Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options

Toyota Tundra Owner Experiences

1…1920222425…38

Comments

  • Options
    fischdafischda Member Posts: 272
    We have a Sienna, too. Great van! I parked on the streets in Arlington, and the truck was a pain. But now that I'm separating and going to settle down, I'm looking forward to driving a truck again. Went deer hunting this Fall and travelled inthe Sienna - but went to the farm in dad-in-law's pickup.

    I tried my sons booster seat in the back of the Tundra and it was fine. I have to try daughter's child seat because it's bigger and will stick out even further if the seat back doesn't recline.
  • Options
    cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Siennas in the field and farm are one of the signs of the apocalypse.

    Duckshooter... I'm quite jealous. When you get back, give me a call because goose season is looking like it might be productive in a couple of weeks.

    Fischda, if you want to come along, shoot me an e-mail at sclifford@kjtoyota.com. I hunt out past Warrenton and we do have a fair number of resident geese and plenty of places to hide a Tundra.
  • Options
    fischdafischda Member Posts: 272
    I bought my Sienna from your dealer! Don't have the Tundra yet, but thanks for the invite. I'm moving soon, so I'll have to pass on the goose, and live off my venison. I have a Sienna-related question, which I'll post in Sienna problems...
  • Options
    f1julesf1jules Member Posts: 288
    I'm green with envy...I love duck, smack smack smack.

    I already own the truck. The kid is on the way so I guess I'll just have to make due. I'm certainly not about to go and trade in the Tundra because the back seat has no rake. We'll make it work. Besides, that's what the BMW is for. It has four doors and would be easy to get a child seat in and out of.
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Hi, I am new to this board, actually I have been reading it and others for over a year. Love the fistfights!

    I bought a 2001 Tundra V-8 Limited last May. 4x2, snugtop cap, Hollandia sunroof, bedliner, and bug shield. I put American Racing chrome wheels in place of the stock wheels. I think they are 16's or 17's. The new wheels really stand out on the Thunder Gray. Changed the stock running boards and installed Westins (either in chrome or stainless- I can't remember). I also removed all of the badges, with the exception of the v-8 on the grille.

    Recently installed flowmasters- two- sticking out the sides so the fumes don't harm my dogs. Sounds great. Kind of mid level noise. Gives it that throaty sound. Sounds like a serious truck.

    Put the K&N airfilter in a few months ago. I don't know if it is my imagination, or the vrooooom sound of the tailpipes, but the truck seems to have more pickup.

    I traded my 323I for the Tundra because I decided I wanted a truck. I am past being a soccer mom- actually I am a Banker in the Bay Area. Love to go to Home Depot or anywhere and know that I can take anything home. I love going to the dump!

    Now, here's the problem. This truck has more sway than I can believe. I like tight suspension and maybe should have gotten the TRD, but I either didn't know any better, or the color wasn't the one I wanted. I ordered the Hellwig Anti Sway bar and am waiting for 2 more Bilstein HD shocks to arrive before installing. The shocks have been on backorder from ToyotaGuys since October. Now I am waiting for Performance Products to complete the order. They are yellow and blue. Aren't these the same as the TRD shocks?

    I read in Tundra Solutions that the red/blue shocks are better but I can't find them. Does anybody know?

    In the meantime, my back hurts from the sway in the captain's leather seat.

    Let's talk about understated modifications. I am having so much fun with this truck. My teenagers are envious. The only problem with mods is that I have to pay someone to do the installation. I can't even change the oil.

    Things I would still like to do (but probably won't)- raise the truck a little. I like the height of a 4x4. Install a carpet bedliner. The drop in looks so unfinished under the SnugTop.

    Get some kind of grocery holder in the back. I have to climb in the back to retrieve the items that fall all over the place.

    Sorry for the long post. It was time for me to join in. Nice meeting all of you.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    are you waiting on the front bilsteins by chance. I waited 2 months for the fronts for my silverado. The bilstein HD are really good shocks
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Yep, the front ones. Do you know the difference between the yellow/blue and the blue/red? What did you get? Is the squishy suspension unique to the Tundra?
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    mine are yellow shocks with a light blue boot. I dont have a tundra i have a silverado. I had the stock Z71 tenneco shocks. I wanted a sitffer ride. The bilsteins make it feel more like a truck
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Will stiffer shocks make the truck ride higher? And did you add a sway bar to the rear of the silverado?
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Will stiffer shocks make the truck ride higher?

    What do you mean? Truck sit up higer?

    If thats what your asking no. I added larger tires and cranked the torsion bars up for that

    No i didnt add a sway bar to the rear. The truck does like to wonder in the wind wonder if that would help?
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    It is an inexpensive mod. Less than $125.00 I will let you know. I need to check to see if I can get larger tires on my wheels. I like the look of the off road tires. Are they inappropriate for daily commuting?
  • Options
    plutoniousplutonious Member Posts: 799
    A great off-road tire (heck, probably THE best off-road tire) are BF Goodrich's all-terrain TAKOs. I put these on my Tacoma (31 10.5 R15s) when I replaced the truck's original Goodyear Wrangler GSAs, which are an inferior tire as far as off-roading goes. To my surprise, the BFs perform better and are easier to live with on the street as well.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    thats what i got

    285/75/R16's

    kinda loud you can hear em hum.

