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Performance upgrade ideas..

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by TundraTss, Jun 19, 2020.

  1. Jun 19, 2020 at 4:49 PM
    #1
    TundraTss

    TundraTss [OP] The Mistress

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    Everything. Literally.
    Looking for some more performance upgrades aside from turbo or supercharging..

    Currently running.. (on a 3rd G 5.7)
    AFE stage 2 CAI
    AFE pro tuner (just took it off the base map, still tuned for 87 octane)
    8" straight dumped (Dirty Deeds)

    Thinking maybe headers? Plugs? I can't come up with much else that doesn't involve blowing the whole top of the engine apart
     
  2. Jun 19, 2020 at 5:14 PM
    #2
    Crunch527

    Crunch527 Brute Force and Ignorance

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    TRD Supercharger/BAM
    My thoughts...

    CAIs are a waste of money on a Tundra.

    Plugs wont change anything.

    Deeds exhaust is what I run...10” Stainless BAM is sweet but I’m also running a SC on my 2014.

    AFE pro tuner advertises +15hp? Oh no...send that back if you can. That could cause you warranty issues and +15hp isn’t worth that.

    Tow/Haul button changes pedal input and shift points...Yet, commonly mistaken for a performance increase.

    Headers are a pain in the ass for what you get...and they too can/may/will void the warranty...Overall, not worth it.

    SC is the way to go...if you want true performance...BUT its expensive and no longer offered by Toyota or covered by Toyota warranty. Now have to go through Magnussen or others and they are a bit behind releasing the latest model year tune so that depends on the year of your truck.

    Sell your truck and buy mine;)
     
  3. Jun 19, 2020 at 5:34 PM
    #3
    chugs

    chugs New Member

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    What are your genie in a bottle desired effects from performance upgrades?
    upload_2020-6-20_3-34-17.jpg
     
  4. Jun 19, 2020 at 6:44 PM
    #4
    TundraTss

    TundraTss [OP] The Mistress

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    Everything. Literally.
    Just sound/aesthetics/above -par performance and smashing the occasional Chad in his dodge ram.
    I mean, I'm sitting on mud tires.. not exactly the street performance setup, which is why I'm not even thinking about supercharging or putting turbos on. I just hit 75k so it was either sell it or put money into it, and seeing how there's not a single thing wrong with her, here I am, looking for small mods...

    If I've already done everything within reason with the exhaust and intake etc, then it is what it is..
    Just taking suggestions from the room really
     
    panicman likes this.
  5. Jun 19, 2020 at 8:21 PM
    #5
    dananderstein

    dananderstein New Member

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    You could buy a racing transmission that is made to handle 700hp. Their is shift reprogram kits but they will destroy your transmission faster. You really not going to get much power at all from a cold air intake and exhaust you need a supercharger your truck is a block of metal
     
  6. Jun 19, 2020 at 8:51 PM
    #6
    Trooper2

    Trooper2 Premium Lone Star Member / SSEM #13

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    TSS 20's with Cooper ATP ll's, N Fab 3 Step Nerf Bars,, Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX, Masters Tailgate Replacement Latch with Camera, 1" Maxtrac Shackles, LED Interiors/Brake/Reverse/Cargo/Fog Bulbs, Fumoto Drain Valve, Toyota Aluminium Oil Filter Housing, TRD Shift Knob, Courtesy Door Projector LEDs with Toyota Emblem, Console Tray and Lower Divider.
    If your running bigger tires and haven't re-geared, a rear end re-gear may be worth looking into.

    Also a pedal commander can make the Tundra come alive. Not sure if it could be used with your AFE.
     
  7. Jun 20, 2020 at 4:11 AM
    #7
    tttrdpro

    tttrdpro Former Naval Person

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    Tow/haul button does the same thing as a pedal commander/ sprint booster and it’s free. Long tube headers are about the only thing worthwhile you can do at this point IMO.
     
    ekinnee likes this.
  8. Jun 20, 2020 at 10:39 AM
    #8
    dananderstein

    dananderstein New Member

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    I have not seen a legit dyno test of before and after headers

     
  9. Jun 23, 2020 at 9:16 PM
    #9
    AZ_Tundra1

    AZ_Tundra1 Gold member

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    Bilstien 6112 front shocks set at 1.9"
  10. Jun 24, 2020 at 1:31 AM
    #10
    CaptainGrumpus

    CaptainGrumpus The Mailman

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    I disagree about the tow/haul button. Your not supposed to daily drive with the tow/haul button on.
     
  11. Jun 24, 2020 at 3:12 AM
    #11
    timsp8

    timsp8 Former Tundra owner for 13 years

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    Doesn’t tow/haul change shift points and pc change pedal response? Different things.
     
