'98 100 (in 2019) — Build Thread (1 Viewer)

[RandomUser]

Hello everyone!

New to the forum here, and the new owner of a 1998 100 series that I bought a couple of weeks ago (200k on the odometer).

Had it checked out by a local mechanic who specializes in Toyota trucks (I’m in the San Diego area) to have an inspection before I purchased. Most of the problems seem to be “keep an eye on it” and “when you can afford it, go ahead and fix this” type issues. Number 1 item was the radiator had some hairline cracks in it and it was recommended I get that fixed ASAP. So I had the radiator replaced (as well as the hoses and heater Tees), as well some fluid flushes (brake fluid and power steering fluid).

After I had bought it, I took it to another local mechanic who also specializes in Toyota trucks to do the above work. They found a couple of other things the first guy missed, so hopefully they aren’t too major for now at least.

This is a secondary vehicle for me (daily driver is a 2000 Toyota Solara [200k on it and still going strong]). I’m going to attempt to fix as many things on it as possible by myself to teach myself how to better work on vehicles (likewise, it'll be nice to have the LC if my other car breaks down, so I have time to work on it as well).

My general idea for this vehicle is to use it as a weekend-warrior type truck; use it to throw a kayak on top for driving around town to fish; take it out to the mountains on BLM land to do some target shooting; and slowly build it into a thoughtful camper type rig to do some more camping and have everything be relatively self contained (things like a drawer/sleeping platform so I can sleep in the vehicle, an awning attached to the roofrack, dual battery system to run accessories without worrying about affecting my starter battery, etc). I don't envision any kind of intense off-roading, but I’ve also never been exposed to it; so I may very well try a few simple trails and get the bug and then want to actually get deeper into that space. We’ll see (if any of you are in the San Diego area, I’d love to meet some new people ).

I’ve been compiling a list of A) repairs that are needed, and B) mods/accessories that I want to add to it. All of this will be done over time / as my budget allows. So I thought I’d start a thread to try and get some experienced opinions on some things, as well as document the things I’ve done to it that may be helpful for others.

To start with, here are some repairs items I need to look into:

Easy stuff I’m sure I can fix myself:

• Door lock actuators are weak (I think I’ll attempt to do to the motor swap that I’ve seen on these forums)
• Driver side window regulator is weak (doesn’t seem too hard to fix)
• Power antenna is broken (thinking about replacing it with a static antenna)
• Have what seems to be the quintessential “clunk”. It's not terrible, but I definitely feel it (I've read about this a lot and seen some videos RE: lubing the driveshaft. I think I can do this myself, but am also pretty sure that my mechanic will just throw that in next time I have him service the vehicle).

Things to keep an eye on / may need a mechanic to help me out (I'm going to do as much as I can on the truck that I feel comfortable with, but I need to do more research / determine if I just want to have a pro do it for me)

• Timing belt sticker is worn off; can’t tell when it was last done (not going to worry about it for right now, but will get this service done at some point in the near future to be safe)
• Oil leak (seems to just be a small valve cover gasket leak; not running to the ground or losing oil or anything like that)
• Slight seepage from the transmission pan (again, just seems like some minor seepage. Would just tightening the bolts and cleaning the dried up fluid be a good place to start?)
• Front axle boots leaking grease (mechanic told me it’s not that bad; and I plan on replacing the suspension soon enough, so he suggested to not worry about it and just have it taken care of during that process)
• Steering rack is slightly leaking (again, mechanic told me it’s not that bad and to just keep an eye on it. Not really sure what is involved in resolving that if it starts getting worse. Guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it unless you guys have some advice for me).
• Small rust spot around the windshield (it’s relatively small, but I want to get that taken care of sooner rather than later so it doesn’t spread and cause any leaks or other problems)

From what I can tell, that's pretty much all I need to do to get the vehicle “baselined”. Luckily they all seem to be relatively “minor” in the sense that while they need attention, it’s not going to stop this vehicle from working and I can get them done over time as my budget allows. If you think I’m wrong and there’s something on that list that you think I need to get fixed immediately, please let me know (and continuing that thought... from that list, how would you guys rank those problems in terms of priority)?