    Much better handling and overall tire from the stock fstones
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    How does one reconcile taking off perfectly good stuff from a new truck, and spending more money? I am shocked with all of the modifications that I can make. I'm not made of money-maybe I should have known these things before buying? Like a TRD for example? Oh well, it's a hobby and I love cars.
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    I just checked. I have P265/70.....Bridgestone HD tires. I assume I have 16 inch wheels. Are these tires any good? Hard to read in the garage. No white letters. Just black.
  • Options
    ndahi12ndahi12 Member Posts: 235
    Here is the low down.

    I have a 2002 Tundra that I bought a month and a half ago. It is a 4X2 and I wanted to get the limited slip diff on it. Unfortunately I could not find one with the TRD package and the LSD. I did not want to order one because I did not want to miss out on the Toyota special financing. Back on November 10th no one knoew that toyota will extend the financing to the end of december.

    So I got the truck with the regular stock suspension. IT IS VERY MUSHY. I really did not like it. So i ordered the blue/red HD Bilestin. These are even stiffer and more expensive than the blue/yellow Bilestin. The truck has improved enormously from stock. I just love the ride. It is stiff, but not jarring. It takes a dip and does not oscillate like before. Steering feel has improved and you feel in control over all types of rough roads. Before, on rough roads I felt like I did not have control over the truck.

    The blue/red are excellent shocks. They are even better than the blue/yellow. They are also $319.00.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    What are the blue/red bilsteins? Are they the sport suspension ones?

    Are the direct from bilstein or a toyota thing? Never have seen blue/red ones
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    mine were $49.99 each (216 after shipping) from offroadwarehouse.com cheapest place other than autozone
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    I checked the Bilstein web site and saw no mention of the blue/red shocks. Should I return the yellow/blue? I hope when you say $319.00 that you mean for 4 of them, not each. Thanks.

    Where can I get the red/blue?
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Also have you looked into the Rancho 9000 series? They have an adjustible 5 settings for firm to soft.

    These shocks come on the new ford FX4's (fullsize offroad pkg). They are also pretty good shocks and you can adjust the ride
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    I assume that the shocks are a total of $319., not each. Where did you get them?

    Anybody else swap their shocks? What about the anti sway bar? The mushy ride is my only complaint about the truck. I have 11,000 miles and the ride is softer now than when I bought it.
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    I like buying stuff. I can't imagine adjusting shocks depending on road conditions. I don't go off road! I drive this thing to work and to the mall. I'm the purchaser that everyone laughs at!
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Can you clarify the pricing on the red/blue shocks for me?
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    That $319 has to be for all 4. No shock i have ever seen cost that for each.

    I changed my tires at 10K miles and shocks at 21K miles. Overall for $1,000 it was a huge improvement
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Im gonna look at the tires that you put on your truck. They sound wider and taller than mine.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    just make sure they will fit

    heres a pic of them

    image
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Thanks for the pic
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    also they are expensive tires. The cheapest you will get them for is $155.99 a piece (bfg set a price and dealers cannot sell below this price)
  • Options
    plutoniousplutonious Member Posts: 799
    size tire you need. Mine were 31x10.5xR15 and were exactly $113.00 apiece from Discount Tire. But for some reason if you have bigger rims, like 16"s, they will cost you more.
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    What is the difference between a passenger tire and the tires you are talking about?
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    p=passenger
    LT= light truck

    basically the LT are heavier duty. P is for like a passegner car. Has less capacity

    Light Truck tires are sometimes marked with an LT for "Light Truck" before the size, passenger tires are often marked with the letter P for "Passenger" before the size
  • Options
    ndahi12ndahi12 Member Posts: 235
    The blue/red shocks are made for TRD by Bilestin. They are the stiffest shocks that TRD makes for the Tundra. TRD also makes the OEM blue/yellow shocks that come with the Off Road option package. The blue/red are much better.

    You can order the blue/red from any Toyota Dealer that orders TRD parts. The part number is 00602-48500-101. The prices of 319 is for ALL four shocks and is with the Tundra Solutions discount. I ordered mine from Steve at Carson Toyota. I got the last set he had. I think there was a back order on the shocks. W/O the TS discount, the price is $389
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Ok, I'm going with the red/blue. Maybe I can get them from Performance Products. Otherwise, I will try my dealer in Walnut Creek or Steve at Carson.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    check with


    http://www.offroadwarehouse.com

  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    I checked with ToyotaGuys and didn't get a response yet. Are they considered heavy duty or high performance? The Ivan Stewart edition cites "High Performance" but does not describe them separately. No way to tell if they are blue/yellow or the red/blue.
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Hey, don't you also post on their message board? I'm gonna look them up right now. See, I don't have a 4X4- so I didn't know if their products would apply to me.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    they have a message board? I belong to so many i cant even remember.

