CHAPPYsteve’s 1996 Toyota 4Runner

FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!August 2010 a fire started in our condo garage in which the FUNrunner was parked outside and recieved fire damage.  After the fire I stripped the interrior from carpet to headliner, laid down some dynomat type sound denting material and installed interior from a newer donor 4Runner.  Here are the picture of my 2010 summer, one I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Here is a current spec list off the top of my head so I'm sure I'm forgetting schtuff. In short what I have for sale is a one of a kind long-travel supercharged Toyota 4Runner 4x4 with all the bolt on suspention & motor goodies, a race built Import Performance Transmission sending 240HP to the ground with 290 ft/lbs of torque tuned/dyno by Church Automotive in LBC.  I have had this truck since ’07, in that time with the help of many amazing companies & fabricators have performed many many many upgrades. FUNRunner: the basics5vzfe TRD SuperCharger w/ URD fuel upgradesauto IPT transmission   30-40LE    96B R 338644wd with rear Electric locker  [U][B]>>> SUSPENTION <<<[/B][/U]> Twisted Custom chromolly control arms upper/lower/panhard bar> Light Racing jounce -3" travel> Sway-A-Way 2-tube 2.0 bypass (refurbished 10/2011)>ARB OME891 coils>Beard limit straps> SpiderTrax  spacers 1.25" thick [I]FRONT[/I]>Total Chaos upper/lower arms>Sway-A-Way 3-tube 2.5 bypass [rebuilt 10/2011]>Sway-A-Way 2.5 coilover>Beard limit straps [U][B]>>> MOTOR & TRANSMISSION <<<[/B][/U]>5vz-fe 3.4l V6 [rebuilt 7/2011 from 2002 Tacoma]>TRD Supercharger rebuilt by PSE Superchargers [5/2010]>318cc Bosch fuel injectors modified to fit the 3.4 fuel rail and intake manifold>Six 2 steps cooler performance Iridium spark plugs IK22  [5/2012]>Walbro 190 LPH pump [5/2010]>URD piggy-back computer tuned [5/2012]>Doug Thorley headers into 3” exhaust [5/2010]>Magnaflow muffler with 3” piping to bumper [3/2012]>URD 2.20 S/C pulley [5/2010]>Mallory fuel regulator 4305M [5/2010]>LC Engineering race plug wires>Import Performance Transmissions built the transmission with high stall torque converter & valve body. [11/2011]>Extra-large transmission cooler>Griffin aluminum radiator with aluminum fan shroud [11/2011]>Dyno’d at 240hp@ 5400rpm, 291ftlb@ 3000rpm to the wheels>Deckplate mode with snorkel going back into the cab for fresh air [U][B]>>> DRIVE-TRAIN & BRAKES<<<[/B][/U]>Rear Toyota Electric locker>456 Currie Enterprise gears frt/rear [2/2012]>New driveshaft and CV>Front Tundra calipers>Stillen slotted rotors>Stillen pads>Rear converted to disk brakes via Trail-Gear>CNC Turning brake controller for rear brakes>Wilwood proportioning valve [U][B]>>>INTERIOR & CREATURE COMFORTS<<<[/B][/U]>OEM seats carpet & headliner replaced 10/2011>AEM Analog Wideband Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge 30-5130>AEM Analog Boost Gauge 30-5132>AEM Analog Transmission Temp Gauge>ScanGuageII>Lawrence IWave600 GPS>Alpine iDA-X303 (head unit) Digital Media Receiver>Alpine Serious satellite radio>Rockford Fosgate Punch 225.2 amplifiers X2>Alpine SPR-60C (front speakers ) Type-R 6-3/4" component speaker system>Kicker 10CVT654 (rear speakers)CompVT 6.5"  subwoofers>DynoMatt used throughout doors and floor>Tuffy Security Products tool box with drawer>Rubberized custom fit floor mats. [B][U]>>>ARMOR & BUMPERS<<<[/U][/B]>RaceCoUSA custom front bumper w/ aluminum skid plates>BudBuild belly pan>Trail-Gear rocker guards>CBI Fabrication rear bumper & swinger>BajaRacks rooftop rack [B][U]>>>ELECTRICAL<<<[/U][/B]>URD computer wired by “Smitty” (same guy that wires Gieser Brothers Trophy Trucks)>KC HiLites wired by “Smitty” (same guy that wires Gieser Brothers Trophy Trucks)>Headlights wired by IPF wiring harness so you can run HOT H4 bulbs no problem>Optima Yellow top battery w/ Trail-Gear battery mount>All new battery cables, ground cables & alternator cable made of 0 welding wire. [B][U]>>>OTHER SCHTUFF<<<[/U][/B]>Glassworks fiberglass front fenders painted to match.>Fiberwerks rear fenders [not installed]>Window tint>Deck Plate modification>Internal snorkel from air box into cab for fresh air. [B][U]>>>MAINTANCE<<<[/U][/B]All maintaines is documented and up to-date with only the best Lucas Oil lubricants used throughout.  Truck is dialed and really buggys through the desert.  A lot of time spent tunning with Sway-A-Way.Truck also was Dyno’d by Church Automotive in Long Beach Ca.>Lucas Oil synthetic fluids used throughout.>Motor oil is fresh>Transmission oil changed 2/2012>Gear oil front/rear changed 2/2012>New front/rear ring & pinion 2/2012>Front & rear bearings changed 11/2009>Driveshaft cv & all ujoints changed 12/2011>Front brake shoes & rotors>Rear brake shoes & rotors 2/2012>Axle cv’s serviced 2/2012  THE BAD: Truck was recently rebuilt last summer after it got caught up in a garage fire, which is why interior was stripped and replaced.  Passenger rear quarter panel was damaged by fire department, but all body work is done, just needs paint.  During the down time I stripped this thing down to nothing and either replaced or rebuild all wear parts & more.  Sun roof is a mystery sometimes works sometimes doesn’t.  Heater core started to leak so I bypassed it but on the flip side the AC blows cold.  Truck will also need new rubber. Looking for $12,500 as it sits; but willing to negotiate less parts= less money.  BUY NOW if you want it get it before I start piecing this thing out. As my family has grown it’s become evident that it is time to move onto something that doesn't require so much energy, and money to keep up, so I can spend that on three little ones (& my bride of course).  Title is clean (not salvage) and is in hand, registration just got paid so COLORADO tags are good through next summer.  Vehicle is now located in Arizona (Prescott area).