Beyond that, here’s a dump of random things that I have envisioned for the truck as my budget allows over time (definitely not trying to rush through this):

• Building a drawer system / sleeping platform
• New stereo + speakers
• Backup camera (which will be compatible with the stereo receiver)
• Removing the running boards
• Dual battery system
• Aftermarket roof rack
• 270 degree awning attached to that roof rack
• Direction-adjustable LEDs attached to the roof rack for campsite lighting
• Upgraded headlights
• Upgraded LED interior lights
• 2nd row seat cover to protect the leather from the dog
• An “attic rack” for shoving jackets/sleeping mats/etc into
• Heavier-duty floor mats
• Tinted windows (will get this done at a shop)
• Replace old suspension w/ something like an Old Man Emu kit (will probably have this done at a shop too. We’ll see how confident I feel in my abilities when the time comes)
• Maybe an on-board air compressor….. (probably don’t really need it but they seem inexpensive enough… )

Here's some pictures. Pretty standard looking LC for now:

That's it for now! Let me know what you guys think. I'll follow up once I've tackled a couple of items on the list.

 

[Tr3s]

That's a good looking 2000! Bought mine a month ago so I'm new here too.

FWIW, I changed the valve cover gaskets on my Tundra a few days ago and found it to be a relatively easy job. Up to that point, I've only done minor maintenance like fluids and spark plugs. I'm sure it's something you can attack yourself; can't speak for the other things you have listed, though some of them are on my list too.

 

[RandomUser]

Thanks man! What year/condition is yours in?

I'm pretty sure I can handle the valve cover gasket replacement as well. I've mostly done simple things like replacing drive belts, spark plugs, O2 sensors, fuel pump, etc. Most things seem to be pretty much "unbolt the old part" and "bolt the new one back on," so even if they're a pain the ass, it's simple enough.

I back up a little though when it comes to really taking apart a lot of things and dealing with critical (and expensive) components like the engine and the transmission. Working my way up there though.

 

[RandomUser]

So I'm back from a 2 week vacation in Italy and I've been planning out the sleeping platform/drawer system that I want to build for this thing.

Originally I was going to do a standard 2 drawer system like you see everywhere else. But now I've been thinking of doing something a little different — I think I want to build it so instead of 2 drawers, it's one wide cargo tray that slides all the way out. So imagine something like the newer 4Runner's sliding cargo tray, with a sleeping platform built around it. Basically a wide single drawer design without a drawer face.

The drawers just seem really limiting and they don't really seem to offer a lot of space in them. So I'm thinking a cargo tray where I could use plastic boxes to organize some things, while being able to comfortably slip larger things in the big open space, and having all of that easily slide out for ease of access seems like a nifty middle ground.

I'm sketching out a few ideas and am going to start on a 3D model of the design. I'll post some pictures once I'm further along.

Have any of you guys seen any examples of something like this? Looking for some inspiration but I haven't really seen anyone do anything like this.

 

[saucebox]

So there's a vendor that makes a platform like that—this post has pics: What have you done to your 100 Series this week?

 

[jmf10098]

Man, you're starting strong with an early build list. I didn't have any build plans with mine when I bought it, but 2 years later...... it's a different story. Welcome to the best purchase you'll ever make in a vehicle. Congratulations on your LC, it looks great.

 

[87warrior]

You are starting off with a solid rig. I look forward to watching you build it out.

 

[RandomUser]

So I've been playing around with some designs for the sleeping/cargo platform that I want to build for this thing.

Instead of doing drawers, I'm thinking of just doing one large cargo tray that will slide out so that I can retain as much storage space as possible.

Here's some screenshots of the design I'm working on:

View from the front:

View from the back:

Top-down view:

Skeleton view of some of the hardware:

Obviously the side wings will have to be shaped differently to accommodate the shape of the interior walls. I probably need to improve them a little bit as well; I'm not sure they'll work that well with how I currently have them.

For the sleeping platform aspect, I would have liked to do just one single board on a hinge that would fold back, but the length is too large and would hit the ceiling. So I'm thinking of this two board/double hinge style that will fold out accordion style over the 2nd row seats when they are folded down.

I'm also going to add some D rings to the top platform to tie down/secure anything I keep up there while driving so I don't smash my rear window.

Anyway; this is my first draft. What do you guys think? See anything wrong or have any ideas for improvements?

