Sas's 'Will It Fit in the Garage' Build

So one of the (many) reasons I bought a Tundra was that the Crewmax fit in the garage. Reliability and longevity aside, that was priority one. Suspension, bumpers, wheels/tires have all been centered around that. I basically have 6.5" in height from how it sits stock to play with and about 3" in length that is left for bumpers. Needless to say, it's a tight fit.... giggity.

Here's how it looked when I brought it home. It sat on 20x9 TSS wheels (+50 offset) and 285/55R20 BFG KO2 tires.



I've done a bunch of upgrades since then and if I had the chance to start all over again I'd do the wheels/tires and suspension first. It's a pretty big expense when done right so knocking it out would've been a huge relief, not to mention that it makes a world of difference in the looks department when picking other upgrades.

More posts to come. Currently working on upgrades other than suspension/wheels/tires lol. Do as I say, not as I do.

Upgrade Candidates (no particular order)

Definitely Happening

• Grille Insert
  • https://dbcustomz.com/collections/t...7-tundra-grille-insert-with-backlit-lettering
    
  • Reminder: Put in the Notes to do MGM color on the Overlay and choose Barcelona Red or Silver Sky as the Script Color
• Audio System
  • http://oemaudioplus.com/toyota/tcm/
  • Fatmat's Mega Mat or something similar
• Replace side steps with deeper steps
• Video/Dash-cam Mounts
  • https://www.ics-fab.com/products/tundra-amps-dash-mount
• Interior Styling
  • https://www.ajtdesign-llc.com/online-store/2014-Tundra-c36986001
  • https://www.ajtdesign-llc.com/online-store/Climate-Knobs-2014-Tundra-3-PACK-p130020478

Probably Happening in Some Form

• Replace horn
  • http://www.piaa.com/store/p/392-Automotive-Superior-Bass-Horn-330/400Hz.aspx
• Putco Blade tailgate light & Curt 55384 harness
  • https://www.amazon.com/Putco-92009-60-Blade-Tailgate-Modification/dp/B0198CV5E0
  • $31 CURT 55384 Replacement Vehicle-Side Custom USCAR 4-Pin Trailer Wiring Harness, Black, 6 x 3 x 9"es
    https://www.amazon.com/CURT-55384-Custom-Wiring-Connector/dp/B0009FJ38Q
• Locking Fuel Door
  • https://amistyling.com/race-style-billet-fuel-door-flat-black-locking-door-9

Still Contemplating

• Front Bumper
  • https://n-fab.com/m-rds-prerunner-front-bumper/2017/toyota/tundra
  • https://www.southernstyleoffroad.com/product/2014-tundra-slimline-hybrid-custom/
  • https://sdhqoffroad.com/collections...8-toyota-tundra-sdhq-built-hidden-winch-mount
  • https://www.roadarmor.com/14_toyota_tundra?sku=914R0B
  • https://www.bodyguardbumpers.com/front-bumpers/a2l-front/a2l-base-front-replacement-bumper
• Rear Bumper
  • http://www.rogueracing.com/bumpers/revolver-rear-bumper-2014-2016-toyota-tundra-221514-92-02
  • https://www.roadarmor.com/14_toyota_tundra?sku=91300B
  • https://store.hammerheadarmor.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=600-56-0517
  • http://www.gorhino.com/BR20-Bumper-Replacements
  • https://fabfours.com/product/premium-rear-bumper-10/
  • http://www.goboondock.com/commerce.cgi?cart_id=1535593275.343&product=Toyota%21Tundra&pid=342&log_pid=yes
  • https://www.bodyguardbumpers.com/rear-bumpers/a2-rear/a2-rear-replacement-bumper
• Steering Wheel
  • https://www.vividracing.com/toyota-...-steering-wheel-vivid-racing-p-152408188.html
    
  • $64 Loncky Black Custom Car Steering Wheel Cover for Toyot 2012-2021 Toyota Tacoma/Toyota Tundra 2014-2021/ Toyota 4Runner 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021/ Sequoia 2014-2021
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XBT6NWV
    • #001
• Lighted Key Ring
  • https://parts.toyotaofcoolsprings.com/oem-parts/toyota-amplifier-8978306021
• Folding side mirror w/puddle lights
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1H47F2KP3Q
    
  • https://www.ebay.com/i/173133929211?chn=ps

 

So the first round of upgrades were pretty minor but one of them has had a huge impact in how the truck looks (and not really in a good way).

I added the driver's side handle mainly because my OCD didn't like only having one handle on the A pillars, but also because there had been times where it would've been nice to grab something other than the steering wheel to get in. I also added the TUNDRA tailgate letters. Both of these I got from Sparks Parts. This was before I knew about Toyota of Cool Springs.

