Author Topic: BHT12 Taco Build (Read 6663 times)

BHT12 · « **on:** Dec 01, 2011, 06:46:51 PM »

Well about a month ago i came across a great deal on this 1999 Tacoma std cab with a 3rz. had 250 k miles when i got it and the oil is still yellow when you pull the dip stick

.. the previous owner had it since 40k and was die hard changed the oil every 3,000 to 3,500 miles.

So i decided i would just start a build thread on it.. it might take a long time to build it up but i figured i would start it anyways.

it came with a full exhaust system minus a header. magnaflow converter and a flowmaster exhaust with 2 1/4 pipe

my plans are to keep it my pavement pounder until i win the lottery or become rich somehow.
I would like have eventually have it sitting on 35's but keep it lower to the ground. probley sas it. i would like to have lockers front and rear and bumpers and sliders. It already has a nice beafy bumper on the front but i would like to have some nice tube bumpers front and rear

anyways heres a couple pics of it. i will get more later..

BHT12 · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 01, 2011, 06:49:58 PM »

After i had the truck for a week a noticed a little extra noise under the hood. sounds like exhaust so i check it out and this is what i found...

i went to pull the manifold off and it came off in two pieces!! so i took the arc welder to it and welded it all the way around. turned out good.. i forgot to take a pic of it afterwards

SloCrawler · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 01, 2011, 06:55:57 PM »

I always have to have a pavement pounder to commute. Good score.

BHT12 · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 01, 2011, 07:19:41 PM »

Oh yeah i forgot to add that i bought it for $1,650 and it gets 20+ mpg lol 8)

BHT12 · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 02, 2011, 03:00:37 PM »

I just got some more pictures of the tacoma. some of the dents, missing door handle and what not. lots of small issues no big deal. of yeah and the nice yellow oil at 251,000 miles

BHT12 · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 02, 2011, 03:05:41 PM »

and more

BHT12 · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 09, 2011, 04:35:39 PM »

Started to build a front lift for the tacoma.. figured i would just make my own coil spacers. I got layed off so i have about zero cash. but this is how its going so far. i only have one side done but i decided im goign to go back and change the studs i welded on. i cut the ends of the bolts off and welded them on. since i welded the studs on the the spacer wont go all the way flush with the upper coil mount. so i decided i would cut the studs off and just get regular bolt and keep the hex tops on so there is more to weld on and it will be more of a flush top for the upper coil mount. I might drill a small hole behind the blot head and weld it from the back too.. Might sound a little confusing but i will show pictures when im done.
I only have an ARC welder so dont make fun of my welds lol

On the third picture you can see where i had to grind down the the inside so that the studs on the coils will fit inside.

I couldnt figure out how i would know exactly where to put the studs at so i used a piece of cardboard.
I will post more pics later sorry for the lack of pictures,.

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 10, 2011, 09:04:25 AM »

I would suggest a diff drop also. My taco burns through cv boots like crazy. Spacer lifts also wear out ball joints uber fast. I have at times contemplated taking my 2" BL and 2.5" suspension lift off and trimming to fit my 33's. I think I will just get better upper a arms to prevent the wear. I want to go to 35's otherwise I would more seriously consider the trim option.

BHT12 · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 10, 2011, 10:28:28 AM »

Yeah I was thinking about that. I havent looked at the diff and how I'm going to do other. It should be pretty easy. If I was you (if you have some extra cash) there is a user 6" procomp front lift only on CL for 250 in Portland. I see turtle are 2,000 new. If I had 300 sitting around I would jump on it.

So if you up grade your a arms when you have spacer on then if prevents the wear on the ball joint? How long does it take you to burn through a bell joint?

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 11, 2011, 07:55:15 AM »

It's pretty easy to space the Diff. 4 hockey pucks and some longer bolts will do it I believe. Looks like you can buy them for around $40 or $50.

So far I have owned my truck for 2 and a half years. I have had my ball joints fail once. Not something you want to happen. I was on a mild gravel road up a narrow winding canyon when it let loose. It was all I could do to get the truck off to the side of the road to let others pass on the single lane road. There is nothing to hold the wheel and it was flopping where ever it wanted. Ever since then I frequently check them for wear.

Upgrading the A arms is about $500. They come with a uniballs instead of ball joints and their geometry is corrected. (lifting the stock ball joints over extends their operating parameters and is why they wear out)

BHT12 · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 11, 2011, 05:19:19 PM »

Yeah i figured i would just make some spacers or something. hockey pucks is a good idea.. i have some 1 1/2 pipe that would probley be perfect. but yeah i was looking at new a arms. all pro has them. do you know anyone else that might have it for cheaper? i might just straight axle it this next year but im not sure..

i might but built something else.. the tacoma's are really expensive to build like you said in that other topic.

what exactly happens when they go out does it like totally give out or?

