BLOG CATEGORIES

Tacoma 2005+

  1. Cool Cousins - Toyota Tacoma and FJ Cruiser Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1 - Tacoma Design Plans and Prototyping

    Cool Cousins - Toyota Tacoma and FJ Cruiser Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1 - Tacoma Design Plans and Prototyping

    The toughest trucks on the planet are typically sporting a Toyota badge. The Hilux might be the model responsible for Toyota's rugged reputation, but that same DNA runs through the oil passages of the trucks we see on and off the roads here in the States. Specifically, the multifaceted Tacoma has become our crowd favorite, from commuting to the office to hauling you and all of your things across the wilderness. While plenty of things make all of this possible, the transmission is the driving force to accomplishing these tasks, so keeping the drivetrain in good health is imperative.

    Extreme heat is the enemy to any component driving the Tacoma, especially the transmission. The fluid running through the planetary gears and clutch packs pulls double duty between cooling and lubricating the long

    Continue Reading »
  2. Crowd Pleaser - 2005+ Toyota Tacoma Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Prototype and Production Sample

    Crowd Pleaser - 2005+ Toyota Tacoma Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Prototype and Production Sample

    Toyota continues to be a rising star in the truck world. It might be hard to top the big three behemoths, but the Tacoma's mid-sized off-road ready attitude continues to make it a crowd favorite around the world. As this middle-weight machine continues its world domination, we've been hard at work on its newest hit single, which comes in the form of an improved radiator.

    There needs to be a relentless rehearsal for any live performance to be perfect. Practice makes perfect, right? That's the same concept that we took with our fitment prototype. While our digital workspace and modeling software is precise, we still wanted to triple-check our work by generating a physical framework form of our latest radiator design. This practice also allows us to consider different tolerances as our engineer, Ye, installs this prototype on our donor truck.

    Continue Reading »
  3. Crowd Pleaser - Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review and Design Plans

    Crowd Pleaser - Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review and Design Plans

    Picture this: You've just bought tickets to one of your all-time favorite artists. They've done nothing but top the charts for decades, and now it's your chance to see them live. You've queued all day for the front row spots, but the time has finally come. The lights dim, and the music starts. It's the opener. A smaller, much less known act that's much more popular overseas. They steal the show. You find yourself with their songs stuck in your head and following them closer than the main act you adore.

    What does this have to do with trucks? Well, think of the show as truck shopping. The Big headliner is the F-150, and the opener is the Tacoma. Toyota might not have been in the pickup truck game quite as long as Ford or other brands, but their trucks have become a crowd favorite around the world, and for a good reason. They're tough as nails, and the mid-sized options give them much more flexibility than larger trucks. The Tacoma is a capable truck, but it still could use some help in

    Continue Reading »