I also added in-channel rain guards from Weathertech. If you get these make sure to contact them to get the rubber spacers for the front ones and some more tape for the rear ones. They'll send you both for free. The spacers help make them fit much better and also will protect your window weatherstripping to boot. The tape was placed too low from the factory on my rear ones so it wasn't really doing its job.



I also ended out picking up a folding sunshade because I hate trying to place the rolling ones and I knew I wouldn't use it if it was a PITA. This one is super easy to put up and take down. The only downside is it basically sits on the floorboard in the back because there's no good place to put it now that I have the under-seat storage. I forget which one I bought at the moment.



Finally, and the one I was most excited about at the time, are the Bushwacker fender flares. This is the one that has really changed the look. When I saw it on other vehicles I thought it looked really slick, but I failed to see that they had a lift to go with it. As soon as I put them on my stock truck it immediately swallowed up that whole area and made the stance look anemic (or like I skipped leg day as others have put it lol).

But, from the side and certain angles it looked okay, so left them on knowing that I'd be changing the stance soon anyhow. If you're thinking about these because of the bolts around the flares, there may be a better choices that don't stick out so far. If you have a stock setup I'd be careful when putting on flares though for this very reason. From my setup I need to move the outer edge of the wheels out at least 1.5" to make it look better and about 2" to give it a solid, aggressive stance.

 

Decided to upgrade all of the interior lights to LED's as well as the cargo bed and license plate lights, so I went with the upgrade kit from Headlight Revolution. They use the bulbs from GTR Lighting.

Full album: https://www.tundras.com/media/albums/gtr-lighting-upgrades.3286/


Vanity light before and after:


Map lights before and after (taken at night):


Dome lights before and after (taken at night):


Footwell light before and after (taken at night) (you don't need this if you're going to do the VLED's footwell lighting kit):


Footwell light before and after (taken during the day):


Looking thru windshield before and after (at night):

Cargo before and after (at night):

License plates lights (at night, didn't get any before pics for some reason):

The cargo and license plate lights are really bright. They make backing up and routing thru the bed of the truck at night much easier. All of these upgrades were pretty easy. I think there may have been a couple of lights where polarity needed to be taken into account. Also, you don't have to take out the shielding for the map lights to get the light out, but it does help. Just be really careful with it because it is a very thin, flimsy piece of metal.

The red interior lights are also bright enough to be usable. I've been really happy with all of these upgrades and I still get a smile on my face when those red LED's light up.

 

Truck is looking great, Jason!

 

I'm trying to remember what I did next. I think it was the footwell lighting, NSV bar and the center console switch panel light. If not, here they are anyway lol. I ended out doing these all at the same time to consolidate effort and reduce wear on the clips and such that hold these things together.

The footwell lighting came from VLEDS. I ended out doing a separate post at the time it was done, so here's the link to that:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/vleds-footwell-lighting-install.29169/
Album: https://www.tundras.com/media/albums/vleds-footwell-lighting.3337/

I also did a post for the NSV light bar. Here's that link:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/nsv-hood-bulge-light-bar-install-postmortem.29033/
Album: https://www.tundras.com/media/albums/nsv-hood-bulge-light-bar.3326/

And, you guessed it, there's a post already for the center console switch panel light. Here be that one:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/center-console-switch-panel-lighting-button-install.29171/
Album: https://www.tundras.com/media/albums/switch-panel-center-console-lighting-and-button-install.3338/

I've been very happy with all three of these, but there is one niggly bit about the NSV light bar. A few of us have noted that one of the DRL's shines a little lower than the other. A potential fix is supposedly on the bar itself. From what Jensen at NSV said, some of the screws can be a little tight/loose on the bar and may have shifted the housing a bit during shipping/install/etc. He also mentioned that it's a 3-piece light bar. I haven't taken mine out to verify this but it seems plausible.

 

Upgraded to the 2018 LED headlights. Man these things look good and put out a ton of light! Also ended out upgrading the turn signal bulbs to LED's. Got them from Headlight Revolution. Since my 2017 stock headlights didn't come with DRL's the only change I had to make to get the signals to work when the lights were on was to de-pin and swap the purple wire with the black & white wire on the turn signal connector. The pink/red wire stays where it is. The NSV turn signal adapter also isn't needed at this point, but I didn't want to leave a harness connection open so I plugged it in anyway.

Also swapped out the hood bulge and grille to a color-matched version. The grille insert will probably end out getting sold when I upgrade that one.

 

Did a whole bunch of odds and ends in the cosmetic department as well a few functional upgrades.