……. It was time for a prerunner bumper anyway.Finally made some headway on a new bumper so I thought I would go ahead and start a thread as this bumper gets finished up (suggestions welcomed).First I need to thank some folks: Yves Braun out of Denver who provided me with the chrome-molly tubing to make it happen. John Cooley of [URL="http://www.alumicraft.info/"][COLOR="Blue"]Alumi Craft[/COLOR][/URL][/B]  in San Diego for use of his radius bender, which made this bumper unique.  And mostly [U]Jamie Campbell[/U] of [B][URL="http://www.raceco-USA.com"][COLOR="Red"]RaceCO USA[/COLOR][/URL][/B] in Irvine for bringing my vision to reality.  Jamie is an artist with a welder; all the gorgeous welds you see are his others are mine. :)Cutting it all offI put this cross bar in and notched it to clear the a/c condenser's hardline.

PROJECT FunRunner pt.1  As a dirt-sport chaplain I needed a reliable vehicle that could conquer all types of terrain, get me back home, and do it all in style.  The professional competitions I cover as a chaplain contain the most demanding terrain from desert races to rockcrawling venues.  Covering these events and making it back home is no easy task to ask of one vehicle.  Some would say impossible to build such a diverse & reliable vehicle.  The starting point was purchasing a reliable bone stock ‘96 Toyota 4Runner. It became pretty evident that the only dirt Toyota anticipated this SUV to see was that of a light trail or gravel driveway.

