We should start by saying that we have always been die-hard Toyota guys. Toyota has built its reputation off of years of bulletproof, reliable, vehicles. We believe that when you take Toyota’s design philosophies and apply them to offroad endurance racing, it makes for the perfect combo. Our 2004 Toyota 4Runner (4th Gen) serves as the perfect foundation to build upon for stock class desert and rock racing.
The 4th gen 4Runner is based on Toyota’s popular Prado 120 Platform. By developing the 120 ecosystem, Toyota has ensured that many parts carry over between their popular vehicles. Beyond that, we chose our truck for a few key reasons…
ENGINE
This was the first and only body style of 4Runner that Toyota offered with the 4.7L V8 (2UZ-FE). This motor produces 268hp and 315lbft of torque. While this may not seem like much, it does exceed the performance specs of nearly all mid-sized SUV’s and trucks in our class.
SUSPENSION
Another important component of this 4Runner is its suspension configuration. The 4th gen has a double wishbone IFS front end and the rear is a solid axle with links. Because of the restrictions of our class, IFS vehicles are generally the only ones that can make use of modern coilover technology. Coilovers have made it possible for modern vehicles to stay more stable at high speeds (road & desert) while sacrificing ease of use in the rocks. While this is seen as a disadvantage to some, our team is used to wheeling IFS trucks on some of the hardest trails in the country. The benefits outweigh the negatives. The team is also passionate about pushing IFS technology to new levels for stock vehicles.
VARIETY
Many teams overlook the significance of building something that is unique and that can capture the attention of a community. It was important for us to find a vehicle that people could connect with and relate to, that hadn’t already been done. For a long time in the 4600 class it was uncommon to see something other than a Jeep or old Toyota Pickup.
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THE BUILD DETAILS:
VEHICLE - 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
ENGINE - 4.7L V8 2UZ-FE
TRANSMISSION - STOCK A750F
TRANSFER CASE - VF2BM
HEADERS - Doug Thorley Long Tube Headers
EXHAUST - Custom Magnaflow Race Exhaust
HPS - HPS Performance Intake
FRONT:______________________________________________
DIFFERENTIAL - Toyota 8” IFS Clamshell
GEARING - Yukon Gear & Axle Ring & Pinion (4.88)
LOCKER - ARB Air Locker
AXLES - CVJ Axles w/ Custom Chromoly D60 Components
BRAKES - STOCK CALIPERS w/ R1 CONCEPTS Pads & Rotors
STEERING - 200 Series Land Cruiser Steering Rack w/ Marlin Crawler MarRack Upgrades
REAR:____________________________________________________
AXLE - Trail Gear Ford 9” Fabricated Housing
3RD MEMBER - Yukon Gear & Axle Iron Nodular Drop Out
GEARING - Yukon Gear & Axle Ford 9” Ring & Pinion (4.86)
LINKS - Custom Fabbed 4-Link w/ Summit Machine Joints
SUSPENSION:______________________________________________
ARMS - Marlin Crawler RCLT 3.5” Race Kit
SHOCKS FRONT - ICON 8” CDEV Coilover
SHOCKS REAR - ICON 12” Smooth Body CDEV Shock
BUMP STOPS - ICON 2” Hydrobumps
REAR SPRINGS - Dobinsons Rear Coil Springs (80 Series Rear Springs)
TIRES & WHEELS:___________________________________________
TIRES - 35” Kenda Klever MT2
WHEELS - 17” Nomad 503 Sahara Custom Beadlock
ELECTRONICS:______________________________________________
SWITCHES - SPOD BANTAMX HD Switch System
GPS - Garmin TRED Baja Race & Chase Systems
INTERCOM - Rugged Radios 2 Person Race Intercom
RADIO - PCI Kenwood 50w Radio
AIR PUMPER - Rugged Radios MAC 2-Person Air System
ENGINE MONITORING - ScanGauge
ARMOR & EXTERIOR APPEARANCE:________________________________
FRONT BUMPER - ADDICTED OFFROAD HYBRID
REAR BUMPER - Custom Fabricated High Clearance Rear
FIBERGLASS - ADV 4th Gen 4Runner 4.5” Bulge
SKIDS - Custom Sherpa Built Skids w/ UHMW
SLIDERS - Custom Fabrication w/ UHMW
HEADLIGHTS - Custom SRQ Projector Headlights
WRAP & ART - Pureblind Wraps
LIGHTING:__________________________________________________
ROOF LIGHTING - Baja Designs XL80 Linkable
BUMPER LIGHTS - Baja Designs LP9 Pro Amber
WINDSHIELD/DITCH LIGHTS - Baja Designs XL80 Amber
REAR DUST LIGHTS - Baja Designs S2 Amber
REAR CHASE BAR - Baja Designs RTL
INTERIOR LIGHTS - Baja Designs Rock Lights
ROCK LIGHTS - Baja Designs Rock Lights
RECOVERY:__________________________________________________
WINCH - WARN ZEON PLATINUM 10S
HOOK - Factor55 Ultrahook
RECOVERY GEAR - Factor55 & Deadman Offroad
AIR - Power Tank 5lb (in car) & 15lb (pit support)
JACKS - ProEagle 3Ton Jacks
