2007 Toyota Tundra - Full Size Sport Truck

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 Racing Development (TRD) at the Toyota headquarters, where the new intake was installed. Here's a shot of the TRD kit.
We took the Tundra to Toyota Racing Development (TRD) at the Toyota headquarters, where th
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.
First, the factory air-filter box cover was removed. Next, the mass airflow sensor mountin

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.
Here is the TRD version that replaced the stock airbox inlet. The inlet sucks in the air t
A conical, oiled filter was dropped into the airbox.
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.
Next, the TRD airbox cover was snapped into place. Note the distinctive TRD styling and an

The intake tube was attached to the airbox and the throttle body, then the PCV return line and MAF were reconnected
The intake tube was attached to the airbox and the throttle body, then the PCV return line

There you have it, TRD's new intake for the '07 Tundra 4.7L V-8. TRD claims that the assembly achieves an increase of 27-percent in airflow, all while still filtering just as well as the factory assembly. And more air means more power. Also, the TRD setup retains the California Air Resources Board's required hydrocarbon filter that appears in the factory filter system, so the TRD intake still captures polluting vapors that may escape when the vehicle is parked.
There you have it, TRD's new intake for the '07 Tundra 4.7L V-8. TRD claims that the assem
Gibson Performance installed their kit at their facility. Here, the new Gibson exhaust lies next to the factory exhaust we had taken off of the Tundra.
Gibson Performance installed their kit at their facility. Here, the new Gibson exhaust lie
The first two sections of pipe, the inlets, were bolted loosely to the flanges. The stock rings were used and hung in rubber grommets that had been sprayed with WD-40 beforehand. All of the rubber grommets were lubricated the same way.
The first two sections of pipe, the inlets, were bolted loosely to the flanges. The stock

The muffler was lifted into place and the inlets were slid into the muffler. The inlets and muffler had to be leveled to achieve the right fit, so a carpenter's level kept everything straight and the connections were tack-welded to keep them secure until the rest of the exhaust system was in place and the welding had been completed.
The muffler was lifted into place and the inlets were slid into the muffler. The inlets an
The next section of pipe was slid onto the muffler and hung in a lubricated rubber grommet.
The next section of pipe was slid onto the muffler and hung in a lubricated rubber grommet

The tailpipe was slid into place and hung in a lubricated rubber grommet.
Here, the chrome tip was bolted onto the tailpipe.

Once the chrome tip was adjusted to stick out just so, then the pipes connecting to the flanges were bolted tightly and all of the other pipes were welded together. By the way, the kit can be bolted instead of welded, but Gibson prefers to weld them. Abrasive pads were used afterward to clean up the welded joints. And then we were finished
Once the chrome tip was adjusted to stick out just so, then the pipes connecting to the fl
Here is the McGaughys drop: a pair of coils and a flip kit, plus rear shocks. We went to GO EZ Customs, a custom shop in Placentia, California, to have it installed. We figured that since this was a brand-new kit-as in kit number 001 that had been hastily sent to us by McGaughys, and hence had no instructions or anything-that we should take it to some pros to get the job done right. Luckily, this drop involved a relatively simple set of new coils and a flip kit.
Here is the McGaughys drop: a pair of coils and a flip kit, plus rear shocks. We went to G
Starting with the front suspension, the coilover assembly was unbolted.

The spindles and lower control arms needed to be separated so the spindles could be pulled out to make room for the removal of the coilovers. The ball joints on the spindles were clamped onto the spindles with three bolts, so this exercise didn't require the ball joint to be broken. (This picture is of the bottom pointing left.)
The spindles and lower control arms needed to be separated so the spindles could be pulled
The sway bars were unbolted from the control arms and then the coilovers were removed.

