Build Thread: 2006 Toyota Tundra Double Cab

A fellow member happened onto an idea I've been wondering about. I have multiple threads so he suggested a "build thread." Here goes.

Bought July 2024 from a mowing client of mine. 201,000 miles. Nice overall but needs some TLC. We needed a more capable pulling truck for our mowing trailer and I thought "we mow for a bunch of old people, do any have a truck they don't need anymore?"

We were nearly too late but the first buyer backed out. Two weeks after the sale, the seller passed on. His wife was not on the title. Good timing for us as I guess that would have been tied up for a bit until the wife was able to get ownership.



Wife and I did the lower ball joints with two jacks, wood blocks, hand tools, and a lot of advice from this site.

 

I would not do this again but Lower Ball Joints in with SK Tools 1/2 drive ratchet, breaker bar, and in some cases, 3 foot long cheater bar! Craftsman torque wrench. OTC Puller Kit from Zoro.com. OEM LBJ from Orisman of Richmond, VA.



That bolt stuck out a bit...asked about it on here and another member suggested it may have bound up on some rust. I tightened it flush with a breaker bar.

Other side in and both torqued to specs supplied on this site.

 

LBJ finished in November 2024. One tie rod put in, other we couldn't get. Suggested parts ordered. She sat all winter.

I had the windows down a bit much and here came that big snow with the light fluffy stuff that blows around so well. YEP BLEW RIGHT INTO THE TRUCK. Not too bad but the seats were fairly full. Swept that out and covered her cab with a tarp. That worked well and the ropes held for all the big storms we had.

Neighbor came over a couple of days ago and pulled her into the driveway (first pic).

New Weathertech floor mats put in a couple of days ago also.

 

I had let the battery run down and with all the wind, didn't want to risk raising the hood for charging. Thus, the resort to a tarp.

Sorry I don't have a pic of her over winter. Just imagine her parked on the grass with a tarp over the cab and every grommet used to tie the tarp down to wheels, suspension, bed tie downs, etc.

 

Yesterday I ordered two OEM outside front door handles from Orisman of Richmond, VA. The handles on mine have the chrome "plating" which is badly scratched and flaking off. I assume the previous owner(s) had long fingernails. I also think the chrome accents look rather tacky and so, the ones I ordered are white. Apparently OEM rear door handles are no longer stocked so I called a few junkyards on Car-part.com and on the fourth try, found a Sequoia that still had its white rear door handles. Price was around $40.00 a piece so I went for those. Later on I plan to replace the tailgate handle and fuel filler door, which are currently chromed. Pics to follow.

Today the rollback came and hauled it, me, and the replacement parts to be put in to the dealership. This was uneventful except for when I put the truck into park thinking the wheels were already blocked. OOPS! She rolled so hard into Park there was no moving the lever. I see people do this all the time, not realizing that's how to damage the transmission. Fortunately the driver was very experienced and used the winch to pull her forward enough to allow me to easily shift into Neutral for the unload. I'm a bit short on tip money so I hit the driver with a Gatorade and big Slim Jim. Never hurts to be nice to the help.

Being the OCD guy I am and knowing that mistakes are made all the time, I had written out a color-coded list of repairs wanted. The staff liked this.

 

Can you post up a close picture of these handles? Are these not just some kind of aftermarket stick on chrome handle overlay that could be removed?

 

I don't know....given all the chrome crap on the truck, I'm assumed it's factory but given how little I seem to know about anything...could be!

More pics are inbound so I'll add this to the list.

**Edit**

According to the Toyota dealership we took it to, the service manager said those handles were indeed a factory option that the factory dropped due to the very chrome flaking problem I have "that leaves sharp chrome plating edges that can cut people."

 

Tip for the future, you might not want to jack your truck up in the yard. Years ago when I was in my early 20s, I jacked my car up on some gravel, and the ground gave way and my car ended up on the ground.

A couple years ago a guy in my neighborhood jacked his Mustang up in his yard and left it for a couple days, same thing happened and it fell to the ground.

I will not lift a vehicle up unless it's definitely over a firm surface like concrete.

 

That's where turning over a maxxtraxx or traction board will allow for a solid jacking base on the ground.

 

The jacks I used were two trolley jacks (4 wheels per jack). One was 1.5 tons and the other 2 tons. I blocked it on 6x6's, all of those at least 2 feet long and one was 4 feet long. I don't get underneath jacks and I don't use a jack for more than a tire, brake pad change, or tire rotation unless it's on blocks. I don't use "jack stands" even. At least during the time it was "up on blocks" I had 4 sets of blocks, all 6x6's at the base of the block structure.

