We began our morning at Eliminator...
We began our morning at Eliminator Motorsports in Santee, California, where lead installer Dale opened up the Advanced Flow Engineering (aFe) intake box and checked its contents. The performance air intake includes a high-flow filter, metal heat shield, plastic tubing, and all of the necessary mounting hardware.
The factory intake box was...
The factory intake box was removed, along with the restrictive convoluted ducting, and engine cover.
A nice part of the aFe kit...
A nice part of the aFe kit was the inclusion of the factory MAF sensor. Here, Dale screwed the factory MAF into the new aFe plastic tube.
Answering the call of dozens of readers who wanted to see more Tacoma tech, we went big with this story. Starting with an '07 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner 2WD with the 4.0L V-6, we contacted Pro Comp for one of its new 6/3.5-inch Stage 2 lift kits with premium MX 2.75c coilovers in the front, strong lift spindles, and MX6 adjustable shocks in the rear. This kit allows the midsize Tacoma to clear fullsize 35-inch Xterrain M/T 3 tires and we ordered those from Pro Comp Tire. Bolted onto 18-inch KMC Hoss wheels with simulated bead locks, the 35-inch tire combo screams custom, especially on the Tacoma. For added power, an Advanced Flow Engineering (aFe) intake was quickly bolted on and a MagnaFlow performance exhaust was installed.
With these simple upgrades, the Toyota took on a whole new persona. Having the right shop wrench on your ride is always important, which is a big reason why we drove down to Eliminator Motorsports in Santee, California, and spent some time photographing the install. Check out the before and after pics and get ready to be impressed.
FROM THE DRIVER SEAT
Several factors lead to the extra time and extra hassle of this install. Mis-boxed wheels were a nightmare and then when we thought we had the solution, the wheel hub diameter was too small. Once the lift spindles were in place, we couldn't put the factory 16-inch wheels on the truck and drive home. Getting dropped off at a rental car store wasn't fun, then spending the extra $50 wasn't real pleasant either. Luckily for you, we made all of the mistakes possible. Do your homework first: make sure the parts ordered will work for that specific application. The Tacoma does ride nice and the 35-inch tires aren't as loud as they could be. Keep in mind, this is the Stage 2 kit that is more expensive than the non-coilover option. If $3,200 isn't in your budget, the Stage 1 kits goes for about a grand less. We wanted to show you just how cool the Tacoma could be, though, and went big.
Overall, the truck looks awesome and the added functionality was worth the price in frustration.