Getting your truck featured in OFF-ROAD magazine doesn’t take an act of God; it simply takes creating a rig that our readers can dream of owning or building one day. This is why you see everything from home-brewed $3,000 trucks to full-blown Trophy Trucks in these pages. However, to get your truck featured in the magazine twice takes something special. Ryan “Bonzen” Lewis’ silver Tacoma was first seen in our March ’06 issue and more recently spotted in our April ’11 issue in the Clean Dezert article going big for our camera at the event’s close. In the past five years, Ryan has added quite a few upgrades to his Toyota, enough that we felt another look was in order. It was only a matter of time until Ryan’s stock Tacoma rearend needed to go. As you can see, he pushes his truck to limits most of us cringe at. The stock rear was replaced with a Currie Enterprises 9-inch that uses a Currie nodular third member, 5.43 gears, Spool, 31-spline Currie axles and Explorer disc brakes. The housing was custom fabricated by Ryan using 0.250-wall 4130 tubes and a Track 9 center section. An East County Driveline drive shaft was also added with a ProTruck slip yoke and 1350 U-joint. Ryan’s truck often doubles as a chase vehicle for various friends and has also seen the race course itself quite a few times—most recently taking home 9th place at the 2010 SNORE Battle at Primm where the field was stacked with some of the best 1400 Class trucks in the country. Needing more light when the races carry into the evening, he fabricated a new rooftop light rack holding four Vision X 8-inch HID lamps. After years of abuse, the old three-link rear suspension had to go. Ryan built a new one of similar design but much more heavy duty. The new design uses 4130 chromoly throughout and in Ryan’s words, “The trailing arms are trussed to hell inside.” The new wishbone also replaces the old bushing connections with Heims for increased strength and the elimination of that annoying bushing squeal.After years of abuse, the old three-link rear suspension had to go. Ryan built a new one o The steering rack was beefed up with a fully-boxed custom 4130 chromoly crossmember and machined threaded bungs that use F9-11 bolts. The new setup uses polyurethane bushings on the outer mounts and machined aluminum bushings that are TIG-welded to the rack casting for the center mount. This helps eliminated the often common cracked housing issue found under stock Tacoma steering racks. The tie rods are 4340 and nickel-plated.The steering rack was beefed up with a fully-boxed custom 4130 chromoly crossmember and ma To help reduce shock fade and keep the trucks front end up during huge hits, Bilstein Black Hawk ACV (Anti-Cavitation Valve) reservoirs were added to the front Bilstein coilovers. Joel Ward at Bilstein spent a lot of time with Ryan inside his shocks and adding the new reservoirs. We can assure you, this truck rides as well, if not better than, any other Tacoma we’ve been in.To help reduce shock fade and keep the trucks front end up during huge hits, Bilstein Blac The truck is sporting the stock 3.4L V-6 motor, currently around the 95,000 mile mark and still going strong. The TRD Supercharger is running like a top, and Downey ceramic-coated headers and a custom stainless-steel exhaust, using a Magnaflow muffler and built by RPM Muffler, has helped exit gases.The truck is sporting the stock 3.4L V-6 motor, currently around the 95,000 mile mark and No Photoshop was used in creating any of the jump photos in this article. This shot and the others are 100-percent, hold-on-tight-we’re-going-for-a-ride authentic!No Photoshop was used in creating any of the jump photos in this article. This shot and th The front bumper received a new Vision X 8-inch LED light bar and the stock headlights were converted to 55-watt HID lamps. Wanting more bite in the dirt, Ryan swapped out his all-terrain tires for a set of 315/75R16 BFG M/T KM2 tires. “My tires spun like crazy in some sections of desert before, the mud terrain tires bite much harder and keep me on track better,” says Ryan.The front bumper received a new Vision X 8-inch LED light bar and the stock headlights wer By Jordan May Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
