This is my '99 Tacoma Crawler . Originally it started out as a 2WD Tacoma , lowered on airbags :
Then it was converted to 4WD using a Dana 44 front and a Chrysler 9 1/4 rear on 38" TSLs . Rancho springs up front and stock 2WD Tacoma rear spring packs over the axle .
I then ditched the Dana 44 front and 9 1/4 rear and went to a Dana 60 front and Dana 70 rear with 5:38 gears , Detroit locker front and welded rear . I also changed out the spring packs to AP 5" front and rear :
When I first bought the truck it needed a bed . At the time , Tacoma beds could not be found at regular junkyards and you couldn't find one for under $1,200 . . . A friend told me he saw one at a wrecking yard a few weeks prior . I told him I didn't believe him so I went down with no tools just to prove him wrong and to my surprise , it was there . So I bought it :
Then I took the bed over to my friends' shop where we were working on my Toy and we mounted it :
We then started on the cagework . I have two kids so the objective was to mount a backseat and be able to bring them along on wheeling trips . They've been on the trail with me since they were months old in my old rig .
So then I got to wheel it . Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road knew of the build so they told me they wanted to feature it , which was a HUGE thing for me . Especially when they did and it was on the cover of the October 2008 issue :
A friend of mine who owns an off-road shop in South America :
Some love from The Rubicon :
Then it was on the cover of Advance Adapters' Toyota catalog :
I had got a call from CRAWL Magazine as well when Brandon Foster was there saying they wanted to feature it , but they never did .