Got the Tundra, Need the InfoAre there any mags out there that specialize in prerunners? I have a 2WD Toyota Tundra and there isn't a lot of stuff written about them. I want to find out where to get aftermarket parts for my Tundra such as best-bang-for-your-buck power add-ons, especially exhaust and intake systems (I'm a member of www.tundrasolutions.com, and there is usually a big debate over those two items). Almost all of the info I've found on Tundras regards the 4x4s. I have nothing against 4x4s; I love them. I just don't need one where I live.
Thank you for your reply. I love your magazine - I just renewed my subscription for two more years!
Greg Hammontreevia e-mailGreg, we're not aware of any print magazine dedicated exclusively to prerunners. Off-Road is committed to prerunner coverage, and we will continue with that commitment into the future. You've seen our prerunner stories, haven't you? Keep in mind that prerunners can be 2WD or 4WD. The Tundra V8 engine is the same whether 2WD or 4WD; the only drivetrain difference we're aware of is the absence or presence of a transfer case behind the transmission.
As far as the Internet goes, you might try posting on www.dezertrangers.com or on www.desertrides.com to see if anyone there has a Tundra equipped with the performance add-ons you're considering.
Both Camburg (www.camburg.com) and Total Chaos (www.chaosfab.com) offer bolt-on long-travel suspensions for your 2WD Tundra.
Finally, you'd do well to contact OFF-ROAD's Feature Editor Jordan May (jordan.may@primedia.com). Jordan owns a Tundra 4x4 and is our resident Tundra expert. He has a set of JBA headers on his Tundra and has several more performance mods he can tell you about.
I Want My Truck in Off-Road Rides I was wondering how I could get my truck in your magazine. I think you would like it. Thanks.
Chris Robinsonvia e-mailChris, just e-mail a .jpg image of your truck along with info about make, model, year, modifications, future plans, and anything else that's applicable.
Be sure your truck is photographed in front of a natural background. We get a lot of Off-Road Rides submissions that have trucks shot in driveways or in front of the house. We're only interested in trucks that really go in the dirt, and we want to see those trucks in the dirt. If there's only snow right now, that's OK, but PLEASE DON'T SEND A SHOT OF YOUR TRUCK IN THE DRIVEWAY OR IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
Shoot the truck with the sun at your back, but make sure that your shadow doesn't get in the shot. If you don't have a good camera (camera phones aren't good cameras, for example), then see if one of your friends does. Take care.
One-Ton Tranny in a Sammy?First, I want to say you have an awesome mag. I look forward to it every month. Now, I have an '87 Samurai and I have a weird question. I found this company, Zuks Off Road (ZOR), that builds a kit to put a Toyota tranny in my Sammy. What I'm wondering is: Would it be possible to put an SM420 from a Chevy 2WD in it. Advance Adapters has a kit to put this four-speed in Toyotas, so I was wondering if I could combine the two. My reason for doing this is I want a lower First gear, but I don't want to lose highway driveability. I don't like the idea of putting new ratios in the diffs, because I have the stock ones and they are not worth it. My Zuk has 2-inch-longer shackles and 29-inch BFG Mud-Terrains. Any advice would be appreciated.
By the way, you guys should come up here to North Dakota and check out our great trails!
Jordan BleekerBismarck, North DakotaJordan, since the newest SM420 is from 1967 or so (they're getting hard to find), and since no one offers a ready-made kit to put an SM420 behind a Suzuki motor anyway, here's a different idea for you: Why don't you use a Toyota transfer case behind the Toyota tranny and swap some lower Low-range gears into the Toyota 'case? If you want to change your axles to Toyota axles, this would also be the perfect time to do so since the Toyota transfer case has a centered rear output, unlike the offset rear output of the Suzuki transfer case.
To address your original question head-on, you can't combine two engine-to-tranny adapter kits to arrive at a combination for which the adapters weren't designed. You would need a custom Suzuki-to-SM420 bellhousing (or adapter plate from the Suzuki bellhousing to the Chevy tranny casing, assuming that the Suzuki bellhousing is removable). You would also need a custom Suzuki-to-Chevy flywheel, clutch plate, and pressure plate, along with a few other odds and ends.
If you really want to use an SM420, OTT Industries makes an SM420/SM465 kit to adapt those trannies to a Toyota 22R/RE. OTT also makes a kit to adapt the SM420/SM465 to a Toyota transfer case. If memory serves, Inchworm Gear (www.inchwormgear.com) distributes OTT products.
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have anything you'd like to say to us or ask us, please feel free to write to: OFF-ROAD Magazine, Off-Road Mail, 2400 E. Katella Ave., 7th Floor, Anaheim, CA 92806.You can e-mail us at kevin.blumer@primedia.com.