The content in this guide was originally created by Leon @SpikerEng on TacomaWorld as a series of posts over several months. I've captured it here for two reasons: I want to make sure that, should anything happen to Leon's post, that we all still have access to this amazingly useful information. As happens in forums, the information Leon posted (over time) is interspersed with a bunch of commentary from others. By consolidating it here, it becomes easier to read. Note: I've slightly edited certain bits of content in order to make the "flow" easier to consume as a single post…
9 CommentsGuide Section: Steering
From the wheel to the rack. Well, to the OTREs.
There are several reasons to install extended wheel studs on a Tacoma, but most commonly they are installed in order to run wheel spacers. Wheel spacers are installed to push the wheel away from the frame, either to achieve a more aggressive stance for the vehicle or to prevent rubbing of the tire/wheel on the frame or suspension components. Whatever the reason, the process is relatively straight forward, and this guide walks through the process, highlighting several important aspects, and providing tips along the way. The Parts - Wheel Studs and Spacers The first thing to determine is the desired…
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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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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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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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