Any time a major component of your A/C system is replaced, it's a good idea to also replace the Receiver/Drier. This component of your system removes water (vapor) from the internals of the system that can freeze when the refrigerant in the system is below 0°C, causing the system to become blocked and preventing it from keeping you cool. It's not an expensive part (relatively speaking), and replacing it is easy - and here's how you do it. And, if you're doing it as part of replacing other parts of your A/C system, here's how you do it all: The…
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One of the easiest - and often overlooked - maintenance jobs on a Tacoma or 4Runner is replacing the PCV valve. This is a one-way check valve that allows blow-by crank case combustion gases back into the engine to be combusted, rather than vented to the atmosphere (where they would cause pollution). As a check valve, the part is quite simple, but over time the spring in the check valve can wear out, and the grommet that holds the PCV Valve onto the engine can harden due to constant heat/cool cycles. When that happens, replacing it becomes difficult, as bits…
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The transfer case on a 1st gen Tacoma is generally known to be a very reliable part - often lasting 300-500K miles. However, it is very common to develop a leak in the seal that keeps - or is supposed to keep - the space between the transmission and transfer case dry, resulting in a reasonably constant wet spot between the two components, and often a drop of oil on the transfer case skid plate. If you have a 1st gen Tacoma, you're likely familiar with this leak. The seal in question housed in the transmission, and seals around the…
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If you're not familiar with my route planning series, you should be sure to check it out - it's not hard, and I've found that figuring out where to go is often one of the most daunting aspects of adventuring for folks who want to get out into the world. Today, I'm going to cover an exciting - at least for me - new development in the space: a new version of Backcountry Navigator. First - I'm going to cover a bit of background and soapbox about the new version of BCN. If you're not interested, or already use BCNavXE,…
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In the last post, I outlined the Materials and Prep necessary for sound deadening a 1st gen Tacoma. This time, we'll walk through the specifics on how to do the actual deadening. As a reminder, all you really need to do this job are the following: RAAMAudio Package 2 30 sheets of RAAMmat BXT II (56.25 sq ft). 4 1/2 yards Ensolite Foam (62.43 sq ft). 3/8" split loom - you only need about 4' to house the interior door handle rods. A sharpie, utility knife , and scissors to cut the material. A screwdriver with a plastic handle to…
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While I believe the saying, "They don't make them like they used to," generally does apply to a 1st gen Tacoma, it most definitely does not apply to the sound deadening of these old trucks. Nearly any vehicle you get today will have better sound deadening than a 20-year old truck and after thousands of freeway miles, I decided it was finally time for some peace and quiet in the cab. Or at least, that was the plan. Oh, and while I'm definitely no audiophile, I figured I might as well put in some new speakers while I was at…
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In general, the rear brakes on a Tacoma or 4Runner wear much more slowly than the front - after all, they are only providing a small fraction of overall braking, and as drum brakes wear more slowly anyway. However, eventually they need to be changed - whether due to wearing out or - perhaps more commonly - due to a rear axle seal leak. A rear axle seal leak was what caused me to do the job on both my 3rd gen 4Runner (full story) as well as 1st gen Tacoma (full story to be written), which you can read…
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I recently changed the timing belt and water pump on my 2000 Tacoma, and it went great. In addition to the story of shop day, I figured a detailed set of instructions for anyone wanting to tackle this themselves would be nice to put together, since it's hard to find that written down in one concise place (maybe even impossible before now). This is of course based on the Factory Service Manual (FSM) description, but varies slightly (to make things easier) and doesn't require flipping back and forth between many different sections. And, there's a great YouTube video by Timmy…
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Adding Tundra brakes to your 1st gen Tacoma (1996-2004) or 3rd gen 4Runner (1996-2002) is one of the easiest upgrades you can make. The larger calipers, pads, and rotors give your truck significantly more stopping power and at the same time decrease brake fade since the larger rotors are able to better dissipate heat. The entire process takes only a couple hours, and requires little in the way of special tools. After doing this work on both my 1st gen Tacoma and 3rd gen 4Runner, as well as helping several friends with their brake upgrades, I figured that it was…
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The clutch on a 1st gen Tacoma is generally known to be a very reliable part - often lasting 200K miles or more. Eventually though, they all wear out, necessitating replacement. There are several clutch options out there for the v6 (5VZFE) 96-04 Tacoma (or 96-02 4Runner, 95-98 T100, and 00-04 Tundra), and this guide will walk you through installation of any of those kits. Even with a 4-cylinder Tacoma, the process will be remarkably similar, though parts specifics may vary slightly. As always, start by gathering parts and tools. Parts When installing a new clutch in a 5VZFE Tacoma…
