2001 SR5 - Thunder Cloud Metallic
222k miles on 5/11/17
Modifications
Front suspension-
-Tundra Bilstein 5100 on perch 4 of 5 with '99 Highlander coils.
Rear suspension-
-ToyTec Superflex coils & OEM '14 SR5 Tokico shocks. Will be replaced with FJ80 Tokicos... I think?
-Eimkeith panhard correction kit- EVERYONE SHOULD BE RUNNING THESE BRACKETS! They transform the handling of your rig.
Drivetrain-
-Manual trans swap with the AWD/Multi-Mode tcase.
-Non-ABS VSS
Wheels & Tires-
-17x9 et0 5" BS Black Level 8 MK6
-315/70R17 BFG KO2
Interior-
-OEM Clutch Start Cancel SW.
-Manual trans center dash bezel piece to delete "ECT" SW.
-Manual brake pedal.
-Turn signal stalk replaced with version w/ fogs.
-'02 Limited OEM head unit.
Exterior-
-Color-matched front bumper from Limited with fogs.
Maintenance-
-222,000-
Aisin timing belt kit with Koyo & Timken idler bearings, new tensioner, and Aisin WP, OEM cam seals, Fel-Pro rear main seal.
Aisin clutch kit, Aisin slave and master cylinders, AMS flywheel.
ORS 1986 18" '99 Tacoma radiator and new OEM cap.
-222,500-
OEM(Denso) spark plugs, Energy Suspension steering rack bushings, cleaned MAF.
-224,400-
Replaced LBJs
@Scramble asked me "Are you building the ultimate 3rd gen?!", and I'm like "well, actually I am!". That is, of course, my own opinion. It's not going to be anything extreme, just my version of the "ultimate" 3rd gen 4R.

Like my '97, I'm going for OEM+ on this rig too.

Here's the moment I picked her up-



Pretty nasty dirty inside, and more door dings than my '97, but that's okay. I'm good at cleaning nasty, and door dings can be taken out if I want.

When I picked it up, I started it- it ran super smooth- and put it in Drive to see what would happen. It was like the TC was locked up; it lurched forward and died.

Got it loaded up, got it towed home safely, and went to work cleaning it up.

Started with the engine bay-



Time to unload it. I decided to try to back it off under its own power. That worked just fine Forward? Yeah; that worked fine too. Around the block? Shifted through the gears? Yup. So I'm not sure what's going on with the trans/TC, but I already have a trans from a '99 I picked up a couple years ago, so I'm gonna throw that in. Oh yeah- and it's a manual.

Picked the rig up Saturday, and spent most of Sunday swapping suspension from my '97.



That brings to my attention how awesome it is I never had the '02 Thunder Cloud bumper I got from @Chim painted Anthracite or Dark Gray!

The bumper on the '01 was chrome, and also completely trashed-



Spent a good 9 hours swapping suspension. Half way point-





It would have taken less than half as long, but I had to swap axles and knuckles too. I had 2WD knuckles on the '97 temporarily, and I- obviously- wasn't going to sell the '97 without having 4WD.

Swapped-



Took the running boards off, and got the front bumper swapped on to the '01-



For those who may have have not seen it before, my '97-

Hey... I switched runners in the middle of my build thread..

Scrambler? LOL Isn't that a Jeep?

Haha Damnit! I'm gonna blame auto-correct

Oh well 🤷🏼

I'm gonna live vicariously through you for a few years! Sub'd.
With my skill level it might be easier for me to buy a 2000 M/T Sport, e-locker, S/C & paint it Thunder Cloud Metallic. It's a rare combination but they do show up in the classifieds once a year or so.

I think I may have bugged you before on this, not sure but... what the hell do you clean your engine bay with!? beside hot water.

You should do a write-up on engine bay detailing, looks fantastic. I'm guessing a lot of armor all involved.

Thanks guys. I love a showroom-fresh engine bay. I try to keep the bottom side and interior as clean as I can too. I don't care if it gets muddy and dirty, because it's easy to clean if it doesn't get outta hand. I vacuum and clean the interior every weekend- it only takes 10 minutes or so. Starting the week with a clean rig makes my week start so much better.
Anyway, I just spray it down with Simple Green, let it sit for a minute or so, and pressure wash it with hot water. I use a microfiber to wipe down and dry off as much as possible. This is what it looks like after that-
After that, I use my favorite dressing- Stoner Trim Shine AEROSOL.I I coat everything I can get to. It makes it super easy to keep clean too.
Haha sounds good.
I know man. The 2000 M/T e-locker "sport" is the ideal 3rd gen for sure. I don't love any color they come in though, that's for sure.

I need a fog light signal stalk, so if anyone has one, let me know
Also, if anyone reading this has experience with ICON rear shocks, I'd like to hear your opinion on them!

Lemme find it tonight.

Aslo, I have the entry level Icon extended travel kit and I love it. It's weird how many mixed reviews I see on the Icon setup(s), I drive our parts trucks ('16/'17 Tacomas) and I find the ride to be VERY similar. Tacos are better with the high speed stuff (shock speed, not truck speed) than the Icons are and they're a little "smoother" but I'm also on 33" E rated Nittos where they're on the stock street tires, not the kevlar ones.

2 for 1?!
Well awesome! Thanks man. I'd love to buy that from ya.
So, more on the ICON. MetalTech 4x4 is local to me, and they have ICON build the shock to their specs. I'm gonna find out exactly what they change- if anything- as far as valving goes. Would you say the ICON valving is on the "stiffer/tighter" side, or on the "softer"? Also, what coils are you running in the rear? I love being able to hit speed bumps without slowing down, and I could do that with the 5100. I was mostly happy with the 5100 with my Superflex coils, but I wouldn't mind a shock with a little tighter valving- if that's correct terminology?
Thanks for your input on the shocks too.

I'd say they're pretty soft on the slow speed stuff, they're great on surface streets and interstates; Firm but comfortable. You definitely feel the high speed though but I don't present that as a negative, I appreciate the feedback. I'm on 890s out back, supposedly the shocks were designed around them and I buy that claim, it's a very well behaved combination.

Thanks @I'mStock
They sound like they're similar to the 5100. I'd like to hear an argument why they're worth twice as much!

In my experience, icons are quite firm during low shock shaft speed bumps. This helps keep body roll to a minimum but can result in a harsh feeling ride unless you're really driving aggressively. This is due to their digressive piston design and valving. I personally prefer a linear or progressive shock setup, which is what most big shock companies (king, fox, sway-a-way) use. I would really recommend riding in a well set up truck with kings and one with icons so that you can see what you like best. What feels good to one person doesn't always feel good to someone else.

At least for 2.5" rear shocks for the third gen, there's only two options. So that'll help narrow things down. There's only Icon and King for Oem replacement.

Good luck with the build!

That auto trans wasn't a problem after all was it. Like where your going with new build. Still would like to know what the problem was with auto.