 

[RandomUser]

Considering this addition as well: a table that is snug inside with a couple rails attached to the bottom of the main platform that can be slid out partially for a handy little work surface.

 

[RandomUser]

Hey all —

So I’m trying to figure out all of the details and the use-cases for using 4HI vs 4LO, center diff lock, and rear diff lock. I’m brand new to driving trucks in general (let alone 4WD trucks/off roading/etc) — I’ve searched around on this forum and from the disparate information I’ve found, this is my general understanding of the different functions. Hoping to get some insight on if this is correct or not:

4HI, nothing else — Basically seems to be the same as a normal 2wd vehicle in the sense that if 1 wheel loses traction, then all of the power is going to go that wheel (which begs the question, what is the point of full time 4WD? Is it just because it’s a heavy ass vehicle and so in normal driving conditions, since power is going to both axles, it helps push it along better?)

4HI, center diff lock — Used when moving slowly on icy, wet, or otherwise low-traction terrain (seems to me like you’d never do this going regular speed on a highway, is that correct? What if you were going moderate speeds on a highway that is covered in snow or a massive rain has hit for instance?) — but I'm also confused, is there a "speed limit" to when you'd do this? If so, wouldn't you just go ahead and engage 4LO instead of running 4HI with center diff locked?

4LO — From what I’ve read, when you put the vehicle into 4LO, the center diff lock is automatically engaged? Is that correct? Again; the use-case would be snow/ice/loose gravel working at low speeds, or a gravel/“lose” road going up an incline where some more power is needed to safely get the vehicle up without slipping. Also, I've read that 4LO shouldn't really be used unless you're going at speeds <=20mph; is that correct?

4LO, rear diff lock — For those instances where you’re in a particular off road situation where it’s very loose grave, muddy or something to that effect — and you are attempting to slowly move forward though it with as much traction as you can possibly have

Do those descriptions seem correct?

Are there any other instances that I haven’t described where you would engage one of those modes?

A n00b question I'm sure but that's why I'm here

 

[uzj100]

4HI - Nothing else - helps with handling and 1 wheel has to lose traction (Corrected - thank you)
4HI, center diff lock - yes , moving quickly on snow covered roads. In the case of my 04 with VSC, i engage the CDL for fun gravel driving so the VSC does not kick in
4LO - CDL will lock automatically on a 98. I would recommend the 7 pin mod so you can run 4 LO with CDL unlocked, makes a big difference on tight trails to have low range and no binding from the center being locked, turns like normal
4LO, rear diff lock - yes you are correct. I would recommend 4 LO, rear diff lock if there is chance a front wheel will come off the ground. The 98 has the 2 pinion front diff which is known to explode. I have 04 with front and rear ARBs and 4 pinion front diff and run the rear locked if the front end has any possibility of coming off the ground. I broke a 2 pinion front pinion front diff in a 99 and luckily Toyota replaced it under the power train warranty.

 

[RandomUser]

4HI - Nothing else - helps with handling and 1 wheel on each axle has to lose traction

This is one of the main questions that I had — I had always assumed this was the case (you'd have to lose 1 wheel on each axle to fully lose traction on the vehicle) — but some other posts I've read on this forum were saying that even though both axles were being driven, it would only take a single wheel on either axle to lose traction/control of the vehicle.

I'll look into the "2 pinion front diff exploding" — I'm not really an expert on how drivetrains work so I'm not really sure what you're saying / how that works.

I've also seen some other posts in passing regarding that 7 pin mod so I'll look into that as well.

Thanks for the response

 

[uzj100]

This is one of the main questions that I had — I had always assumed this was the case (you'd have to lose 1 wheel on each axle to fully lose traction on the vehicle) — but some other posts I've read on this forum were saying that even though both axles were being driven, it would only take a single wheel on either axle to lose traction/control of the vehicle.

I'll look into the "2 pinion front diff exploding" — I'm not really an expert on how drivetrains work so I'm not really sure what you're saying / how that works.

I've also seen some other posts in passing regarding that 7 pin mod so I'll look into that as well.

Thanks for the response

You are correct. However the truck flexes so well this hardly ever happens.

The 2 pinion is a weaker ring and pinion that was installed in 98 and 99, Toyota switched to 4 pinion front diff in 2000 however they can still explode.

7 pin mod is super easy and allows you the control of the CDL in high range and low range.