Luna and Front Runner products came from my good friend Paul at Equipt Expedition Outfitters, the communication gear came from Communication Products and the stereo audio-video setup came from the king of wires, Ryan at Ratio.

Repairs & Failures:

Steering Rack: I've gone through 3 now, one of which had horrible play right out of the Toyota box, we didn't even get it installed before we were pulling it back off to swap with another Toyota re-manufactured unit. When I replaced the first rack I installed the Energy Suspension Poly Bushings and have swapped them to the subsequent racks. I'm adequately satisfied with the OEM new steering racks but I've been less than satisfied with the quality and longevity of the re-manufactured steering racks. I should note that on stock height trucks or lifted trucks seldom used off-road, the steering racks seemingly last indefinitely. However add a taller suspension thus increased tie rod angles combined with larger tires and heavy off-road use and they will likely need replacement every 30-50k miles. It should be noted they don't fail outright, rather they get sloppy and you'll note loose steering. So while they might get a bit loose they are not likely to leave you stranded or yield the truck un-driveable.

CV Shafts: Started clicking at turns at 90,000 miles, these were replaced by the dealership with OEM reman's under the 100k factory warranty. Clicking is gone but following the CV replacement I started dealing the leaking at the diff seals. Along with the steering rack issues, CV axle issues are directly proportional to the suspension lift, a necessary evil for my cases particularly since 90,000 miles and still working albeit 'clicky' is adequate for me, 55,000 of those miles were with the lift installed. While increased CV axle wear is common on lifted vehicles, more common is CV boot tearing or rips. Thankfully neither of which are prone to leave you stranded and will give you plenty of notice before needing attention.

CV/Diff Seals: My issues started when the dealer warrantied the CV shafts. Since this time I've had to replace the passenger side CV/diff seal on the passenger side a couple of times. The dealer warrantied their work the first two times but I decided to address it myself. I actually installed a second seal in the passenger differential tube, so far so good but they usually don't leak for ~10k miles. Its not a common issue and I've yet to run across a customer having similar issues on identical built Tacoma's. Jury is still out on why I was dealing with so many leaks.

Fan Blower Motor: The unit started squeaking fairly badly and subsequently failed. When I took it out I found it packed with dust, my guess is all those days running in the desert with the windows down finally did it in. Replaced with an OEM blower. The relatively low cost repair took only a few minutes, in hindsight I should have tried to swap the bearings on the blower but I was in a hurry to get out on a trip and didn't want to be annoyed by a squeaky blower motor.

Idler Pulley: Not sure if the abrupt angle of the super charger belt caused this to fail but it was howling pretty good and thus replaced with a new OEM pulley when the 90k service was performed. Low cost and easy to replace.

Clocking Spring: The clocking spring in my steering column failed, which then causes the cruise control to be non-operational. This could have been result of improper alignment when one of the racks was replaced but it failed quite some time after a rack replacement. Replaced with an OEM unit in a matter of minutes. The failure left my cruise control and drivers air bag inoperable. So while it was annoying and unsafe, it didn't affect the remaining operation of the truck.

Motor Mount/Frame Failures: I was greeted to a nasty grinding noise when trying to climb a rocky hillside one weekend, the sure signs of a failed motor mount. The rear motor mount wasn't completely failed but the rubber was cracking away from the mount and I went ahead and replaced it with an OEM unit. Things were not quite so easy up front, the rubber and mount looked great on the passenger side however the driver side was not only showing signs of cracking rubber but worse yet the frame had actually cracked where the motor mount attaches. By removing the mount and several other parts in the area, I was able to remove all of the broken mount and replaced the ~1/16" steel with a 3/16" mount, fully welded to prevent any further issues. I replaced that rubber mount with an OEM and I've considered that issue 100% resolved.

Trans code: I had a trans code (P0741) that left me stumped. The only symptom was felt like a slight engine miss at high RPM's and it was tsomething only I noticed, others driving the truck thought it was fine... all in my head? I consulted with several Toyota pro's and came up with some different theories but in the end I replaced the valve body assembly in the trans as well as pulled the injectors and had them balanced and cleaned. While the supercharger was off I performed the oil change on the nosecone using the TRD kit. Put it all back together and it has been code free and running great.

You'll note that all of the failures and repairs I've had to deal with chalk up preventive with the exception of the frame motor mount. I've by no means been easy on this truck and while the frame mount failure was a pain, it was rather easily resolved and would not have ever left me stranded. (Non-standard repairs, things like timing belt, drive belts, hoses, water pump, etc are all considered standard wear, these were what I would consider non-standard failures)

Home away from home - Floatapalooza in the San Rafael Swell

Future Plans:

Good question. With my recent 100 Series Land Cruiser project complete the Tacoma is in a stage of limbo. I'll hang onto it until it as long as I have trips to take it on or I find a good home for it. [Edit: New home has been found]. Until then I'll continue with the routing maintenance and preventive maintenance. My plan was to keep this truck for 3-4 years and here I'm rolling up on the 7 year mark so I'm behind schedule.

