10 Most Popular Toyota Tundra Upgrades

Aug 06, 2023

With a massive amount of accessories and aftermarket parts available, the Toyota Tundra can be personalized to suit anyone's wants and needs.

Toyota is the king when it comes to reliability, and what better car to demonstrate that than a pickup truck. Starting at just $37,865 the 2022 Toyota Tundra is a great deal considering it received a makeover in 2022 and comes with a 3.5-liter V6 twin turbo engine giving up to 437 hp. It's also safe to there is some variety with the Tundra Capstone, Tundra TRD, Tundra Desert Chase but if that does not satisfy you, there are so many upgrades that you can make to this vehicle.

From performance upgrades to visual flair, there is something for everyone, ranging from thousands of dollars to hundreds, making the Toyota Tundra a very good truck. Even off-road, the Tundra can stand up to the Ram 1500 making it a better buy for the price and variety.

If the engine is the heart, and the air intake is the mouth, then the cooling system has to be the blood vessels, if there's no fluid flowing then the vehicle is in trouble. If you're planning on towing heavy loads at low speeds, then it is wise to upgrade your cooling system or risk your engine overheating. Normally, such a system performs best when the vehicle is moving fast and there is lots of air over the radiator to get all the heat out of the system.

But if you're planning on doing taxing work at low speeds, then you may decide to replace the radiator with a bigger unit, or get fans for faster air flow over the radiator, this is a common upgrade in a lot of vehicles, and you can get such fans for $150 or less.

When it comes to the Toyota Tundra, there are many different wheel options. You can get the 20-inch wheels on the 2022 Tundra TRD or the much lighter 18-inch forged aluminum wheels for desert driving in the TRD Desert Chase Tundra. When it comes to function the Tundra has you covered but what about form?

On the market you can just about customize anything on the wheels, whether it be spokes or bolts, rugged or sleek looks, and different colors like matte black which will make your Tundra stand out from the crowd. If that isn't enough, there are examples of vinyl graphics. These upgrades won't set you back by much, an example of a machined black wheel would be around $300.

Just like the mouth and the airways of a human, the air intake for an engine determines the quality of nourishment the engine receives. With a larger inlet, they can get more air into the engine compared to the factory standards, helping with combustion characteristics. This allows the vehicle to get better fuel economy and output more horsepower and torque.

The quality of these cold air intakes is also quite good, they have million-mile warranties, come with transparent filters to monitor the amount of dirt in the system, have DIY installations, and make the vehicle look cooler without a doubt. There are examples on the market for S&B Cold Air Intakes for $349.

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If only there was any way to alter the Toyota Tundra for every user's individual needs, well you're in luck. Doing a lot of long hauls? Use this programmer to increase your fuel economy (with a loss in power of course, this isn't a fairy tale) by monitoring your habits to maximize efficiency. If you are in need of more horsepower and torque, you can simply load the preexisting profiles in the tuner onto your vehicle and let it work its magic.

This Bully Dog BDX Performance Programmer is ideal for the 2017 Toyota Tundra, even though it has a 5.7-liter V8, you can use this to increase your power, take logs and analyze your driving styles, use many of the preexisting profiles for off-roading simply by plugging this device into your vehicles' OBD port. Should cost you around $400.

Let's say you've just raised your Toyota Tundra with a lift kit, it's harder to get inside the towering Toyota now, why not supplement it with a Nerf bar? A side bar such as this will make it easy to get in and out of your vehicle at all locations.

The same goes for the front, if you've decided to augment the look of your vehicle with a new powder coated bumper, what's there to stop it from getting damaged? In this case you'd be wise to get a Bull bar fitted to the front, it will not only protect your vehicle but give it a tough look and can be used to mount additional LEDs. These shouldn't set you back more than $400.

Chances are you do not have the Toyota Tundra TRD Desert Chase with the light bar for the dark nights in the desert. Don't worry, there are some light mounts and safety brackets for those of us with the normal Tundras, albeit not Toyota made. There are options for rear, side, roof mounts that will allow you to keep your surroundings illuminated with hundreds of watts of power and IP67 waterproof ratings.

The brackets come in different trims and styles so that you can customize them to your vehicle's color and feel, all while being sturdy enough for the trails. The lights and brackets together should not end up costing you more than $500, though the light bar will not go down to decrease the wind noise like on a TRD Desert Chase.

RELATED: Here's Why We Would Buy The New Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Over The 2022 Ford F-150 Raptor

Are you planning on doing any off-roading in your Toyota Tundra? A great vehicle for it really, especially the Toyota Tundra Trailhunter. You will be better off with a winch, though, in case you get stuck. Depending on the capacity, which can go up to 15,000 lbs, you can get one for less than $500 which should easily handle the max Toyota Tundra curb weight of 6000 lbs.

You can mount it directly on your frame in some cases and in others you will need a mounting plate for the winch, but it will be a lifesaver. All you have to do is find a nearby tree or solid rock and wrap the cable around it, but do have a look at some basic winching techniques before setting out.

If you're planning on off-roading, then you will need your vehicle to be safe and high off the ground. Toyota themselves have come up with an upgrade for this with a 3-inch TRD lift kit which includes front extended drive shafts, bumper shocks, rear shocks, upper control arms and much more. This raises the ground clearance by 66 mm and gives you better approach and departure angles, all for the slightly high price of $3,995, available for the 2022 model and Force models.

If you decide not to go with Toyota, then you can get bags with remote adjustment for your Toyota Tundra. These make sure your vehicle does not sag from the rear when loaded and gives you more flexibility with your suspension.

The 2022 Toyota Tundra comes with a 3.4-liter twin turbo V6 and an optional hybrid variant that develops up to 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive and a 10 speed automatic transmission are also included in the works. But if you ever feel like that is not enough for you, then you can give it a boost by fitting a supercharger.

For reference superchargers and turbochargers both perform similar functions, they help compress the air in the intake, so the fuel in the cylinder has ample air to fully combust, this raises efficiency allowing you to make the most of your fuel with increases in horsepower and torque as well. While turbochargers use exhaust gases to do this, superchargers come with their own compressors and are usually faster since you don't have to wait for the exhaust to get hot.

We've discussed many accessories to add to your Toyota Tundra, but what about protecting the ones that are already there? And what better than to protect than the paint itself? A car like a Toyota Tundra will not have a very sheltered life, it will be exposed to rain and trails which will chip the paint off one rock at a time. A clear paint protection for around $600 like the one in the video above will protect your Toyota from aesthetic damage and maintain its look.

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We discussed a lot of major upgrades for the Toyota Tundra, but the possibilities are endless, and sometimes it's the small things that make the difference. A wireless charger, for example, or an automatic tail gate lock. Let us know if we've missed out any upgrades you think are ideal for the Toyota Tundra.

Tried and tested engineer in the automotive industry with a passion for cars. Worked with automotive giants like Ford for electrification and software. Avid reader and now writer, set out to prove his opinions.