which rear axles are over or under question

[keakar]

all the trucks I ever had (chevys) were all axle under the leafs but now I need to learn about which tacomas have axles over the leafs and which are under the leafs because looking at some youtube suspension mods on tacomas I see some are over and some are under so which are over the springs and which are under? they don't really mention the year trucks they are working on or if its 2wd or 4wd

the question is brought about because im looking at a 1999 Tacoma with 3" lowering rear blocks added (the way he described it) so I must assume its an axle over the springs design from the factory.

it also has an aftermarket blacked out tube grill insert so if I get it I would want to reverse it and restore the factory look and ride height.

im interested in learning what would I need to do to undo a lift or drop kit for any truck I might buy.

also are aftermarket replacement grilles made of decent quality and are there brands that should be avoided when searching for aftermarket replacement parts for lights, grilles, bumpers, and such?

 

[tbplus10]

The rear would be simply removing the blocks, making sure any added degree shims were removed, and getting a set of u bolts that are the correct length.
The part that would concern me is how the front was lowered, depending on what method was used it could be a real pain returning it to stock.
As far as over or under most Toyota trucks were built axle under spring on on 4wd and axle over on 2wd.
Never really heard of any aftermarket parts mfgrs to avoid for grills.

 

[keakar]

thanks, so the 2wd axle sits on top off the springs, that's the info I was looking for

it looked like it was just the rear he lowered and the front still looked stock height but its hard to tell

this is it: http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/cto/4679802461.html

 

[tbplus10]

Thats a billet aluminium griil on that truck, I have what looks to be the same model in my 99 Tacoma.
It was a straight bolt in with no modifications to the truck.
Instead of swapping it out you could look at polishing it and couting with something like Zoops to retain a low maintenance shine.
The reason I mention this route is most factory look grills you find now for this yr/model are cheap junk from China, the fit and finish is terrible and they crack easily.
That mileage is great for the yr, if the interior is as good as the exterior looks it should be a decent deal.

 

[keakar]

yep, that's why I was giving it a serious look, my concern is with no pics of the interior it usually means somethings not pretty or they show it

the aluminum grille I can sand down and leave it silver looking I guess if replacements are that cheap and easily breakable

does it look like its just the rear block kit and easy to unlower it? im not a fan of drops unless its something like a 4x4 that's too high already and I certainly don't like this "tail dragger" look it has at all so that's what im hoping for but I don't know these trucks well enough to trust my own opinion on the ride heights

im still getting ahead of myself since im on hold until I get my lemon buyback, hope its still there when im ready. had another one I was watching but it sold already, god I hate waiting on this slow BBB lemon process to do its thing

 

[tbplus10]

The front drop is hard to figure, they can be dropped a little eithout changing front components.
On the grill you can lightly wire brush it to dull it down some if thats your preference.

 

[keakar]

thanks, that's what I was afraid of, I suspect he did the front if he did the back but the ad didn't mention it

guess i'll have to ask a lot of questions about it when im ready to go looking at em and hope he still has any original parts he took off.

I saw some comments about aftermarket rims not centering correctly on the hubs (vibrations), is this just a gen 2 issue or is that also an issue with the gen 1 trucks? because this truck has aftermarket rims it looks like

 

[tbplus10]

Most people dont know there are 2 types of rims, lug centric, and hub centric.
Toyota trucks use hub centric rims on all their trucks, sadly many tire shops dont know or dont care either, if you stick with hub centric wheels you should have no problems.
That being said I have used lug centric wheels on Toyotas many times and never had issues. Possibly one day that luck will change, but until then for me I go either way.
This is one reason why many wheels with the correct lug pattern dont work or shops tell you they wont work.

 

[keakar]

yep, the way I understand it,

lug centric rims don't have an evenly centered hole so its the lug holes that center the rim which means how the lug nuts fit it is critical to being a balanced wheel when mounted so if it uses the hole fitting over the hub clearance to mount the rim, the lugs wont center properly and it will be out of round whereas if its hub centric the hole is the actual center of the rim so if mounted by the hole fitting over the hub clearance to mount the rim it will turn true

 

[keakar]

well I finally talked to the guy on the phone and he said the front is stock and wasn't lowered and he has all the original stuff he replaced on the truck except the grille that was cracked in a fender bender which is why he has a new OEM front bumper but just as you said, he felt the replacement grilles were to flimsy and cheap looking.

will be going do the paperwork on Wednesday, we agree on $5000 price, book value is $4750 without issues

no body or frame rust, new tires all around and new "looking" spare, has dents in hood and tailgate, has new front bumper and radiator, needs a windshield (badly cracked), and a paint job is in poor shape but there is no missing paint or rust anywhere, looks well cared for and no sign he bottomed it out with that lowering kit.

he musta took the pictures on a rainy day because there is no shine left to the paint job