Potential 3rd Gen Buyer - Lets talk

[Owen H]

Hi everyone! Stopping over to discuss some things. I am looking to get rid of my STI and back into a truck. I come from Tacomas in the past and then moved to an STI. Now, I have an opportunity to buy a 3rd gen from a family member for a good price.

The truck has 180k on it and has been mostly trouble free. It needs some wheel bearings sooner than later and the transmission has done a couple of weird things very randomly but otherwise it's a good truck. My father in law drives it about 4x a year and keeps it on a battery charger. My main worry is that it hasnt been used enough. Anyways, tell me about your stories with your trucks and weigh in as to whether or not you think this is a good truck to drive. Don't think in terms of purchase price either, it will be a great great deal. Rather, maintenance and repair is what I am focused on. My intents are to pull my little 3k lb ski boat, put a leveling kit on it, and some 16x10 Pro Comp 1069's with one of Interco's offerings on. Classic look for a classic truck
I do not commute much at all. If that changes, I will buy a commuter car.

• 2005 SLT
• 4 door
• 5.7 Hemi w/ auto trans. 180k miles, all factory.
• 4x4

Ask me any questions and I'll do whatever I can to answer! I am very adept at automotive work (I own a subaru, how could I not be lol) and not intimidated/challenged by most repair jobs. Thanks for stopping in!

 

[Fishstickz]

Sounds like a pretty nice truck. One thing I do wanna point out is that you might not be able to run 16” wheels on that beast because of brake caliper clearance and such. I think the smallest is 17’s but I’m not really sure

I bet you’ll enjoy it though. Theres nothing too complicated about these trucks besides the 5.7 Hemi having way too many spark plugs lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Owen H]

Sounds like a pretty nice truck. One thing I do wanna point out is that you might not be able to run 16” wheels on that beast because of brake caliper clearance and such. I think the smallest is 17’s but I’m not really sure

I bet you’ll enjoy it though. Theres nothing too complicated about these trucks besides the 5.7 Hemi having way too many spark plugs lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

bahaha yeah, I forgot it has 16 plugs lol. Oh well. No big deal. Yeah also I'm not too picky on wheel size. I just am shooting for classic.
I'm just concerned about longevity. I don't expect anything to be maintenance free but I'm basically here to learn if I am about to buy a time bomb or not. I do see a ton of these on the road still, so that is great!
Anything else you think I should know, I'm all ears.

 

[beng3303]

bahaha yeah, I forgot it has 16 plugs lol. Oh well. No big deal. Yeah also I'm not too picky on wheel size. I just am shooting for classic.
I'm just concerned about longevity. I don't expect anything to be maintenance free but I'm basically here to learn if I am about to buy a time bomb or not. I do see a ton of these on the road still, so that is great!
Anything else you think I should know, I'm all ears.

Sounds like you are on the right track! I am in the same boat right now of selling my 2 other vehicles to buy a 3rd gen. The one you are asking about is pre mds which is good...the 2006 and above sometimes have issues with cam oil starvation...The early 3rd gens have issues with the hvac box and some of the blend air doors breaking and losing certain features like recirc, feet and others... I am trying to think of any other issues....

 

[Owen H]

Sounds like you are on the right track! I am in the same boat right now of selling my 2 other vehicles to buy a 3rd gen. The one you are asking about is pre mds which is good...the 2006 and above sometimes have issues with cam oil starvation...The early 3rd gens have issues with the hvac box and some of the blend air doors breaking and losing certain features like recirc, feet and others... I am trying to think of any other issues....

I hate HVAC issues since I don't do well with them but I prefer that versus engine failures and stuff. I don't mind being hot for a week if it comes to that.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Hi everyone! Stopping over to discuss some things. I am looking to get rid of my STI and back into a truck. I come from Tacomas in the past and then moved to an STI. Now, I have an opportunity to buy a 3rd gen from a family member for a good price.

The truck has 180k on it and has been mostly trouble free. It needs some wheel bearings sooner than later and the transmission has done a couple of weird things very randomly but otherwise it's a good truck. My father in law drives it about 4x a year and keeps it on a battery charger. My main worry is that it hasnt been used enough. Anyways, tell me about your stories with your trucks and weigh in as to whether or not you think this is a good truck to drive. Don't think in terms of purchase price either, it will be a great great deal. Rather, maintenance and repair is what I am focused on. My intents are to pull my little 3k lb ski boat, put a leveling kit on it, and some 16x10 Pro Comp 1069's with one of Interco's offerings on. Classic look for a classic truck
I do not commute much at all. If that changes, I will buy a commuter car.

