ambulancemonkee
Observer
One of the benefits of working at a car store. My boss was trading in a Tundra he bought a few months ago, so we swapped intakes. You gotta love a free K&N intake.
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2012 Tundra Build - The Occupational Hazard
- Thread starter ambulancemonkee
- Start date
rruff
Explorer
Bigger diameter tires shouldn't negatively effect your fuel mileage. Higher weight will result in a small negative hit in stop and go driving, but the larger diameter will have slightly better rolling resistance.
The big hit comes from stiff casings and gnarly tread. 285/75/r17 is a good size for RW rims on the Tundra (33.8" vs ~32" stock) and should work fine with only minor trimming. I'd go for Dura Grapplers in that size if I had your rims. https://tiresize.com/tiresizes/285-75R17.htm
washington taco
Explorer
Wish this body style was still available! Great looking truck!
ambulancemonkee
Observer
Tires are going to be either Grabber AT2s or KO2s. I had the Grabbers on my Xterra and I have the KOs on the Tundra now. I'm pretty interested in sticking with something that is "severe snow service" rated. Size remains TBD.
Yeah, I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't need an extended cab by the time I get done with this truck. The 8 foot box isn't my style. My boss is already calling this one a "farm truck" and the long bed would be worse.
Yeah, I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't need an extended cab by the time I get done with this truck. The 8 foot box isn't my style. My boss is already calling this one a "farm truck" and the long bed would be worse.
ambulancemonkee
Observer
After deleting everything off my photobucket when they pulled their paid subscription crap, I had no photos in this thread. I just went through and attached some.
About a month ago, I finally got new tires for the truck. After 62k, the original KO2s were hosed. I replaced them with Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws. Severe snow service rated and $710 to my door. They are the stock 285/70/17 size, but the sidewalls seem to stick out a bit more than the KO2s. This gives my wheels a little more protection, but the right front actually rubs a little bit at full lock. In addition to the metric size, they say "33x10.50"
I'm very impressed with the performance in the snow, and if they last half as long as the KO2s, I'll call it a win for the price. Most other things are on hold with the truck until better weather, but I'll be doing Raptor Liner on the bumpers and step bars this summer, along with getting a body color matched grill surround intended for the Rock Warrior trim. The new TRD shocks seem adequate for what I do with the truck. I'll also hopefully be picking up some sort of cap for it this summer, since I do nothing with the truck that requires an open truck bed.
About a month ago, I finally got new tires for the truck. After 62k, the original KO2s were hosed. I replaced them with Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws. Severe snow service rated and $710 to my door. They are the stock 285/70/17 size, but the sidewalls seem to stick out a bit more than the KO2s. This gives my wheels a little more protection, but the right front actually rubs a little bit at full lock. In addition to the metric size, they say "33x10.50"
I'm very impressed with the performance in the snow, and if they last half as long as the KO2s, I'll call it a win for the price. Most other things are on hold with the truck until better weather, but I'll be doing Raptor Liner on the bumpers and step bars this summer, along with getting a body color matched grill surround intended for the Rock Warrior trim. The new TRD shocks seem adequate for what I do with the truck. I'll also hopefully be picking up some sort of cap for it this summer, since I do nothing with the truck that requires an open truck bed.
ambulancemonkee
Observer
Thanks. Once the weather stops sucking here in the NE, I'm going to raptor line the bumpers and step bars. I'll post some new photos after that.
ambulancemonkee
Observer
So I found out last week that the bed is trying to rot off the truck. Thanks for a bed design that's questionable at best, Toyota. And I'm about 18 months beyond the 60 month corrosion warranty, so Toyota corporate has already told me to go screw.
My solution to this is going to be epic, though. I'll be sure to post photos in the coming weeks.
My solution to this is going to be epic, though. I'll be sure to post photos in the coming weeks.
Todd780
OverCamper
I wonder if this will result in a class action lawsuit? Were these design flaws ever rectified?
nickw
Adventurer
I hope it involves a custom Aqualu bed with the external "anchors" (whatever they are called) and rear tailgate with embossed "Toyota" on the back:
https://www.hardbody4x4.com/4532-1965-1978-fj45-long-box--tailgate---shortened-18-58-off-rear.html
ambulancemonkee
Observer
Maybe? There's a cross brace spot welded onto the bottom of the bed that the bed bolts go through. There's a TSB for 07 through 11 to replace the bed if the 60 month corrosion warranty is still in effect. It looks like through 11, they had a polymer sealant on the bottom of the bed that trapped salt. From 12 on, it seems like they just didn't seal it. It looks pretty good underneath, but I have large rust bubbles under the factory sprayed in bedliner. Rather than spend a grand to have it fixed, I'm going to replace it with something different so I don't have to worry about doing it again in a coupled years. Other than the bed, the truck is very solid.
When I called the Toyota "customer experience" number, the dude told me that since I bought the truck used, they "didn't make any money" off me. Direct quote. He went on to mention that it hasn't been to a Toyota dealer in a year and half. It hasn't really needed anything other than oil changes and brakes, which I do myself. I'm still pretty happy with the truck, but very unimpressed with Toyota corporate.
