The evolution of "Alpine" Tundra

[RoundOut]

Missing the 2007 Expedition Trophy was a tough bite to chew. To help myself focus on the positive, I figured I would shed a little light on the expeditionifying of my 2003 Toyota Tundra SR5 4.7L V8 4WD Access Cab.

I'll do this in several posts. Obviously now, it is much more expedition ready than ever before, as I had hoped to join the festivities in AZ this fall. I have owned it for four years now, LOVE THE TRUCK AS MUCH AS ONE CAN AN INANIMATE OBJECT, and it has become a focal point on a mission to be able to spend more quailty time with my family outdoors.

Here we go with Part 1, mostly on performance mods...

When I purchased it from Fred Haas Toyota in late July 2003, I had a few aftermarket goodies put on, in anticipation of increasing fuel economy. The sticker EPA ratings were 17/13. Here is how I took delivery of it…

Factory & Port installed options:
·Fog Lights
·LSD
·Power Windows & Locks
·AM/FM/CD/Cassette
·Heated mirrors
·Towing package (includes 130 amp alternator, transmission fluid cooler)
·Rear hitch receiver

Goodies I purchased and included in the original deal:
·K&N FIPK cold air intake (at this time, they only made one for up to 2002 – see additional information on this sore subject below)
·Challenger Deflectashield aluminum over-the-rails pickup tool box
·Line-X spray in bedliner
·Aftermarket leather seats & door panel upgrade

Goodies I bought in the parts department before leaving:
·Bug deflector
·OEM rugged Husky-type floor mats

Not satisfied with the nameplate fuel economy, plus the K&N, I was looking for better horsepower and therefore, performance. The first mods I decided I wanted were a Bassani exhaust system and JBA headers. I had the make-ready shop install my Bassani a week after I took delivery.

Figuring to get the big horsepower improvements advertised by K&N and Bassani, I knew I would get better fuel economy, but that was surely elusive. After lamenting about it on TundraSolutions.com, I learned from others there, that the mass air flow sensor could not accurately measure the great volume of air flowing in on my cold air intake. The experts there suggested that restricting the air flow into the filter could actually improve economy. They were right. I purchased a pre-filter cover (I cannot remember what they call this, but it is essentially a nylon sleeve that fits over the filter with elastic on both ends) and it helped markedly. My city mileage was approaching 14.5 regularly.

My next mod was a rear bumper from Tough Country that I purchased locally at Master Hitch. I immediately started saving for the front bumper. I really liked their product and it was locally (El Campo, TX) made.

Getting it home, I was excited to show it to a buddy that wheeled alot in his lifted T-100. I learned about TundraSolutions.com from a him, and that started me down the trail to reach "off-road-ready nirvana".

Before purchasing headers, I had about 5000 miles on my new Tundra. I ordered the headers from JBA through TundraSolutions.com and began looking for a shop that would do the suggested 4-6 hour work at a reasonable rate. The hose-head service Tech at Fred Haas wanted 10 hours @ $70/hr for an R&R of exhaust manifolds. Screw that! I finally found a performance shop that would do it for $350.

After a couple tanks, I began to notice surge of fuel economy. I would consistently hit 16+ in the city.

The guy that installed my headers told me I should consider a Y-Pipe to squeeze out even more, so I bought one, also from JBA, and had the local muffler shop install it. That was about all for the performance mods.

My first highway trip to Tulsa to visit mom after finishing the performance mods, yielded a whopping 19.5 on the way up, and even more loaded on the way back, I hit 21 mpg. What a beautiful thing!!!

[Desertoutpost]

Good post. Funny thing is while reading your mods I read JBA, funny its 1/2 mile from my house. Do you know what JBA stands for and who JBA is? Just some good trivia, sorry not to jack your thread.

[erod]

ahhhhm, pics ????

[Overland Hadley]

Yes, lets see some photos of your rig.

[RoundOut]

My buddy with the T-100 had a pretty cool Smittybilt tube bumper for his truck. I also had friends that worked in the oil patch and had big Fords with Ranch Hand bumpers. I liked the Tough Country Apache, and besides ARB, it was just about the only off-the-shelf solution for the 2003 Tundra.

I was able to get mine built and installed for about $1,000, including the KC slimlights. The options I selected were:

• Fog light sleeves
• Tow loops
• Hitch receiver
• Euro-bar
• Expanded metal

I placed my order, being careful to explain to the guy in El Campo that the 2002 that they previously produced would have to be modified for the 2003 round fog light sleeves. A couple weeks later, it was ready and I drove off to El Campo, TX.

As soon as they pulled the paper off the bumper, I was disappointed to see the rectangular fog light sleeves of the 99-02 Tundras. They went ahead and installed it and sent me back to Houston, keeping my OE bumper and fog lights to help them design the new model year's foglights. They promised to rush the right one to Houston with my OE bumper and lights, which they did in about a week.

Before leaving El Campo, they took some pictures of my truck, and it has become a featured truck on their website and in their catalog. I just wish I had it lifted already, because it sure looks better post-lift.

I went to Commercial Van Interiors in Northwest Houston to have the '03 model installed, rather than commuting another hundred or so miles back to El Campo. They fixed me right up.

