Having really put the truck through the paces the last couple months I decided it was time to look it over for any items that have popped up over the last few months. Everything seems to be doing alright with the exception of two leaks.
One being from the oil level sensor. This sensor has also given me a false positive several times, so I will be ordering the o-ring and inspecting the sensor while I am at it. The other leak is from the power steering pump. After some poking around I found that one of the bolts that secures the pump through the alternator bracket had come loose. I torqued it to spec and cleaned up the area and will keep a closer eye on it.
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I have also noticed that it doesn't have the best road manners. I had it aligned in June by a big brand shop, and it feels like they have done a pretty poor job. On paper it looked fine when I picked up, but I can't seem to find the printout anywhere to confirm. I ordered everything to refresh the sway bar bushings and end links, so hopefully that smartens things up. Admittedly this is the first solid axle vehicle I've driven, and I've somewhat convinced myself this is how it drives. I should probably get behind another 80 series to see how mine compares.
Now on to cosmetic stuff. On the side I have been searching for a hood, fender, and valence so I can have them painted in the factory Antique Sage Pearl. It presents well already and makes sense to finish it up by painting it all one color.
Now on to wheels. I've always been really focused on wheels, and I really like the 16" look. My current tires are 285/75 r16 and have only a few thousand miles on them, so I would like to continue using them if possible.
I have identified 3 options I am considering, and they are:
Keep it stock and get the current set or another stock set sandblasted, powder coated and buy a new set of caps.
I don't know if mine are too far gone for that or not, the current set are pretty badly pitted both inside and out.
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The second option is the Tacoma wheel in Anthracite. These are 16x7" with a +25mm offset. As you can see by the graphic it would require a 1-inch spacer to get the track back into spec. I would get to keep my current low mileage tires and these wheels can be found pretty inexpensively on marketplace.
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The third option is the TRD wheel In Matte Gray. These are 17x7" with a +4mm offset. As you can see by the graphic, they are close enough to spec that you can probably get away without spacers. This would also require buying an entire new set of tires and would be the most expensive overall. This is a departure from the 16" and I think that these have been a bit overused on just about everything.
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I'm sure you are thinking that there is also a whole plethora of aftermarket wheels that are available, and you are right. I will be keeping my eye out for something I think looks better. But for right now I think a stock Toyota wheel is the way to go.