2000 Toyota Tacoma: Relocation (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
May 18, 2006
Threads
54
Messages
73
Location
‏‏‎
Hey all, normally I hang out over in the Land Cruiser sections of this site but I will soon be the new owner of a 2000 Tacoma Xtracab. Here's a little more about it:

3RZ-FE 2.7L 4-cylinder engine
4wd
5 speed manual
~115,000 miles

I'm in northern Utah and the truck is located Arizona though it has spent most of its life in Washington state.

This will be my daily driver (whenever I'm not on my motorcycle) however I do plan to put Aisin hubs up front. When the tyres that it has now wear out I would like to put some tall skinny tyres on it with some grey steel wheels. I'll probably remove the brush/grille guard and the running boards when I get it home.

One thing I'd like to do off the bat is put some of the factory flares on. Here is my understanding of factory flares around the year 2000:

'98-'00 factory flares were made of fiberglass and shorter
'95-'00 TRD flares from were made of plastic
'01-'04 factory flares made of plastic and taller

From 2001 on there were square notches in the fender for attachment.

If possible I would like to obtain some '95-'00 TRD flares. The plastic kind without having to drill the fenders. Can I source these anywhere else besides the dealer?

Would the '01+ flares work on a 2000?
 
Last edited:
I have the same chrome/rubber things around the wheelwells of my 96. You can buy OE style flares from Bushwhacker that look pretty much identical to the 98-00 TRD package flares. I would like to eventually put a set of those on mine. I had a 95.5 tacoma years ago with manual hubs but I don't know if they offered them in 2000. Anything can be done with enough time and money but I think the manual hubs were only available on trucks without ABS brakes. The ADD system has never let me down and I've had 3 first gen tacoma's with it. My current one has 256k on it. Also if this truck has ever seen road salt make sure to check the frame for rust on the inside rails near the front mounting point for the leaf springs. There are hardly any pre-01 tacomas on the road any more here in New England. Toyota bought most of them back due to frame rot.
 
For the hubs, I plan on using the Off-Road Solutions kit which provides axle shafts, CV joints, hubs, new wheel bearings, seals, gaskets and hardware. But I will be using the Aisin hubs over the Warn hubs.

I'm confused because the pics show it with the Aisin manual hubs? The 4 cylinder's came with manuals, it was the V6 one's that were a little more rare, and done away with in '01.

Go with Bushwacker, otherwise just have to use a different style of fastener to use the 01-04 style. There was a guy on toyota-4rnr forum who did the same with a 4rnr, used Limited flares. I only know that because it was the 4rnr of the month :D
 
Spend the money and get the Weather Techs for it. I bought a set for my 2010 tacoma and wish I had bought them the day I bought the truck. Excellent kit and worth the money. I don't have to think about getting into the truck with muddy boots now at all. Worth the peace of mind IMHO.
 
Good looking rig. I wish I could help with the steelies, but I honestly have no idea. I am pretty sure my spare is a 16" steel, so if I can find another 5 spoke then I would be glad to help start your collection efforts. :cheers:
 
For the 16" steel rims, try posting on local Tacoma/4Runner boards in your area, placing a CL ad, or calling junk yards that might have said vehicles on site. I sourced 4 that way years ago, never paying more than $25 for a rim. Most Tacomas, some 4Runners and most Tundras had the black 16 hole steel rim with the spare tire, so they should be around.
 
Been a while since I posted any updates on my Tacoma. With the truck turning 150k miles old and the recently upgraded suspension I figured now was as good a time as any.

Huge thanks to Kurt @cruiseroutfit who helped me get set up with the OME lift. Cruiser Outfitters customer service is top notch and answered all my questions regarding the lift. It rides so much nicer than my tired stock suspension and it gives the truck a great stance.

I found a set of 16x7 steel rims and had them powder coated at Les Schwab and fitted some 7.50R16 tyres to them. I love the tall skinny profile and for the off-roading I do, they will work perfectly.

DSC_0133.JPG
DSC_0131.JPG
DSC_0132.JPG
 
...Huge thanks to Kurt @cruiseroutfit who helped me get set up with the OME lift. Cruiser Outfitters customer service is top notch and answered all my questions regarding the lift. It rides so much nicer than my tired stock suspension and it gives the truck a great stance.

I found a set of 16x7 steel rims and had them powder coated at Les Schwab and fitted some 7.50R16 tyres to them. I love the tall skinny profile and for the off-roading I do, they will work perfectly.

Thank you! Truck is looking great. Digging the wheels!
 
A new issue has cropped up in the last few weeks:

Engine: 2000 3RZ-FE

While driving, whether under load or cruising, there is a random hiccup/misfire in the engine. It's never sustained for more than just a second, but this morning I was able to replicate the problem to occur regularly (ranging from 30 seconds to a couple minutes between hiccups) in the RPM range of 3000-3100 and in 4th gear (though this problem has happened in other gears).

A possible related problem might be the MAF sensor. My truck has had trouble starting in the extreme heat here in Utah during the summer. I cleaned the MAF sensor a couple weeks ago and haven't had the problem since but it could be that it simply hasn't happened yet since I cleaned it. It was never a really frequent problem anyway.

I'm going to hook up a reader and see if there are any codes so stay tuned. Currently the CEL is not on.

I've been doing some reading and wanted to get your opinions. A few possible causes that have crossed my mind:

1. Plugs and wires (haven't been changed in at least 80k mi.)
2. Throttle position sensor (this would be consistent with the problem occurring at the same RPM range in 4th gear, yet at different RPMs in other gears)
3. Coil pack
4. MAF sensor (cleaned this a couple weeks ago but still could be faulty?)
5. ???

Let me know what other ideas you all have. I'll update this weekend to see if there are any codes.
 
Last edited:
Well, no codes. Which I guess is a good thing but at the same time it doesn't help me narrow down where the hiccup is coming from.

When I started up the truck today after it sitting for a day and a half it had a little hesitation starting. So I'm thinking MAF sensor.

But, I think I'll start with the plugs and wires then drive it for a week or so and see if the problem persists.

Standby for updates.
 
Replaced the plugs and wires last weekend but the intermittent miss persisted throughout this last week. Again, it seems to be very random and occurring most regularly at 3000-3100 RPM.

Thinking about replacing TPS but would love some other inputs if there are any thoughts out there.

As the weather gets hotter in July the hot starting issue has become more common. It will crank and catch but then die right after it begins to catch. Cycle the power on and off for 15 seconds and it will start up.

Might be the fuel evaporation system?

Stay tuned.
 
I tested the MAF tonight just for the heck of it.

Per the FSM specs, it failed across the E2 and THA terminals which the THA is the intake air temp. sensor.

Time to replace the MAF sensor it seems.

There has to be a better option than the $769.00 OEM part that includes the body the sensor attaches to. Can't the OEM sensor be purchased separately? Has anyone had any luck with an aftermarket sensor?
 
OEM from Camelback Toyota. Same part is used on 5VZ-FE.

maf.jpg
 
Back up in Vancouver, Canada to finish up grad school and the hiccup hasn't shown up once with the cooler weather. I'm left scratching my head as to what could be causing it to show up only in the hot weather of the summer.

It makes sense (to me) that it would be a sensor that is temperature dependent but could the humidity differential also be masking a problem that only shows up in the dry hot air of Utah?

I also just fitted some new Yokohama Geolandar G105s in 235/85R16 which are a great size and feel really good so far after a thousand or so miles.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom