Toyota Tundra Forum

I updated it with the last set of pictures. I guess I am done except for a field test. Hmmm... I may wait on that for a little while.

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2007 SR5 Crewmax 5.7L 4x4
Mods: nerf bars, Truxedo tonneau, radar detector power, 3M clear bra, fog lights, black billet grille, rear differential breather, parking sensors, Line-X, power tailgate lock, hood safety latch mod, one off driving lights behind grille, Pioneer NAV w/ OEM camera, Flowmaster 50 SUV dual/dual, blue LED dash lights, Volant CAI, Llumar tint, CompuStar Pro alarm, ProComp 6066 20" wheels, Cooper Zeon LTZ 275/60/20 tires, OME HD coilover lift, Firestone helper air bags, stereo cable lock, Tekonsha P3 brake controller
All mod descriptions and pictures © 2007-2009 by Toxarch. They may be copied only for personal use and the mods may be done for non-profit only.

Excellent write up. I'm thinking about purchasing a Tundra in the future. So if Toyota doesn't fix this themselves by then, I will definitely be referring back to this post.

This same thing has been done on numerous vehicles of numerous brands for many many years. I doubt they'll be doing this in the factory anytime soon since the stock way works... to an extent.

In that case, time to pull out the tools when I get my Tundra.

Toxarch, great info/instructions.

One question though...can you just put the stock breather in place where you put the inline filter? Basically just move that stock peace to higher ground.

Sure, you could do that and some have done that on older vehicles, but I don't think that is the best thing to do anymore. The stock breather is a one way valve so it just creates negative pressure and only opens for positive pressure unless there is a VERY slow change in temperature. That means you would still have the problem of water and mud getting sucked in through the hubs when the differential cools quickly in mud and water. With the filter and the curved tube on the end, the differential is free to breath and there is no pressure inside no matter how fast or slow the differential cools down.

If you are worried about cost, the filter is only about $5 and there are cheaper ones available. If you are worried about the open tube at the end, the filter stops anything airborne from getting in and the downward pointing tube should be long enough to not suck in water past the curve by the time you get that deep in water. And like I said, if you are that deep in water, I don't think you are worrying about your differential.

Tox, I have what is probably a dumb question. With the stock, one-way valve, as I understand it, as the differential cools, it creates a negative pressure inside the differential (a mild vacuum). With this mod, again as I understand it, it allows the differential to breath both ways... out when it heats up and in when it cools. If that is the case, as the differential cools it sucks air in from outside; air which contains moisture (in fact in our part of the world, a lot of moisture) that will likely condense as the differential cools. Assuming this is what happens, and acknowledging that the mod will keep mud out, to some extent aren't you defeating the other purpose of trying to keep moisture out? Am I missing something here?

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2007 Tundra Limited Double Cab 4x4 Super White
Volant CAI
Pioneer AVIC Z-2 (hard drive upgrade to AVIC Z-3)
Key FOB Tailgate Lock (courtesy of Toxarch)
OEM back-up camera w/flip down monitor microswitch mod
Sirius Satellite Radio
WeatherTech Floor Liners
20" OEM alloy wheels
Line-X Bed liner
UWS Black Powdercoat Low Profile Toolbox
DU-HA underseat storage unit
JC Whitney Black Nerf Bars
Lund Interceptor II Bug Shield
Tekonsha Voyager Brake Controller

Even with the stock breather, slow cooling allows air and moisture to get in. Since there is a breather on the differential, some moisture getting in with the air is apparently OK.

On the gen-1 tundras, they extended the breathers for the front (4x4) differential and tranny up into the engine compartment with no breather valve. (Not sure if they have done this for the gen-2.) So if it's OK for the front diff., I would assume it's OK for the rear diff.

The front diff on the Titan is done that way. They've ran a hose up and use a tie strap to attached it to the brake master cylinder. The biggest problem with most rear diff valves is they get stuck in one position or the other by mud, road salt etc and if they are stuck closed there goes your axle seal, open and if you pull a boat or offroad they allow the introduction of large quantities of water. Moisture in the air isn't a big deal when you consider that engine oil caps from the past were vented.

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Good Gawd that is one ugly Tundra.

verry nice mod i will put this one around the top of my list O mods to do but

I had hoped to see more mods like this for our trucks but alas it seems like a lot of people here on this board are more into rolling on 20s and dropping this truck rather that beefing up the suspension and drive train and upgrading the motor...or am I wrong?

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