Rolled 4 Times, Doors Ripped Off, DAILY DRIVER! This 4Runner Won't Quit

Brandon Sloan’s 1985 Toyota 4Runner isn’t just another weekend warrior sitting pretty in some garage - this thing is a legitimate daily-driven rock crawler that’s seen more action than most trail rigs see in a lifetime. When you first lay eyes on this machine, you know immediately that it means business. The wide stance, the aggressive bumper work, and that battle-tested paint job tell the story of a truck that’s been built to crawl rocks and take punishment.

What makes Brandon’s build so impressive isn’t just the technical work - though that’s seriously next level - it’s the fact that he taught himself everything through YouTube videos and pure determination. Working out of his driveway, he’s created something that can hang with the best of them on the trails while still getting him to work every day. That’s the kind of dedication that separates the real builders from the weekend warriors.

The foundation of this beast starts with that legendary 22RE motor. These four-cylinder Toyota engines are absolute workhorses that have earned their reputation in the rock crawling world. Brandon’s got his mildly cammed and running strong enough to cruise the freeway at 75-80 mph, which is pretty impressive considering this thing is geared for crawling over boulders. The 22RE’s reputation for reliability is well-deserved - these motors just keep running no matter what you throw at them.

The real magic happens underneath though. Brandon’s running a Trail Gear Plus 5 rock assault housing that’s five inches wider than stock, giving him that aggressive stance and the stability needed for serious rock work. Combined with IFS wheel hubs that push things out another inch and a half per side, he’s got eight inches of total width over stock without running wheel spacers. That’s proper engineering right there.

The suspension setup is where things get really interesting. While most rock crawlers stick with simple monotube shocks, Brandon went with Fox 2.5 triple bypass shocks all around. That’s more commonly seen in the prerunner world, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. The adjustability and performance of a triple bypass system gives him options that a basic shock just can’t match. He’s got 14 inches of travel front and rear, which might not sound like much compared to some long-travel setups, but for a leaf spring truck, that’s solid performance.

Speaking of leaf springs, Brandon’s approach shows the beauty of the Toyota platform. Up front, he’s running stock rear springs with the main leaf, plus All Pro buggy springs for cushioning. Out back, he’s got Chevy 63-inch springs from a half-ton truck. The fact that you can mix and match salvage yard parts and create something that performs this well is part of what makes rock crawling so accessible.

The fabrication work is where Brandon really shines. The entire front end from the firewall forward is custom work after he snapped his original frame in half. That’s not uncommon in serious rock crawling - these trucks take hits that would total most vehicles. His solution was to chop everything off and build it back stronger. The front bumper, the engine cage, the whole works - all fabricated in his driveway by a guy who’d never touched a welder before starting this project.

The cage work is particularly impressive. It’s tied into the frame and the cab properly, which is crucial for safety and structural integrity. Brandon can actually remove sections of the engine cage to pull the motor if needed, showing the kind of forward thinking that separates good builds from great ones. The rock sliders are welded to the frame and integrated into the cage structure, so they’re actually protecting the truck instead of just being bolt-on accessories.

This 4Runner has been through hell and back. It’s been rolled four times, taken hits that shattered the windshield, and had doors ripped off their hinges on a trail called Wrecking Ball in Johnson Valley. The fact that Brandon still drives it to work every day with a broken motor mount and a door that won’t open just shows the kind of commitment real wheelers have to their rigs.

What’s really inspiring about Brandon’s story goes way beyond just building a badass truck. After surviving a near-fatal accident in August 2023 that left him airlifted to the hospital with traumatic brain injury, he’s been fighting his way back. The doctors told his family he’d be in a vegetative state, but Brandon proved them wrong. He’s been working incredibly hard to regain his motor skills and get back to normal, and we absolutely wish him the best in his recovery.

The rock crawling scene has exploded in the last decade, and builds like Brandon’s show exactly why. You don’t need a six-figure budget or a full machine shop to build something capable. What you need is determination, creativity, and the willingness to learn as you go. Brandon’s 4Runner proves that with enough heart and some YouTube University education, you can build something that’ll take you places most people can’t even walk.

The beauty of this whole scene is the community aspect. Brandon’s the kind of guy who’ll winch out a stuck rig regardless of what they’re driving, because it’s about having fun and helping each other out. That’s what real off-roading is all about - not the fancy parts or the Instagram photos, but the shared experience of pushing limits and exploring places most people never see.

For anyone thinking about getting into rock crawling, Brandon’s build shows that it’s more accessible than you might think. The money-to-fun ratio is way better than most other forms of motorsport, and the Toyota platform gives you a solid foundation that can handle serious abuse while still being reliable enough for daily driving. Just don’t expect to stop modifying once you start! Check out Brandon’s Instagram to see more of this build.