| 2007 Toyota Tundra before
Toyota's redesigned Tundra hit the streets in February, which is too bad for us. Not that we didn't look forward to getting some shop time with the new, full-sized pickup. The problem was that we weren't sure if we could find a Tundra to work on and find enough product to put on it so soon after the vehicle's introduction to the market. But we did, barely. There's not a lot out there as of this writing, but there is enough for a Fantastic Four buildup of air intake, exhaust, wheels, tires, and suspension.
| 2007 Toyota Tundra front View
We found a 4.7L V-8-powered extended cab Tundra that belongs to Thor, the maker of motocross riding gear. It's a show truck that will be designed to show off the Thor brand. Toyota Racing Development (TRD) supplied us with its Performance Cold Air Intake, and TRD has the only intake on the market for this vehicle and engine, as of this writing. That exclusivity applies to the 3-inch Gibson Performance cat-back exhaust we put on this vehicle, as well as to the McGaughys Suspension Parts drop kit that lowers the vehicle 2 inches on the front and 4 to 5 inches in the rear. A set of 24x9-inch D'Vinci's Vento wheels had the 5x150 bolt pattern that we needed for the Tundra, and Nitto Tire contributed four NT420S 295/35R24 tires.Having one of the first tricked-out Tundras was awesome, especially driving around SoCal and seeing people confused as to how we finished one so soon. These same mods can be performed on your new Tundra, so pick up the phone and get started.
| 2007 Toyota Tundra after
From the Driver SeatTRD's air intake has the typical OE overkill, combined with the aftermarket benefit of increased air flow. The Gibson exhaust we had installed on the Tundra was not compatible with the suspension drop kit. The tailpipe ran right into the leaf spring. Since this was a yet-to-be-released product, we gave Gibson the opportunity to either tweak the design with flip kits in mind or to come up with a one-off fix for our vehicle. They gave us the fix, and maybe the fix will show up in its kit. By the way, the power gains from the exhaust were 16 hp and 22 lb-ft-we didn't get any dyno time with the air intake-and the exhaust note definitely sounds aftermarket. We like the McGaughys drop kit, since it was relatively straightforward to install. In retrospect, we would have probably mounted the shackles in a 4-inch, rather than a 5-inch, drop configuration. The truck does ride well with the new suspension. We only experienced tire rubbing once when we hit a bump at a weird angle, with a load of wheels and tires in the bed. The D'Vinci wheels and Nitto Tire tires look like a good combination. We like the low profile and the tread pattern on the Nittos, and the fact that the inserts on the wheels can be painted does add another customization option.
Your Questions Answered: Time Spent Working: 3-1/2 hours (intake, 30 minutes; exhaust, 30 minutes; suspension, 120 minutes; wheel and tire mount, 30 minutes) Mechanical Difficulty: Intake, easy; exhaust, easy if bolted not welded; suspension, intermediate; wheel and tire mounts, easy with pro equipment Tools Used: Basic handtools, lift, a Sawzall for suspension work, a welder for exhaust and suspension, impact tools, and tire mounting machinery
Parts Used: {{{Toyota}}} Racing Development (TRD) Performance Cold Air Intake for the 4.7L V-8, PN PTR03-34072, $475 Gibson Performance Exhaust 3-inch exhaust system for the 4.7L V-8, PN 18603, $624 McGaughys 2/4-inch drop kit for the Tundra Extended Cab, PN 98010, $585 D'Vinci Vento wheels with inserts, 24x9-inch, 5x150 bolt pattern, $1,070 (four needed) Nitto Tire NT420S 295/35R24 tires, $400 (four needed) Total Cost: $7,546 (Not including labor)
