When the owner of this '08 Toyota Tundra told us his plans for using it as a family camping vehicle as well as a parts hauler for his business, we knew we had to step up and help him with a Fantastic Four. Normally we'd opt for a lowering kit on a 2WD vehicle, but the camping aspect made us look in the opposite direction. With such a long wheelbase and puny stock tires, the breakover angle of this truck was sad. Just pulling out of a steep driveway would have hung this Tundra's undercarriage up, which definitely wouldn't cut it when it came to driving off the beaten path to campsites.
We decided on RCD's newest lift kit, recently developed for the Tundra, because it uses awesome Bilstein shocks and rugged powdercoated components that would let this Tundra go where it wouldn't have dared to go before. We brought the Tundra to RCD's facility in El Cajon where Phil Damon installed the kit. Phil already had some experience with the kit; he is after all, the engineer who developed it. To complement the new truck design and added capability, we ordered a set of 18-inch Dick Cepek Torque wheels and mounted them inside Dick Cepek Fun Country-II 305/70R18 tires. The industrial/machined look of the wheels perfectly match the ruggedness of Dick Cepek's aggressive all-terrain tire. With the extra tire and wheel diameter we'd need all the extra power we could pull out of the 4.7L V-8 so we headed to South County Auto Body, in Lake Forest, California, where the K&N intake and JBA exhaust were installed.
Before. The long wheelbase...
Before. The long wheelbase and puny tires added up to equal a horrible breakover angle, it wouldn’t take much to high-center this thing.
RCD's kit included Bilstein...
RCD's kit included Bilstein shocks that are adjustable for ride height, taller spindles, rear blocks, and front subframe drop brackets.
Phil, the lead engineer at...
Phil, the lead engineer at RCD, began by removing the wheel, brake, and the hub from the spindle.
The spindle was separated...
The spindle was separated from the upper control arm with a puller and the bottom ball joint was unbolted from the arm.
After the front skidplate...
After the front skidplate and sway bar were removed, Phil unbolted the lower control arm and set it aside.
Phil placed the front drop...
Phil placed the front drop bracket into the mounting holes in the frame that once held the front lower control arm bolts.