Exploring Southern Utah

 

[cruiseroutfit]

So today was my final day with the truck, the sale came up rather quick but it was actually to some friends whom had inquired about it a long time ago. While I'm sad it's gone, I'm excited it is in the hands of someone that will use it as it was meant to be

Handing off the keys

 

[Ranchero]

Kurt - super writeup. Thanks for that!

 

[locomacdaddy]

Great write up Kurt! Thanks for taking the time to get to the 'dirty details' of your baby. I've wondered for a while now, about what all you had done to that rig. I'm new to this community and appreciate all the time you and others have taken to share and educate. I've just picked up a 2010 DC (here locally) and will be seeing you soon for suspension and all sorts of goodies in the future! :wings:

Cheers!

 

[toddz69]

Excellent writeup! Thanks for the in-depth report.

Todd Z.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Thanks guys, I'm glad your enjoying it.

Great write up Kurt! Thanks for taking the time to get to the 'dirty details' of your baby. I've wondered for a while now, about what all you had done to that rig. I'm new to this community and appreciate all the time you and others have taken to share and educate. I've just picked up a 2010 DC (here locally) and will be seeing you soon for suspension and all sorts of goodies in the future! :wings:

Sounds like a plan, I'll look forward to meeting you.

 

[uscg2008]

Dude such a wonderful rig, very smartly planned and executed. Good job bub glad you did a build, I enjoyed reading in the tacoma mag.

 

[RememberTheFallen]

Thanks for sharing this Kurt!

Just picked up a low mile 2003 double cab last week. It is red also and I really don't care for the color but couldn't give up the low miles. Seeing yours makes me excited about how it will look once built up better. I already have the black wheels, OME susp, ARB bumper, and All Pro rear from my other truck. So it is gonna look a lot like I am copying you! Lol.

How she sits now with 58k miles,

Hope I get as much enjoyment and travel out of mine as you did yours!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Dude such a wonderful rig, very smartly planned and executed. Good job bub glad you did a build, I enjoyed reading in the tacoma mag.

Thank you!

Thanks for sharing this Kurt!

Just picked up a low mile 2003 double cab last week. It is red also and I really don't care for the color but couldn't give up the low miles. Seeing yours makes me excited about how it will look once built up better. I already have the black wheels, OME susp, ARB bumper, and All Pro rear from my other truck. So it is gonna look a lot like I am copying you! Lol.

How she sits now with 58k miles,

Hope I get as much enjoyment and travel out of mine as you did yours!

Right on, I'm excited to see how you finish it out. Stop back by and post a pic when you get it outfitted.

 

[AxleIke]

Thank you for the write up!!!

I am experiencing the exact same issue with my 99 4Runnner with the diff seals. I blew the CV boots out and needed a fast replacement, so I went the NAPA route. I put in the new axles, and no problem on the driver side, but the passenger side (tube side) was leaking enough to coat the underside of the truck in gear lube. I replaced the seal on both sides, (figured why not) and again, no leaking from the DS, but the pass side was still leaking. I then replaced the seal again, and, then then tried another new seal with an axle from the dealer, as well as I replaced the bearing in the outter section of the tube. Its better, but still has a very slow leak. Driver side axle was replaced with an OEM one as well (from the dealer), and again, no leaks at all.

I got so excited that you'd had the same issue, but it seems that you also were stymied. I may try the double seal method. There is certainly enough room in there for that. Kinda annoying that you have to set the seal exactly 7mm in, instead of having a machined lip to allow the seal to simply be set perfectly every time. Ah well. If you hear of any further soltions, I'm all ears.

Cheers!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Thank you for the write up!!!

I am experiencing the exact same issue with my 99 4Runnner with the diff seals. I blew the CV boots out and needed a fast replacement, so I went the NAPA route. I put in the new axles, and no problem on the driver side, but the passenger side (tube side) was leaking enough to coat the underside of the truck in gear lube. I replaced the seal on both sides, (figured why not) and again, no leaking from the DS, but the pass side was still leaking. I then replaced the seal again, and, then then tried another new seal with an axle from the dealer, as well as I replaced the bearing in the outter section of the tube. Its better, but still has a very slow leak. Driver side axle was replaced with an OEM one as well (from the dealer), and again, no leaks at all.

I got so excited that you'd had the same issue, but it seems that you also were stymied. I may try the double seal method. There is certainly enough room in there for that. Kinda annoying that you have to set the seal exactly 7mm in, instead of having a machined lip to allow the seal to simply be set perfectly every time. Ah well. If you hear of any further soltions, I'm all ears.

Cheers!

The double seal proved a viable solution, it was on the truck several years. At most I had a little 'wetting' around the tube but not enough accumulation to drip. I didn't touch anything from the time I installed the double seals.

 

[AxleIke]

The double seal proved a viable solution, it was on the truck several years. At most I had a little 'wetting' around the tube but not enough accumulation to drip. I didn't touch anything from the time I installed the double seals.

Awesome! I'm going to give that a go!

 

[p1michaud]

Nice parting thoughts on a well set up Tacoma. I often miss my 1999 Tacoma as it provided the catalyst to my 4WD adventures.