Crane knuckles and Sky-Manufacturing tall arms were used to configure the high-steer crossover steering setup. The front axle is locked and fortified with aftermarket chrome-moly components. 5.13 gears provide the grunt to go slow.
The stock Tacoma 3.4L V6, auto tranny, and transfer case were left in place and serve as a solid powerplant for the hardcore drivetrain Mike has added.
The Tacoma sits on a longish wheelbase of 128 inches, so good belly clearance and tall tires help keep it from dragging over boulders. Down below, a modified Front Range Off-Road T-case mount and skidplate get the job done. Michelin XZL tires on Cragar wheels stand tall at about 38 inches.
Clearance is king in the rocks, and a bodied truck does best when some of the sheetmetal has been removed. Mike started by bobbing 13 inches off the tail of the bed. Then, each of the fenderwells met the saw and was opened up to accommodate larger tires and more articulation. For added protection of the remaining sheetmetal, custom tube bumpers and sliders were added.
We spent a couple of days on the trail wheeling with Mike and his Taco' and the combo he's assembled works well. It has great stability and flexes more than adequately. With most of the work being done with his friends (especially Eric Mollencopf), Mike's driving a rig to be proud of.
Mike has already started working on the next round of mods for his truck. A beefier Dana 60 and 14-bolt set of axles will go under it, and he's planning to move up to larger tires. Other planned upgrades include the hydro-assist steering, a larger fuel tank, and the addition of lower transfer case gears.
This rig's a daily driver and weekend warrior, and you'll certainly spot some dents here and there on it. Street-legal it is, but Mike built the Taco' to tackle the rocks as well.
Marlin Crawler front shock hoops have been welded to the framerails and support Bilstein 5150s. To steer the front Dana 44, Mike chose to use a Scout II box in place of the original rack-and-pinion setup. It's been rebuilt and tapped for hydro assist by PSC. | 
The stock Taco' rear axle was pulled and replaced with a wider Ford 9-inch assembly using 5.13 gears, a Detroit Locker, and Alloy USA chrome-moly shafts. The Tacoma driveshaft was sleeved for strength and uses a 1350-series joint to mate to the Ford third member. | 
The rear springs are 63-inch-long Chevy packs and are attached to the framerails using BudBuilt ramped spring hangers and a set of All-Pro bolt-style spring perches so the undersides of the tube are smooth. A B.C. Broncos disc-brake kit, adjustable proportioning valve, and custom brake lines provide powerful rear discs to match the front-axle stopping power. |