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It's been 15 years since Toyota brought the T100 (its first so-called "1-ton" truck) to the U.S. with just 150 hp under the hood. Since then, the truck evolved into the Tundra, which was considered by many to be a 9/10-ths scale model of a fullsize American pickup. Then, after years of testing our domestic market and taking over the compact truck segment with the Tacoma, the world's richest automaker decided to make the Tundra fullsize for 2007-and gave it dual rear wheels and an 8.0L Hino inline-six turbodiesel engine for the SEMA show.
Toyota Diesel Power
The massive 488-cubic-inch Hino J08E-TB turbodiesel in this Tundra is no Cummins, Duramax, or Power Stroke. It was designed for delivery trucks that haul with a GVWR of 35,000 pounds, and has a power rating of 260 hp and 585 lb-ft of torque without any modifications, which would be more than enough grunt to move the Tundra chassis along with a 20,000-pound trailer. Just like the engines in modern 1-ton diesels, the J08E-TB uses common-rail fueling, a variable-geometry turbo, an electronically controlled intake throttle, and twin EGR coolers to lower NOX emissions. Unlike the stock engines in the delivery truck applications, this one gets to breathe through a free-flowing 4.5-inch Magnaflow exhaust that reduces EGT while towing, and sweetens the sound whenever the Hino is fired up.
5-Speed and HD Axles
To deal with the torque of the large displacement diesel, the Toyota Motorsports Technical Group drastically modified the drivetrain. A heavy-duty Eaton 5-speed manual is used to transmit the massive amounts of torque from the engine back to a Meritor axle that uses "Hypoid-Generiod" gearing for strength and quiet operation, plus it can be equipped with a remote-actuated locking differential
Custom Suspension and 24K Hitch
Support for the heavy diesel engine in the 1/2-ton Tundra frame comes from a front suspension setup with custom dual front struts with Bilstein shocks. To provide a stable home for a Reese Signature Series 24,000-pound fifth-wheel trailer hitch in the bed, a Deaver spring pack and Bilstein shocks replaced the stock Tundra rear suspension.
22.5-inch Dual Rear Wheels
To make the Tundra look like a true 1-ton truck, a 6.5-foot bed was fabricated with fenders for dual rear wheels, and 22.5x9-inch 10-lug Alcoa brushed aluminum rims were mounted at all four corners, along with large drilled brake discs up front. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin XDA 2+ Energy 295/60R22.5 tires that have strong sidewalls for towing and are designed with low-rolling resistance to maximize the dualie's mpg. '09 Toyota Tundra Dualie Diesel?
So, does this mean that you'll be able to walk into a Toyota dealership later this year and drive home in a Tundra dualie with a turbodiesel under the hood? Probably not. This truck was built for SEMA to gauge customer interest in oil-burning 1-ton Toyotas here in the U.S.A., but it's far from a production vehicle. Toyota took a decade and a half to make the jump from midsize trucks to 1/2-ton pickups, so we don't expect them to jump into the diesel deep end of the fullsize truck market while the domestics are still figuring out how to meet the new EPA regulations that are going into effect. After the strict 2010 rules become law though, we won't be surprised if Toyota looks at Chevy, Dodge, and Ford and says, "Game on!"
Will they wise up and put a manual transmission? Not all of us who pull want an automatic transmission. A 6 speed manual would be perfect.
hmm I am betting the will use a 7spd auto with a 6-speed maual tranny option seeing as they are already using a Eaton HD tranny right now who knows...
Last edited by GTOlover; 10-21-2009 at 02:12 PM..
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