TRDCal
New member
The Tundra is as japanese as the F150...there both designed in merican for Americans which is probably more to the reason its not put together well.
Trading my 4Runner for a Tundra
- Thread starter kraftwerkauto
- Start date
The Tundra is as japanese as the F150...there both designed in merican for Americans which is probably more to the reason its not put together well.
They look like Lincoln LT wheels. Nice either way. I wish I still had my F150
BlackWorksInc
New member
The current gen Tundra is built in Texas, its all designed for Americans really, I don't think they sell many Tundras overseas; the Hilux is usually the utility brand that non-US countries get.
Also, the interior isn't all that much different than current offerings from Domestic counterparts. Removing the often pointless "Special RanchHarleyKingSuperAwesomeRedneckSawce® Edition" subset aside, they all have plasticy, slightly leathery, cargo compartment filled, knobs, and buttons galore inside. GM has been renowned for their very plain, almost 90's-ish interior on their trucks for decades (Though I hear the '14 1500's and so on are much much nicer now), ChryCorps interiors have often been either pure garbage and fall apart in under 50k, or borderline luxury vehicle (like the new Ram) and fall apart in under 50k; remember the late 90's to like '05 Rams with the dashboards that turned into saltine like plastic? Ford's interiors have been pretty nice also, but often rather plain jane as well.
The 2014's have an updated exterior (still on the fence on the front, but I do like the stamped tailgate) that reminds me abit of Ford styling, the interior is mildly updated; but I heard there are some minor performance tweaks here and there. I do hear we're coming out with 1974 Edition that's very "Texas Truck" scene, but I haven't seen it.
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BlackWorksInc
New member
There's an entire tool set for removing the broken plug from the vehicle when you've snapped them off, which almost always happens, which may also require re-threading/heli-coil depending on how much damage is incurred and if you dropped the ceramic into the engine (that's even more fun to deal with!)
I think book time is 3hrs to do spark plugs on a 5.4L V8, which assumes you're cracking the sparkplugs open an 1/8"-1/4" of a turn, using Carb Cleaner (no more than I think a teaspoon the TSB says) and letting it sit for about 20mins before you do anything to that spark plug.
Look Ford has some nice trucks; I loved my Dad's '05 F150 4WD FX4 with the Triton V8 and fully packaged it was a fun truck. But that doesn't change the fact that you're telling a customer "its 3 hours to change spark plugs, even though it looks like its a 30 min job, oh and chances are you're gonna be waiting longer when we break one or more spark plugs in the engine."
It was as a bad a design as them putting only 3-4 threads in their older V8's cylinderhead for the plugs. They flipped and went with these ridiculously long plugs that build up carbon because they market them as "long life plugs" and so no one touches them until their 100k, with carbon built up around the inner shaft so they snap off instead of come out normally. You're right, once you actually get the plugs out and put good quality ones in with a little anti-seize on the plug where the TSB tells you to help prevent carbon deposits forming its great! But the point is you still need to get the first plugs out before you can do that and I know a handful of techs who have had far more experience than I have had in my life who do everything right and be patient and still have them break and once or twice have to rebuild the heads for the customer as a result. Its a 20+ page TSB for christ's sake! :O Most people who buy their used Fords are going to have to get the plugs done because of being under 100k so the plugs never got changed, because the previous owner was lazy and didn't change them, and/or they got sticker shock when the dealer quoted them 3hrs labor, plus over-inflated parts cost for their Ford plugs, and the disclaimer of potential engine damage doing the plugs.
And for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about:
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