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4WD Toyota Owner - Evans Tundra

387-horsepower Toyota Tundra Access Cab Words: David Zartman, Photos: Tiffany Tudyk as aftermarket companies such as Sway-A-Way, Total Chaos and Demello Offroad. As such, those are some of the shops he turned to when he decided to get into the offroad game in a serious way. Knowing high-speed, whooped-out desert action would be on the menu, Evan improved his suspension first with a Total Chaos (www. chaosfab.com, 951-737-9682) upper control arm (UCA) kit and a RaceRunner (www. swayaway.com, 818-700- 9712) coilover lift. “I did that because it made the vehicle functional in the desert, and had the biggest impact on appearance,” says Evan. Evan liked the Total Chaos and RaceRunner equipment, but an upgrade would soon be coming. RAMPING UP THE PONIES Here’s what a typical chase vehicle does at desert events such as SCORE races. They meet the race truck at a designated pit area, do repairs and replenishing as needed, and the race truck departs in a huge cloud of roost. The chase team members pile into their trucks and depart in their own shower of roost to get to the next pit area before the race truck. That means one thing: you can’t have a stock engine. Plus, who doesn’t love extra power? You can use it almost anywhere, and in power-robbing sand, it’s a must. Evan Nickols isn’t one to think small. His creation, a 2003 Tundra Access Cab Limited with 387 horses and 405 ft-lbs of torque, brings envious stares wherever he goes—and rightly so. It’s a serious mix of power, handling and comfort that also happens to serve double duty as a havefun vehicle on weekends or a potent chase truck for high-dollar SCORE race teams. FROM WHENCE CAME YOU? “I chose a Tundra because of reliability and styling,” says Evan. “My goals were to have a vehicle to both have a blast driving and also showcase the parts we sell. I also wanted to be able to chase the BK Fabworks Class 7 truck that we sponsor.” (See Jan/Feb 2006 issue for the full feature on that totally sick Tacoma.) Who is “we”? That would be Northridge Toyota (www. northridgetoyota.com, 888-381-0623) where Evan is employed as the parts manager and general off-road honcho. Part of his mission is to get Northridge Toyota into the upper realms of off-road Toyota parts and accessories, both OEM Toyota/TRD as well Evan Nickols’ 2003 Tundra Access Cabthunders across the desert and launches into space thanks to a supercharged V8 engine. A Total Chaos/ RaceRunner suspension system soaks up the impact with ease. NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS! DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND INJURY OR DEATH MAY OCCUR! The Limited model Tundras were only available with a 4.7L V8 that was rated at 245HP and 315 ft-lbs of torque. “I want more power. I like to go fast,” and as such Evan truly went all-out as he upgraded the Tundra’s power ratings. First and foremost, a TRD supercharger supplies the boost. A True-Flow air intake gets a heaping dose of oxygen molecules to the combustion chamber. Spent gases are then expelled through a trick and freeflowing Bassani exhaust system. Items like a blower can add a lot of heat to a truck’s engine, and in the desert it can be particularly hard on a block. Small details have big payoffs in the desert. A Perma-Cool setup with dual electric fans helps keep overheating at bay. An Optima Yellow Top battery nestled in a Camburg stainless-steel battery tray ensure rapid, reliable starting and deep cycle capability for his electronic gear. The Tiregate by Wilco Products is a necessity for trucks that chase and prerun desert events, and would be a good ad dition to any 4WD Toyota truck, for that matter. Intelligent swing-a way design allows easy ac cess to the bed and the Delta toolbox. KEEPING THE POWER UNDER CONTROL Evan says the setup is good for a whopping 387HP and 405 ft-lbs of torque. That’s more than enough for any desert chase rig--142 more ponies and 90 more ft-lbs of torque than stock! Wanting to make sure his Tundra doesn’t get stuck and stays in control during cornering, he added a TRD limited-slip rear differential. A TRD big brake kit both looks killer and adds equally killer braking power. When you’re pushing 400 horses, you need good brakes to slow you down. TRD supplies the needed action. UPGRADING THE SUSPENSION--AGAIN “After I did the performance upgrades, and with the higher speeds I was going, I realized that I needed more suspension travel,” says Evan. On went a Total Chaos long travel front suspension setup, which included upper and lower arms, knuckle gussets, heim steering and rack bushings. Complementing the Total Chaos hardware were Sway- A-Way RaceRunner 2.5” remote-reservoir coilovers (eight inches of travel) with a 2.5” remote-reservoir second shock also installed to handle serious impacts and landings from jumps.