Maybe it’s a West Coast thing, but we see a lot of 4Runners here in California. While a Wrangler Rubicon is probably the undisputed champion of ‘best stock wheeler’ the 4Runner certainly presents an interesting case for itself. With legendary Toyota reliability, strong resale value, a simple platform that lends itself to easy off road upgrades and a long history of marrying day to day practicality with rugged capability, it’s certainly a great option for many who do not need the purely offroad focused mindset of a Jeep. Toyota has catered more and more towards the off road crowd in recent years with their various TRD trims, but they also come with some unnecessary features and a bloated price tag. Unless one is choosing the top range TRD Pro model, the suspension is still lackluster at best in our experience.

So what is the wise but cost conscious consumer to do? Well, it’s certainly possible to buy a nicely equipped SR5 model then upgrade from there, which is exactly what this customer did. As this SUV is both his daily driver and work vehicle, driving around SLO county bidding jobs, simplicity and reliability were paramount. His main requests were something that rode good on and off road, wouldn’t jiggle itself apart after a weekend of exploring the rutted back roads to prime campsites, and some step and rocker protection as his vehicle did not originally come equipped with any step board.

As with other independent front suspension platforms, the same items need to be addressed to ensure proper alignment and take advantage of the increased wheel travel available from going to a coil over. ICON’s Delta Joint equipped tubular upper arms are a tried and true solution. These proprietary joints offer better resistance to wear from the elements and more angular deflection than a Uniball, without the need for custom spacers and adapters which can develop play over time.

As this 4Runner came un-equipped with steps from the factory, rock sliders were a logical addition to the build. Given that the factory step boards are chintzy body mounted plastic, their sturdiness is marginal at best, and may as well come with a ‘Warning, slippery when wet!’ sticker applied. Great as a selling point to soccer moms and desk jockeys who just need it to be easier to get in and out, but not worth the time to take off to replace with something truly effective. All-Pro has a great reputation within the industry for making well designed and good fitting armor, and practically invented the ‘kick-out’ design common on virtually all frame mounted Toyota sliders these days. This clever design feature gives both a larger spot to stand when accessing the roof of the vehicle, and serves to keep the more vulnerable rear doors farther away from impending doom on the trail if things go sideways. And if the dented OEM skid plate we noticed while installing the suspension is any indication…the owner will probably end up using the sliders sooner than later…

Keeping it simple is the name of the game sometimes. A build like this won’t break the budget but will allow you increased comfort and usability. A penny saved, is a penny earned, or simply a penny earmarked for beer and gas on future trips!