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 12, 2011, 08:12:22 PM »

All Pro is about the cheapest. They are the ones I will get if I get any. Ball joints are easy to check. lift up the truck and put it on jack stands with no pressure on the suspension. Grab the tire on the outside and wobble it vertically and horizontally. you are looking for slack in the ball joints. This is also how you check steering linkage for wear. There are lots of Tacomas on the road road with puck lifts. They work but they are just not the most practical. If I were you I would get a locker for the rear, throw on some 33s and trim to fit. Tacomas are capable, just not easily modified to hard core rigs. They can be converted, just takes more time and money.

BHT12 · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 14, 2011, 12:23:28 PM »

Yeah i kinda want to keep it my DD. The thing just looks like a 2wd truck and it drives me crazy..

I almost have the blocks done and now that i have them almost done i saw Matt's lift on his "bro Coma" and got a good idea.. well at least a good idea in my eyes.. i ill try my blocks first and if i dont like them im going to try my other idea. After i get them to fit i have to find some 16" rims for the tires i have..

Trying to lift my truck with no money in the pocket sucks...

Some day when i get rich i would just like to put some long travel on it and th all pro baja rear leafs on it. and soem baja fenders front and rear.. thats what i would really like to do.

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 14, 2011, 09:55:29 PM »

As far as capable per cost, actually I think the Total Chaos kit, or similar baja kits actually would work well for an IFS rock crawler. Way less than SAS from what I have found. the problem with SAS is everybody see's a $200 axle and thinks that's cheap, but then bolts $10k up to it by the time they are done with steering, suspension, etc...

BHT12 · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 15, 2011, 10:25:53 AM »

Yeah that totally is true. I havent looked at total chaos for tundra but I have forr 80's Toyota and there crazy.

BHT12 · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 16, 2011, 04:19:09 PM »

So i was looking on total chaos and i couldnt find an actual kit for a 4x4 tacoma.. only for the 2wd's??? you know anyone else hat sells good kits?

BHT12 · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 18, 2011, 06:32:12 PM »

Well i bought some new (new to me) 31x10.5 MTR's (old school)on some new LOOKING black steelys.. for pretty cheap today.. didnt get done putting them on till after dark so i will post pictures tomorrow.. One weird thing is they came off of a Nissan Xterra and then i put the front rims andtires on they wont clear the rotors? wtf!!! i was pissed.. so i guess wheel spacers?? dont have the money to get new rims.. Any other Ideas?

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 20, 2011, 06:50:13 PM »

Yeah tacos have issues with rims fitting their brakes. Most everybody runs 16+ rims. How tight is clearance. I am not sure and you might want to research it but I think I have heard of people taking a grinder to their calipers to make the rims fit. Would depend on how tight. And you say it hits the rotors or calipers?

My friend (Mega Mormon) got a free set of 02' tacoma rims from his father in law and he put them on his 85 Runner. He had clearance issues on his steering. He got some spacers to fix the problem.

Maybe try and find somebody that will trade rims with some that will work for you. Around here in Utah we have ksl.com which is amazing for classified ads.

BHT12 · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 21, 2011, 08:29:41 AM »

Yeah im actually on papal right now im buying a set of 4 wheel spacers for $100 brand new so that will fix that

but yeah it was only like a tiny bit i tried to grind the caliper but i didn't want to go o deep and screw myself. But i had to put about three washers on the studs to fit the rims in the front.. (just to see how much it would take to make it fit..

I would have got a 3/8 or 1/4 inch spacer but the studs on the Tacoma's are so dang short..

BHT12 · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 07, 2012, 09:14:11 AM »

Alright here are some pics. I bought some new tires. 31-1.50-15 old school MTR's one black steel wheels. Also put on 1.25" wheel spacers all the way around because the rims wouldn't clear the calipers for some reason? Also there is a pic of one of the coil spacers a built.. just have to finish the other one and install them. I made them 3" but i think i'm going to cut them down to 2". I don't want to put that much stress on the ball joints. for the rear lift I'm going to add a couple leafs from some stock fronts. just going to cut them to make them shorter. Anyone see why adding some leafs wouldn't work to lift the rear?

Also there is a couple pics of me at some rocks one day messing around.. Probley could have crawled the whole way but i didn't want to break anything.. Shes all i have right now.

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 07, 2012, 02:03:03 PM »

Quote from: BHT-ToyotaDude on Jan 07, 2012, 09:14:11 AM

Also there is a pic of one of the coil spacers a built.. just have to finish the other one and install them. I made them 3" but i think i'm going to cut them down to 2".