Full album: https://www.tundras.com/media/albums/upgrades-round-two.3346/

ABS guards:

Firefighter support hitch cover. This sticks out a little too far so I may have to remove it at some point when the bumpers get upgraded:

Key fob:

Kick panel covers and red lettering:

Radio MGM lettering insert:

Tailgate handle red lettering overlay:

Center console badge:

Custom decal by @DecalsByDesign:

Underseat storage:

Center console storage (upper and lower):

Yodagan decals from @boardude:

LED reverse lights from Headlight Revolution. They actually sent me these for free for working with them to solve the 2018 headlight turn signal issue. They actually updated their install video because of it as well. These things are hilariously bright, but are amazing at night when you're using the back up camera to see what's behind you.

 

Found some big neodymium magnets and did a magnetic gun holster install. The gun has been in there for a few weeks now and it hasn't even thought about jumping off the magnets. I don't even notice it's there anymore.

Here's the DIY write-up as well as a teaser pic:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/magnetic-gun-holder-install.29978/

 

Ended out swapping my original debris shield for a different one. The first one was kinda neat and subtle, but the double-sided tape started coming up after being on the highway for only an hour. Oddly, it started releasing on the side that was stuck on by the factory and not from the hood. The new one actually does an okay job as a bug deflector as well. The install was a little fiddly and you need to pay attention to detail to get it right. But other than that it's a solid and well-designed piece.

Original AVS shield:

New Tough Guard shield:

 

Haha, thanks! Yeah, with all the spamming of the Tundras Live and What Have You Done... threads I figured it was about time. I'll edit the OP and put the definitely/maybe/pipe dream list on it as well when I'm done.

 

Did the differential breather mod. Here's the original DIY by @csuviper: https://www.tundras.com/threads/diy-rear-differential-breather-mod.5253/

Used high temp thread sealer on the union. Left a loop in the hose for the upcoming lift and additional travel. Ran the hose and tied it off in such a way that the hose shouldn't rub on any sharp metal edges and compromise it. Put a fuel filter on the end of it to make it a two-way breather and so clean air will be going down the hose as the diff "inhales". It'll be interesting to see how often the filter needs to be changed.

 

Upgraded the fogs to Morimoto LED's and got them leveled. Leveling them is annoying because the screw is difficult to get to. However a screwdriver socket and low profile socket wrench can get it done.

While I was doing that I decided to pull off the front bumper and hit the bumper ends with some matte black Rust-Oleum Peel Coat. It's basically the same thing as Plastidip. And since I was going to do the front bumper I figured I might as well do the rear bumper as well. The rear is a PITA. There's a good write-up here for doing both:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/how-to-remove-front-and-rear-bumper-caps-2017-and-reinstall.9858/

I used one can of Peel Coat per cap. The instructions say spray 8-12 inches away but that was too far. The spray was drying before it hit the surface and was creating a textured (almost fabric-like) surface rather than a smooth one, so I had to peel it off and redo the first cap. I ended out spraying from probably 5-6 inches away, but I was working in 85-93 degree weather though. YMMV.

The bumpers were a little dirty from being reinstalled.

 

Nice work. Truck is looking good

 

Upgraded the rear turn signals and brake lights to LED's from Headlight Revolution (GTR Lighting bulbs). That's the last of the bulb upgrades as well - no more halogens! The responsiveness of the LED's is really nice. It's tough to tell in the pic, but they're a little brighter than the originals. The red is richer and more vibrant though, interestingly.


Original brake light bulbs at night:

New LED brake lights at night:

 

Next project on deck. The Nitto Ridge Grapplers are already at Hibdon. I'm just waiting on the 5th wheel to come in so they can all get mounted up. Yes, I ended out biting the bullet and getting five wheels & tires. I'll end out changing the "beadlock" bolts with black ones when they're back in stock. I'll probably end out painting the originals red to experiment with a little color though.

 

good looking truck. Definitely sub'd to watch.

 

Thanks Tim! I'm really excited about getting the lift/wheels/tires done. Really crossing my fingers, praying to God, slaughtering chickens and goats, and eating vegan that it all still fits in the garage once it's done.

 

Nice bud! Looking good!

btw, that is a $hit ton of change you keep in the center console lol. That looks like it's good for a dozen soft tacos at TB!!

 

Thanks! Wish I had your level of talent tho. Those headlight eyelids were freaking sweet!

Hah, yeah I've spent most of it at 7-11 and at the car wash spraying the truck down.

 

Nice, that hitch cover will be a shin splitter for sure LOL

 

Lol, don't jinx it. I've been good about not hitting it so far.

 

Well done Jason!

 

Lol
Heck you are not a okie until you have busted your shins on those damn things

 

Haha, been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Trying not to sleep with the band this time.

 

Now where’s the excitement in that

 

Fifth wheel arrived today. Will get them married up with the 35x12.5x18 Nitto Ridge Grapplers tomorrow morning! Also got the suspension ordered from MCM Fab. Also added two new pieces of vinyl from @DecalsByDesign. One of them I did purely for the lulz. High quality and forgiving stuff! If I can lay that down then anyone can.

 

Coming along great!