My journey of creating the perfect hunting vehicle (sw Oregon antelope hunting, sketchy roads with big rocks and tight trails)had an interesting beginning. My original 4Runner was a 98 limited, owned it for 2 months before this lovely event:




Who did it? I have no friggin idea lol I was at a bachelor party for 3 days (good time) and I came back to this... dang it.
I drove that sucker like this for a year and then decided I needed something a bit nicer. I tried buffing those key marks out, nothing worked and I wouldn’t settle for a low grade paint job.
Screw it, sell this sucker and buy another 3rd gen.

Next step: find a new 3rd gen. Some older woman was selling a 97 limited with locker, heck yeah.

Priority #1: ditch the running boards
Also scored some Tacoma wheels and tires for a good deal
Rookie mistake #1: throw a 1.5” level kit on and it’ll be perfect lol

Before hunting, time to throw on some Falken Wildpeak at3W 265/75r16 tires.
Time to go hunting, sw Oregon archery, we tried spot and stalk, for some reason that failed lol moved to the strategy of drive remote rear extinct trails, glass, repeat. Holy crap did we test the stock limits and get into some sketchy situations including getting stuck, twice. Learned a lot, decided if we want to push the limits and go where no one else does, it’s time to actually build.
*where no one else goes means the typical hunter, not you hard asses who wheel everywhere and make normal people look like idiots lol
Snagged a couple pictures along the way, nothing crazy

Random sick mod- 3D printed cup holders for us 96-98 peasants

My reliable co pilot in the passenger seat. Half mini Aussie

Winter time- re fresh the suspension and add a real lift. Let’s get this sucker functioning at a higher standard than 200+k stock suspension and a level.
Plenty of research and questions asked leads me to the following:
Bilstein 5100’s
OME 883/891
Built right fabrication uniball uca’s
*my brother is a firm believer in multiple ratchet straps to compress springs since a rental compressor blew up on him. Hey it worked, felt slightly sketchy but with 4 straps it’s hard to have all 4 fail and kill you I guess lol
I dig the new stance

I just picked up at 97 Limited today same color as yours and i really like the idea of removing the side steps. Will be removing mine tomorrow thanks to your pics. Are you selling any of those 3d printed cup holders??

Next step: protection. Have a buddy who made some sliders, got them painted and welded on. Didn’t take long in the snow before they saved my rear end

Next: need better lighting, threw a light bar on the front, and wired in some pods to the tail lights to assist in backing up in the dark off road, struggled with that in tight areas hunting.

Side note: that’s my brothers Tacoma, double locked, custom bumpers and sliders, he puts it all to good use

Next priority: tundra brakes, stock ones are trash!


Comparison of stock calipers to the 231’s

Time for the 2020 quarantine: friggin bored out of my mind. Come to think of it, my 32x10.5 wildpeaks look kind of small with a 3” lift. I dig the pizza cutter look, but want to stick with wildpeaks. Screw it, I’ll get some TRD off road 4runner wheels and go 255/80r17’s. With some strategic marketplace work and 3 buy and sells later I break even getting 5 TRD wheels. Selling 7 wheels for the price of the 12 I got was actually pretty dang easy. Some dude paid me $160 for 3 scuffed to hell wheels lol. Sold my 265’s for $500 and TRD wheels for $300, paying for my new 33x10 wildpeaks.
Friggin pumped I upgraded to 33’s for free. Smashed in the pinch weld before install. On the drive home, my limited front bumper flares were rubbing. Some careful cutting made it fit easy at full stuff and doesn’t look bad in my opinion.

Next on the agenda: 4x innovations rear bumper, buying some swing out parts and fabbing the rest to save money.
Front bumper: costal off road closed top bumper with full tubing
Re painting fender flares and limited side panels- Toyota paint code 181.
Waiting for stuff to arrive to get back to work!

Google 3rd gen 4Runner 3D cupholders. It should be like $40ish

Followed a write up on here and took off cladding and flares. Only broke 9 clips. getting ready to deep clean the 4runner and re paint the silver cladding and flares. 4x innovations rear bumper and costal off-road front are in the shipped.

It looks sweet. You already nailed out most people's first few months/year of projects. Good job dude! Did any of this come off your old whip or is everything a fresh start?