TTORA AZ Rocks 2011

Toyota trucks (and 4Runners) have generally been known to be super-durable and reliable, and well suited to tackle the backcountry. They can take on some pretty tough terrain and often seem unstoppable. Back in the day, the venerable solid front axles were beefy, and for a long time most of us had never seen a Birfield joint because they simply never broke.

But times change, and we started to tackle rougher trails and push the trucks harder. Somewhat ironically, Toyota ditched that beloved solid front axle and gave us a smoother-riding independent front suspension in 1986. Over the years, that IFS got even better on the Tacomas, with more travel and a more supple ride. This truck’s lineage runs the gamut, and nearly all of them make suitable platforms for modifications and improvements.

Az Rocks 2011 2005 Toyota Tacoma On Trail

There were a handful of the ’05-and-newer body-style Tacomas that came out to play. Their increased width offer a more mannered ride and greater interior room, but push the limits as to how much you can fit in some of the tighter spots on the trails. Body panel damage and an occasional burst taillight are not all that uncommon in the tighter notches.

There were a handful of the ’05-and-newer body-style Tacomas that came out to play. Their

We recently joined a group from the Toyota Territory Off-Roaders Association (TTORA) for their annual gathering, deemed “AZ Rocks.” Spread over a three-day weekend, Toyota enthusiasts met in the desert east of Phoenix. These days, when you attend a Toyota event, you’re likely to see Toyota truck heritage spanning more than 30 years, and you’ll see stockers to seriously morphed trucks that are constructed from old and new Toyota pieces, along with a healthy dose of domestic iron. We found a good mix of vehicles craftily constructed and ready to wheel.

The weekend ended up offering camaraderie, challenge, and a little bit of carnage. For information about future events such as AZ Rocks or the annual TTORA TakeOver run, point your browser to www.ttora.com to join other Toyota wheelers out on the trails.

Eric Mollencopf was out on the trails putting his recent Dana 60 front axle swap to the test. His two-wheel-drive prerunner turned 4x4 trail runner uses a linked front suspension on 17-inch coilovers. Paired with a 14-bolt rear axle, the 1-ton drivetrain can handle turning the big 40-inch Swamper LTBs set on a 123-inch wheelbase.
Eric Mollencopf was out on the trails putting his recent Dana 60 front axle swap to the te
Friday found us out running the Elvis trail. Rick Clark crawls his way up and over one of the boulder piles in the wash. His ’04 Tacoma runs 4.7:1 transfer case gearing to a high-pinion Dana 44 front axle from a Ford F-150. Super Swamper Radials get the job done in the traction department, and a tubed rear bed helps him squeeze through some of the tighter rock slots without crunching up bed sheetmetal.
Friday found us out running the Elvis trail. Rick Clark crawls his way up and over one of
Since the area has been a popular locale for mining interests for well over a century, there are various aged structures scattered in the desert. Remains of the Woodpecker Mine also lie in the area. Ores of gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead have all been mined around here. Some active claims still operate on and off to this day.
Since the area has been a popular locale for mining interests for well over a century, the

Mike Berg tries his hand at powering up the first large waterfall on the Axle Alley trail. The rock face of this fall changes slowly over the years, but the sandy base at the bottom can vary seasonally, depending on the ravages of flash floods. Sometimes the bottom is filled fairly high with sand and small rock; other times, the crashing water drives a deep pit into the base of the steep face.
Mike Berg tries his hand at powering up the first large waterfall on the Axle Alley trail.
Stace Williams has an ’85 4Runner that’s seen some modifications over the years. He’s got it set up with the requisite suspension lift to clear 35-inch Pro Comp X-Terrain tires, and he uses 4.7:1 transfer case gears for crawling duties. What’s also cool about his ’Runner is the chopped rear top that he shortened, turning the tail end of the Toyota into a short cargo bed with a canvas snap-on cover.
Stace Williams has an ’85 4Runner that’s seen some modifications over the years. He’s got
Here’s a fine example of a second-generation Tacoma riding on 40-inch Goodyear MT/Rs. Wyatt Scott of DeMello Offroad took an ’05 Taco and set it up with Dana 60s, an FJ Cruiser transfer case, and Marlin Crawler gearing to allow this double-cab truck to hit some of the more serious trails. The long wheelbase helps when climbing, but the sheetmetal bed was jettisoned in favor of a more trail reasonable tube bed.
Here’s a fine example of a second-generation Tacoma riding on 40-inch Goodyear MT/Rs. Wyat

Nate Bordenkircher picks his way through the rocks headed upstream on the trail named Elvis. This route varies from a wide sandy wash with occasional rocky ledges to tight V-notches that want to reach out and snare body panels. Nate’s got a Dana 44 swapped under the front of his late-’80s truck, and a custom utility bed out back keeps the body tough, but useful.
Nate Bordenkircher picks his way through the rocks headed upstream on the trail named Elvi
Sergio Guerra and his brother Arturo made the trip out further west to hit the Arizona trails. They run a lot of sand in their area of west Texas, but are right at home playing in the rocks as well. Sergio swapped a Toyota solid front axle onto his ’92 truck, and a Chevy 350 V-8 with Holley Pro-Jection provides the power to turn a GM TH350 into a Toyota transfer case.
Sergio Guerra and his brother Arturo made the trip out further west to hit the Arizona tra
Mike Nevitts drives this ’87 truck that’s been set up for serious trail running. An early-model Toyota solid front axle takes the place of the original IFS. Both axles are geared with 5.29:1 gears to turn the 38-inch Super Swampers on TrailReady beadlocks, while a Marlin Crawler doubler allows them to spin nice and slow. An exocage and custom tube bed offer sturdy body armor and utility.
Mike Nevitts drives this ’87 truck that’s been set up for serious trail running. An early-

Axle Alley is a tight canyon trail that traverses uphill over several waterfall rises and around some huge boulders. We took a group of trucks up into here on Saturday. However, as luck would have it, all the rigs could not complete the entire trail, due to a severe mechanical failure on one of the lead vehicles. Some days, stuff breaks.
Axle Alley is a tight canyon trail that traverses uphill over several waterfall rises and
On Saturday we took a scenic drive through nearby Box Canyon. This narrow canyon is flanked by high rock walls and is made even more interesting when seasonal rains cause significant water flows through the sandy wash. On Saturday afternoon, we spotted four mountain goats watching us drive by from high atop one of the rocky peaks.
On Saturday we took a scenic drive through nearby Box Canyon. This narrow canyon is flanke
Local wheeler Mike Berg tries an optional line coming up one of the trails on Friday. Sometimes the canyons here are narrow and offer only a solitary line to follow. In other places, the canyons widen and offer multiple paths, some far more difficult than others. Mike uses 40-inch Maxxis Creepy Crawlers attached to a full-width pair of leaf-sprung Dana 60/GM 14-bolt axles on his ’99 model Tacoma. fw
Local wheeler Mike Berg tries an optional line coming up one of the trails on Friday. Some