One of the biggest pains was moving the trolley jacks under the truck since, well, those don't actually roll on grass. (On my side, pulling it under the truck).

Thanks for the warning though and keep up with warnings. I'd rather eat crow here than get an injury.

 

Update:

Went back to the shop with title and bill of sale. Turns out they didn't need those after all since the truck didn't originally come with a security system. That's fine by me as I don't like those things and I'd rather just have a key to manually unlock a door.

Service manager is a big fan as has a 2004 Sequoia "he will never sale." They didn't see any timing belt service stickers and agreed with me "probably never been changed." I told them I wanted to see the timing belt when they got it off.

Service secretary called yesterday since the big list I wrote up omitted two things I had originally told them I wanted. Just my mistake and I'll glad she called.

***
Will 2023 Tacoma wheels fit my 2006 Tundra? Mechanic there has a set for sale and I wonder if those would fit....

My wheels are flaking the powder coat off something terrible.

 

That should be the older body style Tacoma and not the brand new one so they should fit. They will sit further inboard most likely though. Post some pictures of them if you can.

 

Pics will probably have to wait until next week when I go to pick up the Tundra.

 

Update:

Shop called...seems there have been some "issues" found. Calipers in bad shape, parking brake rusted to something, steering rack leaking, rotors shot....you get the picture and the "picture" is of a bigger bill!

I'm not surprised, I halfway expected something like this once they tore into it.

I told the lady "go for it."

 

Doesn't surprise me. I bought mine at 207k miles, my calipers were also rough, and my steering rack was leaking. Expected for the mileage...

 

If you took it to the Stealership to do the work, this is the norm. They overcharge for work that isn't needed. They always find "something" that tacks on another $2k-4k, which is probably what that's going to end up costing you (if not more)

 

Ya that is a worry I have but I don't have the time or means to fix things at home right now and the orders for service are already coming in. That's a good thing of course, but it limits my free time quite a bit.

 

Same with mine. But mine were all rusted out from being from IL. Local shop said that when the dealership did my dad's frame replacement they didn't bleed the brakes after putting it bac together because all the bleeder valves were rusted and didn't want to mess with them and cause more work. Not happy about that. But the calipers and front rotors were in bad shape and they are going to try and bleed the rear after changing out the front. If they break, then ne wheel cylinders too.

 

WV uses salt too and given that this truck was about the nicest looking thing these people owned.....well....it's easy-to-see why things on it were ignored.

But it saved me from having to deal with Farcebook Marketplace and I didn't know anyone else that had a 4wd V8 truck they would sale that we could afford.

 

Got the door handles and side window vent shades today. I didn't expect the handles from the junkyard in TX to get her so quickly.

 

Don't mess with Texas

 

Stealership called yesterday and it's almost ready to go.

I asked the secretary who asked the mechanic. She called back.

I have 201,000 miles on the odometer. Given that nothing seems to have been done since it was new, gonna expect the same for the tranny. It didn't slip when I test drove it before the buy.

Mechanic at stealership wants to do a flush. I am extremely skeptical about "flushes." In fact, I'm extremely skeptical about a fluid change at all since I've seen Scotty Kilmer's* videos on the subject.

So drain out transmission cooler tube and refill while engine running?

Drain out pan drain plug and replace every 3,000 miles until I get it all replaced?

Leave it like it is and see how long it lasts?

What say the hive?

*Scotty Kilmer's video on the subject.

Don’t Change Your Transmission Fluid

 

My vote is drain and fill only

 

OK. Thanks. Would I drain at the trans cooler line and refill as it goes?

Would I drain at the drain plug and refill a little at a time, say every oil change?

 

So on your A750, I'm not 100%. I recommend you download and check the Field Service Manual. I don't want to mislead you. If it were an A340, I'd suggest only drain at the plug and then fill as normal.

 

Why would you only refill a little at a time? Wouldn't that destroy your trans from lack of fluid?

I did a drain/fill on mine when I bought it. I recommend a measuring bucket to drain it into, and just put the exact same amount of fluid back in. I'm not sure if the 06 has a dipstick but by putting the exact amount back in you can't go wrong.

 

No. OP has a different trans that yours. That's why I suggest that he check the FSM so as not to give false info.

 

We have a miscommunication. By "refill a little at a time" means "drain the pan, refill that amount with new, drive it for 3,000 miles (oil change interval), drain the pan, refill that amount, drive 3,000 miles, and so on, until all fluid changed."

 

I assume the pan has a drain plug, I didn't know enough to look for one and it's still at the shop.