Featured Vehicle: Rock Crawlin' 1998 4Runner

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Casey McGoun's 1998 4Runner.

What if Doc Brown built his time machine from a 4Runner instead of a DeLorean? It sounds like heresy, but it could have happened. Toyota unveiled its now iconic SUV in 1984, a full year before the Marty McFly traveled back to the future.

Today, the 4Runner remains a best seller and ranks atop critics lists year after year, while the DeLorean Motor Company filed for bankruptcy in the 80s. Coincidence? Let's just say that maybe Toyota dodged a bullet there.

Along the way, this 1998 4Runner was born and some wonderful soul converted it into a perfectly capable off-road crawler for us to gawk at. That soul is Casey McGoun, a college student who's built up his SUV between classes. However, the end result begs the question: How does a college student transform his daily driver into the rock crawler of his dreams?

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The custom front axle was sourced from a Jeep Wagoneer.

McGoun started with a custom front axle kit. Sourced from a Jeep Wagoneer, the 60" WMS Dana 44 front end is packed with an ARB air locker, a set of chromoly axle shafts, and 4.88 gears. It's lifted on a set of 2.5"x12" travel Sway-A-Way coil over shocks.

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The 3.4L V-6 features a TRD Supercharger.

The stock 3.4L V-6 engine packs a punch thanks to the TRD supercharger, and it breathes easy thanks to a URD 7th injector and a set of OBT headers.

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Did you catch the '99 steering wheel swap?

You can keep track of everything that's happening under the hood with a TRD boost gauge, an Innovative Motorsports air/fuel display, and an UltraGauge OBD-II interface. Also, the original '98 steering wheel was switched out for a '99 model.

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The 35" Goodyear MT/Rs and Addicted Offroad front bumper create quite the combo.

The 4Runner rides on 35" Goodyear MT/Rs with added wheel spacers to increase stability and provide optimal clearance for 6” of overall lift.

While the lift is fantastic, an Addicted Off-road front bumper further improves the approach angle, and the higher clearance allows room for a Smittybilt 8000 pound winch.

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Rear overhang? No problem a rear bumper can't fix.

The rear overhang from the 4th generation 4Runner is...well, a little excessive, so McGoun added a CBI Offroad rear bumper with a tire carrier to ensure the back end wouldn't have any trouble coming down on rough terrain.

What mods have you made to your 4Runner? Share them with us on Facebook!

Written by Jason Lancaster