Toyota's redesigned Tundra hit the streets in February, which is too bad for us. Not that we didn't look forward to getting some shop time with the new, full-sized pickup. The problem was that we weren't sure if we could find a Tundra to work on and find enough product to put on it so soon after the vehicle's introduction to the market. But we did, barely. There's not a lot out there as of this writing, but there is enough for a Fantastic Four buildup of air intake, exhaust, wheels, tires, and suspension.
We found a 4.7L V-8-powered extended cab Tundra that belongs to Thor, the maker of motocross riding gear. It's a show truck that will be designed to show off the Thor brand. Toyota Racing Development (TRD) supplied us with its Performance Cold Air Intake, and TRD has the only intake on the market for this vehicle and engine, as of this writing. That exclusivity applies to the 3-inch Gibson Performance cat-back exhaust we put on this vehicle, as well as to the McGaughys Suspension Parts drop kit that lowers the vehicle 2 inches on the front and 4 to 5 inches in the rear. A set of 24x9-inch D'Vinci's Vento wheels had the 5x150 bolt pattern that we needed for the Tundra, and Nitto Tire contributed four NT420S 295/35R24 tires.Having one of the first tricked-out Tundras was awesome, especially driving around SoCal and seeing people confused as to how we finished one so soon. These same mods can be performed on your new Tundra, so pick up the phone and get started.
We took the Tundra to Toyota...
We took the Tundra to Toyota Racing Development (TRD) at the Toyota headquarters, where the new intake was installed. Here's a shot of the TRD kit.
First, the factory air-filter...
First, the factory air-filter box cover was removed. Next, the mass airflow sensor mounting assembly was removed from the cover, then screwed onto the TRD cover. Then, the factory air filter and the bottom of the airbox was taken out.
Here is the TRD version that...
Here is the TRD version that replaced the stock airbox inlet. The inlet sucks in the air through a hole behind the passenger side fender and into the bottom of the airbox. The TRD tube is flared at the opening, like a horn, and is supposed to help air flow faster and more efficiently into the airbox. Once the TRD inlet was attached to the factory lower airbox, the box was reinstalled into the engine compartment.
A conical, oiled filter was...
A conical, oiled filter was dropped into the airbox.
Next, the TRD airbox cover...
Next, the TRD airbox cover was snapped into place. Note the distinctive TRD styling and an airflow restriction gauge, which typically is seen only on diesel applications. That gauge tells you when it's time to clean the filter, which eliminates the guesswork.
The intake tube was attached...
The intake tube was attached to the airbox and the throttle body, then the PCV return line and MAF were reconnected