OVTune KD Max tune first or 5.29 Regear first?

[SilverBullet3g]

So I want to do both, and the reason I’m asking is like do you need a tune immediately after a regear? Or do you drive it for a week or two then tune it?

Just wondering cause the tuner is 2 hours away and I’d rather not have to tune it then regear then have to drive back down there to update the tune?

Main concern is it would somehow mess my truck up with a regear and no tune, any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Bird dog]

I re-gears my taco but have not tuned it. That was over 10k miles ago. Truck runs fine.

 

[StormRnr]

Re-gearing without tuning will not mess up your truck. Having some rando in a Walmart parking lot reprogram your ECM is the thing that might mess up your truck. [that's not going to go over well i bet.]

 

[Tuglife]

Go with the Mild & Wild Nexus tune!

 

[SilverBullet3g]

Re-gearing without tuning will not mess up your truck. Having some rando in a Walmart parking lot reprogram your ECM is the thing that might mess up your truck. [that's not going to go over well i bet.]

It’s actually the guy that invented the KDMax tune so hopefully he knows what he’s doing lmao. He’s in Louisiana.

 

[New Holland Overland]

It’s actually the guy that invented the KDMax tune so hopefully he knows what he’s doing lmao. He’s in Louisiana.

Im running the KDMAX Pro tune and it really helps a ton unlock a lot of power out of the truck as well as better shifting...Im 7K lb's and havent regeared yet and the truck isn't annoying to drive. Its definitely underpowered but I can still get up and go decently well. Eventually you'll want gears but the tune does help a big amount

 

[SilverBullet3g]

Im running the KDMAX Pro tune and it really helps a ton unlock a lot of power out of the truck as well as better shifting...Im 7K lb's and havent regeared yet and the truck isn't annoying to drive. Its definitely underpowered but I can still get up and go decently well. Eventually you'll want gears but the tune does help a big amount

Ok. I mean I don’t know exactly how much weight my truck is pushing but I don’t have a camper shell or a tent or any bumpers or anything. All I have is my 6” lift, currently having King front and rears put on, and my 35x12.5x18s. So I wouldn’t think there’s that much weight.

 

[Tyler]

So I want to do both, and the reason I’m asking is like do you need a tune immediately after a regear? Or do you drive it for a week or two then tune it?

Just wondering cause the tuner is 2 hours away and I’d rather not have to tune it then regear then have to drive back down there to update the tune?

Main concern is it would somehow mess my truck up with a regear and no tune, any help is greatly appreciated!

I got OVTune first and it made a huge difference. I was skeptical that people were overhyping the tunes but it really impressed me. I only ended up regearing to go to 35s a year or so later. Doing the tune is WAY cheaper and probably the better value/noticeable difference in my opinion.

 

[Tyler]

Ok. I mean I don’t know exactly how much weight my truck is pushing but I don’t have a camper shell or a tent or any bumpers or anything. All I have is my 6” lift, currently having King front and rears put on, and my 35x12.5x18s. So I wouldn’t think there’s that much weight.

Even though you already have 35s I would still tune before regear and @New Holland Overland seems to back that up. Main reason I’m suggesting that is because of the big price difference. Also, when I finally did regear to 5.29s, I was actually underwhelmed by the difference (which is not to say it was in unnecessary).

 

[bonifacio]

Even though you already have 35s I would still tune before regear and @New Holland Overland seems to back that up. Main reason I’m suggesting that is because of the big price difference. Also, when I finally did regear to 5.29s, I was actually underwhelmed by the difference (which is not to say it was in unnecessary).

So if I don't plan on going over 33", just keep a tune and save $3500 or whatever it is?

 

[SilverBullet3g]

So if I don't plan on going over 33", just keep a tune and save $3500 or whatever it is?

$3500? I didn’t know it was that much. I know just the kit is $1800 right now but I didn’t think the labor would be that bad.

 

[bonifacio]

$3500? I didn’t know it was that much. I know just the kit is $1800 right now but I didn’t think the labor would be that bad.

