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.
Today Is Unofficial “Lobby For The Hobby” Day
I recently became aware of two things:
1. Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Four Wheeler, Off Road, and others (90 web and print properties total) are all owned by one company. I guess I should have paid closer attention.
2. Today, November 1st, 2010, is SEMA’s unofficial “lobby for the hobby” day, where anyone who is an avid automotive enthusiast is encouraged to think about recent regulatory changes that endanger automotive hobbies. For example:
- Changes in off-road access rules for federal lands
- Changes in federal fuel economy and emissions requirements
- Changes in state emissions laws (California, I’m looking at you)
While laws are always changing, the case could be made that the pace and direction of these changes has been “anti-automotive” over the last 2 or so years. SEMA and Source Interlink Media want you to think about these issues today, which just happens to be the day before election day.
Is this a legitimate gripe? Judge for yourself.
Knowing When To Replace Your Shocks
Depending on how you drive your truck and where you drive it, you may not give your shocks a lot of thought. Since shocks tend to “wear” very, very gradually, people often aren’t aware that their shocks have gone bad until they’re told by the local dealership or auto shop.
As you undoubtedly know, shocks aren’t just a part that improves your vehicle’s ride. They’re an important piece of safety equipment as well. Shocks help to prevent front end dive under hard braking, helping to reduce the amount of force that the front brakes must dissipate and decrease stopping distance. For truck owners, shocks are also important because they help keep large loads (either towed or hauled) manageable during turns, bumps, etc.
You need good shocks to have a safe vehicle. The trouble is, most people – and a fair number of auto technicians – don’t really know when it’s time to replace a shock and when it’s not. There are a lot of simple, amateur tests that you can do to “prove” your truck may or may not need shocks (like the one in the video below), but these types of tests are usually only accurate when the shocks are already in pretty bad shape.
A better way to evaluate shocks is to look at how much hydraulic fluid they’ve leaked. Shock failure is caused by leakage. While a little bit of leakage is considered normal, once a certain amount of fluid has drained out – or if the fluid has leaked out of the shocks in a very specific way – then it’s time for new shocks.
Fortunately, Toyota has given their dealership technicians some clear-cut illustrations that explain when shocks need replaced…and we’re sharing them with you.
Search terms people used to find this page:
- 2010 tundra shock replacement
What Color is Your Tundra? (Survey)
According to PPG, silver is the world’s most popular paint color. According to PPG spokesperson Jane Harrington, silver is popular because “it’s offered on every single vehicle style…it really defines the shape and form of the vehicle…brings out all the lines.”
However, what’s the most popular color for the Toyota Tundra? Take the survey below and help us figure that out!
We’re Going To SEMA in Less Than Two Weeks
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be attending SEMA alongside Mark, one of the behind-the-scenes guys here at TundraHeadquarters. We’re going to be taking pictures, shooting videos, and hopefully I’ll be interviewing some accessory manufacturers about their products.
SEMA, for those that don’t know, is one of the biggest auto shows of the year.
07′ Toyota Tundra Resale Value Jumps 17%
According to a recent press release issued by Edmunds.com, used car values are climbing. The reason? A lack of new vehicle production in 2008 and 2009 has led to an artificially shallow pool of used vehicles to choose from. This is good news for late-model vehicle owners everywhere…it’s been estimated that used car values will continue to climb for the next year or two.
Tundra resale value continues to lead the truck industry
What’s particularly interesting is that Edmunds.com found 07′ Tundra resale value jumped 17% between September 2009 and September 2010. This increase is significantly higher than the rest of the large truck segment – which only increased 9%.
Why did Tundra resale values increase? Probably for the same reasons that Tundra resale value has always been excellent: consumers trust Toyota quality and reliability, and because Toyota doesn’t issue massive cash rebates to help sell trucks like Ford, GM, and Chrysler-Fiat.
