1994 Toyota Pickup - Off-Road Trucks

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an actual experience is worth a thousand pictures. How many times have you returned from an off-road adventure and then struggled to relate just how cool it was to your family/friends/significant other? The solution: Figure out a way to take them with you.

Norwood, Colorado's Pat Vigil was in just such a situation. The proud owner of a hardcore FJ40 truggy, he was never at a loss for words when it came to talking about his off-road adventures: "I was basically born into off-roading and outdoor activities. I've been into hunting and fishing for as long as I can remember. I had a stock FJ40 and I got tired of getting stuck, so I bought some lockers for the axles. The lockers worked so well on the trails that I realized I could go rockcrawling with my hunting rig."

A Dynatrac-fortified Dana 60 leads the way. This one's been fitted with 5.13 gears and a Detroit Locker. Note the position of the tie rod: way above the terrain and out of the way. Toyota's stock power steering box is respectably strong but was never designed to push and pull on 40-inch Goodyear MT/Rs. To help the Toyota steering box and its frame mount survive, a PSC ram-assist system pushes and pulls in sync with the stock pitman arm.

A Dynatrac-fortified Dana 60 leads the way. This one's been fitted with 5.13 gears and a

Pat's hunting rig evolved into a rock truggy. Performance was to be had in spades, but seating, especially comfortable seating for his wife and son, was nearly absent. Hunting was still possible with the truggy, but "dead deer looked funny" hanging off the back of the FJ40, which by now was mostly tubing instead of factory sheetmetal. Obviously, Pat needed a better way to mix his family with his outdoor adventures.

The FJ40 found its way to a proud new owner, replaced by a '94 Toyota ExtraCab 4x4 pickup. For a time, the ExtraCab wound its way through the trails with a swapped-in Toyota solid front axle, 7-inch Alcan leaf packs, a 4-inch body lift, and 40-inch Interco Iroks. As strong as Toyota axles are, they don't mix well with 40-inchers. Pat's truck had the seating he needed and the tire size he wanted. Big-time drivetrain fortification was in order, which meant a call to Rockworx 4x4 in Montrose, Colorado.

Rockworx, the same shop that recently crafted editor Phil Howell's white YJ, made sweeping changes to the Toy. The stock Toyota axles vanished, replaced by a Dana 60 front and a Dana 70 rear. The leaf packs went away too, and Rockworx custom-crafted front and rear link suspension systems that are long on travel and completely eliminate the axlewrap inherent to leaf springs. Gear reduction is now handled by an Inchworm crawler box that feeds into an Atlas II transfer case. Finally, Rockworx installed rollover protection with a custom-fabbed bed cage and an in-cab All-Pro 'cage that's tied into the frame. Thinking of building a Toyota truck for hard-core trail use? Pat suggests going "with 1-ton components from the beginning; that's where you'll end up anyway."

Off-Road caught up with Pat and his 1-ton Toy during the 2006 Moab Easter Jeep Safari, and we couldn't help but notice the ease with which the rig took to the rocks. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that this hard-core rig looks great too.

Pat's Toyota is a great blueprint for off-roaders who need a way to bring family or friends along during their off-road adventures. It's a lot more fun when no one gets left behind.

Rockworx set a modified radius-arm suspension in place of the deleted leaf springs. On a side note, the leaf springs had replaced the original Toyota IFS A-arm system. The driver-side radius arm eliminates axle twist via the short link between the main arm and the upper axle bracket. The passenger-side link locates the axle front-to-rear but does not control axle twist. This system flexes like mad - all the better to conquer the trails with.
Rockworx set a modified radius-arm suspension in place of the deleted leaf springs. On a
A pair of King coilvers provides clean mounting, easy adjustment, and consistent action up front. Since this is a trail rig that won't reach Baja-style velocity, 2-inch coilovers have sufficient oil capacity and damping for this application.
A pair of King coilvers provides clean mounting, easy adjustment, and consistent action up
Captured coils and parallel-mounted shocks work well under the rear of the Jeeps that Rockworx builds, so that same combo does duty here too.
Captured coils and parallel-mounted shocks work well under the rear of the Jeeps that Rock