Here, the factory coil is lying next to the McGaughys shorter aftermarket coil. The new spring was installed into the coilover assembly, then the front suspension was put back together.
Here, the factory coil is lying next to the McGaughys shorter aftermarket coil. The new sp
Moving on to the rear suspension, what we had was a flip kit where the axle was moved from below the leaf springs to above them. Here, you can see the factory U-bolts that clamp the leafs to the axle being unbolted.
Moving on to the rear suspension, what we had was a flip kit where the axle was moved from
The shackles that attach the leafs to the frame were removed, as well. Notice the OE and longer aftermarket shackles compared to each other. The new shackles were bolted onto the ends of the leaf springs. There were two sets of bolts on the parts of the shackles that attach to the frame, which give the option to go low or lower. We chose lower.
The shackles that attach the leafs to the frame were removed, as well. Notice the OE and

The leafs were bolted back into place below the rear axle. Here, you see the aftermarket cradle that bolts to the tops of the leafs and upon which the axle rests.
The leafs were bolted back into place below the rear axle. Here, you see the aftermarket c
The mounting points for the brake lines and sensor wires interfered with the fitment of the aftermarket bump stops, so they were sawed off and the brake line and sensor wire were later attached to the new bump-stop assemblies that were secured to the top of the axle with the aftermarket U-bolts.
The mounting points for the brake lines and sensor wires interfered with the fitment of th

New shocks replaced the OE models. And that was it
We took the D'Vinci Vento wheels and Nitto 420S tires to a shop to get them mounted and then had to rush off to take the overall "after" shots. It was difficult to get a good close up of the wheels and tires with the environment we had, so we added these two images to give you a better idea of what the D'Vinci Vento and Nitto NT420S 295/35R24 tires look like. Note the 5x150 bolt pattern on the Tundra.
We took the D'Vinci Vento wheels and Nitto 420S tires to a shop to get them mounted and th

From the Driver SeatTRD's air intake has the typical OE overkill, combined with the aftermarket benefit of increased air flow. The Gibson exhaust we had installed on the Tundra was not compatible with the suspension drop kit. The tailpipe ran right into the leaf spring. Since this was a yet-to-be-released product, we gave Gibson the opportunity to either tweak the design with flip kits in mind or to come up with a one-off fix for our vehicle. They gave us the fix, and maybe the fix will show up in its kit. By the way, the power gains from the exhaust were 16 hp and 22 lb-ft-we didn't get any dyno time with the air intake-and the exhaust note definitely sounds aftermarket. We like the McGaughys drop kit, since it was relatively straightforward to install. In retrospect, we would have probably mounted the shackles in a 4-inch, rather than a 5-inch, drop configuration. The truck does ride well with the new suspension. We only experienced tire rubbing once when we hit a bump at a weird angle, with a load of wheels and tires in the bed. The D'Vinci wheels and Nitto Tire tires look like a good combination. We like the low profile and the tread pattern on the Nittos, and the fact that the inserts on the wheels can be painted does add another customization option.

Your Questions Answered:
Time Spent Working:	3-1/2 hours
(intake, 30 minutes; exhaust, 30 minutes; suspension, 120 minutes; wheel and tire mount, 30 minutes)
Mechanical Difficulty:	Intake, easy; exhaust, easy
if bolted not welded; suspension, intermediate; wheel and tire mounts, easy with pro equipment
Tools Used:	Basic handtools, lift, a Sawzall for suspension work,
a welder for exhaust and suspension, impact tools, and tire mounting machinery

Parts Used:
Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Performance Cold Air Intake for the 4.7L V-8,
PN PTR03-34072,	$475
Gibson Performance Exhaust 3-inch exhaust system for the 4.7L V-8, PN 18603,	$624
McGaughys 2/4-inch drop kit for the Tundra Extended Cab, PN 98010,	$585
D'Vinci Vento wheels with inserts, 24x9-inch, 5x150 bolt pattern,	$1,070 (four needed)
Nitto Tire NT420S 295/35R24 tires,	$400 (four needed)
Total Cost:	$7,546
(Not including labor)

SOURCE
Mcgaughys Suspension Parts 5680 W.Barstow Fresno CA 93722	Toyota Racing Development
D'Vinci Wheels 5224 Southern Ave. South Gate CA 90280 www.dvinciwheels.com	Gibson Performance Exhaust 3780 Prospect Ave. Yorba Linda CA 92686 714-528-3044 www.gibsonperformance.com
Nitto Tire Dept. MM&FF 6261 Katella Ave. Cypress CA 90630	GO EZ Customs 702 Monroe Way Placentia CA 92870