Wild Take on a Toyota 4Runner Off-Road Build

How To Break the Routine

Have you heard the old proverb about turning tart-tasting lemons into lemonade? Sure, we’ve all heard that line, but there’s so much wisdom in it even though the sentiment has become cliché.

When life changes for one reason or another, and you must adapt to forge ahead, a helpful practice is to take inventory of what you currently have on hand to work with and sweeten it to taste.

The scope of that statement is wide, so let’s zoom in and focus on how it relates to truck building.

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Most of us may feel the itch to go out and buy a shiny new pickup from time to time, but then reality sets in. Why commit to forking over a hefty down payment, annoying monthly payments, and a bump in registration and insurance when there’s a perfectly good project truck already parked in the driveway?

All it needs is time and attention—and money too, but not as much as an MSRP sticker, though (hopefully).

Either way, funneling those resources into creating a personalized, purpose-built rig is a far better investment. Plus, who needs a fresh paint job when all you really want to do with your truck is scale up treacherous hillsides and run it through the dirt?

It’s going to get thrashed anyway, and guys like Dean Graen of Trabuco Canyon, California, understand that.

Dean has owned his 2005 Toyota 4Runner for a while now. He drove it for years in stock condition because all he really needed from it at the time was to be a reliable form of transportation.

As time went on, he started tweaking it for overlanding purposes, but once he felt the urge to push his driving experience to the limit, he decided to park his 4Runner and blow it all apart.

Essentially, Dean’s plan was to transform his once daily driver into a certified rock-crawling prerunner, and to get there, he knew chassis upgrades would be instrumental in his success.

He pulled off an incredible work of off-road art with the suspension rebuild, and at the forefront is a front solid axle swap, as well as a trailing arm Z-link rear setup.

Eibach springs, King coilovers, and 2.5 3-tube bypass shocks were utilized to give Dean’s 4Runner the height and ride quality necessary for the terrain he was looking to overcome.

KMC Grenade beadlock wheels and Toyo M/T-R tires also play a big role in allowing the Toyota to take on sandy dunes and rocky ascents.

The factory 4.0L V-6 was good to leave in place, but the drivetrain was heavily altered in the form of a full hydraulic PSC steering system, a diamond axle front housing with a Toyota 8-inch center and Dana 60 kingpin outers, and a Ford Econoline 9-inch rearend.

Dean also threw on a custom set of Branik Legacy 300mm front axle shafts to beef up the axle without weighing things down too much.

A truck like this must be designed with every accessory to make life on rocks much more comfortable and enjoyable. To increase the driving experience, Dean outfitted the interior of the 4Runner with a pair of Beard Racing suspension bucket seats up front and a single rear seat to squeeze in another passenger for the ride.

Dual Milwaukee Packout boxes filled with essential tools for trail repairs allow for worry-free truckin’, and a custom TIG-welded race-spec roll cage also gives Dean added peace of mind.

And of course, no off-grid rig would be complete without proper comms. Taking care of this necessity is a Rugged Radios intercom radio and a PCI RaceAir system.

Before he knew it, Dean’s 4Runner was fully equipped for an exciting second part of its existence with him.

It has come a long way since the days of tackling the daily commute. Since its completion, the Toyota has conquered King of the Hammers and is a veteran in other notable off-road destinations such as Sand Hollow, Calico, Dove Springs, Ocotillo Wells, and Barstow, just to name a few.

Even though Dean’s rig is fully functional and more than capable of doing what he wants it to do, he still has some upgrades he’d like to make, like sealing up the cab to keep more dust out and possibly even swapping in an LS with a TH400 and Atlas T-case.

While the days of blowing through motor mounts and too many throttle bodies to count are behind him, there will be plenty more issues for Dean to address. That’s just a part of the journey.

He accepts his fate, and he embraces it because any day north of the dirt is worth celebrating and making the most of.

If you’re reading this and have been waiting for that lightning bolt of inspiration to ignite progress on your own slow-moving project—boom, your wait is over.