[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.