KDMax 6.0 from Overland Tailor Tuning in Birmingham, AL - my first day review

Sorry for the long read.

how’s it going guys, thought I would share my experience for anyone in the Alabama/Georgia area that’s looking to fix the clunky shift points in their truck. After reading on here for a few days about different tunes and different folks to take the truck to, and all the reading led me to send a PM to Boltripper, who’s John with Overland Tailor Tuning. The first thing I noted was how quickly John got back with me to answer my questions, and after a quick explanatory call the next morning, I had been sent a questionnaire about the specs and details of my truck. The setup process was simple and straightforward, and an appointment was available immediately, which I also liked. I chose Saturday morning and received a confirmation email and text, ready to go. I headed out this morning, and the truck was up to it’s normal downshifting and clunking around habits. Irritating. I was about 10 minutes early to my appointment (as a habit) and John was already setup and ready to go early. I pulled into a nice, well kept neighborhood on the good side of Bham. Note John’s sweet access cab build in the driveway. I’m just a few minutes, my battery’s been checked, the process has been explained in depth to me, and I’m told that I’ll be trying out 2 tune sets with some further personal customization available if I wanted, and the first tune is loaded up onto my truck. John asks you to take a test drive with him to really be sure you’re happy with the settings and really sure it’s what you want. First thing I note is the tremendous change in throttle response. A ton more punch than ever before, but none too touchy to where it jerks the truck around in a normal neighborhood driving situation. The truck no longer jumps through first and second gear from a stop sign, and clean and smooth goes through the gears up to speed. A big thing I noted was that the #1 thing I’ve hated about this truck has been cured. The truck has always given up at the point on a hill where it loses momentum most, and goes into a jerky crappy shifting pattern where the motor revs high but has little power. Gone now. The truck took hills, locked out power at the right moments, and engine braking downhill was smoother than ever. Loved the tune. We get back, and John loads up the second tune setting and we take off again. I immediately note a huge huge gain in throttle response, to the point of being jerky. The truck seems to like third gear a whole lot with the second tune, which I didn’t really like. The whole drive I give John feedback, and he’s noting it carefully. The second tune, with its super touchy throttle, just isn’t nearly as smooth and driveable as the first tune I tested. We get back, and I’m asked which tune I prefer to run with, and of course I pick the much smoother first tune. John grins and tells me the first tune is his custom settings, and the second is the standard KD tune setting. I picked his custom settings without knowing which one was which prior. That’s how much this guy knows his stuff, he has really taken this tune and perfected it himself. On my almost hour drive home, I chose to go over the mountain down a really hilly and curvy road to see if I could trick the new tune into gear hunting, and it handled the drive perfectly. Smooth up and downhill the whole time, smooth in stop and go traffic. When i get closer to home on the empty long rural roads the next county over, I stretched her legs out a little bit and there is a ton more power coming out of the hole. Great shifting all the way through the gearbox. I also noticed it seemed like the torque was being placed in a much better spot than before and the truck was grabbing the road in the back for a lot more power. Overall first reaction to Overland Tailor Tuning’s settings is that the truck is finally driveable with a whole new all around life to it. If you’re in the area and are on the hunt to get a tune, definitely go with Overland Tailor. For the smoothness the truck runs with now, it is well well worth the asking price.

https://overlandtailor.com/


https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/kdmax-6-0-kruiser-4-0-ovtune-custom-calibrations.709783/

 

I just tuned mine to OTT and wow! Night and day difference no more gear hunting and this baby takes off!

If anyone is interested in California LA/OC/SD area get in contact with my dude.

IG: tk421tuning

 

This cat, John sounds like he's the Tacoma whisperer. It almost sounds like sorcery and magic what he's able to do with a Taco. Plus it sounds like he runs his business with a high level of professionalism. All in all, great review. Too bad he didn't travel the land like the medicine men of old offering their elixirs on the edges of towns and then moving on to the next. I'd toss him some coin to turn my 2nd Gen manual into a real runner like yours.

 

I'd like to know the difference between the KDmax Pro and OTT tune. Comparing the KDMAX 6.0 to the KDMAX pro in itself was a massive change.

 

Here u go @Chaosh1
https://youtu.be/MTp2H5UI5KI

 

I'm at work and will look at this as soon as I can, but this is the Pro vs OTT? Its gonna have to be a big change for me to change because I have already dumped $$ into KDMAX and would have to drop more for OTT.

 

@Boltripper (John) can get your 2nd gen running better than ever too using the HPTune with his collaberation with @JustDSM !

 

Just one example, there is more on the website. @Tacotoast