'88 Toyota Pick-Up Questions

The brakes on those trucks are very easy to work on. I have been fixing mine for 15 years. It was the first thing I learned to fix on my 85 1ton. Parts should be easy to get from brake supply shops. Try to find an actual brake supply house. They are usually a little cheaper than the regular car parts shops.

It is possible by complicated. You would have to see if you have the necessary wire harness in the truck, if not it would have to be salvaged from another truck and transplanted. Check junk yards for the parts, but start by finding a factory manual on eBay.

Thank you, Ernie. The truck used to be a delivery vehicle at a local body shop, and it came with a factory manual (that, and a little piece of paper in the ashtray with every tank of gas, oil change, and date written down). Like I said: it has been love at first sight (even though I'm getting rust along the bed panel seams...)

Thanks again, mothy

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:

Well, we don't know much about your dad, but a snowball has a better chance in Hell than you've got. If you tackle this job, please stay in front of me and my kids as we drive about town ...

It might be possible for me, but the snowball has a better chance than you.

Seriously, you've hit us with what is probably the MOST IMPORTANT system on any vehicle -- its brakes -- and a job at the top of the Complexity List -- adding AC to a vehicle that never had it -- and said you haven't a lick of mechanical experience. You have managed to select two very difficult jobs to learn car maintenance.

That rust is chronic in any state that salts their roads in Winter. The beds on these trucks were not made in Japan. They were made in the US and added to the trucks in California. The 2 problems they have are the rusting side seams, and the spot weld dimples on the outside of the rear wheel-wells. The rust stopped on my 85 when I left Indiana.

A digital camera, used to document the pre-dissassembly configuration, can increase confidence a bunch! Use liberally.

Your dad will easily be able to do the brakes if he has done any brakes before. The fronts discs are easy on any vehicle and th rear drums easy becasue they don't hafve the auto-adjusters found on cars. It helps to have a couple good vise grips and eye protection for dealing with the springs on the drum brakes, though. Also pay attention to which way the adjsuters rotate to tighten the pads (on EACH SIDE).

I don't know where the beds were made, but I don't think they were assembled in CA. I live a 1/2 mile from the Fremont NUMMI factory where they now assemble the trucks and I believe it wasn't even in operation in 1985. I know that they didn't start assembling trucks there until

1993 because they announced it here when they did start. I bought a late 92 before they switched to the US. All of the 92s (including my late 92) have a "J"starting the VIN signifying they were assembled in Japan.

I just had the front calipers, rotors, pads, shims and wheel bearings replaced on my '88 Toyota pickup (original owner, 173K miles). I took it in because it wasn't stopping straight when I stepped on the brakes, and was told one of the calipers was completely seized up (I live near the ocean). The local dealer did it, but had to order parts.

Mine was the most basic, stripped out model when I got it (didn't even have a cigarette lighter). I had the dealer add factory air about a year after I bought it new and it's worked great ever since. I remember it wasn't outrageously expensive to have it added after the fact. I would recommend the Toyota factory air setup instead of some aftermarket brand, unless you get some strong unbiased recommendations for something else. If your vent and A/C fan only works on the higher setting, you'll need to replace the little resistor pack that controls the fan speed when you have the A/C installed.

These trucks are pretty easy to work > Two questions: I need to a new e-brake cable (snapped close to the pull