By 9 Must-Have Mods for the 3rd Generation Toyota Tacoma
In this article, we discuss the must-have mods for the third generation Toyota Tacoma (2016+). This has become one of the most popular light trucks on the market and in the world and for very, very good reason. It’s incredibly reliable, very capable, has great ground clearance from the factory, keeps its resale value like crazy, and of course, rugged good looks.
As popular and capable as the Tacoma, is one of its weaknesses is the power. In the four-cylinder version especially, but even in the six-cylinder version, most people feel like it doesn’t quite have the get-up and go that they want. With a few modifications, these problems can be solved, and you can get even more performance out of your Tacoma. All the products that we talk about here are available for purchase at Motoroso.com, where you can browse these and over a million other top, name brand products. Let’s get started.
VIDEO: 9 MUST HAVE MODS FOR THE 3RD GEN TOYOTA TACOMA
1. Throttle Module
Our first must-have mod is going to address that number one weakness that we mentioned, which is that regardless of whether or not you’ve got the four-cylinder or the six-cylinder motor, that thing feels like a dog. It’s not because the motors don’t have any power, it’s because of the way that they program them from the factory and tune them to have a super smooth, slow throttle response. They’re not untapping the power that is in that engine, so one of our favorite mods is a throttle module.
JET PERFORMANCE XCELERATOR MODULE
Our favorite is the Jet Performance Xcelerator Module because, for under $300, it takes five minutes to install, plugs right into your OBD2 port, mounts under the dash, and gives you several levels of a throttle position that you can adjust to eliminate the throttle lag and make the engine feel much snappier. It makes a huge difference in any vehicle for a little over $300. There’s also a brand called Pedal Commander, which makes another great option for a throttle module.
2. Custom Tune
The next level up on this front is to get a full ECU flush. Nobody is really making tuners for these vehicles to upload custom tunes, but you can actually get a dongle from somebody like Orange Virus Tuning that allows you to install a custom map. Of course, before you take it in for any warranty service, you’re going to want to make sure to put that back on the stock map because this could have some warranty implications. An ECU flash is going to change everything about the motor, the mapping, the tuning, and even the transmission shift points to really wake that motor up.
3. Leveling Kit OR Lift Kit
The next must-have mod for anybody wanting to modify their Tacoma is going to be acquiring a bit more ride height. For this, we’re going to be looking at leveling kits or full lift kits.
MAXTRAC LEVELING KIT
If you’re not planning on doing a ton of off-roading, you don’t need that additional performance from the suspension, it’s mostly a styling decision, and you just want to fit slightly bigger tires, than a leveling kit going to be your most cost-effective option. Something like the MaxTrac, have both a two-wheel-drive kit and a four-wheel-drive kit and is only going to cost you around $100. They are going to lift the front of the truck, allowing you to fit up to 31” tires. But of course, if you’re going to look to do more, off-roading, you’re definitely going to want to look at a full lift kit on the entry-level of the spectrum.
SKYJACKER LIFT KIT
Skyjacker has just launched a new kit that we made an installation video and a product spotlight video about. This kit comes in at under $1000. We’ll give you a full three inches of lift, and replacement shocks all the way around.m It also includes replacement upper control arms to add more articulation and more wheel travel. We highly recommend taking a close look at this.
VIDEO: SKYJACKER LIFT KIT SPOTLIGHT
VIDEO: TOYOTA TACOMA LIFT KIT INSTALL
FABTECH 6″ TACOMA LIFT KIT WITH DIRT LOGIC 2.5 RESI COILOVERS
If you’re looking for a higher-performance lift kit that won’t break the budget, on the other end of the spectrum is a kit like the Fabtech Performance Kit. Now you can get a 6” version of that lift, which will allow you to fit 35” tires and includes Dirt Logic 2.5 remote reservoir coilover shock replacements, which are going to offer way better off-road performance to handle almost anything that you’re going to throw at it. It gives you a high degree of adjustability, and the kit includes the knuckles, cross members, and everything necessary to give a 6” lift while maintaining the right geometry and high-performance off-road. It doesn’t come with upper control arms so you will need to buy those separately, but that kit’s going to set you back a little over $4,000.
4. Wheels and Tires
Our next must-have mod is obvious: wheels and tires. You’ve probably already figured that out since we just talked about lift kits. This is how you make your truck look better, but also how you make it more capable off-road. There is a huge amount of selection here so there are no recommendations we can make because so much of it comes down to personal preference, but let’s talk about the different variables that you need to consider. We talked about the different sizes of tires that you can fit with the different lifts. I won’t go over that again, but the next decision you have to make is what size wheel you actually want. You can get 33” tires in a 17, 20, 19, anywhere in between and beyond. The decision you are making here is if you’re going to be doing a lot of off-road and you want the off-road look and the performance, you probably want a 17” wheel, but if you’re looking more for styling and you like the size and the look of a big rim, you might want to go up to like a 20” wheel. It is so much about personal preference there.
One of your next decisions on tires is going to be whether or not you go with an all-terrain or a mud-terrain. Mud-terrain is going to look more aggressive, but it’s going to make more road-noise and is not going to last as long if you’re doing a lot of highway driving. An all-terrain tire is going to be a little less aggressive looking, but it’s more versatile with less road noise, and it’ll last you a lot longer.
Your last variable on wheels and tires that you want to consider is what is the offset of the actual rim which determines how far out from the fenders the wheels and tires are going to stick. There are a lot of variables here and it does vary by whether or not you have the TRD or the base or the SR5 version of the Tacoma. Make sure you do your research and never hesitate to reach out to us on live chat or toll-free at 1.833.MOTOROSO, and we’re happy to help you figure out exactly the stance you’re looking for.
5. Cold Air Intake
Our next must-have mod is about giving your engine what it needs to make more power. Internal combustion engines need air so that they can make explosions to make power. A cold air intake is going to help move more air, more quickly into the engines—sometimes even cleaner—so they can make more power and feel more responsive. You’re going to see somewhere between 13 and 17 horsepower gain and up to 19 ft/lbs. of torque gain by using a cold air intake, and that is definitely going to register on the old butt dyno. We’ve got lots options for these on Motoroso.com, but we’ve chosen three that we’re going to highlight here.
FLOWMASTER AIR INTAKE
Our first option comes from Flowmaster and it’s extremely affordable at under $300. It does eliminate the airbox, which means that it’s got the filter inside the engine bay and it’s just open. At high speeds, that’s probably not a problem, but at low speeds that might mean it’s pulling in some hot air, and then it’s debatable whether or not it’s an advantage gain, but you’re going to—mostly around the board—see an improvement with this product for under $300, making it an awesome value.
AFE MOMENTUM GT PRO 5R INTAKE
Higher up the food chain is the AFE Momentum GT Pro 5R. This is known to be one of the highest flowing intakes which are going to yield some of the highest power gains. It does have an airbox making sure that it pulls cold air from outside the vehicle, and it’s going to set you back around $450.
VOLANT AIR INTAKE
Way up the food chain is going to be the Volant, which has multiple different options for the type of filters uses, including the PowerCore filter, which is going to be very, very high flow. This is a patented product that has the highest level of filtration available coming from commercial technology. This makes sure that the air going into the engine is as clean as it can be, which is only going to be good for longevity and performance. It is a full roto-molded construction that makes sure it moves smoothly, and also has a ram air scoop that helps accelerate the air going into the filter. It’s going to set you back just under $500.
VIDEO: VOLANT COLD AIR INTAKE SPOTLIGHT
VIDEO: TOYOTA TACOMA INTAKE INSTALL GUIDE
6. Exhaust
Our next must-have mod is going back to opening up more engine performance, but also controlling how your trucks sounds. Not every V6 engine can have a good sound, but with the right cat-back exhaust system, the Tacoma can have a nice, throaty, deep tone that most people really like. It’s no V8, but it sounds pretty good depending on the material and how the system is designed. You’re pick up another 5-10 horsepower as well as an extra 10 ft/lbs. of torque. We’ve got a number of different options on Motoroso.com, but here are the three that we like.
MBRP BLACK SERIES CAT-BACK EXHAUST
Let’s start with the MBRP Black Series Cat-Back Exhaust. This one costs you just a little bit over $400 so it’s an awesome value. It’s going to give you great performance gains and it sounds solid. We’ve made a product spotlight video and a how-to installation guide video so you can see how easy it is to put in and what it sounds like.
GIBSON CAT-BACK EXHAUST
Next up the food chain is going to be a Gibson Cat-Back Exhaust System, which is set you back around $500. Gibsons are known to make a little bit more noise, so this is going to be the louder of the options. It’s also made out of stainless steel so it’s going to give you a long road life.
AFE MACH FORCE-XP EXHAUST
And last on our list is the AFE MACH Force-XP, which is a 3” full system with a 4.5” tip also made out of stainless steel, has a high-flow muffler, has a more subtle sound than the Gibson, and will set you back around $600.
7. Grille
T-REX GRILLES
Our next must-have mod is a little more oriented towards styling and personality. The stock grille on the Tacoma is not very good-looking. The TRDs are a little bit better, but most of them look boring. T-Rex is one of the leaders in aftermarket grilles for trucks and they make an awesome grille we like called the Laser Torch. This has a dye-cut metal look that gives us this matte black stealth custom look to the truck, makes it look more aggressive, and also includes integrated led lighting for lighting up the night. That’ll set you back around $800 and give you that great custom look plus some LED lighting.
8. Light Bulb Upgrades
PUTCO LIGHT BULBS
While we’re on the topic of lighting, we don’t like the low beams on the Tacoma. They are just not cutting it. For $70, you can get a set of Putco lights that will convert those headlights to LED and give you a little bit more crisp, clean lighting. If you need even more lighting after that and the grille, you can look at getting custom LED light bars. There is an almost endless number of options here. You can get a bumper mount, hood mount cubes, a bar above the windshield, and we can help you pick all of those different options, just hit us up on live chat.
9. Bumpers
BODY ARMOR DESERT SERIES BUMPERS
If you’re ready to really set your Tacoma apart from a styling and an off-road ruggedness standpoint, your next must-have mod is going to be front and rear off-road bumpers. You are going to need to budget somewhere between $1,500 to $4,000 depending on how crazy, heavy duty, and wild do you want to go with the design. This is going to be a major upgrade in how the truck looks and its ruggedness. Now brands like Fab Fours, Westin, and GoRhino make dozens of different options to choose from as usual, but we want to call attention to the Body Armor Desert Series. They are sold separately, but the set will run you about $1,700—which is the lower end of that spectrum—but they have a Baja style tubular design. The front bumper features mounting points for cube lights, a 20” led bar, and a winch as well. The rear bumper has the Baja style design combined with some mesh cutouts that give it a low profile, aggressive look, and it has all the cutouts necessary to transfer everything over from your rear bumper.
10. Floor Mats
SO…. we’ve got suspension, we’ve got wheels and tires, sidesteps grills, intake, exhaust. We’ve got all of these performance mods ready to go. Your next must-have mod is so critically important: get yourself a set of rubber floor mats—they are going to set you back around $100. You don’t want to be out in the mud, dirt, sand, and drag that all back into the truck. Keep your truck clean. They’re dirt cheap. And you can find them at Motoroso.com for FRONT MATS and REAR MATS!
We’ve talked about all these different parts and we have dozens of options. We have over a million top name brand products for sale at Motoroso.com. We have live chat, and you can reach us anytime toll free at 1.833.MOTOROSO which is 1.833.668.6767.