I'm just pulling numbers out of my ass. No idea. I couldn't really figure out what it would actually cost. Maybe that was a quote I got.

Average labor cost to regear.

So I know I've been a pain in the ass with gear swap questions. Hopefully this is the last lol. For those of you who swapped gears, what was your labor cost? I got a smoking deal on Nitro Gear 5.29s off FB market place. My plan is to drop the truck off and have them install my parts. Dropping...

tacoma3g.com

$1600ish parts. Looks like anywhere from $750 to $2k in labor.

 

[Tyler]

So if I don't plan on going over 33", just keep a tune and save $3500 or whatever it is?

With 33-34” or less, definitely.

$3500? I didn’t know it was that much. I know just the kit is $1800 right now but I didn’t think the labor would be that bad.

I think mine was around $2600-2800 labor/parts.

 

[StormRnr]

With 33-34” or less, definitely.


I think mine was around $2600-2800 labor/parts.

I don't think the tune will help you for 4 wheeling and rock crawling. I have 33's and 4.88 gears and can crawl nice and slow with the engine barely over idle in low and 1st gear. I wouldn't think that the tune would have much affect in those situations.

I also noticed when i got the tires and before I did the gears, that it would bog down in 1st gear 2 or 4 high going up steep mountain roads. Like really steep dirt mining roads. With the gears I have a lot more useable torque in high range. I wouldn't think the tune would help you in those situations easier.

I could be wrong. But in the situations I'm describing, mechanical is more important than computer, and that's why I re geared.

-M

 

[Tyler]

I don't think the tune will help you for 4 wheeling and rock crawling.

You’re right. I was posting with road driving as the priority. @SilverBullet3g if wheeling and rock crawling is your primary target with these upgrades, the gears will have a direct effect.

If you primarily want an overall “better” driving experience, which people usually describe as “the way it should’ve been from the factory”, then do the tune. If you go wheeling and find that even 4-LO isn’t enough, adding the gears will compliment the tune and fill that role.

I also noticed when i got the tires and before I did the gears, that it would bog down in 1st gear 2 or 4 high going up steep mountain roads. Like really steep dirt mining roads. With the gears I have a lot more useable torque in high range. I wouldn't think the tune would help you in those situations easier.

This one is kind of a mix of both but leans in favor of the gears. Commonly encountered steep-ish grades on regular roads and highways (like 8-10% I guess), will still feel better with only the tune. When I lived in Cali, I drove a 7% almost everyday and I remember how disappointed I was with the Taco on that road. After the tune, that hill became fun and is what impressed me the most about the tune.

But for reeeally steep grades like you’re describing (lesser encountered short, but very steep hills, mostly found off road or in some neighborhoods), the gears will shine because that’s their job.

 

[SilverBullet3g]

I don't think the tune will help you for 4 wheeling and rock crawling. I have 33's and 4.88 gears and can crawl nice and slow with the engine barely over idle in low and 1st gear. I wouldn't think that the tune would have much affect in those situations.

I also noticed when i got the tires and before I did the gears, that it would bog down in 1st gear 2 or 4 high going up steep mountain roads. Like really steep dirt mining roads. With the gears I have a lot more useable torque in high range. I wouldn't think the tune would help you in those situations easier.

I could be wrong. But in the situations I'm describing, mechanical is more important than computer, and that's why I re geared.

-M

Mine is mainly for highway use. I would say 90% highway and city and 10% off-road. And it’s not really rock climbing it’s just dirt/muddy logging roads.

But sometimes I do have to drive up some hilly highways. I mean I’m sure it’s nothing like out West but there’s some semi-hilly areas in Central Mississippi.

 

[Tyler]

Mine is mainly for highway use. I would say 90% highway and city and 10% off-road. And it’s not really rock climbing it’s just dirt/muddy logging roads.

But sometimes I do have to drive up some hilly highways. I mean I’m sure it’s nothing like out West but there’s some semi-hilly areas in Central Mississippi.

