Author Archive for Jason Lancaster
Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of TundraHeadquarters.com. He has nearly a decade of experience on the retail side of the auto industry, and another decade of experience of the part and accessory side of the industry.
ToyTec 3″ Tundra Lift Kit Review Update
Once ToyTec had a chance to reflect on our review, they made a couple of adjustments to their kit.
First, they’ve added some machined skid-plate spacers so that the skid plate does not touch the front differential after the diff has been dropped 1″ (the front diff is dropped to preserve the factory axle and ball joint angles).
TheCarConnection.com Spied 2009 Sequoia
The new Sequoia, due out in 2008 as a 2009 model, is expected to share a lot of components with the new Toyota Tundra, from engines and transmissions to body and interior panels. As we reported earlier this month, a hybrid Tundra is expected to debut a year or so later.
One can expect a hybrid Sequoia to be offered at the same time (if not sooner).
Thank you to TheCarConnection.com!
Congress is Going to Take Your Truck Away
Have you heard the radio ads, the ones that say that Congress is considering new fuel economy regulations? According to these ads, Congress is going to take our trucks away. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has stated that the new fuel economy bill being proposed in Congress by Sen. Byron Dorgan, Democrat from North Dakota, will result in ALL vehicles being smaller and more expensive. The alliance says that big vehicles, like family SUVs and pick-up trucks, will be hard or impossible to manufacture if these new fuel economy regulations take effect.
Here’s a link to listen to the ad that says we’re going to lose our trucks.
Here’s the link to listen to the ad that says we’re going to lose our big, safe SUV’s.
When I first heard the ads, I thought they were right. After all, if fuel economy must improve, then maybe cars will have to get smaller. Smaller vehicles weigh less, are more aerodynamic, and don’t need to be as powerful. Smaller engines usually mean better fuel economy. It makes logical sense, right?
Wrong.
Making a vehicle smaller is one way of improving fuel economy, but it’s not the only way. Better technology, like hybrid drive systems, hydraulic or pneumatic energy storage, plug-in battery packs, or alternative fuels are all ways that fuel economy could be improved. Not to mention simpler market-ready technologies like lightweight materials, turbochargers and superchargers, and direct injection. The fact is, these technologies could be easily implemented in vehicles and improve fuel economy without dramatically raising new vehicle costs. But according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (which includes GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, VW, Mazda, BMW, Mitsu, and Porsche), any gains in fuel economy must come from making smaller vehicles.
In other words, bye-bye trucks and SUVs.
Why are these automakers trying to scare us? History has shown that every time the government has mandated newer auto regulations we’ve all benefited. Seat belts and airbags were resisted by automakers, but we all know how that turned out. Now we’re supposed to believe auto manufacturers when they say that tougher fuel economy standards mean that our kids’ lives are going to be at risk riding in the backseat of a Ford Festiva and that we’re going to do our hauling in Toyota’s that look like this. (See the story behind that photo here.)
I think the radio ads are misleading. For argument’s sake, let’s say that new cars got more expensive…so what? If a new car costs $2000 more, but it saves you $800 a year in gas, doesn’t that make sense? I think auto manufacturers are against this bill because it will hurt their profits…if their costs go up, their margins will go down.
What do you think?
Toyota Tundra Lift Kit Review: Toytec 3″ Lift Kit
Toytec Lifts produces lift kits, leveling kits, and other suspension accessories exclusively for Toyota trucks and SUVs. Based just outside of Denver, Colorado, ToyTec tests all of their products on Toyota vehicles that travel rugged trails in the Colorado Rockies. We found Toytec’s website and decided to review their 3″ Toyota Tundra lift kit. Our review includes a Tundra lift kit installation guide and video.
When the new Tundra was introduced, after market product manufacturers like ToyTec had very little time to design and manufacture a kit that would work with the all-new suspension. ToyTec’s engineering team collaborated with dealerships in Colorado and North Carolina to measure, design, and test their 3″ lift kit design as soon as the Tundra came out. Once the measurements were made, parts were machined, and ToyTec’s newest kit was ready for the market. For the most part, ToyTec sells their lift kits to dealerships and four-wheel shops around the country, but the product is available to the general public.
2007 Tundra CrewMax Comparison: With and without ToyTec Lift Kit. The lifted truck is wearing ProComp 6066 wheels
ToyTec’s kit is designed to raise the front of the Tundra 3″ and the rear 1″, thus leveling the truck while also increasing the height about 1″. The end result is the lifted truck looks better, is level, and can accommodate a much larger set of wheels and tires.
