2020 4Runner Build

[Brian Root]

1. Body mount chop ( kit available on line) $45+/-. A welder will charge you about $150 for the work.

2. Upper Control Arms. I went with Fabtech.

3. Three (3) inch suspension lift w/ adjustable coil overs with resivoir up front and taller springs and resivoir shocks in the rear. I went with dirt logics.

4. One (1) inch diff drop (not required but will allow your CV axle joints to articulate better with out constant stress on the joint.

5. One you go up in tire size your RPMs will be off and your truck will search for gears all the time. If you live in a hilly area you will need to think about gear set upgrade to at least 4.56. If your going to pull a 2k + pound trailer this is a must. May even consider 4.88s if trailer heavier. The gear change is matched to your tire size and RPMs desired (power / fuel economy). Seek out an expert to do the work! I went with Yukon 4.56s. I pull a 3500 pound Geo Pro trailer. I should have upgraded to 4.88s.

6. Stage 1 front fender chop. See YouTube. It's a do it yourself job. Easy. Take your time. This will give you a much better approach angle and will eliminate all tire rubs in the front.

7. Remove front mud flaps and cut plastic inner where you find it rubbing. Usually done in tandem with body mount chop. See YouTube.

8. Tire size. With the above mods you can easily run 295-70-R17 with no rubs. I'm running 285s.

Why did I upgrade my TRD suspension. The simple answer is that I destroyed it and a brand new set of stock tire size BFG KM3s doing a bucket list trip to Deadhorse, Alaska this past summer. The roads were trecherous and the pot holes came in herds! Since I had to change it anyway, I went bigger / better.

Stay away from wheel spacers. Waste of time and money. Dangerous. Will stop the rubbing on your UCAs, but will rub finder well when under flex in a different area.

Since your suspension is brand new you might be able to do a leveling kit. Can't guaranteed it won't rub.

No rubbing under ANY conditions with my set up. I just ran Imogene pass. Performed perfectly.



I'm also running a full Gobi rack and full cbi armor. No rear seats. Built custom cargo boxes to fill the area (3 sheets of plywood). My empty weight with two (2) adults and two (2) dogs is 5540lbs.

Thank you for the rundown, I really appreciate it. I’m really surprised to hear that the Fox PRO suspension got destroyed on a trip, I would have thought it was tougher than that.

 

[Wallygator]

Thank you for the rundown, I really appreciate it. I’m really surprised to hear that the Fox PRO suspension got destroyed on a trip, I would have thought it was tougher than that.

I really doubt that OEM Fox shocks are of the same quality as the aftermarket Fox shocks. Maybe I am wrong but even when the TRD suspension said Bilstein on them, they were not the same quality as the aftermarket Bilsteins and wore out rather quickly. One thing Toyota is consistent with is they skimp on suspension quality. Every Toyota truck I have ever owned the suspension starts to go bad around 30,000 miles. Maybe I am over sensitive to it but It's just one aspect of owning a Toyota IMO. Every manufacturer cuts corners somewhere.

 

[Stickman]

Thank you for the rundown, I really appreciate it. I’m really surprised to hear that the Fox PRO suspension got destroyed on a trip, I would have thought it was tougher than that.

I had the Bilstein / Toytech TRD Pro suspension setup. Would not have made it with stock SR5 suspension.

I fully expected to shred a set of tires. That's why I chose the BFG KM3s. I also expected the suspension to get a thorough workout. In addition, I also planned on losing a windshield. Got windshield coverage before we left. It paid for itself. Took 3 rocks. One almost penetrated.

I did not have these expectations because of their quality, but rather the serious nature of the trip and the real conditions of the Dawson Highway. I was not wrong. The roads in the Youkon and the Northwest territories are no cake walk either.

I often joke that the potholes came in herds. Some half the depth of your tires. Pothole is not the right term. Think 100 yards of cratered out road. You might miss the first couple, but your going to hit a few. The actual travel speed on the Dawson is about 40mph.

It took me a year to plan and build. I planned for every failure. I made it from Eads, TN, to Deadhorse AK, and back with zero mechanicasl failures. Wore out components, but no failures. Not even a flat tire. Huge chunks missing, but no flats. That's 14,782 miles half of which were gravel.

BFG gave me a 45% off credit for a new set of BFG KO2s because of the uneven tire wear. They only had 25k miles on them, but were done.

It was with it.

 

[Wallygator]

I had the Bilstein / Toytech TRD Pro suspension setup. Would not have made it with stock SR5 suspension.

I fully expected to shred a set of tires. That's why I chose the BFG KM3s. I also expected the suspension to get a thorough workout. In addition, I also planned on losing a windshield. Got windshield coverage before we left. It paid for itself. Took 3 rocks. One almost penetrated.

I did not have these expectations because of their quality, but rather the serious nature of the trip and the real conditions of the Dawson Highway. I was not wrong. The roads in the Youkon and the Northwest territories are no cake walk either.

I often joke that the potholes came in herds. Some half the depth of your tires. Pothole is not the right term. Think 100 yards of cratered out road. You might miss the first couple, but your going to hit a few. The actual travel speed on the Dawson is about 40mph.

It took me a year to plan and build. I planned for every failure. I made it from Eads, TN, to Deadhorse AK, and back with zero mechanicasl failures. Wore out components, but no failures. Not even a flat tire. Huge chunks missing, but no flats. That's 14,782 miles half of which were gravel.

BFG gave me a 45% off credit for a new set of BFG KO2s because of the uneven tire wear. They only had 25k miles on them, but were done.

It was with it.

Sounds like an amazing trip!

 

[Wanderlost]

Looks like you're well on your way!
If you need help or have any questions, just ask.
We've done a few modifications to our 4R as well.

 

[Brian Root]

Looks like you're well on your way!
If you need help or have any questions, just ask.
We've done a few modifications to our 4R as well.View attachment 126937

Thank you! I’ll check out your vlog and ask any questions I may have. Great looking rig!!!