    They do sell shocks for 2wd trucks as well as 4wd
  • Options
    fischdafischda Member Posts: 272
    I just test drove an F-150 with FX4 off-road package and 5.4L V-8, then went right to Toyota and drove a Tundra SR5 with TRO off-road package.

    That's it, I'm going Toyota. The Ford engine was LOUD LOUD LOUD!! I was very impressed with the 4.7's torque and very smooth, electric-like acceleration, and it was volumes quieter at 70-80 mph! I went from a '96 Ford Windstar to a '99 Sienna because of the same engine traits. I can't say enough about how smooth the Toy power plant is. Oh, and it was about 25 degrees out and I listened very carfully at start up for the "clattering" noise some have complained about on the Tundra Problems topic - I didn't hear it.

    I also prefered the Toyota suspension compared to Ford. Much less body roll and very comfortable on road! Ford uses Rancho vs. Bilstein, and I'd give the nod to Bilstein.

    True, Tundra lacks many features available in the Ford and Chevy, but I can live without. I actually find the Tundra's smaller size a plus in everyday driving, and the bed's only 1.5" shorter than Ford and less than an inch narrower. I prefer more room in the access cab, but when I haul the kids, it's usually without my wife. I can put one car seat in front with the air bag off, and the other right behind it and have plenty of room.

    We drove for 45 miles and I could easily do a long drive in this truck. The salesman hinted at $100 over invoice, too! There you have it - my test review!
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Thanks for all of the specifics. I checked the two rear shocks that are still in the box from Performance Products. They are yellow/blue and going back.

    I found the e-bay item. They are for a 4X4- I need 4X2.

    I found the 4X2 on ToyotaGuys for $410.00 The item number is the same as you mentioned.

    I guess I will try Carson Toyota and save the money. How do I get the Tundra Solutions discount? I have visited the site, but until now, it was free. I haven't paid the $12. to become a supporter. Have you?
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    I went ahead and e-mailed Steve at Carson Toyota. I want to check on availability. I am also going to post a bid on e-bay. Be back in a minute.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    are you sure they fit and they were shocks for a 4wd?

    Only reason i ask is because i know the 4wd shocks for the silverado will not work on a 2wd. I was going to sell mine to a guy but he and I both found out it will not work.

    Hopefully they do interchange but BUG i would check with your dealer on that
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Rats. I just received the 2 front shocks that I have been waiting months for. Do I keep them or return them for the red/blue? Too many options.
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    I decided to go with Carson Toyota. It would be a real pain to get the wrong ones AGAIN and not be able to return them. Besides, I've never used e-bay and I don't know if I want to experiment to such a degree.
  • Options
    ndahi12ndahi12 Member Posts: 235
    I am 100% sure that the 4x4 shocks fit on the 4x2. I remember clearly when Steve at Carson Toyota could not get the 4x2, he sold me the ones for the 4x4.

    I also e-mailed TRD about this and got the same response from them that Steve gave me.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    thats cool then
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    So what do I do? C'mon you guys, should I keep the stupid yellow/blue or wait to hear from Carson about the red/blue? And who's going to install this stuff?
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Where's oby? Now what do we do? I've rated my Tundra and I don't have any Tundra problems to talk about on the other thread.

    This is where it gets boring and the fighting starts.

    How about tire inflation? I have never checked my tires. Gotta get the oil changed too.

    Okay, next customer- the floor is yours.
  • Options
    ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    shocks are easy to install. THe rears take probably 35-45 min and the fronts are a little harder. I have never replaced shocks and it took me about an hr and a half. Resting a few times

    I dont know how the red/blue ones are i like my yellow blue ones. All i can say is either way you will be happy
  • Options
    ndahi12ndahi12 Member Posts: 235
    I never tried the blue/yellow shocks. I did not even ride in a Tundra with the TRD option. So I cannot tell how it feels.

    All I know is that they are softer than the blue/red shocks. I also know that the stock shocks (the black ones) SUCK big time.

    Given that, if you install the blue/yellow you should see an improvement over the stock ones. But I like my truck the way it is. It is close to a perfect ride. The only rough spot is riding over the slabs of concrete that have been concaved in the right hand lane of the freeway. But who drives there anyway :-)

    I say try the blue/yellow, if you do not like them you can always change and step up to the blue/red ones.
  • Options
    bugwizrbugwizr Member Posts: 50
    Thanks for being so reassuring. I am going to keep the blue/yellow. It's raining like crazy and I want to feel the stability of the new shocks and the anti-sway bar. Can I get this stuff installed where they put on my flowmasters or my new wheels? Is this a dealership requirement? I can't do something like this myself.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles