New Member - 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA DBL CAB PRERUNNER

593 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by mr_t, 2 mo ago

jakemagscinni

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

Greetings from sunny New Mexico!

Purchased this 2004 Tacoma truck back in Oct 2021 from an old man in Colorado. It has the 3.4L v6 engine & is a 2wd and has a leather interior. No rips at all!

Since then, I've had valve cover gaskets replaced, replaced front wheel rotors, and replaced struts/shocks with Bilstein 4600, though I kept the coilovers. It now sits a little higher than before and my ride now is SMOOTH! I've also replaced the battery with an INTERSTATE battery, fixed the ash tray, & replaced the instrument cluster with white LED lights. WOW! what an improvement! Never liked the orange lighting. I've also purchased some 2nd gen rims that I'm cleaning up & looking to transfer in the near future.

So, some questions I have to the group:
1) Should I apply undercoat for the frame & under carriage areas myself or have a shop do this work? (I know I should have checked this before I purchased, but I saw it & wanted it! LOL!)
**** Any opinions &/or suggestions on the frame rust, etc. is GREATLY APPRECIATED!
2) Where can I purchase the front corner lamps pig-tales & wiring? Lamps don't work because pig-tales are old & wires have been cut. Don't know how or why, but I found this out about 2 months after I brought the truck home.
3) Should I change the BALL JOINTS-see photos (upper & lower)? Do they look bad? I don't notice any issues while driving, but I figure this should probably be changed out.
4) What other things should I do? (thinking of having brake fluid replaced)

Appreciate any & all imput!

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ShowStop

· #2 · 2 mo ago

1- Looks pretty good actually. Just clean up the existing rust and undercoat as needed. I think do it yourself is fine for that type of work.
2- Lots of aftermarket options. I'm not sure where your harness is cut, so you'll probably have to splice something regardless. Crimp and heatshrink if you do.
3- Lower ball joints are a known failure point. Yours don't look too bad, but I wouldn't risk it. Replace with OEM recommended.
4- All in all, that truck is in very clean condition for the age. Just do all the normal fluid services and you should get plenty more years out of it.