Tacoma - OVTUNE - VFTUNER - Update Info and Original Development

I'm in San Antonio, but heading out for a two-week drive around to BBRSP, Big Bend, Marfa, Alpine, Fort Davis, McDonald Observatory, among other places. Pretty much a West Texas road trip.

 

My GF and I just did a similar trip! BBRSP is just amazing! So remote and gorgeous but much smaller than BBNP. 1.03 did well in this part of texas. With my truck fully loaded, I averaged 15mpg for the whole trip. The gas killing part is the 85MPH sections of I-10. I found an 18 wheeler going 75 so I got behind that rig and cruised for many hours, which helped the MPGs

 

I didn’t get into 6 until low to mid 70’s on freeway, under light load.

 

Yeah I guess I’ll have to get up there.

Not sure how much I’ll like this. MPGs May hurt.

 

Totally agree with this ^^^

I would like to see the truck shift into 5th at no less than 45 mph and 6th around 60-65 mph. Other than this 1.04 has been just about perfect for me. (SR5 4x4 stock wheels & tires)

Tip in is absolutely perfect

The truck shifts much better

Seems to be in the right gear during low speed operation

Idle is drastically better

Cold surge is gone

 

Agreed!

 

I think the only way to make everyone happy with shifting and deciding what gear the truck should be in at what speed, etc, is going to require more than just one tune file. There will have to either be custom tunes for everyone, or else the ability to manually shift the auto transmission both up and down. That way the driver can lock into 6th gear at 40 for their fuel mileage. Personally, I can't stand the Tacoma chugging around town at 1100 RPMs. There's zero torque down there, and in order to accelerate, an immediate downshift, or 2, is necessary.

 

Prolly could be solved with 1 of the below tunes:

1- Stock gears and tires
2- Stock gears and 32-33 inch tires
3- 4.56-4.88 gears and 32-33 inch tires
4- 4.56-4.88 gears and 35 inch tires

 

I think it depends how aggressively you push the throttle. Sometimes 6th happens at 60 for me when driving normal, other time it’s 75 if I am accelerating

 

One more needed:

5- Stock gears and 35" tires
for those of us who haven't yet regeared.

 

3.91s and 35s? Wow, that must really suck!

 

Commute this morning was great - 9 miles, hilly, zig zag path through urban streets. Lots of slow-and-go, turns transitioning to downhill, turns transition to uphill. Transmission shifting and throttle response seems spot on. Slower throttle tip-in makes bumper-to-bumper sections easier.

 

FYI, eastcoastgearsupply.com has 3rd members with any gearset you want for about $1300 for front and rear. You just ship them your cores. Already comes setup . You just need diff fluid! Been thinking about going from 4.88s to 4.56s to get back some fuel mileage and my rear diff has never been right.

 

Straying off-topic. How does that work? Slide axle shaft out, replace 3rd member, slide axle back in? I've been wondering about this for my 1st gen.

 

Basically. The 8inch diffs are a semi-floating axle. You'll have to drop the rear driveshaft, remove tires, remove brake drums, unbolt the plate that secures the axle shaft, slide shaft out. Sometimes you have to disconnect the brake line but I have done it without disconnecting it. You just have to bend it back in place if it gets bent.

 

1.04?

 

Yes I'm fully aware as I have quotes from ECGS directly and a local shop to do a third member swap. And honestly, the 3.91s and 35"s aren't that bad, quite liveable in fact, but not ideal. It's all in perception though. Your last statement is one of the reasons I've haven't taken the dive just yet.

Anyway, the 91 tune definitely helps with the tire size. Just to get back on topic.

 

I did that drive from Houston in January and was getting 15 mpg but would suck bc I was either going to slow or to fast (4-5 gear dance) and it wouldn't hold a speed. My friends drafting behind were like WTF the whole time bc it wouldnt hold a speed. I bought the tune a week later.

 

When (notice I said WHEN and not IF), I re-gear again, I will be going with eastcoastgearsupply.com. It is stupid easy to pull the diffs, ship, wait, re-install. That way the onus is on them and not on a mechanic to install using a install kit that doesn't have everything in it needed. justdifferentials/Nitro gear really screwed the pooch and me when it came to re-gearing my Yota. I ended up having to call literally 20 dealership parts departments to find the correct rear carrier bearings. And before anyone says it was the installer, it wasn't/isn't. The gears are within spec. They have been checked at least 10 times. It's the crappy Nitro gears. I'll be going with Yukon the next time. Until then whining on decel is how I roll!

 

I enjoy reading the comments and technical stuff . Compared to how this truck drove a year ago , i'm pretty darn content with 1.04. The truck staying in the higher rpm range around town i love it . It does go into 4th with my light foot . Has immediate power when going around a corner now ...that's helpful too . Great tip in , and the surging i had seems to be gone .