Alabama Area TUNING SERVICES - Custom Calibrations, Overlander 7.0

Had a heavy 2020 in this weekend with lift, tires, cap and decked bed storage system loaded down.

The client was very pleased with the performance and responsiveness of the tuning.

Contact us today to reserve a slot for your tuning session.

 

Had a 2020 Tacoma in last week for a custom calibration.


Client was unsure if he wanted the base OVTune or a performance tune, but after some discussion we decided on making a custom tune to his liking.


Took a bit over an hour, but he was very pleased with the results.


Find out what we can do for your Tacoma - Contact us today.

 

Had a chance to Tune a great 2020 Tacoma with the KDmax Performance Tune..

The client was just amazed at the difference during the test drive and updated me this morning that he just can't believe what this tune did for his truck..

 

Did you know that we can come to you for Remote Tuning Services without sacrificing safety or best practices?

Get the same care and experience at your location as you would at ours.

Nice 2018 Manual Transmission Truck that received a TSB Update and the KDMax XT Tune. Don't believe you can get a better driving manual transmission truck?

Talk to us and our clients to find out what you are missing..

 

Unbelievable find today.. A 2018 with less than 1500 Miles on it.. Client received an updated Toyota TSB and the KDMax Performance Tune.

This was another remote tune that the client asked me to travel to his location. If you are interested in tuning for your Tacoma, give us a call.

 

Not Taco related, but cool nonetheless!!!

Had a 2019 Ford Raptor in for some Baha Designs Lighting and a peek inside those massive Engine and Transmission Control Units.

This is going to get good !!

 

Hello,

Wanted to put in a recommendation for John and his Tunning service. I plan to do a more through KDMAX 6 SLT review later after running another tank through it. Don’t currently drive it to much so might be a while.

I originally scheduled with John for Friday the 4th of June for around 2 pm and something came up and asked if he could do it later? Sure so rescheduled. Me and a friend were driving up from MS Gulf Coast to an archery event in the area.

So friend ask if it was possible to change the appointment to late Thursday after we arrive? So text John again, and he made accommodations once again!

We get there and John is waiting outside by his Beautiful 2020? And is ready to start! He check the current ECU version, put battery on a tender, checks for any fault codes, etc…very through, structured process that I like being retired Military and current QA inspector.

Load first tune, he won’t tell you which one to let you try them out and see which one is right for you. In all John flashed 3 tunes for me and I went with the KDMAX 6 SLT.

Highly recommended to use John at Overlandtaior.com for all your Tunning needs!
As for initial impressions of tunes? Smiles at first touch of gas pedal, it will surprise you! Shifting more linear, holds longer, and had no downshifting and RPM racing to 3500 to climb grades in and around Birmingham area. Highest RPM there and on way home was 3000…Happy so far!

 

John - Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on the tune and the process. Its really appreciated. I hope you had a great event in Alabama !

Enjoy ~

John~

 

Had a chance last week to spend some time with a client getting his truck dialed in.

Spent plenty of time logging and making small changes to his calibration to get the truck driving just the way he wanted it.

Smooth transitions in and out of low to midrange is where this truck spends most of its time, so focusing on those areas paid off for the client.

Give us a call to discuss the tuning options available for your Tacoma....

 

OK guys and gals wanted to come back and give my opinionated thoughts on the KDMAX with SLT tune. My plan was to wait until after I ran another tank through it. But I’m going out of town for another week and feel confident in how it’s currently performing to make a call.

First I want to breakdown the areas I had the most frustration with on my Tacoma. It is Stock with no major mods.

Tip in before, from a stop or accelerating to say the least it was a slug or felt more like a lead sled. For such a small truck why does it feel like your pulling the Grinches loaded down sled .

After tune, wow! I tried LT, John’s Tune, and the SLT (what I eventually went with). John didn’t load Regular based on my feedback not wanting an aggressive tip in. All of them will make you . The lead sled feeling is completely gone on take off or where you would let off to slow down and the truck would struggled to re-gain momentum, gone!

Gear hunting before was constant. Any small grades or inclines in the road would produced the 2000 to 3500 rpm dance. And then the truck would hold third/fourth forever after cresting the grades. Cruise was worthless and would require a tap of the gas pedal to disengage 4th gear and nudge it to shift up. I live in South MS so we’re not talking mountains not even big hills, think flatland.

After tune, Smoooooth, predictable and linear best way to describe it. Why Toyota chose not to sell in this configuration is beyond me? @PapaRee I do have a couple areas I would like to see improvements if more goodness could be squeezed out. And these are icing on the already good cake, but in highway driving where the truck had that quick response when you did put your foot in it, it now seems to take more throttle pressure to get up to that same speed. Like in quick lane changes or emergency type passing.

Back road driving before and at speeds below 70 MPH especially anything under 2000 rpms had that bumpidy road/miss firing feeling the one Toyota always said was by design .

After tune mostly gone but at least with mine I’ve narrowed it down to where it still occurs most pronounced. At 1100 rpm I still get this effect and at around 1500 rpm but not as noticeable. It also only occurs after accelerating and backing off throttle and hitting in these ranges. It also immediately dissipate once throttle is applied. Not sure if this one is here to stay or more can be done to eliminate. Again not as it once was, just my 2 cents .

Cruise as mentioned before was worthless in either adaptive or in normal mode. Constant shifting, unnecessary high rpm swings and holding gears to long.

After tune in normal cruise (Adaptive files still the same (locked by Toyota)) is a joy to use . My aching right foot thanks you! It works! On my trip around and back from Birmingham, AL I set it on 70-72 to Hoover (50 miles or so?) and it climbed every grade but one at 2000 rpm. And the one time it shifted down it hit 3000 rpm and leveled off immediately upon cresting hill, not the kick it in gear 3500 rpm, we’ll done @PapaRee

Last but not least before I had no complaints with fuel mileage except for when I did try and use cruise. My mileage has always been good at 19-22 mpg. Even driving 75-80 mph, again flatlands.

