Banks Pedal Monster

Searched around before buying this and saw more of us using the Pedal Commander. Didn't see any 1st Gen posts using the Banks.

I chose the Banks over the Pedal Commander because it has options for reducing throttle sensitivity in reverse or speeds below 10MPH. Reversing into my small garage with a touchy pedal didn't sound like fun, neither would accidentally doing a burn out in the grocery store parking lot.

Adjusting settings can be done via the app or an optional guage/module, similar to the Pedal Commander. No splicing or cutting was involved, it simply plugs in between the factory pedal and harness, then plugs in to your OBD2 port. If you have the optional guage module you can use it for custom guages and/or throttle sensitivity adjuster. Took less than 30 minutes to install and calibrate, without the optional guage.

Over-all, modules like these behave as I expected. It will sharpen up your throttle response but it doesn't make your truck any faster. It's essentially spoofing your drive by wire throttle into opening more vs your actual input. At the higher sensitivity settings your transmission will also be constantly downshifting. And I am still aware that I need to re-gear to 4.30:1 for the off the line punch I'm really looking for.

It's a mere novelty and having a more responsive throttle is all you can really expect from it. For now I'll run it in a high city sensitivity with occassional switches to a mid level sport setting and that will suit my driving style just fine. I already have traction issues even with an LSD in the rain, so wet days or when my wife uses the truck it's just a quick matter of pressing the 'stock' button.

All told throttle boosters aren't really a bang for the buck type of mod. For some the price isn't worth the improvement.

 

our trucks aren’t terrible with the throttle lag like newer 4Runners are. I put a similar snake oil controller in our 4R and it definitely makes it more driveable

 

My dad put a Pedal Commander in his '21 Taco. He says it made a big difference with response but with the trade off of his truck constantly hunting for gears.

 

I've considered one for my Lexus ES350. It has so much delay in throttle response and shifting. Its always in grandma mode (that's who they designed the car for anyway). I just haven't wanted to spend the coin on it.

 

I like the banks over the power commander for it's failsafe mode. Iirc it reverts to stock, not wot...

 

Have any of you later-model owners with touchy/slow pedal issues ever tried this to recalibrate your pedal?

https://www.tundras.com/threads/throttle-body-cleaning-and-relearning-psa-how-to.121328/

Just curious. I gave it a shot on a whim. My pedal seems more snappy, less delay, but maybe it's purely mental.

 

I may have to do that on my work truck. It's very jumpy off idle.

 

That's a big complaint on the 2nd gens. There's probably 200 threads in the 2nd gen forum where people bitch about touchy gas pedal.

Not sure if it applies there, or if it's even legit, but it's worth giving a shot I guess.

Surely, it's drive-by-wire, you'd think Toyota would have a way to train the ECU on the pedal's range. From a logical perspective it makes sense, but logic != reality.

 

How do you calibrate the pedal monster?
It keeps asking me to

 

Best thing to do not use the pedal monster, probably. Since the time I posted my replies above, a lot of folks have come out of the woodwork to say the pedal shaping products on the market have had disastrous results, including losing control of throttle. Pedal Commander is the big one that had the most negative input for us first gen and some second gen folks. I’m not as familiar with the Banks unit, I’m not sure if I’ve seen it in a first gen (you’re replying in the 1st gen forum right now, FYI)

 

I think that about sums it up.

 

Hilarious.

After having had a Pedal Commander twice lead to near-accident scenarios, even though the company wanted to replace it (after they had already "reprogrammed" it), I cut it up into pieces. These are dangerous, and when you watch the Banks video on the engineering of these devices, you will understand why.

A short time later I bought the Banks Pedal Monster and have had it over two years. It's my favorite mod.

It is far from being a novelty! You will be disappointed if you expect better gas mileage or more horsepower. That's not what it is designed to do. However, it eliminates any acceleration lag. Occasionally I remove it to use the OBDII port for scanning and drive around for the day without it. The difference is dramatic! If having a direct drive-by-wire feel with no lag matters to you, the Pedal Monster will be worth every penny. It is to me.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rag8Mjeao5s&list=PPSV

Take a ride with Banks himself as he explains the technology. At the 5:59 mark, he compares their product with the Pedal Commander. Helpful to understand the differences.

 

I had the pedal commander and went with banks because of the I dash and air mouse
After a super charger install

 

I have had both; the throttle lag is real with my truck. I came from a 4Runner and put a sprint booster on it - the lag on that was terrible. After driving the tundra for a year, and many times in city traffic on long commutes, I got tired of the waiting for throttle to kick in when needing it to merge, etc. I got the pedal commander and it put my truck in limp mode multiple times while driving on the highway. It was terrifying. I unhooked it and cleared the codes and everything worked fine again. After three or four times of this happening I finally unhooked it for good and gave it to a forum member who wanted to try it. After driving for a few weeks without it and again being frustrated by the lack of throttle I researched and bought the banks. No regrets and absolutely no issues for over a year now. As far as I have researched, the banks is much better technology.

 

I can confirm if it has an error it reverts back to stock instead of limp home or no throttle. There were a couple times I felt pedal lag and opened the app to see I needed to recalibrate or power cycle the truck to turn on the PedalMonster again. After the most recent firmware update, which you get notifications for updates on your phone, I haven't had that problem.

 

My comment about it being a novelty is because the 1st Gen doesn't have that bad of throttle lag to begin with. There have been plenty of times I've accidentally launched from a red light or spun tires from a stop sign without the PedalMonster.

When I use the PedalMonster I keep it in city mode at about 60%, and that's all I need. Just a little more sharpness. I turn it off when my wife drives the truck.

 

My question to all of you who are complaining of pedal lag, have you ever attempted the recalibration (“relearning”) process I linked to above? It has solved other people’s issues with over-sensitive pedal which is the opposite of pedal lag (latter is pedal engaging too deep into pressing, the former is pedal engaging too rapidly into pressing).

Recalibrating the pedal is something others have complained the dealership mechs don’t always seem to know about, but is very easy to do, and solves their pedal issues when done correctly, which isn’t always the case the first time. And see the note about “correct process” in the thread I linked because that process has an error as first posted.

 

I know this is a first gen thread but no I never tried the recalibration. Didn’t know it was a thing (not sure if it is with a 2019) before I ordered the pedal commander / pedal monster.

 

It works with all drive by wire Tundra/Sequoia vehicles apparently. Someone borrowed the idea from a 2nd gen owner who couldn’t get a couple of diff’t dealers to fix the issue.

 

cool, I might try that if / when I pull off the pedal monster

 

Firmware Update: Doesn't really seem necessary for 2.5 gens but they did add support for the 3rd gens.