The Tundra Supertool

[JCMatthews]

Retraction

That is what the owners manual said. I had it out and crossed it up on a rut and the rears dug almost like I had a locker. Then I put it in 4WD and one rear spun and one front. When I looked in the owners manual it said the truck was equipped with an electronic LSD (like traction control for wet surfaces. It even shows a car with the little squiggly lines behind it on the dash), but it only works in 2WD.

When I first noticed it, I was stopped and crossed up in a rut on a steep hill. With the crappy tires I have on it, it started grabbing and clawing and got us going and up the hill. I was amazed and excited until I put it in 4WD and found it not working.

I need to print a retraction. I do this some times, put my foot in my mouth. My brother actually was the one reading the owners manual, and I took his word for it. After work today I did some light reading of my own, and if the truck is so equipped, it can have traction control. It may also have auto-LSD. If it has auto-LSD it is a button on the dash next to the 4Hi button. This is the option that does not work when in 4WD. My Tundy is not so equipped. I took my truck out again, and got it good and crossed up and it has no sign of a LSD or the traction control.

It has only been 6ish months since I sold my locked XJ and already I have forgotten what locked is like. Maybe I was just hoping for a traction device.

 

[jim65wagon]

If it's a true mechanical LSD it will have a little metal "LSD" tag on the differential.....

 

[JCMatthews]

Guess what I have?

I came home today and guess what the guy in the brown shorts had left for me?...













If you guessed front lift Bilstien 5100s you'd be right.:wings:
Maybe they will be on in the next week.

 

[JCMatthews]

A few more mods

I have performed the all important Epedition Portal sticker Mod. I can't remember, but I think it gives you 5 additional horse power or was it 5 mpg? I can't remember, but it is important non the less.

Also, one of my students (I teach elementary school) gave me a Mag-lite (among other things) so I mounted it in the truck.

The nerf bars that are needed for the short rear passangers, are great for one other thing. This leaves them useless for getting in and out of the truck unless you want to track mud inside.

 

[jim65wagon]

I have performed the all important Epedition Portal Sticker Mod. I can't remember, but I think it gives you 5 additional hores power or was it 5 mpg? I can't remember, but it is important non the less.

That baby's good for 5 HP, although at the 4 dollar a gallon point I'm kinda wishin for the 5 mpg!

 

[JCMatthews]

I took it out last weekend to the San Rafael Swell. You can see pictures here. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/61780-A-weekend-in-the-San-Rafael-Swell

 

[JCMatthews]

At the shop

Well I dropped the truck off this morning at the shop. I am getting new tires! :wings: The ones that are on it are wimpy P-metric straight treaded things. Today I will be the proud owner of another set of BFG TA KOs. This time in the 265/70 r17 variety. I was going to get C rated, but there is a national 8 week back order on them. The only place that had them was Costco, and they are over an hour away. My local Big O had the E rated in stock, and matched the price at Costco for the C rated. The warranty is better at Big O, and the tires are stronger, so it is a win win. The only concern is if the ride will be harsh. I guess I will find out today.

 

[the dude]

I would go for the 5mpg. Yikes, our truck is hard on fuel.

You will like the new tires for sure. Great to see the truck coming along.

 

[JCMatthews]

Yikes, our truck is hard on fuel.

That's because your hauling around all that heavy stereo equipment.:elkgrin:

 

[JCMatthews]

New Tire Thoughts

My new tires are on, and it just reminds me how much I like BFGs.

I took it out to climb my favorite hill for a test when I first got it, and the truck struggled. I have climbed the hill with several different vehicles including my old Ford Expedition, and the Tundra did not do as well as the others. The hill is steep and has a large hole in the middle that causes a tire to slightly lift so it is a good test. I left the shop with my new tires, and headed straight to my test hill. The good news is that it went right up. It was an amazing difference. :Wow1: My old tires were awful.

Now my thoughts about appearance. I wish the side wall was even with the fenders. I also wish they were taller, but not wider. I really like tall skinny tires. I said in an earlier thread that I have Bilstien 5100s for the front, I am thinking about just doing 1". The back end is exactly 1.5" higher than the front, and I think that it would look about right. Also I think if it is to much higher it will make the tires look even smaller. I am going to save my pennies, (maybe even my nickles) and get some spacers. I will have to run these until they are bald before I can worry about getting 285s. I would also like to get steel wheels, in the sixteen hole variety, for it.

This brings me to a question. Will the rims for all first generation Tundras work on any year? The rims I would like to get list only for '01-'04.

 

[Derek24]

Nice tires, they do make all the difference. I like the way it looks. Its nice to know the your fenders will be doing their job by keep rock and grim off the side of the truck. With spacers you may find the opposite, but maybe not, it looks like alot of fender. About the wheels, any 6x5.5 wheel will fit Tundras, Tacoma, 4runner's, FJ's, ect, all years. Just remember a Chevy wheel will not fit a Toyota, but a Toyota wheel will fit a Chevy. Our front hubs are larger.

 

[the dude]

About the wheels, any 6x5.5 wheel will fit Tundras, Tacoma, 4runner's, FJ's, ect, all years. Just remember a Chevy wheel will not fit a Toyota, but a Toyota wheel will fit a Chevy. Our front hubs are larger.

This has not been my experience. I am using a set of Rock Crawler 6x5.5 steelies on my 06 and the dish is not deep enough and has caliper clearance issues without some serious grinding or with the use of a 1/4" spacer

None of my 6x5.5 wheels worked (but do on my Land Cruisers)

Truck looks good!

 

[JCMatthews]

I think that my question has been answered. I have found a factory replacement rim that is for the '01-04 Tundra. It probably was not offered from the factory in '05-'06 which is why those years are not listed.

 

[JCMatthews]

A few more things

I have done a couple more things to my truck. The first is the trailer mod. More specifically the M416 mod. This was actually their first meeting. I had to pull the trailer up in the drive way so that I could address rust on the trailer with a flap disk. That is for another thread.

Then I took it down to the local Les Shwab, which is owned by my friends father, and we installed the 5100s. I set them on the third notch which Bilstien states is 1.3" of lift, and my tape says almost 2". However, in the rear I gained 1/2" and it looks great.

The last photo was my attempt to compare the before tires and lift to after. It is pretty good for a novice I think.:elkgrin:

I thought that I had done a better job spraying off the mud. So the next morning it was taken care of.:sombrero:

 

[the dude]

Looking good!!

I might have to take out my bilsteins and crank them to the top notch. I was hoping my Toyos wouldn't rub at the second setting down, but they do. Even after modding the pinch weld. Are your measurements from the center of the hub?