PROJECT FunRunner pt.1  As a dirt-sport chaplain I needed a reliable vehicle that could conquer all types of terrain, get me back home, and do it all in style.  The professional competitions I cover as a chaplain contain the most demanding terrain from desert races to rockcrawling venues.  Covering these events and making it back home is no easy task to ask of one vehicle.  Some would say impossible to build such a diverse & reliable vehicle.  The starting point was purchasing a reliable bone stock ‘96 Toyota 4Runner. It became pretty evident that the only dirt Toyota anticipated this SUV to see was that of a light trail or gravel driveway.

The frame was notched slightly to reset the Light Racing mount deeper keeping things away from the tires. If this is too much work or you don't want to cut into your frame then get the 1.5" jounce and bucket mounting kit. I wanted more controlled up-travel (3" jounce) and easier acceptability to make adjustments (rebound/compression). This higher placement measures out perfect for up-travel contact. Also notice how the cross brace thing (technical term) was sleeved to tie the two hoops together for additional strength. The Spidertrax spacers also help keep everything clear from the tires.Ignore the length of the upper arm bolts, they were eventually cut to length, I wanted the strength of longer shanks. Its embarrassing seeing all those threads so I did get back under there with the cutoff wheel. The Twisted Custom panhard bar is adjustable using treaded heims at both ends. Twisted Custom machined misalignment spacers to fit the factory mounts. All I had to do was drill out the holes for larger bolts. Removing the shock mount bolt is a tight fit past the lower arm mount, but it does come out. Could have used a little more room (up or down) here but that is where the tape measure said to put the shock mounts.A couple shots of Twisted Customs work strapping the bushing housing for additional strength and fitting the factory mount perfect.  I later drilled and tapped zerk fittings into these mounts to keep the bushings happy.Other options/improvements could be made to get more articulation and/or travel out of the rearend. I didn't want to reinvent the Toyota protractor or cut up my cargo area, at the end of the day its just a 4Runner and a daily driver. This idea works well for the guy (myself) who is limited on time or ability in fabricating a full-blown LT suspension. Simply put: its a big improving on what is there and almost bolt on.

Rocker Guards (the "best" offroad upgrade)In my humble option a good set of rocker guards is probably the best 1st upgrade that should be made to any rockcrawl project.  It doesn't matter if your plan is for a light duty trail crawler or a full blown Johnson Valley Hammer king buggy; rocker guards should be the first thing.  Why?  Once you smash down on your oem rocker panels without rocker guards and can't open/shut your doors and will wish you made that investment 1st.  Ask me how I know.  They are not a sexy upgrade but a necessary one.My rocker guards came from Trail-Gear www.Trail-Gear.com for their excellent service, quality products and pricing.  They have their own manufacturing plant that enables them to past distribution savings onto the customer and gives them more control over product development.  I get everything I can from Trail-Gear and suggest checking them out.

Rear Bumper(chase/prerunn ready: Baja approved)Getting a rear bumper on the FUNrunner has long been overdue and has become a huge need for my surf safari and prerunning/race-chasing activities down in Baja. There are two major/serious reasons why the need for a real bumper:1) I need to be able to carry a full size spare2) I need to make room for a fuel cell where the OEM spare is. Too many times the FUNrunner has all but made me walk from running out of fuel. For those of you that haven't ventured south of the boarder; gas stations are few and far between, when you do find one there is a good chance it will be closed or out of fuel. Not fun being stranded without gas in Baja at night.To accomplish this build I turned to Steve Eagan of C.B.I. Fabrication out of Idaho Falls Idaho http://cbioffroadfab.com/. I have seen Steve's work up close on the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Bully-Dog pace truck that I ride in. He fabricated the bumpers and rear cage for that truck and it has served well bombing through the short-course jumps so I figured his work would be more then sufficient for the FUNrunners duties as a race-chasing prerunner.

