Archive for June, 2009
2500 Mile Oil Changes Because You’re Running E-85? P-shaw
Last week a Toyota dealership dropped a link on Twitter with the warning “Did you know you have to change your oil twice as often if you’re running E85?” (or something like that ).
The link went to a page that advocated a 2,500 mile oil change frequency for truck owners using E85. Of course, there was no explanation as to why E85 users needed to change their oil twice as often, just that they should. THAT, ladies and gentleman, is why dealership service departments get a bad wrap. Instead of explaining why 2,500 might be a prudent choice (and it might), they make a blanket statement. I say p-shaw. This recommendation is, at best, paranoid.
First, here’s why this recommendation was made.
Popularity: 3%
Terminator 3 Toyota Tundra Special Edition
It is certainly not unusual for companies to produce movie tie-in products in order to help promote a film. Not only is it good marketing to movie fans, but it also capitalizes on the hype that surrounds the movie. What is a bit out of the ordinary is for a car company to make a special edition vehicle for a movie that isn’t about cars whatsoever. The logic behind automobile placements in car movies – such as the “Smokey and the Bandit edition Pontiac Trans Am – is fairly clear, but it takes a real movie buff to spot the connection between the 2003 Terminator 3 Tundra and an unstoppable cyborg.
The Toyota Tundra Terminator edition promotion.
Ready for the connection? The Tundra pickup truck was featured in a rather lengthy and spectacular car chase in Terminator 3 involving Arnold Schwarzenegger’s killer robot from the future and the Terminator X. While most of the eyes in the theater were probably on the action itself (and/or the TerminatriX), the truck driven by the escaping main characters was a Tundra (buried underneath a homemade cargo box and covered with ten different layers of dust and dirt).
The Tundra takes a real beating during the scene, yet it still manages to whisk the movie’s heroes to safety. The message: Toyota’s dedication to quality and toughness is good enough for “da tear-men-8-tor.”
Popularity: 4%
Off-Road Tire Basics and Buyer’s Guide
As with most specialty tires, when you’re looking to purchase a set of off-road tires, a lot of the knowledge you might have about standard street tires simply won’t apply. The tread styles, construction and size of off-road tires are quite different than what most people are used to, and it’s helpful to take a quick look at the basics of off-road tire design before heading to the local tire and wheel shop to have a set installed.
Big tires on Todd's 2008 Tundra - featured last week.
Almost everyone is familiar with the look of off-road tires – tall and aggressive. Even tires that are meant to fit on rims as small as 15 inches can be 30 or 33 inches in height (visit TireRack.com to see exactly which tire sizes will fit on your Tundra). A common misconception with larger tires is that the giant sizes are meant to provide extra grip and traction. While there is an off-road benefit in a tall sidewall (especially when you make the tire pressure artificially low), the main benefit to over-sized tires is that they get your truck up in the air as much as possible and boost ground clearance.
When it comes to boosting traction, there are two aspects of off-road tire design to consider: tread type and tire construction.
Popularity: 5%
Biggest Toyota Tundra Road Trip Ever
The lure of the open road and the promise of adventure that a road trip offers is something that appeals to a wide demographic of car lovers. For many, the ultimate vacation would be a cross-country drive that provides ample opportunity to stop and explore the cities, places and sights that help to make America what it is.
For Steve Bouey and his friend Steve Shoppman (the Steves’), the dream of driving across the country didn’t stop when they reached the ocean on the other side. They chose to extend their journey into a 2 year odyssey that stretched across 67 different countries and a total of 66,000 miles – and they did it all from behind the wheel of a 2007 Toyota Tundra (and an 04′ Sequoia).
Looking across the Tundra's hood at a burned out Angolan tank.
While some might be surprised at their choice of vehicle, it was an easy decision for the two young globetrotters to embark on their adventure from behind the wheel of Toyota’s flagship pickup truck.
Popularity: 3%
