2001 Tacoma PreRunner questions (1 Viewer)

[YMT]

I recently purchased a 2001 Tacoma PreRunner 2wd. It now has 131k miles, after over a 1k road trip as a shake-down run. Between getting an inspection, before, and the road trip, I have a list of issues to replace on this rig, and am hoping to get some feedback from the experts. I have done some searching and have identified some common issues with these rigs in addition to the other issues.
So, to start, on to some background on the truck.
-It's a 2001 Tacoma PreRunner, black, extended cab, 2wd step side pickup, with the 5vz-fe engine, auto trans (not sure yet which tranny). It currently has 131, 300 miles. The body, other than the front bumper, is pretty straight, with a couple minor dents. The paint on the roof, hood, and top of the fenders is horrible- its spent it's life in CA, mostly in the sun, and the clear coat is gone on the roof, hood, and fenders. Also, the headlights are cloudy, and the hood has a rust spot where the paint has baked off the hood.
From the inspection when I bought it, there's some needs, with various priorities.
-paint, mentioned above
-headlight lens rehab/replacement
-Valve cover gaskets
-all 3 belts are cracking and will need replacing
-Plugs/wires
-rear shocks (they're pretty bad)
-front struts (they're totally shot)
-front bumper (it had a minor encounter with a fawn deer and is slightly bent); am considering a PreRunner style tube bumper
-transmission: while cruise control is on, shifts hard from 3rd to 5th (I think) when up steep hills with rpms around 3500. Not sure if it's fluid related or what.
-Front upper and lower control arms/A arm bushings need replacement
-ball joints in front are notorious for failure
-it has aftermarket wheels 15"x 12" ( I think) with 31" tires, but needs a narrower, or more backspaced wheel, since it rubs at full lock turning
-exhaust needs work- it has headers and cat intact, however, it's been chopped just after the cat, right behind the cab. I'd like high-flow exhaust that won't trip the O2 sensors.
-it needs a trailer hitch. And possibly an auxiliary tranny cooler for mild towing and road trips.

Goals for the truck:
-I have an FJ80 parts rig I am thinking of using the axles, tranny and Tcase to convert it to 4x4, since it's already on a 4x4 chassis.
-I want to do minor towing with it (firewood, camper, hardware store/town runs, etc).
-considering a leveling kit for the front until I can do an axle swap, since I already need to replace the struts
-keep it cheap!!! But reliable!

So, are there any vendors recommended in the Tacoma realm (I'm usually on the FJ80 forum) that deal with suspension, bushings, exhaust, etc? Any suspension suggestions for towing and hauling ? Any info on transmission coolers to add? Any other PreRunner owners out there willing to post up their rigs so I can get some build ideas? Any other info, especially regarding SAS conversion, would be great. I've already searched, and only come up with eBay listings.

 

[clx16]

Welcome to this side of the forum.
I've done most of the things you have listed on mine 4wd.
Balljoints were recalled but I am not sure that after the recall they continued to be common failure points.
I did 5100s (these are adjustable and can level) for shocks and moog front springs with OME leafs which will give you a bit of a lift but also are a good bit beefier for heavy loads over stock.
I did moog/555 baljoints, inner and outer TREs, and those have been on for about 6 years with no issues.
Can't help on the tranny as mine is manual and I had a rearmain seal issue that trashed my clutch, both were replaced.
I got clear cheap headlights off ebay for about 40 bucks for the pair and they've been ok but don't last a great long time if you park in the sun a lot.

For valve cover gaskets, i did toyota and couldn't keep them from leaking (probably my fault) but went with felpro the second time and have had good luck. make sure you pull the halfmoons in the back and reseal those, as well as the rear cam caps. driver's side is the annoy side, but when i removed the intake plenum i just tied it to the hood so I wouldn't have to disconnect so much.

my belts were cracked also so I ordered a toyota timing belt, tensioners, aisin water pump, and front crank seal, then put in a new radiator and radiator hoses. The rest was all still pretty ok and haven't had to change those.

I got most of everything from a variety of sources, amazon, partsgeek, and toyota parts deal...

 

[splitshot]

When I look at your goals, unless you totally love wrenching and already attached to this truck...
Why not consider (instead) picking up a 1st gen 4wd Tundra?

The Most Underrated Cheap Truck Right Now: A First-Gen Toyota Tundra

An inexpensive pickup truck that’s capable, comfortable, seats more than two, fits in your garage and gets vaguely reasonable fuel economy: that’s the dream. It ain’t a 2015 Chevy Colorado. Actually it’s not a 2015 anything, it’s a fifteen year old half-ton and it’s even got a V8.

jalopnik.com

 

[YMT]

Thanks for the info @clx_16. That's a clean truck!

@splitshot, I do love wrenching, and already have the FJ80 for the parts donor. I did look at 1st Gen Tundras, however, anything within 200 miles of me was stupid expensive ($8-12k) or high mileage (250-300k) or both. I got the Taco from a co-worker, who has had it since 2004, and was very detailed on its history; I'd rather pick up a vehicle from a trusted source knowing it has issues than a seemingly clean rig from an unknown source.

I picked up a headlight cleaner kit from Turtlewax that worked decently. It involved hand-sanding the headlight lenses; it has helped significantly, and bought some time for me to shop for new headlights. I doubt it will last more than a few months, especially since the current lenses have small cracks and it's still parked outside, but it was $9 and cleared up much of the sun fade/haze.

I also got a second opinion on the front suspension. Apparently the UCAs and bushings are still good, and the LCAs and bushings are not great but still functional. The struts are not great, but it's not as urgent of a fix as I initially thought. I've been looking at control arm assemblies on Rock Auto, and they're reasonably priced compared to individual parts. Any suggestions or recommendations on brands to avoid? I like Bilstein and Moog products, but didn't know if there's any companies to absolutely avoid.

 

[clx16]

Collapsed suspension. What to replace with?

I think my front passenger side suspension broke. Truck is sitting about a 1/4" from the front bump stop on that side. Driver side is about 1" from the bump stop. Was thinking that when the suspension went I would use the chance to upgrade it a bit. Can I do only the fronts IFS coilovers? Or...

forum.ih8mud.com

Shocks for Tacoma 2003

Hi there New owner of a 2003 Tacoma TRD. How to test if shocks are worn out? I did push down on front and rear bumper and it would bounce 1 1/2 before returning to level. Which Bilstein shocks are a good replacement for stock TRD shocks : The 4600 or 5100 ?? Thanks Jay

forum.ih8mud.com

not that you will want to do what anyone did in either of those, but something to read.

I had horrible suspension when i purchased mine, so did monroe up front and bilstein 4600s i think in the back. did that for several years and then just recently moved to bilstein all around, moog up front and OME leafs in the back. I like the combination and for what i use it for. your rear leafs may not be bad. You might find some tokicos that I've heard work really well from a comfort point of view.