……. It was time for a prerunner bumper anyway.Finally made some headway on a new bumper so I thought I would go ahead and start a thread as this bumper gets finished up (suggestions welcomed).First I need to thank some folks: Yves Braun out of Denver who provided me with the chrome-molly tubing to make it happen. John Cooley of [URL="http://www.alumicraft.info/"][COLOR="Blue"]Alumi Craft[/COLOR][/URL][/B]  in San Diego for use of his radius bender, which made this bumper unique.  And mostly [U]Jamie Campbell[/U] of [B][URL="http://www.raceco-USA.com"][COLOR="Red"]RaceCO USA[/COLOR][/URL][/B] in Irvine for bringing my vision to reality.  Jamie is an artist with a welder; all the gorgeous welds you see are his others are mine. :)Cutting it all offI put this cross bar in and notched it to clear the a/c condenser's hardline.

What the fire didn't destroy it seemed like the firemen did.  They tried to enter the vehicle through the passenger rear door, prying with all they had until they finally gave up........ or they realized that both doors on the driver side were wide open as was the hatch.  errrrr.  Their post fire celebration was after I put the fire out.  :-)

[pic Project FUNrunner: The grocery getter before the storm ] At the end of the day my desire was to increase the offroad performance without sacrificing the 4runners street-ability.  The 4Runner is my daily driver and has to get me to and from the race course.  The goals were to increase its off-road performance in the desert and on the rocks by fitting larger off-road tires, increasing its suspension travel all while maintaining minimal lift to keep the center of gravity as low as possible.  This seemed like a tall order without major modification and a wad of cash, but read on, the answer is easier than you think.  In most cases in order to improve a truck’s off-road capabilities the on-road handling has to suffer.  In the past you really only had two choices, either install a stiff riding “lift-kit” or break out a box of sawza’ blades.    [pic Project FUNrunner: The grocery getter before the storm ]Well times have changed and there are few truly talented companies that can build a suspension system to improve the entire character of your rig.  Leading the charge in the battle for the perfect real world suspension system are the master fabricators at Total Chaos Fabrication. The pros at Total Chaos are developing state of the art suspension systems to improve all areas of your truck/SUV performance.   Their long-travel suspension kit was the perfect solution to turn the 4-Runner into a FUNRunner.The Total Chaos long travel kit includes longer fully boxed lower and tubular upper A-arms, upper Uni-balls, polyurethane bushings, extended braided stainless steel brake lines, longer steering tie rods, and adjustable limit straps.  Unlike most aftermarket upgrades that require trip after trip to the hardware store, Total Chaos includes all the bits and pieces you will need right down to the last bolt and washer.   Because there are many choices in spring rates and shocks, you will have to make the choice when it comes to shocks, and coils.   You will also have to change out your factory length axles for longer high angle ones.  These too can be purchased from TC or sourced from a donor T-100.   TC supplies step-by-step instructions from tear down to build up so I’ll spare you the details and stick to the highlights.