“I chose Total Chaos for reliability with their dual shock apability up front,” says Evan. “But it took a little bit of fabrication in the ear. George from 4xflyin.com fabricated a new rear shock tower and installed Deaver 11-pack leaf springs with 10” travel, plus 2.5” Sway-A-Way remote reservoir shocks with 2” Sway-A-Way bump stops.” Evan also installed 26” limiting straps. Evan wasn’t afraid to prove that he puts his dualshocked, Total Chaos/Sway- A-Way-equipped Tundra through the wringer. Just check out the photos (don’t try this at home, folks!). His truck flew through the air and soaked up the landings time and again. That’s not a California quake you’re feeling, it’s the subwoofers under the seat. Clean install, too.   PROTECTING THE EXTERIOR With the suspension and engine upgrades done, Evan wanted to make some exterior enhancements. BK Fabworks in Hesperia made a new front bumper (around the stock bumper), installed the Glassworks fiberglass fenders and flared the rear bedsides. Evan made sure to install a front skid plate to keep his front end safe from desert rocks. Jason, Wyatt and crew at Demello Offroad (www. demello-offroad.com, 714- 444-4049) cut the rear bedsides and installed their signature burly rock sliders and a new rear bumper. One of the coolest items on the Tundra is the Wilco Products new Tiregate, used to hold the full size spare. Speaking of rims and rubber, Evan rolls on beadlocked Robby Gordon 17x8 wheels with 285/75R17 BFG Mud Terrain tires. Custom graphics were added by Stick It to complete the look. Beefy Total Chaos Fabrication A-arms are matched to Sway-A-Way RaceRunner 2.5” remote-reservoir coilovers (eight inches of travel) with a 2.5” remote-reservoir second shock. Red brake caliper is part of the TRD big brake kit for serious stopping power. TRICKING THE INTERIOR Like any truck owner, Evan wanted to make sure the cab was as nice as the exterior. He has a power sunroof, rear slider window, upgraded suede leather upholstery, a burl wood dash kit and steering wheel, Pioneer N2 head unit with navigation, Sirius, and even a back up camera system. Big amps and subs mean the rock can rock when he’s going WOT in the desert. Out went the OEM headlights and fogs and in went HIDs. Two Hella HID 4000s sit on the front bumper and two Hella 550 back-up lights reside on the rear Demello bumper. A Delta flush-mount toolbox also takes up some space in the bed, which has been Line-X’ed. TIME TO ROCK The barren flats of Ocotillo Wells were the chosen venue to see if this Tundra was timid or a terror. We’d scarcely been there long enough to check the ISO on Tiffany’s Canon EOS 20D when Evan revved up the V8. The Bassani exhaust coughed like an angry tiger woken from slumber and then the Tundra was off likea shot. Shrouds of choking dust descended upon us we waited for Evan to return. Annoyed by the dust, we told Evan to take a flying leap. He took us literally, and moments later had launched his truck up and over a rise in the trail. The big Toyota landed hard on the front suspension, but the Total Chaos/RaceRunner dual shocks setup soaked it all up in stride. TUNDRA TIME It’s always awesome to find people who trick out their new-generation Toyota trucks and wheel them too. Even as Evan reclines on his suede and leather seats, he can cinch down the belts and scream through the desert aboard his 387HP ride. Damn, sign us up for that! Robby Gordon 17x8 wheels with 285/75R17 BFG Mud Terrain T/A tires look killer and perform equally well. So do the remote reservoir RaceRunner shocks.   Here’s a look at the rear end of the Tu ndra. Note the Sway- A-Way RaceRunner shocks, Deaver 11-pack springs an d the Bassani exhaust system.             Who says off-road trucks have to be s partan? This is one Tundra that lets its owner ride in comfort.