UTAH (and Surrounding Areas) BS Thread

I took my bumper off and the frame horns are sheared off at the rear spring hangers. There is no straightening that can be done, the frame horns either have to be replaced or the whole frame has to be replaced, which is not happening. Insurance wants to total the truck out. Anyone know a reputable welder/fabricator in the valley?

Otherwise I’ll be attempting to find a new rig. Used car prices are ridiculous nowadays! Anyone got a deal on a DCLB Off-road or 1st Gen tundra, also looking at 2nd gen tundras just not sure I’m willing to go that big yet lol.

 

For the 3rd gens in here, have any of you guys tried both KDMAX and OTT? I recently joined a Facebook 3rd gen Tacoma group and everybody, I mean everybody... shits on KDMax saying how bad it is and OTT is so much better. It almost seems like some sort of marketing scam lol.

Just curious if any of you guys here in Utahs lovely hilly terrain can comment on if one or the other is actually better, based on experience.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/all-things-bikes-and-tacos-and-every-vehicle-imaginable.445155/

this is the only one i'm aware of. we have a healthy group but it's from all over the us/canada. plenty of us in UT in there though so you'll find plenty of info.

 

I've had the KDMax 6.0 tune for a few years now...no complaints in UT terrain...or AZ and CO.

 

Here is a little history lesson in some tune drama for the UT folks.

TLDR: not all tunes are equal, they have all been tested, the popular ones are popular for a reason.

I was the original KDMax tuner here in UT. I started building my own tunes for my own truck in OV/VF in 2019/2020. Kreg from KD came up with the idea to recruit all the self-taught tuners into the KD network in 2020. Prior to that I was modifying the shared unlocked files at the time and driving the old “Kruiser” and “Mild to Wild” files based on OV2.0 stuff. At the time, KD was the “best” tune available, and they had the idea and started the whole “tuning network” gig. Kudos for that.

I was part of the KD network and loading KD files up to the first KDPro stuff in late 2021. As part of the KD team, I was pushing for several issues with the files to be changed such as a 7500 rpm redline and other things that were unsafe and served no purpose. Back then everyone tuning was pretty new to the business and technology, so some unnecessary risks were being taken, not intentionally, just because we didn’t know better. Most everyone here on TW tuning was new to it and learning on the 3GT and building off the OV2.0 files. There were a few with tuning backgrounds on other platforms, but no experts for the most part.

Ultimately, several original KD tuners including myself, became more educated on tuning and started data logging the various tunes available to see how they performed and what was “safe” as we understood things at the time. Several of us had access to every tune at the time. Valley runner, KD, CVC, Coyoza, and in August 2021 OTT entered the 3rd Gen tune game when @JustDSM and @Boltripper joined forces. @JustDSM was well regarded in the 2GT tuning community at the time and actually had significant experience tuning on multiple platforms.

What we found in our testing is not all tunes were created equal, and some were dangerous when mixed with 85 octane and aftermarket intakes, etc… We also found some were very safe and performed well across the board. Not gonna name names but the tunes I sell now tell the story.

About the same time I also had a humbling experience of a potential customer wanting to run the KDMax tune on the dyno. Not knowing any better and believing the tunes made more power based on how it drove, I agreed and met at the dyno and loaded KD and OV files to the truck for testing. I got embarrassed when the stock file outperformed the KDmax and OV files on the dyno. That’s when I learned that just because tunes drive well, doesn’t mean they make power, more throttle ≠ more power.

Between the data logging and the dyno testing experience, I now knew I didn’t want to be loading KD files anymore. Luckily I had started working with OTT on 2nd Gen Tacomas, Tundras, 4Runners and FJ’s. After a major VF Tuner update in mid 2021, OTT released a ripper of a tune for the 3GT with legit dyno results to back it in early 2022. I had ~ 80 customers run both KDMax Pro and OTT up Parleys in a blind test, all but 3 picked OTT. At that point I decided to go all in on OTT. Myself and a dozen+ other KD tuners all officially left KD and started offering OTT.

Since then @JustDSM has also relocated to Utah and the majority of the OTT tune development happens right here on the Wasatch front using Adrenaline Dyno to validate the tunes maintain or exceed factory power while improving common drivability issues such as unresponsive gas pedal and sloppy shift logic. I’ve been fortunate to spend more time on the dyno and driving tune files on my 4Runner and Tundra to refine how they drive. OTT is no joke, they are data driven and work to be the best available. OTT has the knowledge and experience to properly tune forced induction (supercharged) on all platforms as well. OTT also received their SEMA certification for emissions in 49 states and are CARB pending in the 3rd Gen Tacoma 3.5L, the only tuner to achieve this to date. The SEMA cert also validates the increased HP and TQ claims. You can’t get a cert making less power and TQ than claimed. They independently validate your claims as part of the process.

Thats a long reply as to my opinion on “which tune is better?”

 

Appreciate the reply. I may have to make a trip up to you and test OTT out for myself...
Just so tired of spending money on tunes & updates etc...the price tag for swapping tunes is a hard one to swallow.

 

For sure. Happy to provide a free test session for you.

 

oh yeah. that's a lot of good info and background in this.

i'm on an old ov tune. might need to jump in with you and see if a new tune would be a better choice. but yeah, what @Technique said...monies and budget priorities right now.

 

99% sure I’m just gonna buy it…If I do, I’ll let ya know.

 

sweet!

 

Buy the back part of a frame from a truck with front damage. Just enough to be in front of the spring hangers. Then cut off the rivets that are holding everything together, and cut off the back of the bent frame. Cut some slices into a corner of the frame, front to back, far enough that you can lay the straight parts over the existing frame tightly. Then use grade eight bolts to tighten the overlaid frames to each other. Weld if you want to.







This one is only done similarly using the new chunk of frame only on the bottom. The green truck I posted a picture of had the complete frame done from behind the spring perch on one side as I described. I don't have pics of it.

What do you want for the truck as is?

 

I did it. Got it flashed on there now. I’ll have to go through a tank or so before I can give it an honest judgement and comparison.

 

Which throttle did you start with?

 

Medium/Spicy.
I already got a pros and cons list going from my initial 15 mile test ride.

 

Ok, most of my customers land on Mild, some go Medium if they don’t spend much time in 4Lo. MOAR Throttle ≠ MOAR Power. Lite makes the same HP/TQ as Super Spicy. Test 4Lo also. Lots of refinement there as well.

 

Any tunes for second gens?

 

I'm serious about buying the truck if you don't want to fix it yourself. Find out what your insurance company will sell it to you for and I'll pay you up to $500 more if the money is right.

What's the milage on the truck? V6?

 

Yeah, tons of info here. All that testing is done right here in SLC on @JustDSM ’s personal 2GT.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1gr-fe-single-vvti-dyno-testing-by-ott.759616/

 

Standing here looking over a 4G SR5 Taco at Mark Miller. It’s not blowing me away just yet.

I wonder what the thought process was, when they decided on the design of the rear window?

 

Just in case anyone was wondering what the 2.4L Twin Turbo looked like.