Here is a current spec list off the top of my head so I'm sure I'm forgetting schtuff. In short what I have for sale is a one of a kind long-travel supercharged Toyota 4Runner 4x4 with all the bolt on suspention & motor goodies, a race built Import Performance Transmission sending 240HP to the ground with 290 ft/lbs of torque tuned/dyno by Church Automotive in LBC.  I have had this truck since ’07, in that time with the help of many amazing companies & fabricators have performed many many many upgrades. FUNRunner: the basics5vzfe TRD SuperCharger w/ URD fuel upgradesauto IPT transmission   30-40LE    96B R 338644wd with rear Electric locker  [U][B]>>> SUSPENTION <<<[/B][/U]> Twisted Custom chromolly control arms upper/lower/panhard bar> Light Racing jounce -3" travel> Sway-A-Way 2-tube 2.0 bypass (refurbished 10/2011)>ARB OME891 coils>Beard limit straps> SpiderTrax  spacers 1.25" thick [I]FRONT[/I]>Total Chaos upper/lower arms>Sway-A-Way 3-tube 2.5 bypass [rebuilt 10/2011]>Sway-A-Way 2.5 coilover>Beard limit straps [U][B]>>> MOTOR & TRANSMISSION <<<[/B][/U]>5vz-fe 3.4l V6 [rebuilt 7/2011 from 2002 Tacoma]>TRD Supercharger rebuilt by PSE Superchargers [5/2010]>318cc Bosch fuel injectors modified to fit the 3.4 fuel rail and intake manifold>Six 2 steps cooler performance Iridium spark plugs IK22  [5/2012]>Walbro 190 LPH pump [5/2010]>URD piggy-back computer tuned [5/2012]>Doug Thorley headers into 3” exhaust [5/2010]>Magnaflow muffler with 3” piping to bumper [3/2012]>URD 2.20 S/C pulley [5/2010]>Mallory fuel regulator 4305M [5/2010]>LC Engineering race plug wires>Import Performance Transmissions built the transmission with high stall torque converter & valve body. [11/2011]>Extra-large transmission cooler>Griffin aluminum radiator with aluminum fan shroud [11/2011]>Dyno’d at 240hp@ 5400rpm, 291ftlb@ 3000rpm to the wheels>Deckplate mode with snorkel going back into the cab for fresh air [U][B]>>> DRIVE-TRAIN & BRAKES<<<[/B][/U]>Rear Toyota Electric locker>456 Currie Enterprise gears frt/rear [2/2012]>New driveshaft and CV>Front Tundra calipers>Stillen slotted rotors>Stillen pads>Rear converted to disk brakes via Trail-Gear>CNC Turning brake controller for rear brakes>Wilwood proportioning valve [U][B]>>>INTERIOR & CREATURE COMFORTS<<<[/B][/U]>OEM seats carpet & headliner replaced 10/2011>AEM Analog Wideband Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge 30-5130>AEM Analog Boost Gauge 30-5132>AEM Analog Transmission Temp Gauge>ScanGuageII>Lawrence IWave600 GPS>Alpine iDA-X303 (head unit) Digital Media Receiver>Alpine Serious satellite radio>Rockford Fosgate Punch 225.2 amplifiers X2>Alpine SPR-60C (front speakers ) Type-R 6-3/4" component speaker system>Kicker 10CVT654 (rear speakers)CompVT 6.5"  subwoofers>DynoMatt used throughout doors and floor>Tuffy Security Products tool box with drawer>Rubberized custom fit floor mats. [B][U]>>>ARMOR & BUMPERS<<<[/U][/B]>RaceCoUSA custom front bumper w/ aluminum skid plates>BudBuild belly pan>Trail-Gear rocker guards>CBI Fabrication rear bumper & swinger>BajaRacks rooftop rack [B][U]>>>ELECTRICAL<<<[/U][/B]>URD computer wired by “Smitty” (same guy that wires Gieser Brothers Trophy Trucks)>KC HiLites wired by “Smitty” (same guy that wires Gieser Brothers Trophy Trucks)>Headlights wired by IPF wiring harness so you can run HOT H4 bulbs no problem>Optima Yellow top battery w/ Trail-Gear battery mount>All new battery cables, ground cables & alternator cable made of 0 welding wire. [B][U]>>>OTHER SCHTUFF<<<[/U][/B]>Glassworks fiberglass front fenders painted to match.>Fiberwerks rear fenders [not installed]>Window tint>Deck Plate modification>Internal snorkel from air box into cab for fresh air. [B][U]>>>MAINTANCE<<<[/U][/B]All maintaines is documented and up to-date with only the best Lucas Oil lubricants used throughout.  Truck is dialed and really buggys through the desert.  A lot of time spent tunning with Sway-A-Way.Truck also was Dyno’d by Church Automotive in Long Beach Ca.>Lucas Oil synthetic fluids used throughout.>Motor oil is fresh>Transmission oil changed 2/2012>Gear oil front/rear changed 2/2012>New front/rear ring & pinion 2/2012>Front & rear bearings changed 11/2009>Driveshaft cv & all ujoints changed 12/2011>Front brake shoes & rotors>Rear brake shoes & rotors 2/2012>Axle cv’s serviced 2/2012  THE BAD: Truck was recently rebuilt last summer after it got caught up in a garage fire, which is why interior was stripped and replaced.  Passenger rear quarter panel was damaged by fire department, but all body work is done, just needs paint.  During the down time I stripped this thing down to nothing and either replaced or rebuild all wear parts & more.  Sun roof is a mystery sometimes works sometimes doesn’t.  Heater core started to leak so I bypassed it but on the flip side the AC blows cold.  Truck will also need new rubber. Looking for $12,500 as it sits; but willing to negotiate less parts= less money.  BUY NOW if you want it get it before I start piecing this thing out. As my family has grown it’s become evident that it is time to move onto something that doesn't require so much energy, and money to keep up, so I can spend that on three little ones (& my bride of course).  Title is clean (not salvage) and is in hand, registration just got paid so COLORADO tags are good through next summer.  Vehicle is now located in Arizona (Prescott area).

