New Tacoma Owner here and have questions about my TPMS Sensors

Purchased my first tacoma a couple weeks ago. I've always been a fan of Toyota and owned just about every Toyota except a Tacoma, from the T100 to the 2001 Tundra.

Anyways, I bought a 2013 DCSB in MGM and replaced the wheels with that of a 2019 TRD OR. I took it to a local tire shop here and they told me the sensors cannot be switched over because they are not of correct fit. I'm attaching pictures of what my old wheels were to my new wheels and what my sensors look like. I looked into the 3rd gen wheels to 2nd gen truck forum but nobody else had the same issue I had. Any help would be appreciated as to if the tire shop was incorrect or if these sensors will indeed not fit my new wheels.

Thanks guys!

 

To my knowledge it should be the same. Those tpms in your hand are from the old wheels? The look identical is why I'm asking.

 

Tyre shop is right, TPMS sensors vary from size to voltage to hertz. The ones you need are probably half the size and have a longer stem. There are a lot who deactivate the TPMS system due to large tyres, wheels, and or price
Of these stupid things.

They do work, for those that can’t be bothered with a weekly fluid/air check.

 

All the alloy wheels should be the same. the only time you need different sensors is if you switch between steel and alloy

 

The TPMS sensors are OEM?

Weird that they’d not fit a Toyota wheel.. but maybe 2nd gen to 3rd gen sensors are different.

 

If your going to a bigger rim, they may not fit. Id get some more opinions on it.

 

I had the same wheels and the stock 2014 TPMS fitted my 3 gen wheels

 

Both wheels are 16", and those are the stock TPMS sensors out of my original set. I keep hearing that others have gotten their 2nd gen sensors to work in the 3rd gen but I dont want to go to another tire shop and waste money again on them telling me they wont work. For those of you who did switch what shop did yall go to?

 

Discount Tire is well known for doing TPMS stuff. Go there.

 

The 1 thing that could throw a monkey wrench into it is if somebody put those aluminum wheels on the truck before you bought it, and your truck originally had steel wheels and they put the steel wheel sensors in the aluminum wheels upside down.

You can put the steel wheel sensors in the aluminum wheels if you flip them over. It's not right, but it can be done. If the tire shop tried to put steel wheel sensors in your newly aquired wheels in the correct way, then yes, they would tell you they don't fit.

 

Right on that makes sense. I told the tire guys I have heard of people putting the sensors in upside down and they agreed but they didn't want to try that because of how easy it'd be for one of the sensors to break if that was the case.

So my first step is to find out if these sensors are designed for the alloy wheels or the steel wheels.

 

Only 2 things matter for tpms fitment. The diameter of the stem hole, and whether the sensor can be bolted to the stem hole and clear stuff inside the wheel so its not in a bind. Normally the stem hole in the wheel is always the same size for any wheel, so must be fitment issues inside the wheel. Like a hump or an area that is not recessed in the wheel for that clunk of toyota tech to sit.

Edit,
Flipping them over wont matter as far as it working. Those things see tremendous G-loads while tire is rotating. Its not actually bolted to the wheel, only that valve stem sleeve holds it on. So rotating wont affect strength at all. BUT when flipped over, you could break them if you ever got a flat tire since they would be protruding above the rim. Or at least high enough to be contacted by a low/flat tire anyway.

 

From what the mechanic showed me, the sensor didn't sit flush with the outer wall of the wheel and the stem was too pushed in or something along those lines. So from what I'm hearing is that if I just take it to someone with more knowledge they should be able to install?

 

The only physical difference is the ones for steel wheels have the sensor body at a sharper angle to the stem, but it looks like you already had alloys, so unless someone had installed old sensors flipped upside down (which will let them fit, but they'll be almost guaranteed to get broken if someone who doesn't know they're installed like that dismounts a tire) they should fit.

I guess it's possible those rims have a really weird profile inside, or the stem at a really odd angle, but I don't really think either of those are the case. I've literally never had a sensor fitment issue (on any vehicle I worked on) until I swapped my steelies for alloys, so I'm kinda skeptical.

 

Let me also add that this was a Sunday crew working at the shop so it very well couldve been some "for lack of better words" less competent mechanics. I am also skeptical as I've heard about noone else having a fitment issue where the shop wouldn't even install the sensors.

 

They will definitely without a doubt work. go somewhere else!

 

$28 Autel TPMS Sensor 1-Sensor, MX-Sensor 315MHz + 433MHz Metal Valve, Programmable Universal Specially Built for OEM Sensors Replacement, Work with Autel TPMS Tool TS408S TS501 PRO TS508WIFI MK808S-TS

https://www.amazon.com/Autel-Programmable-Universal-Specially-Replacement/dp/B07D736H6N

These are stem angle adjustable by loosening a screw. I put one in a steel wheel and set the angle the same as the original Pacific (Denso).

 

Do the alloy rims have the 20 degree or 40 degree sensor? I have seen conflicting responses around.
Thanks

 

I will take more side pictures of the sensors after work showing the angle of the stems.

 

My sensors have a 40 degree angle.