Not quite that epic, but I think it'll be cool. At least I think so. It'll be a few more weeks before I get everything purchased and install it.
ambulancemonkee
Observer
I also had the truck Ziebarted when I bought it less than three years after it's original in-service date with 24k on it. I spoke with Ziebart and unsurprisingly, they haven't gotten back to me. I think I'll visit them again and see what the manager he had to "check with" has to say.
Todd780
OverCamper
Totally get that.
Hmm.. Maybe they'll come to the table. Good luck.
ambulancemonkee
Observer
I've been working a bunch and not spending a bunch of time on here. Ziebart ended up writing me a small-ish check. It was not enough to get the bed professionally fixed, but it was something. I won't do business with them again, but they did something to make it right.
About a year go, I thought I ordered an aluminum flatbed for my truck. The dealer claimed it was ordered. It was supposed to be custom made to made the width of frame rails on the truck. A year later, it hasn't shown up. The dealer says he can't get hold of his sales rep. I'm not dealing with this dealer again.
I then spent some time shopping Super Duties. I was seriously considering buying a new truck and starting over with the mods, figuring I'd keep the truck for a decade. I was having a hell of a time finding a truck with the right combination of options in the post COVID shutdown inventory situation. I am in a position to pay off my current truck and put that equity down on a new truck, but I'm not convinced I want a $40k vehicle loan at this point in my life. I decided to try to love the Tundra again.
Last weekend, I picked up a used Ranch brand fiberglass cap for the truck. I would've preferred to pay a bit less, but I think I haggled as much as the dude was going to haggle. So I picked it up and put it on my truck. I'm not sure if I will attempt to repair the rust situation myself this summer, or if I'll throw a bed mat in there and forget about it, but at this point I'm happy with the truck again and I love having a cap on it. I also picked up a new toolbox, since my old saddle box obviously wouldn't work with the cap. I found out in the process that the Tractor Supply branded boxes are made by DeeZee. While not the best quality out there, it's adequate for what I do with it. I had the old saddle box for about four years, and I think it was three years old when I got it.
I think the next project is to finish de-chroming the truck. I'll buy an OEM style black rear bumper, and I'm shopping for a cheaper offroad style bumper for the front. It's easy to spend well over two grand on one, but I'm trying to keep it under a grand. I have picked up a few extra sets of LED lights, so my primary interested in the offroad bumper is the aesthetics and a place to mount two or three sets of lights.
Here's the truck as it sits now. I'll update as the bumper situation progresses.
About a year go, I thought I ordered an aluminum flatbed for my truck. The dealer claimed it was ordered. It was supposed to be custom made to made the width of frame rails on the truck. A year later, it hasn't shown up. The dealer says he can't get hold of his sales rep. I'm not dealing with this dealer again.
I then spent some time shopping Super Duties. I was seriously considering buying a new truck and starting over with the mods, figuring I'd keep the truck for a decade. I was having a hell of a time finding a truck with the right combination of options in the post COVID shutdown inventory situation. I am in a position to pay off my current truck and put that equity down on a new truck, but I'm not convinced I want a $40k vehicle loan at this point in my life. I decided to try to love the Tundra again.
Last weekend, I picked up a used Ranch brand fiberglass cap for the truck. I would've preferred to pay a bit less, but I think I haggled as much as the dude was going to haggle. So I picked it up and put it on my truck. I'm not sure if I will attempt to repair the rust situation myself this summer, or if I'll throw a bed mat in there and forget about it, but at this point I'm happy with the truck again and I love having a cap on it. I also picked up a new toolbox, since my old saddle box obviously wouldn't work with the cap. I found out in the process that the Tractor Supply branded boxes are made by DeeZee. While not the best quality out there, it's adequate for what I do with it. I had the old saddle box for about four years, and I think it was three years old when I got it.
I think the next project is to finish de-chroming the truck. I'll buy an OEM style black rear bumper, and I'm shopping for a cheaper offroad style bumper for the front. It's easy to spend well over two grand on one, but I'm trying to keep it under a grand. I have picked up a few extra sets of LED lights, so my primary interested in the offroad bumper is the aesthetics and a place to mount two or three sets of lights.
Here's the truck as it sits now. I'll update as the bumper situation progresses.
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ambulancemonkee
Observer
Yet another slight change of plans. I semi-impulsively quit my job in NY in August and moved to southern NH in September. I was tired of the taxes and gun laws, and I was unimpressed with Emperor Cuomo's response to the scamedemic.
I've been working a bunch since fall, and haven't done anything with the truck other than go exploring. I paid it off last week, so at this point, I think it's going to stay as it is. I'll buy something new in a year or two, and what that is will probably depend on gas prices at the time. I'm considering everything from a Forester to a Ford AlumiDuty. We'll see. For now, the Tundra gets me down dirt roads to fishing spots and carts my bicycle and guns around.
I've been working a bunch since fall, and haven't done anything with the truck other than go exploring. I paid it off last week, so at this point, I think it's going to stay as it is. I'll buy something new in a year or two, and what that is will probably depend on gas prices at the time. I'm considering everything from a Forester to a Ford AlumiDuty. We'll see. For now, the Tundra gets me down dirt roads to fishing spots and carts my bicycle and guns around.