Field Notes: What Broken Arrow Taught Us About Our Sequoia Tundra Tie Rod

Most companies don't show you a part before it's finished. Apex is doing it anyway, because the only way to know if a tie rod is actually ready for a lifted Sequoia or Tundra is to put it through the kind of trail that finds problems — and Broken Arrow found one.

This is the second look at the same second-generation Toyota Sequoia test mule covered in our earlier build feature, back at the same Sedona trail, with the same prototype steering parts. The difference this time is the focus: just the tie rod, just the test, and an honest read on what's working and what still needs a redesign before it ships.

What's Performing

Apex's prototype ball joints and the prototype tie rod have been running in this Sequoia for a while now, validating fitment and durability ahead of an official release for second-gen Sequoia and Tundra platforms — trucks that share the same frame and front suspension architecture, which is why one test mule can prove parts for both at once. Through repeated runs at Broken Arrow, both components have held up well under exactly the kind of load that breaks weaker factory-spec parts: tight technical turns, sustained articulation, and the constant stress of a trail that doesn't let the suspension settle for long.

What Still Needs Work

Here's the part most companies would cut from the footage. At full steering lock, the team found light contact between the prototype tie rod and the Fox shock — not a failure, but close enough to matter on a part that's going to see full-lock turns regularly on technical trails like this one. The fix is straightforward: a slightly more pronounced outward bend in the tie rod to clear the shock body with margin to spare. That revision is going into the next prototype round before this part moves toward production.

This is exactly the kind of issue that's easy to miss on a bench and impossible to miss on a trail. A tie rod that clears everything in the shop can still kiss a shock body at full articulation once it's loaded under real steering input — which is the entire argument for testing prototypes at places like Broken Arrow instead of calling a part finished after a clean fitment check

Why This Matters If You're Waiting on This Part

If you've been watching for Apex ball joints and tie rods for your Sequoia or Tundra, this update is the honest version of "almost there." The ball joints are performing well with no changes needed so far. The tie rod works, but it's getting one more revision specifically so it doesn't rub a shock body on a long, hard day on a trail like this one — the same kind of day you'd actually be buying this part for.

Apex isn't releasing either component until both clear that bar. The next round of prototypes will fold in the revised tie rod geometry, with another trail test to follow before either part reaches production.

There's no product page for this part yet, and there won't be one until it's actually finished. The only way to know the moment it ships is to be on the list:

• Get notified the moment the Sequoia and Tundra tie rod and ball joints launch: https://apexchassis.com/pages/email-sign-up
• Shop Toyota steering and suspension parts available now: https://apexchassis.com/collections/toyota