[pic Project FUNrunner: The grocery getter before the storm ] At the end of the day my desire was to increase the offroad performance without sacrificing the 4runners street-ability.  The 4Runner is my daily driver and has to get me to and from the race course.  The goals were to increase its off-road performance in the desert and on the rocks by fitting larger off-road tires, increasing its suspension travel all while maintaining minimal lift to keep the center of gravity as low as possible.  This seemed like a tall order without major modification and a wad of cash, but read on, the answer is easier than you think.  In most cases in order to improve a truck’s off-road capabilities the on-road handling has to suffer.  In the past you really only had two choices, either install a stiff riding “lift-kit” or break out a box of sawza’ blades.    [pic Project FUNrunner: The grocery getter before the storm ]Well times have changed and there are few truly talented companies that can build a suspension system to improve the entire character of your rig.  Leading the charge in the battle for the perfect real world suspension system are the master fabricators at Total Chaos Fabrication. The pros at Total Chaos are developing state of the art suspension systems to improve all areas of your truck/SUV performance.   Their long-travel suspension kit was the perfect solution to turn the 4-Runner into a FUNRunner.The Total Chaos long travel kit includes longer fully boxed lower and tubular upper A-arms, upper Uni-balls, polyurethane bushings, extended braided stainless steel brake lines, longer steering tie rods, and adjustable limit straps.  Unlike most aftermarket upgrades that require trip after trip to the hardware store, Total Chaos includes all the bits and pieces you will need right down to the last bolt and washer.   Because there are many choices in spring rates and shocks, you will have to make the choice when it comes to shocks, and coils.   You will also have to change out your factory length axles for longer high angle ones.  These too can be purchased from TC or sourced from a donor T-100.   TC supplies step-by-step instructions from tear down to build up so I’ll spare you the details and stick to the highlights.

First thing we did was clean up the frame as good as we could since I opt for the weld on style rockerguards made of 1 ¾” x .120 1035 DOM tubing.  They also offer bolt-on guards, but I prefer the strength of weld-on.  Also, the weld-on package allowed me to choose the rocker guards placement and angle exactly how I like.  Since the FUNrunner is built more for speed then it is hardcore wheeling, I didn't need rocker guards that stuck way out.  As a rule-of-thumb: guards too close to the rig will only protect it when you come directly down on a subject rock but don’t provide any body protection when you lean into one.  If you mount them sticking to far out then they are prone to hang up and grabbing every rock you squeeze by.  Finding the happy medium placement is users discression.