Here's one of four points at which the All-Pro in-cab 'cage was tied into the frame using sandwich plates.
Here's one of four points at which the All-Pro in-cab 'cage was tied into the frame using
A 4.3:1 Atlas II transfer case was bolted to the back of an Inchworm crawler box using a custom adapter. For maximum ground clearance, the Atlas was clocked upward, resulting in a nearly flat rotation. A cove was built into the floor that tucks the Atlas higher without the need for an additional body lift.
A 4.3:1 Atlas II transfer case was bolted to the back of an Inchworm crawler box using a c
DrivelineSolutions.com provided the front and rear 'shafts and used big-boy 1350 CV joints in keeping with the 1-ton theme of the drivetrain.
DrivelineSolutions.com provided the front and rear 'shafts and used big-boy 1350 CV joints

The baby seat, which is securely fastened in place when it is occupied, is a key component of this truck.
The baby seat, which is securely fastened in place when it is occupied, is a key component
All-Pro's in-cab 'cage saves a lot of fabrication time since it comes precut and prebent. It stands well on its own, or it can be used as a base to build from, as Rockworx did.
All-Pro's in-cab 'cage saves a lot of fabrication time since it comes precut and prebent.
Out back, Rockworx built a four-link system between the stock framerails and the swapped-in Dana 70, which was fitted with a 5.13 gearset and a Detroit Locker to match the front. Disc brakes replaced the original drums. Also matching the front are lower links built from double layers of DOM tubing, one sleeved inside the other. Judging by the extent of the rock rash and the lack of trail-induced bends, the links are more than strong enough.
Out back, Rockworx built a four-link system between the stock framerails and the swapped-i

Even with all the ground clearance and high-clearance transfer case clocking, there's still a rock out there waiting to reach up and snatch something expensive underneath. A BudBuilt skidplate will see to it that the rock slinks back to its corner to lick its wounds.
Even with all the ground clearance and high-clearance transfer case clocking, there's stil
For now, the 1-ton theme is exclusively downstream of the transmission. The 3.0 V6 is still alive and well. Given the gear reduction that Pat has at his fingertips, the 3.0 has plenty of power for the rocky and technical trails this truck was built to do battle with.
For now, the 1-ton theme is exclusively downstream of the transmission. The 3.0 V6 is sti
Shift levers aplenty. Behind the main gearshift is the transfer case shifter that toggles between High and Inchworm-geared Low range. From there, the power is fed into an Atlas II. The Atlas is actuated by a cable-controlled twin-stick shifter, which lends versatility to the shifter's mounting location.
Shift levers aplenty. Behind the main gearshift is the transfer case shifter that toggles

A 4.3:1 Atlas II transfer case was bolted to the back of an Inchworm crawler box using a custom adapter. For maximum ground clearance, the Atlas was clocked upward, resulting in a nearly flat rotation. A cove was built into the floor that tucks the Atlas higher without the need for an additional body lift.
A 4.3:1 Atlas II transfer case was bolted to the back of an Inchworm crawler box using a c
The stock gas tank was in the way of the links under the truck, so it was deleted in favor of an in-bed RCi aluminum fuel cell. The bed floor is lined with a riveted aluminum plate.
The stock gas tank was in the way of the links under the truck, so it was deleted in favor
All flex and no control makes any truck a scary one, so a Currie Anti-Rock sway bar was mounted to the rear suspension. The Anti-Rock adds both stability and traction to the truck.
All flex and no control makes any truck a scary one, so a Currie Anti-Rock sway bar was mo

No workaday flatbed here. The stock bed was trimmed at the wheelwells for better tire clearance and dovetailed for better rock clearance. We dig the look severely. A custom Rockworx rear bumper wraps around the modified bed.
No workaday flatbed here. The stock bed was trimmed at the wheelwells for better tire cle
Rockworx rocker guards give the sheetmetal a fighting chance.