Check my post I made at the same time you posted this one lol

 

[StormRnr]

I still might get the tune. But I'm super happy I got the gears for what I do. It is still weird shifting on the road.

 

[SilverBullet3g]

I still might get the tune. But I'm super happy I got the gears for what I do. It is still weird shifting on the road.

So once you get the tune, is the ECT power button pretty much useless? @Tyler , and everyone else.

 

[Tyler]

So once you get the tune, is the ECT power button pretty much useless? @Tyler , and everyone else.

It depends on the tune you get. Different tuners do nothing with it, some use it to create a gear-lock mode.

 

[StormRnr]

It depends on the tune you get. Different tuners do nothing with it, some use it to create a gear-lock mode.

GEAR LOCK MODE WOULD BE RAD!

 

[SilverBullet3g]

What is a gear lock mode? Like keeping it in 2nd gear no matter the RPMs?

Wouldn’t that be the same as just manually shifting your truck?

 

[Tyler]

GEAR LOCK MODE WOULD BE RAD!

I don't know much of what all the 3rd party tunes use the ECT button for but the OVTune 2.0 tune has gear lock mode.

What is a gear lock mode? Like keeping it in 2nd gear no matter the RPMs?

Wouldn’t that be the same as just manually shifting your truck?

Yes, but manually shifting is "smart" and will still auto shift if it thinks you're gonna damage the truck. Gear lock mode really won't let it shift so anyone using it has to keep that in mind.

 

[SilverBullet3g]

I don't know much of what all the 3rd party tunes use the ECT button for but the OVTune 2.0 tune has gear lock mode.


Yes, but manually shifting is "smart" and will still auto shift if it thinks you're gonna damage the truck. Gear lock mode really won't let it shift so anyone using it has to keep that in mind.

Oh ok. That makes sense. I’ve been having to manually shift my truck while having the ECT power button on when using it on the highway in order to get decent MPG and actually be able to get around at decent speeds and I’ve noticed the RPMs dropping while I’m manually shifting and always wondered if it was shifting on its own.

 

[SilverBullet3g]

I don't know much of what all the 3rd party tunes use the ECT button for but the OVTune 2.0 tune has gear lock mode.


Yes, but manually shifting is "smart" and will still auto shift if it thinks you're gonna damage the truck. Gear lock mode really won't let it shift so anyone using it has to keep that in mind.

So do these tunes basically make your pedal non-electric? Like what I mean is do they make them so responsive that there is zero delay so it’s basically the same thing as having a throttle controller or a pedal commander while also giving the truck more power at the same time by changing shift points and whatnot?

 

[Tyler]

So do these tunes basically make your pedal non-electric? Like what I mean is do they make them so responsive that there is zero delay so it’s basically the same thing as having a throttle controller or a pedal commander while also giving the truck more power at the same time by changing shift points and whatnot?

Sorry about the delayed reply, but no they don't necessarily make that drastic of a change unless that's what you're after. The different tunes aim to give the driver throttle feel based on your preferences.

For example, I use OVTune 2.0 which is the tune that started it all and is considered an all-around good choice. Basically a middle ground to the next two I'm going to list. You will notice the throttle is a little more sensitive and ready to scoot the truck after stopping at a stop sign, but it doesn't try to turn the truck into a race truck or something that can do burnouts.

Then there's tunes that aim to very conservative in the low-end but shine on the highway. That type of tune might not feel any different in the pedal/accelerating from a stop sign. But on the highway, uphill, maybe while towing - you'll notice the shifting/RPM/MPG improvements.

On the complete flip side, there are "sport" tunes that do want you to feel like you can do burnouts, bomb through the desert at higher speeds, and basically make your truck feel "fast" when you hit the pedal. This type of tune is probably not ideal for anything other than having fun.

--

I recommend one of the first two types. And the responsiveness of the pedal is somewhat up to you as some of the tuners provide a file for extra responsiveness and a file for tame responsiveness.