The frame was notched slightly to reset the Light Racing mount deeper keeping things away from the tires. If this is too much work or you don't want to cut into your frame then get the 1.5" jounce and bucket mounting kit. I wanted more controlled up-travel (3" jounce) and easier acceptability to make adjustments (rebound/compression). This higher placement measures out perfect for up-travel contact. Also notice how the cross brace thing (technical term) was sleeved to tie the two hoops together for additional strength. The Spidertrax spacers also help keep everything clear from the tires.Ignore the length of the upper arm bolts, they were eventually cut to length, I wanted the strength of longer shanks. Its embarrassing seeing all those threads so I did get back under there with the cutoff wheel. The Twisted Custom panhard bar is adjustable using treaded heims at both ends. Twisted Custom machined misalignment spacers to fit the factory mounts. All I had to do was drill out the holes for larger bolts. Removing the shock mount bolt is a tight fit past the lower arm mount, but it does come out. Could have used a little more room (up or down) here but that is where the tape measure said to put the shock mounts.A couple shots of Twisted Customs work strapping the bushing housing for additional strength and fitting the factory mount perfect.  I later drilled and tapped zerk fittings into these mounts to keep the bushings happy.Other options/improvements could be made to get more articulation and/or travel out of the rearend. I didn't want to reinvent the Toyota protractor or cut up my cargo area, at the end of the day its just a 4Runner and a daily driver. This idea works well for the guy (myself) who is limited on time or ability in fabricating a full-blown LT suspension. Simply put: its a big improving on what is there and almost bolt on.

Then fabrication started on the bracing for the future bumper and swinger.Our priorities in this build are to fabricate a performance/duty oriented bumper that is lean, high-clearance but still stout enough to carry needed items (spare tire, fuel jug, jack and breaker bar). I didn’t want some land-anchor that was all for show and not for go.

……. It was time for a prerunner bumper anyway.Finally made some headway on a new bumper so I thought I would go ahead and start a thread as this bumper gets finished up (suggestions welcomed).First I need to thank some folks: Yves Braun out of Denver who provided me with the chrome-molly tubing to make it happen. John Cooley of [URL="http://www.alumicraft.info/"][COLOR="Blue"]Alumi Craft[/COLOR][/URL][/B]  in San Diego for use of his radius bender, which made this bumper unique.  And mostly [U]Jamie Campbell[/U] of [B][URL="http://www.raceco-USA.com"][COLOR="Red"]RaceCO USA[/COLOR][/URL][/B] in Irvine for bringing my vision to reality.  Jamie is an artist with a welder; all the gorgeous welds you see are his others are mine. :)Cutting it all offI put this cross bar in and notched it to clear the a/c condenser's hardline.

[pic TC Final install: Running dual shocks is probably overkill and not necessary for the occasional wheeler, but does add a lot of durability and a little bling to the overall package. ] Complete axles with high-angle boots are needed to complete the installation and they can be purchased from Total Chaos as part of the package.  These simple plug-n-play axles are complete with new shafts and high angle Porsche boots for about $100 more than what you would spend doing it yourself.  It’s your choice, but we went the easy route and just bought it all from Total Chaos.  If you think you can save some cash and purchase axles down the road, you can’t.  You will need to install longer axles at the time of installation in order to keep your wheels on.  To save some money you can go to the junk yard and pull factory axles out of a Toyota T-100, but you will also need to swap out the CV boots with a set of high angle Porsche boots.  Then you need to clearance the metal on the T-100 shafts slightly to make room for the additional travel of the new suspension.  If this sounds like too much running around and you are not excited about crawling around in the dirt at the local junk yard, save yourself the time and buy the shafts with the rest of the suspension system from Total Chaos.

To reinforce the frame, bumper and receiver hitch a cross brace was installed from inside frame rail to rail. For an added option a glove-box is added; "bumper-box." It ate up a lot of time bending the folds but I think it will be awesome storage for a wet muddy tow strap or just security for the hitch receiver pin inside.