The bumper, weighing in at about 180 pounds, sagged my front end almost an inch. Already raked, this made my Tundra look whimpy, IMO. I was in no hurry to trade in tires with decent rubber, being determined to get max value out of the cheesy Bridgestone Dueler HTs that came stock. On the other hand, I was anxious to get a lift kit and new meats, but they would have to wait!

Performance wise, I didn't notice any degridation in fuel economy, but I did notice a significant improvement in the ride. Although the Tundra's ride was already superior to just about any other truck on the market, the heavier front bumper acted like a damper, causing less bump to be felt in the cab. That was a positive, for sure.

While in El Campo, I was fiddling around in Tough Country Off Road's store while they fit my bumper. I learned a bunch about Hi-lift jacks, some about Mile Marker winches and some about Warns.

After getting stuck in an aroyo in Big Bend before even getting my license plates (another story that I am not proud of, but is funny now) I really wanted to have some excellent recovery equipment, so my wish list continued to grow with all the eye-candy at Tough Country.

Surely this hobby has never caused that to happen to any of you.

[RoundOut]

Originally Posted by Desertoutpost

Do you know what JBA stands for and who JBA is?

Let's have it....

[RoundOut]

Originally Posted by erod

ahhhhm, pics ????

Unfortunately, I don't have any "Before" shots until after my Tough Country Apache was on. Here is a driveway pic, though. These are the pics that TC took after my Apache went on. That is their "economy" rear bumper, by the way.

[erod]

roundout...any pics? i spoke a but too soon, or late, apparently. looks sweet!

[RoundOut]

Before my inaugural off-road screwup at Big Bend, I had purchased a come-along, a yank-strap (that I didn't know how to use properly) and a shovel, just in case.

That was a $400 lesson ($100 fine, and $300 towing out of the black gumbo). Darn, that was half a Warn winch.

After lusting for a winch but not affording one yet, I figured I could get some functionality from a Hi-lift, some accessories, and some straps. And, my hand-brake wouldn't be the wiser, LOL.

Another thing I learned in Big Bend that summer, was that bouncing off-road is well beyond the "working load limit" of the little hook/screw thingys that secured my tool box to my bed rails. Before mounting another 60 pounds of Hi-lift, I figured some reinforcement was in order.

A buddy came over and we yanked the tool box, drilled holes in the cap in one place and used the stake pocket's bottom as another mounting point. Together with the hook, that made a 6 point mount for the box, more in line with my intended use.

We then put some plate steel backing on the inside of the tool box to mate up with the Hi-Lift Jeep mounts that I purchased. We installed the Jeep mounts and the Hi-Lift has been there almost ever since. I've used it and the come-along to bail my own truck out once, and to lift the vehicle to rotate tires, but that is about it. It's a good and relatively cheap insurance policy.

Here are pics of the mounts without, and with the Hi-Lift on.

[RoundOut]

My wife had her new Sequoia, the same color as my Tundra just a couple weeks after I got my Tundra. That Sequoia, is by far, the finest vehicle I have ever owned. I wish I could expeditionify it! I really envied her signal mirrors, so I got some!

Her Sequoia also had painted mirror covers, but she wouldn't trade me. I found some painted ones at Carson Toyota in Cali for $25. DEAL! I hate chrome.

First, I ordered the Muth signal mirrors from Performance, and since Performance didn't list the Tundra heated mirrors, I ordered the Sequoia ones. After all, everything on them is the same, right? WRONG. I called Muth and they said they couldn't figure out why Performance wouldn't stock the heated ones for the Tundra, but they would switch them out no charge. They even cross-shipped. Great company, Muth is!

I did everything except splice the tail light wires. I called my buddy at the make-ready shop and got him to do it for $25. I was too scared to splice to the wrong wire. LOL Roll forward a couple years, I have no fear any more...



Anyhow, back to the story. Almost 18 months after owning her, it was time for some new shoes. I had considered all the tires out there and liked the aggressive look and ratings that the BFG ATs were sporting. I decided that I would lift it 2.5" and get the 285x75R16s, a 33" tire that was about 2" larger in diameter than my original Dueler HT pavement specials.

I decided that I would go with the Wheeler's Coil Springs, new Bilstiens for the front end, Camburg UCAs, get an Add-A-Leaf for the back, and be done with it. Not so simple. Wheelers, at the time, was out of their coils for the Tundra and it would be months before a new design was going to be ready. I decided to get the spacer lift, using a RevTek 2.5" kit that comes with the differential drop spacers. Realizing that the Tundra's suspension geometry limits one to lifting only 2.5", I rationalized that since I had sagged an inch with the heavy front end, I could go 3.5". So, I added an extra Daystar 1" spacer and told the installer to get longer bolts.

In order to protect the CVs at the higher angle, I bought the Porsche 930 boots from Kartek. They would do the trick, I thought. (They sent the wrong ones, so we put back on the OEs).

I ordered, along with the lift, Wheelers' Black Alloy 16x8 rims for the new tires. Boy, this would really make it look good, I thought! I was right (biased, here, but I love black rims!)

Pics:

1. Here's a "before" front suspension
2. Here's an "almost done" "After" - still needs to mount the spindle
3. Here's a MUCH more PROUD look.