Lifted: Our friend R.J. Silva of Eye Kandy Designs gave us some killer visuals of what a new Tundra could look like, depending on your mood. He kept it basic for the lifted version of the Toyota by leaving the body in stock form but also adding some choice aftermarket parts. The bed received a SnugTop Super Sport shell, while the grille was filled with an E&G Classics stainless steel mesh insert. R.J. also color-matched the lower valance and then lifted the truck about 8 inches with coilover shocks over 22-inch American Racing ATX wheels and Toyo Open Country MTs. The brakes are cross-drilled units from TRD. The truck looks like a do-it-all urban commando vehicle without the military paintjob.
Lowered: For the lowered version of our Tundra, we let R.J. go a bit crazy by shaving the body and adding a custom paintjob. The body lost the door handles, emblems, and antenna, and then received a sweet two-tone paintjob with a simple graphic element to separate the two colors. R.J. also color-matched the stock mirrors, bumper, and lower valance. An interesting mod to the front end is the deletion of the tread area at the top of the grille, which is used to grab onto when you slam the hood shut. The grille is plastic, so modifying your own grille shell to look like the rendering is going to be tough, especially if you want to maintain the chrome finish. Other mods include a 4/6 drop, 22-inch Bonspeed Laguna wheels with painted spokes, and BFGoodrich g-Force T/A tires.
1. The rear seat of the Double...
1. The rear seat of the Double Cab is split 60/40, and you can fold either section, independently. The powered JBL subwoofer resides beneath the driver-side bench seat.
2. The tailgate handle will...
2. The tailgate handle will actuate with just two fingers, and then the gate will lower gently, without crashing down, thanks to the gas strut hidden behind the taillight. It's a small but important feature.
3. The traditional tie-down...
3. The traditional tie-down locations are present in the lower corners of the bed, and the sliding and locking rail system is fastened to the inside of the bedrails.
4. The rearview camera is...
4. The rearview camera is built into the tailgate handle. The resolution is quite good, and the color screen works great, even at night. We were able to hitch up a trailer to our Tundra without getting out of the cab to line up the receiver and tow ball. The back-up camera is a great time-saver.