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Over time, rubber bushings wear out and need to be replaced. This happened for me recently when I Replaced All the Bushings on my Tacoma, and I figured that others could benefit from a quick little guide that shows the entire process and lists all the necessary parts for the front diff bushings. Parts Durobump Front Diff Bushings are the only parts you need for this job. Tools Misc sockets (I recommend this set from Williams, a Snap-On brand) 12mm, 14mm socket - to remove the skid plate. 19mm socket to remove front diff brackets. 21mm socket - to remove lug…
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I recently installed SPC Performance upper control arms (25460) on my 2000 Tacoma, and it went great. In addition to the story of the install, I figured a detailed set of instructions for anyone wanting to tackle this themselves would be nice to put together, since it's hard to find that written down in one concise place with a list of everything you need to do the job. So let's get started. Gathering the parts and tools Replacing the upper control arms (UCAs) is a relatively straight forward process, and nearly all the parts you'll need are included from SPC when…
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Over time, rubber bushings wear out and need to be replaced. This happened for me recently when I Replaced All the Bushings on my Tacoma, and I figured that others could benefit from a quick little guide that shows the entire process and lists all the necessary parts. Before getting started, I should note that when replacing the Lower Control Arm (LCA) bushings, one must remove the steering rack from its mounts. As such, this is also a good time to refresh the bushings that secure it as well, which is not a difficult process: Step-by-Step Steering Rack Bushing Replacement on a…
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Over the last couple years, I've learned - mostly from others experience - that it's a good idea to keep an eye on 1st gen Tacoma lower ball joints (LBJs). If you do lots of bumpy, off-road style driving, every 30-50,000 miles is a reasonable interval to change this part of your truck, in order to prevent a catastrophic failure. So, today I headed out to the shop to check my LBJs, and here's what I found. This time, it's been 15 months, and it's definitely time for replacement. Before you do this test, you want to jack up the…
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I recently discovered a dreaded gear oil leak on my 4Runner, and knew it meant only one thing - it was time to change the rear axle seals (and bearings and brake shoes since they were now saturated with oil). In addition to the story of the 4Runner repair, and later the Tacoma repair, I figured a detailed set of instructions for anyone wanting to tackle this themselves would be nice to put together, since it's hard to find that written down in one concise place (maybe even impossible before now). This is of course based on two amazing resources -…
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The transfer case on a 1st gen Tacoma is generally known to be a very reliable part - often lasting 300-500K miles. However, if yours does fail, replacement is relatively simple - the hardest part sometimes is finding a replacement case, since they are no longer available new. This guide will walk through what to look for in a replacement case, as well as the parts and tools needed to swap that new case into a Tacoma. And, while the specifics apply to a 1st gen Tacoma, the process is generally the same for any vehicle. Transfer Cases There are…
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Over time, rubber bushings wear out and need to be replaced. This happened for me recently when I Replaced All the Bushings on my Tacoma, and I figured that others could benefit from a quick little guide that shows the entire process and lists all the necessary parts for replacing the bushings in the steering rack. Parts One thing to be aware of when replacing the steering rack bushings is that 1st gen Tacomas have two different bushing configurations depending on the model year - with the change happening around the 2000 model. Earlier trucks - it seems - use a…
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When it comes to rear suspension on a 1st gen Toyota Tacoma, there are many different leaf spring options - each with tradeoffs in terms of cost, ride, additional lift, and durability. In general, it's usually the right call to choose an aftermarket leaf spring option that's been developed for a 1st gen Tacoma, depending on how the truck is used. Check out Replacing Leaf Springs on a Tacoma for proven options that work in the following situations: Option 1: Stock Replacement Option 2: 0-3" Lift with Small-to-Moderate Intermittent Load Option 3: Custom Lift with Heavy Constant Load However, while…
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If you have your 1st gen Tacoma long enough, you'll most likely have to replace the steering rack. This is a job that intimidates a lot of people, but with the right tools - and there aren't many specialty tools needed - the job isn't actually all that difficult. In fact, I was able to get it done in the rain, though I'd recommend waiting for a dry day if you don't have a shop to work in. Let's take a look at the parts needed, as well as the tools, and then jump into the work. Parts Steering Rack…
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This question is asked often enough that I figured it was finally time to put together an answer that gives lots of information, but that doesn't have to be re-typed again and again. Because that will save everyone a bunch of time, hopefully! So, let's start with the basic question that gets asked: What's the biggest tire I can run on my 1st gen Toyota Tacoma? There are of course variations to this question - some people wonder "with no lift," or "with a 1-3 inch lift," or "without cutting" or "with wheel XYZ" - but in the end, the…
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