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  12. Jun 24, 2020 at 3:56 AM
    #12
    CaptainGrumpus

    CaptainGrumpus The Mailman

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    Exactly. The Sprint Booster / PC boxes changes your throttle response in increments based on the user’s settings. Makes the truck feel more nimble and quicker. I’ve gained 1 mpg as well with it. Went from 14.5 to 15.6 in town driving. If gas stays around $2.00 a gallon, the Sprint Booster will pay for itself in less than a year.
     
  13. Jun 24, 2020 at 5:26 AM
    #13
    dananderstein

    dananderstein New Member

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    I used the tow button for a little over 3 years and my transmission fluid was very dark with only 51k miles on it
     
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  14. Jun 24, 2020 at 5:59 AM
    #14
    CaptainGrumpus

    CaptainGrumpus The Mailman

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    That’s because the tow button holds the 1st for quite a bit of time before shifting. Signal Booster/PC doesn’t do that to the same extent that the Tow button does
     
  15. Jun 24, 2020 at 6:25 AM
    #15
    tttrdpro

    tttrdpro Former Naval Person

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    It doesn’t say that in the owners manual.
     
  16. Jun 24, 2020 at 7:28 AM
    #16
    HulkSmurf14

    HulkSmurf14 ...Weighted Average...

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    Tastefully enhanced...
    You can drive it all day forever with the Tow/Haul button engaged...just need to understand that parts will need more attention earlier than if used in the "economy" drive mode in-lieu of the Tow/Haul mode. But again, this is all speculation and how one perceives the vagueness of the Owners manual..Ha! Regardless, if you Baja your truck all the time, you're going ot have to rebuild your suspension more often...it's all part of the ownership fun!
     
  17. Jun 24, 2020 at 7:31 AM
    #17
    ekinnee

    ekinnee New Member

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    On my 2020 it seems to change throttle response also. Never fails if I turn on Tow/Haul with nothing behind me, I spin the tires on takeoff.
     
  18. Jun 24, 2020 at 7:48 AM
    #18
    StoneyWV

    StoneyWV New Member

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    Rough Country Level,
    If you want power then add something that gives you more power, as recommended here like a Turbo or Super Charger. If you want better utilization of the current power you have then re-gear the truck or better yet go back to Factory or slightly smaller than factory wheels and tires that weigh 40% less than what you are running and it will be night and day difference.

    Using something like a power commander to move the current usable throttle around is just a placebo. Holding shifts longer in a transmission is also not gaining you anything over mashing your foot to the floor and allowing the truck to make the decision when to shift on it's own under the commanded effort or manually using the shifter they built in to truck to shift on your own. it's not gaining you any additional performance in terms of horsepower or torque at the wheels. If you add all of those bolt on electronic manipulating features and let's take a bone stock truck out and run them side by side with your large tire and wheel truck will get out run every time.

    Wheel and tire weight is rotating mass that takes more energy to get moving and the only way to overcome that is by changing gearing to a lower gear which makes the truck accelerate just as fast as it did previously at a given speed, but at same time it is using more HP from the engine earlier to accomplish this which means more fuel/higher rpm/louder volume/more wear on engine components.

    Or you can just accept that you lost performance by increasing wheel size and weight and accept the slower acceleration knowing that when you roll off the pavement, you have more ground clearance, better puncture resistance, increased traction, and over all more capability, not to mention better looks.

    If you want your cake and eat it to, then it's heavy duty diesel time instead of trying to turn your half ton into one.
     
    HulkSmurf14 likes this.
  19. Jun 24, 2020 at 8:00 AM
    #19
    CaptainGrumpus

    CaptainGrumpus The Mailman

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    I’ve read that here in the past. Not sure about what is says in the owners manual but if users like @dananderstein are reporting dark transmission fluid after using it daily then that’s enough for me to stay away from the tow button unless I’m actually towing something. Just because it doesn’t say it in the manual, doesn’t mean that it’s fine to do so.
     
    HulkSmurf14 likes this.
  20. Jun 24, 2020 at 3:41 PM
    #20
    endagon

    endagon New Member

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    Using T/H every now and again isn't going to burn your transmission fluid. The higher shift points in T/H are there to reduce heat and wear in the transmission when pulling stuff. It's the lower rpm unlocked torque converter situations that overheat fluid.

    I've drained Toyota WS coming out diesel oil black that I put in there 15k miles earlier so honestly if it's just a little dark at 51k you're doing pretty dang good. You really know when the fluid is used up when it starts acting like someone installed a quick shift kit.
     
    HulkSmurf14 and tttrdpro like this.

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