Archive for April, 2008
A Tundra Lowering Kit That Doesn’t Use Springs – A Review
Ya – that’s right. We’re reviewing a lowering kit for the 07-and-up Toyota Tundra that doesn’t use new springs to drop your Tundra. TundraRacing.com provided us with a rear leveling kit for a Tundra regular cab, along with the extra parts we needed to take the same Tundra down another 2″ (from level). That works out to about a 5″ drop in the rear, and about a 2″ drop in the front. The best part of this kit? The truck rides better dropped than it did stock!! Amazing!
Popularity: 19%
A Parable About Poor Management
Thanks to David for sending us this…it’s a great story about poor management at your typical American automaker.
A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford/GM/Chrysler, take your pick) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.
The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was, the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing. Feeling a deeper study was in order;
Popularity: 4%
Toyota Tundra Leveling Kit Review: TundraRacing.com Rear Leveling Kit
As we all know, new Toyota Tundras have a pretty substantial forward rake:
This is a picture of a 2008 SR5 Regular Cab 4×2 with the 5.7 V8. If you look at the building behind the truck, you can see that the ground is roughly level. The truck, however is not. The rake (or forward tilt) of the truck is pretty severe. You can also take a look at the amount of space between the tire and the fender in the front and compare that to the rear. It’s pretty significant.
Before, we’ve discussed different options for raising the front end of the truck in order to level out your Tundra. Today, we’re going to blow your mind – what if, instead of raising the front end of the truck to make it level, you lowered the back end?!
Popularity: 8%
Toyota Tundra Towing Basics – What To Know Before You Tow
Special thanks to TundraNetwork.com member Kenne for allowing us to use this picture of his truck and trailer!
Ever since first production in 1999, the Toyota Tundra has been a popular choice amongst truck buyers based on its dependability on the road and its impressive performance. In addition to the numerous safety awards and accolades the Tundra has received, one reason this truck continues to grow in popularity is its formidable towing capabilities. Trucks are being used more often than ever for recreational and utility purposes, and the Tundra is rapidly becoming a fan favorite. Before you go out and tow your boat to the lake or deliver a shipment of lumber to a construction site, however, there are a few things you need to know about preparing your Tundra for towing.
Popularity: 21%
New Toyota Tundra Problem – Bumper and Lug Nut Rust
In what may be old news for some people, there is growing evidence that Toyota Tundra bumpers may be rusting much faster than they should be. While exact numbers are hard to guess, it’s safe to say this problem affects a very small percentage of Tundra owners. Based on our correspondence and the handful of forum threads we could find, this problem is mostly confined to areas of the country where rust is already an issue.
Here are some pictures of the typical types of rust being described – the first was sent to us, but the rest were found searching TundraTalk.net and TundraSolutions.com. It’s fairly minor rust, but totally unacceptable for such a new vehicle.
These spots are pretty small, but they’re consistent with other photos and descriptions we’ve read. We think they’re the most typical.
More examples of rust found on popular Tundra forums.
What could it be? First of all, regardless of any evidence of poor quality, you can’t underestimate the number of powerful corrosive agents a typical bumper is exposed to. Obvious agents like water and salt (NaCl) are omnipresent, but you can also add carbonic acid (from acid rain), corrosives present in your own vehicle’s hot exhaust gases, and other salts like magnesium chloride (used as road de-icer in some parts of the U.S.) to the list of chemicals that accelerate rust formation. Considering how common rust is, it’s easy to understand how powerful the rust process is.
Having said all of that, rust shouldn’t be present on vehicles less than a year or two old. If properly maintained, most modern vehicle finishes (paint and chrome) should stay rust-free for 5 to 10 years. Toyota hasn’t officially announced a problem (nor have they issued a TSB), but it appears that there was an issue with the chrome plating process used on the Tundra’s chrome bumpers and lug nuts. It’s possible this was a failure to plate these parts properly, and it could be that these parts were stockpiled in less than perfect conditions for a few weeks or months before they were added to these vehicles.
Most dealers in rust-prone areas of the country are familiar with this problem, and unless they suspect abuse, they are likely to replace any lug-nuts or bumpers showing signs of rust (provided your vehicle is still fairly new). If you have visible rust on your truck, here are some tips for making sure you get the rusting parts replaced:
1) When you bring your truck in to show your local dealership, bring it in as clean as possible. If it looks like you haven’t washed your truck since you bought it, it’s going to be hard to argue you’ve been doing your part to keep it reasonably clean.
2) Call in advance and make sure the service manager will be available to look at your truck when you visit. If you can speak with him or her, explain you’ve got some rust on your truck and you’re aware there’s a problem. Even if the service manager isn’t aware, the fact that you know something they don’t will get them investigating.
3) Don’t be adversarial – the dealership didn’t chrome plate your truck. It’s not their fault. Explain you’re a very understanding person, you just want to get a new part as soon as possible. If you wait, Toyota might claim you’ve done something to cause your truck to rust. You want to get this taken care of now while the truck is still new. That way, there’s no question what the problem is.
Bottom Line: This is most likely a problem with a supplier. We don’t know what company(s) supplies Toyota with chrome bumpers and lug nuts, but it sounds like their process is flawed. Toyota seems to be aware of the problem and willing to replace rusted parts. Our advice is to clean your truck up as best you can and take a good hard look at your lug nuts and bumpers. If you see any rust on your bumpers or lug nuts, take your truck into your dealer now.
Popularity: 10%
