I've been busy turning my 4Runner from an SR-5 into an SR-71 for the past few weeks, and now it's been in the dirt.
Some probably recall the 4Runner UNlimited, which was an '03 model on loan from Toyota. I was so impressed with the '03 that I asked Toyota if they'd sell it to me. The answer was simple: no.
This '04 is mine. So are the payments.
The Total Chaos Long Travel kit enables this 4Runner to safely go 50 where a stock 'Runner could only do 25. When it's time for low range, the extra travel makes it possible to flex further than the stock rig could dream of. The T.C. kit transforms this truck, plain and simple.
The best part of building a 4Runner is all the lockable interior space it offers. Going on adventures gets hampered if you have to stop and stash all your gear in the cab of your pickup truck every time you have to step away from it. With a 4Runner you just step out and lock the doors. Passenger capacity is a second priority for me, but it's cool that the stock seating lets five people comfortably fit inside.
The details of the suspension installation will appear in our sister publication, Off-Road Magazine, in the August '09 issue. While it's true that long-travel IFS systems are more prevalent and popular in the high-speed world, they're at home on creepy-crawly trails, too.
I'll be using this 'Runner for everything: high speed, low speed, exploring, and commuting. Because of that last duty and because there are still many payments to go, I don't plan to thrash it. If you see me out and about and there's someone going bigger or trying a more difficult line, keep this in mind. The 'Runner has got to go everywhere and back.
I installed the kit in a driveway, and somehow managed to get the installation completed before the local anonymous busy body called city hall on me.
Along with the Total Chaos Long Travel kit, I used Sway-A-Way coilover shocks up front and Sway-A-Way coils and smooth-body shocks in the rear. These dampers proved themselves on the '03 UNlimited, and the S.A.W. units fitted to the SR-71 are no less spectacular. In fact, the updated valving to the rear smoothies brings a new level of plushness to the table. The front coilovers are 8-inch stroke, 2.5-inch diameter and are specially configured for the T.C. kit.
Finally, the rolling stock is a set of 33-inch Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ's wrapped around 16-inch Dick Cepek DC-1 wheels. So far, I've found that the ATZ's roll smoothly and quietly on the street, grip well off-road in hardpack, fine dust, and the rocks. The DC-1's look great, but most importantly they fit perfectly: clearing the big Toyota brake calipers with room to spare.
I'm not done making changes and upgrades to this 'Runner, but the gist of this report is that it works great and it's ready for adventure.