• 2005 SLT
• 4 door
• 5.7 Hemi w/ auto trans. 180k miles, all factory.
• 4x4

Ask me any questions and I'll do whatever I can to answer! I am very adept at automotive work (I own a subaru, how could I not be lol) and not intimidated/challenged by most repair jobs. Thanks for stopping in!

1. Front wheel bearing replacement on these trucks usually sucks major donkey nuts lol, good luck.
2. Being a 2005, it's arguably the best 3rd gen year for custom tuning.
3. That being said, if you leave it stock then the trans will probably be just fine. If you don't leave it stock, well.....hope you're good at tranny changes lol.
4. 17's are minimum size due to the brakes.
5. It will have no problems yanking your boat around.

 

[beng3303]

I hate HVAC issues since I don't do well with them but I prefer that versus engine failures and stuff. I don't mind being hot for a week if it comes to that.

If you have to pull the box, there is a company that makes new hvac flaps that are metal instead of the factory composite... also the other thing I remembered is that sometimes these 3rd gens have dash boards that crack. Not a huge issue but something to be aware of...

 

[Owen H]

1. Front wheel bearing replacement on these trucks usually sucks major donkey nuts lol, good luck.
2. Being a 2005, it's arguably the best 3rd gen year for custom tuning.
3. That being said, if you leave it stock then the trans will probably be just fine. If you don't leave it stock, well.....hope you're good at tranny changes lol.
4. 17's are minimum size due to the brakes.
5. It will have no problems yanking your boat around.

Yeah it needs front wheel bearings now so mind telling me whats so terrible about it? I've done them on dana 44's, tacoma, cars with friends, you name it. I have never imagined it being too bad. Whats the catch?
I doubt I'll go past a nice exhaust and intake. Maybe some long tubes. I'm more interested in removing inefficiencies to increase mileage than anything else. I'll have to find out where these restrictions are, if they exist. It already has a mild exhaust leak around the midpipe so this is an opportunity as far as I'm concerned hahaha.
Disappointed about the 17's! 16's and 33's are my favorite combo. Oh well no big deal.

 

[Owen H]

If you have to pull the box, there is a company that makes new hvac flaps that are metal instead of the factory composite... also the other thing I remembered is that sometimes these 3rd gens have dash boards that crack. Not a huge issue but something to be aware of...

I wouldnt mind a carpet cover lol. They make the truck feel real cozy haha.

My perspective on it is similar to a work truck/daily. If the dash cracks, fine. If the paint chips, fine. No biggie. I don't intend on primping this, just keeping it in top mechanical shape. Eventually I'll either get another tacoma or go towards another sti or GT-R.

 

[Owen H]

im not going to clog up the thread with a post on this topic but would any of you give me a quick word (or link to a post) about front lifts? I just want to level the truck with some pro comp 1069's and 33" Interco SSR. I don't want it to rub of course. Are some modified torsion keys required? Can I go up at 2-25"? I'm going to get some new shocks regardless, all four corners of course.

 

[Later2u]

I used torsion keys from Rough Country. You can get a torsion unload tool from amazon for $20.

This on LT285/70R17.

Search for Heater Treater on the blend doors.

 

[Owen H]

I used torsion keys from Rough Country. You can get a torsion unload tool from amazon for $20.

This on LT285/70R17.

Search for Heater Treater on the blend doors.

Looks awesome man. I look forward to putting a polishing wheel to the paint and getting everything cleaned up. I'll grab a tool and report back with some photos. Since making the post I have made my mind up and I'll be purchasing the truck. Can't pass it up!

 

[tron67j]

I bought a 2003 ram 2500 quad cab brand new back then, my family is still running it. Great vehicle, love the ride and the looks. Have over 150,000 miles on it now. Runs like a top, mean problem was a couple of broken header bolts which is pretty common for the truck. Kept the oil changed and updated other fluids as needed, has been a really good vehicle. Good luck

 

[Harry Paratestes]

1. Front wheel bearing replacement on these trucks usually sucks major donkey nuts lol, good luck.
2. Being a 2005, it's arguably the best 3rd gen year for custom tuning.
3. That being said, if you leave it stock then the trans will probably be just fine. If you don't leave it stock, well.....hope you're good at tranny changes lol.
4. 17's are minimum size due to the brakes.
5. It will have no problems yanking your boat around.

I agree with all except the wheel bearing issue? I had mine swapped out in about an hour with a friend. It helped he had power tools but the 03 i had at the time had 230k and from the rust belt so not sure how much worse it could be lol.

Valve stem seals tend to wear out and cause oil burning. Dont idle it a long time and that helps. Alot of people mistake the oil burning for serious motor issues when really it is a simple fix that takes some time and effort.
Hvac door fix it kits are on the market so you dont have to pull the dash.