After tune my feeling we’re with better all around shifting and smoothness I would likely see a gain or no lost. On my trip back from Birmingham I drove the first 50 miles and averaged 22.4 mpg. My buddy took over in Hoover and drove the next 100 miles surging from 75 to 85 averaging 76-78 mph and drove my average down to 18. 7 mpg . I finished off the last 210 miles or so and that tank averaged out to 19.2 mpg (1st tank after tune). On the second tank now and with 60 miles in I’m at 23 mpg average.



So, am I pleased to have gotten the tune? Yep .

Would I recommend? Yep!

And if your in the Birmingham area John Gobel at Overlandtailor.com (or Boltripper) is the man to see!

 

Awesome review and thank you for taking the time to compose that.. Glad you are enjoying!!!

Best,

john-

 

2017 Tacoma in for some engine and transmission tuning this week.

I've had several emails asking about intakes, throttle body spacers and coil packs. The answer is always the same, do your research before buying! Most of these products don't provide the performance gains expected and none deal with the transmission issues seen in the 2nd and 3rd gen trucks.

For the price of most of these aftermarket items, you can get a good custom tune that will deliver better performance and shifting,, Contact us today to find out what we can do for your Toyota Truck.

 

Like many I was having some frustrations with drivability. Mine is a 2017 OR, and over the course of the past 4 years either my truck mellowed out a bit, or I just adjusted my own driving habits around the truck. There were still quite a few annoyances though that set me on the course to purchase the KDMAX tune.

- I had lots of surging both in a specific speed and RPM range (not always at the same time, I am not on fuel pump recall list)

- Gear hunting

- Squishy, limp feeling pedal that when pushed far enough downshifts 2 gears and then you are a rocket

- Cruise control always in 4th gear on the slightest incline, other drivers wondering why I’m trying to race them

- When slowing to a complete stop, my foot would be on the brake however it felt like the truck was still applying power, literally felt like the truck was PUSHING me while slowing down from 7-0 MPH. This would cause some lurching forward and back when stopping, and my wife has chewed me out quite a few times over it. Actually my wife has complained about being a passenger over a few things, but I would always tell her “it’s not me! It’s the truck!”

Enter John (Boltripper) at Overland Tailor here in Alabama. What a Professional! I say Professional with a capital P and I absolutely mean it! His demeanor, his shop, his tools, his ability and willingness to answer any questions, trying this tune then that until I found one that fits my needs, not to mention just an all-around cool guy that even just hung out with us for a bit! WOW! P-rofessional!

PROS

After settling on a tune I liked, 99% of what I was frustrated with is gone! MAN, this tune holds gears! Holy smokes!

- Gear hunting, completely gone. Gears are held long and strong. Feels like the truck lost 500 pounds.

- Limp gas pedal is gone! Gas pedal has been transformed into what feels like a mechanically linked throttle. Very linear. I control the power and acceleration with my FOOT, not the truck doing it for me! Power delivery is very predictable!

- Cruise control is a dream. Drove 75 MPH home, 2 hour drive in hilly Alabama. It never shifted into 4th gear even ONCE.

- Coming to a stop it doesn’t feel like I have a trailer behind me anymore pushing me while I brake. Amazing. Nice smooth stops with no clunking. As a passenger my wife kept telling me how much more comfortable it was just to ride around. She wasn’t getting jerked left and right, forward and back haha.

CONS

- Surging is still there, may even be worse. The benefits of everything else completely outweigh this. Also, John said after a couple tanks to see if it settles down he is willing to throw another tune on there to see if that is better. Awesome!

- 25 MPH. Woah. I have some stretches to-from work at 25 MPH. Seems like the truck is in 2nd gear, mid-RPM at this speed. I have to be VERY careful with my foot, it’s extremely touchy. Like if I sneezed at this speed I would end up snapping my own neck (not joking haha).

- Accelerating onto the highway, then having to maintain a lower highway speed like if there’s traffic, maybe 60-65 MPH. Seems like it does not want to shift out of 5th, engine screaming. Have to let off the gas and it shifts up. Small annoyance, not a big deal. Once it’s in 6th though it actually holds it strong, it’s unbelievable.

Absolutely fantastic work you all have done here! Thank you so much for everything you guys have done to develop and push this tune out to our community. Thank you thank you thank you!

@Boltripper

 

Another 3rd gen in last week for some Taco Sauce ! Get it Mild or Spicy..

That's the great thing about custom calibrations.. You can have it tailored to your driving expectations and needs.. Compromise Elsewhere.

 

New 2021 Manual Transmission truck with 800 miles on it.. During the test drive the client said that he no longer needed to fight the truck, trying to balance the clutch and RPM's.. He never believed the tune would make such a difference !

 

I have enjoyed my tune (kdmax) so far just been wondering if there had been any recent changes? Mine was tuned the end of April.

 

No changes.
I have been running it since March and my truck runs better and better.
The learning has actually helped the tune.
The tune keeps everything in the safe limits and I would not want to change anything at this time.

 

Looking for late model Toyota Tuning? Overland Tailor is quickly becoming one of the Southeast's Premier locations for 2nd & 3rd Gen Tacoma along with 3UR-FE Tundra and Land Cruiser Calibrations...

But don't take our word for it. See what some of our clients are saying at https://overlandtailor.com/client-reviews

 

Thanks was just wondering.

 

Here’s a trip today. 93 map kdmax light throttle and cruising speed roughly 70