We Asked Nine 2nd Gen Tundra Owners What Their Top 3 Must-Have Mods Were For Their Overland & Off-Road Builds – Here’s What They Said!
This Week’s Topic: 2nd Gen Tundra Must-Have Mods
Hey guys! Welcome back to another Tundra Thursday. If you missed our previous feature post, we looked at several 2nd Gen Tundra suspension setups.
This week, we take a look at some great built out rigs – and ask the owners what their top 3 mods were for somebody just starting to modify their Tundra.
Not every single truck needs to have crazy suspension, a rooftop tent, off-road bumpers, or $5k worth of lighting. The awesome owners below let us know what modifications you should consider spending your money on first. Taking some of their advice can help you avoid breaking the bank on unnecessary items.
Keep in mind, these rigs are in no particular order from best to worst – they are all awesome in their own way!
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Tundra Must-Have Mods
Table of Contents
1. Tyler Arnett (@arnett__tyler) – 2021 TRD Off-Road
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Suspension
- Wheels / Tires
- LED Lighting
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
The items I listed changed the truck’s look drastically and improve its performance 10-fold. I love how 2nd Gen Tundras look but when they’re on a 2.5”-3” lift with 37s, they’re a whole new beast.
Drivability, aesthetics, and functionality all improve from these mods and the truck does what I need it to do. I drive a lot at night to and from my hunting properties and road trips, so having accessory lighting to light the way is crucial being that I’m blind as a bat at night.
2. Kahley Dozier (@red_devil_tundra) – 2020 SR5
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Tires
- Suspension
- High Clearance Bumpers
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
All-terrain tires are a MUST if you will be leaving the pavement. Street tires are very easy to get a flat with, even with the smallest rocks while off-road.
I chose to add suspension because the more clearance, the better! Without clearance, you risk getting stuck/high centering. Plus, you usually can’t fit bigger wheels without a lift.
Lastly, higher clearance bumpers. You don’t want to rip off your bumpers by accident, so solve that potential problem with high clearance!
3. Tony Coulombe (@silvertundraor) – 2020 SR5 TRD Off-Road
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Tires
- Suspension
- LED Lighting
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
The stock tire and suspension set up on a TRD “Off-Road” Tundra is a joke. If you plan on spending any time off the pavement, aftermarket tires are a must, even if you can’t go bigger at first.
For suspension, I felt like the stock setup tossed me around and I hated it. There are plenty of good value upgrades out there like the Bilstein 6112/5160 setup. Finally, the LED lighting upgrades throughout are an underrated mod and something I love, especially the interior lights.
4. Leo Ceja (@el_outsider_707) – 2019 Platinum
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Suspension
- Wheels / Tires
- Regear
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
An aftermarket lift along with wheels & tires completely changes the look and performance of the truck.
Another mod I suggest would be to regear your Tundra, especially if you are getting 35” tires or bigger. I have 37” tires and I regeared from stock gears to 5.29 gears. This is a much-needed mod in order for your truck to perform as it should with the bigger tires.
5. John Kucharski (@good_good_adventures) – 2021 TRD Pro
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Wheels / Tires
- Suspension
- Rock Sliders
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
I chose wheels & tires because you need good tires when you get off the pavement. Wheels go hand in hand with tires to get your offset right and allow for larger tires. I also suggest a lift kit to help with ground clearance.
Lastly, I recommend rock sliders for added protection and confidence when on the trails.
6. Tyler cox (@cement_tun_dre) – 2018 Limited
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Suspension
- Wheels / Tires
- Upper Control Arms
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
These three mods help with off-road performance and handling. I would highly recommend these mods as your first mods to be done if you plan on taking your truck off-road. They are pretty simple and don’t break the bank.
7. Jaime Richards (@wowvalry_blue_overlander) – 2019 SR5 TRD Off-Road
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Tires
- Rock Sliders
- Skid Plates
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
I chose tires as one of the must-have first mods because they make the biggest difference off-road compared to stock.
Rock sliders are also essential because I spent a bunch of money on my rig and it would be a shame to severely damage it off-road. I’ve come down on my sliders many times and every time I think, boy I’m glad I spent the money early on for that protection.
The third mod I suggest is a skid plate, for the same reason as the sliders. The stock skid plate (TRD off-road) is junk. Good tires and some protection let you do a lot. Everything else (lift, suspension, lighting, etc.), is all just gravy. Tires and protection let you get out and have some fun!
8. Landon Williams (@801cement) – 2020 SR5
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Wheels / Tires
- Suspension
- LED Lighting
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
I wholeheartedly believe this list is vehicle specific and based on what you plan to do with it. Is it comfort and ride height, or being flashy/showy that you are after?
For me, I definitely wanted to make a statement with my Cement Tundra. My Black Rhino wheels wrapped in Nitto Ridge Grapplers were a no-brainer for that overall look. Drive-ability, and how long the tires would hold up to over the road and highway travel were an added bonus.
I feel that you’ve got to have adequate lighting for the task at hand. I travel a dark canyon daily and use ditch lights to see critters and fog lights to see the road at all times.
9. Rafael Pineda (@trail_newb) – 2020 SR5
What Are Your Top 3 Must-Have First Mods?
- Suspension
- Tires
- Body Armor
What Made You Want To Add These Mods To Your Tundra?
Although Toyota vehicles are very capable from the factory, there is always room for improvement; especially if you plan to hit trails with your rig. That’s even more true when it’s a Toyota Tundra.
When it comes to off-roading, a shorter wheelbase has a better advantage over a longer wheelbase. That is a disadvantage with full-size trucks. Therefore, a suspension upgrade was one of my first mods to help offset the wheelbase disadvantage by gaining ground clearance.
Tires are definitely on my top mods list as well. Not only do you gain some clearance when upsizing tires, but traction as well. That is just as important in my opinion to help maintain control of your truck when out on the trails.
Body armor is another top-first mod for me. With a full-size truck like the Tundra, approach and departure angles are worse than with a short-wheelbase vehicle as well as turning in tight spots. That’s where rock sliders come into play as these will help protect your vehicle through challenging scenarios.
Final Thoughts
What a great group of trucks for this week’s Tundra Thursday feature! As you read, there definitely seemed to be a consensus on several must-have first mods: tires and suspension. While I definitely agree with these (especially if you plan to off-road your 2nd Gen Tundra), it is definitely a case-by-case basis.
What mods would you do with your Tundra first? Let us know down in the comments!