My 2.5" lift spacers are only 1.5" tall. The taller they are the more stress on the coil spring an the more lift they provide. Idk for sure but I think that 3" spacers would give you 4+ inches of lift and a 2" spacer would give you 3.5-4" of lift. If your trying to be easy on your ball joints I would cut it down so it's only a 1" spacer giving you about 2" of lift

Adding rear leaf packs should work great. After dropping money into AAL I think I am going to combine a '02 leaf pack with my '98 leaf pack to create a better lift kit. (AAL are not what I wanted as the don't work well)

BHT12 · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 07, 2012, 05:54:29 PM »

Quote from: Yota87Truck on Jan 07, 2012, 02:03:03 PM

My 2.5" lift spacers are only 1.5" tall. The taller they are the more stress on the coil spring an the more lift they provide. Idk for sure but I think that 3" spacers would give you 4+ inches of lift and a 2" spacer would give you 3.5-4" of lift. If your trying to be easy on your ball joints I would cut it down so it's only a 1" spacer giving you about 2" of lift

Adding rear leaf packs should work great. After dropping money into AAL I think I am going to combine a '02 leaf pack with my '98 leaf pack to create a better lift kit. (AAL are not what I wanted as the don't work well)

Oh wow yeah.. i call a guy that had some spacers on CL and asked them how tall they were and he said 3" but maybe he was just a retard.. I will cut them down probley to 1.5" like yours that sounds good. How big of a tire can you runw ith the 2.5" lift just curious? Im going to keep running my 31's.. i dont think they will look too bad with the lift i hope.

Yeah i figured adding some leafs should work good because the stock ones are really long and there arched the opposite way so we'll see how that goes! I was guess 2 maybe three leafs but i dunno.. im going to cut the leafs down so they are shorter.

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 07, 2012, 09:29:13 PM »

I have 4.5" of lift over stock. I run 31" street tires unless im off road. The 31's don't look small or out of place. And besides turning my off road set of 33s could probably be 35s.

BHT12 · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 07, 2012, 09:47:24 PM »

Quote from: Yota87Truck on Jan 07, 2012, 09:29:13 PM

I have 4.5" of lift over stock. I run 31" street tires unless im off road. The 31's don't look small or out of place. And besides turning my off road set of 33s could probably be 35s.

So your running a 2 inch body too??

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 08, 2012, 06:15:05 PM »

Yeah, not by choice...(it's what was on it when I bought it) After pulling the transmission for a clutch im not as opposed to having a body lift(lots of clearance, did a clutch on a stock taco was not fun, my truck not so bad). But if I were to buy a BL it would be 1". My engine wiring harness is stretched, but I feel a 1" would meet in the middle and be the best of both worlds.

Side note my front cab body mounts have cracks in them now (noticed when flexing out on past wheeling trip). I don't know if they fractured because of the body lifts or just due to the off road stress.

BHT12 · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 08, 2012, 08:42:49 PM »

Oh wow.. Yeah body lifts are like a dream when your pulling the tranny or motor. i think i will do a 1" on mine. Just gives you more room to tuck stuff up above the frame.

BHT12 · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 15, 2012, 11:23:02 AM »

Well i got one of my coil spacers on. I cut them down to an 1 1/2". I forgot to measure from the tire to the fender before but after putting the one side on i remember to measure it and it was 2". Half way through putting the first spacer on i discovered you have to buy coil compressors. 66 bucks later for something i could have made... But i dont think there as any other way of getting the coil back on without the compressors. I will post pictures later

BHT12 · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 20, 2012, 10:19:24 AM »

Well I finally finished putting my front lift on.. Took my about a week or so because i got sick

. If i remember right the measurement when it was stick from the top of the tire to the fender was 6 3/4" and after i lifted it, it was right around 8 3/4" But i haven't measured since i have driven it around for a for sure measurement. The coil compressors worked good but man it seemed like there was a heck of a lot of stress on the "Bolts" that you tighten to compress the coils. In the future i will def lube them up a little before i but all that stress on them. looked like it was starting to shave off the threads.

But now that i have the front lift on i think its going to be awhile before i will be able to lift the rear so i will probley be rolling around looking like a wanna be baja guy.. oh well.

First picture is of me cutting down the spacers after Yota87Truck informed my of my stupid mistake haha
Second picture is of the Compressors
Third is obviously the truck after i lifted the front.

BHT12 · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 20, 2012, 10:24:15 AM »

Sorry for the crappy pictures. They were taken off my phone which takes pretty good pictures but after re-sizing them it makes them look like crap. Plus it was snowing in the last picture.

I uploaded some more pictures of a week in a half ago before i started putting the front lift on, I went up in the sticks and messed around.

Wasnt as steep as i made it look in the last picture but it was still pretty steep.

Yota87Truck · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 20, 2012, 08:18:20 PM »

Yeah, these Taco coilovers are stiff. When I was going to school we installed shocks on a stock truck coilover and our college's pneumatic spring compressor couldn't compress it. We had to use a mechanical spring compressor like you did in addition to the pneumatic compressor. When I got new shocks for my truck I just paid a shop to do it... I didn't want to know how much more compressed it was with my susp lift.

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