What have you done to your 1st gen Tundra today?

I wonder if could use one from an AC back seat

 

Y'all fancy. I use an 16" piece of copper tubing. I'll take a pic later. I know I've mentioned this previously. Stupidly, I have a nice breaker bar too, I just find myself reaching for the copper more often than not.

Dang, now do my cap!

Is that 056 Natural White?

What color was it before?

 

This thing might’ve seen some shit over the last two decades. It has never failed me. No need to be embarrassed about cheap tools. I consider myself the smarter dude for not spending $$ where it wasn’t warranted. 1” copper ftw!

 

I thought it was one of the new fancy pastel tans or something. Whatever Toyota calls that color. Lunar rock maybe?

 

It's a little late in the game, but i just saw that ORA has U bolt eliminator kits on sale for 20% off (discount code is "1776").... https://offroadanonymous.com/product/u-bolt-eliminator-kit/

 

What's the draw of eliminating u-bolts?

 

No u bolts .... "Come one man" it's self explanatory.

But for reals it hard mounts, welds the leaf perches to the axle. Just eliminates a potential mechanical failure point, well as long as it was welded in correctly it'll eliminate a mechanical failure point lol

 

I mean if I welded my flip kit u bolts to my axle it would be kinda sorta the same thing, but not quite, but close.

Ground clearance

 

Should have fuck it and color matched the mirrors.

Made them cateye Bois jellyfishin bout it lmfao

 

I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around how four bolts is any better than two u bolts per side.

Just seems like a different way to accomplish the same thing, with no clear winner to me.

 

I get the ground clearance part at least haha

 

You completely eliminate the risk of left/right slippage on the axle? Could be kinda important if you intent to huck* it hard. Or am I just f’n nuts?

 

I don't know. Because you got the notch in the spring perch, on the axle, where the leaf pack center pin goes inside. That should eliminate any left to right anyways.

Either way it's cool and goes to show there at least three ways to skin this particular cat haha

 

Yes, 056 Natural White before and after. I was tempted to paint it Sunset Bronze Mica like some of the newer Tundras, but a color change is a whole lot more work, door jambs and cab to bed gap etc. My Leer cab high topper is also 056 Natural White and in excellent condition but if I had found a mid rise topper like ARE MX in any color I would have pulled the trigger on a color change and sold the Leer.

 

Looks great. How did you handle the bed to cab gap below the rear window (looks like you shot the hood and roof separately)? Was wondering how I was going to handle the roof carrying it over the back and down the the bed ....

 

I painted the roof, hood, grille and tailgate (on sawhorses) first, then painted the rest 2 days later. It really didn't involve that much extra taping. I just couldn't see myself reaching over wet fenders to paint the hood, much easier this way. The area below the rear window only got the first 2 coats, this truck always has a camper shell on it. I removed the bulbs out of the cargo light while I had the camper shell off.

 

So weld them to my axle....... question mark

 

What shifty said

 

Damn. I love how that came out. Those look great.

 

Well finally got around to throwing new LBJs in my '06. I've put about 1,500 miles on it since I got it. Its been absolutely solid, I've just been paranoid about the ball joint situation since I have no record of it ever having been done, and the truck has now 228,500 miles on it. So finally some peace of mind.
Got OEM parts and hardware from Toyota, torqued everything to the correct spec. Also did the outer tie rods since they seemed pretty tired (and I damn near destroyed the boots anyway while removing them)

The goods:

All said and done:

 

540lbs per side 1080 total.

 

How do you handle the cab going behind the bed below rear window and on sides? Just carry the paint into the gap and likely create a dry look where it would mist down into the void, but not really visible since its in the crack? Always figured would have to pull the bed to paint the cab right...

 

Axle out, Axle In and repeat.

Pinion angle set and 2x checked. Spring Perches welded in


Finished off the day removing the rear crossmember.


Getting Close!

 

Angle iron just there to prevent frame rail twist, or is something functional to come of that? Only asking b/c of the bead length. Looks good!

Must be the angle but the angle of the diff/pinion end almost looks like it’s favoring the passenger side in that pic.

 

One of the leaf packs could be backwards.
Been there haha

 

Pull the bed to do a color change. My eyesight isn't that good so I can't see any matte look between cab and bed. On these trucks the front of the bed wraps around the cab enough to limit visibility. When I get the topper back on I doubt anyone else will notice. I'm an amateur painter, this was a do-it-yourself at home in the garage cheap paint job, not a restoration of a classic car, that would be beyond my capabilities. A body and paint shop would have charged me 5 grand to do this job if I was able to find one interested in doing it. I have less than $600 tied up in it and I'm happy.