Gustav Schaffter's Toyota Mega Runner.

In 1993, I bought myself a Toyota 4Runner.
By now, it has changed so much that I prefer calling it a Toyota Mega Runner. ;-)

Noticeable modifications are:

The ARB Air Locker. A differential locking unit in the rear axle.
The truck was raised 4" with a kit from Trailmaster.
New wheels. BF Goodrich 33" x 12.5" x 15" All Terrain tires for the road. Off-Road I use Mud-Terrains of the same size.
The Garmin 120 GPS unit, with a magnetic antenna.
The new front skid plate from Red Line Off-Road Accessories was actually bought from Downey Industries.
The 6000 lbs. (2700 Kg) electrical front winch from Warn.
The snorkel is built by Luxons 4WD Equipment and distributed by ARB.
The solid steel bull bar comes from ARB.
A new steering stabilizer. The original 'bicycle pump' from Toyota is not strong enough for real off-road.
I had to change the clutch. So I mounted a re-enforced clutch, to better handle the sometimes rough conditions on the trail.
I mounted a heavier flywheel, to bring the torque down to the lower RPM's.
The wheels have been equipped with Tire-Locs to prevent the tires from leaving the bed.
A larger diameter exhaust system gives both performance and a different sound.
The difference from mounting a high performance air filter was surprising.
The throttle body has been changed to a big Power Breather.
A rear tow bar with integrated spare tire carrier from Kaymar 4WD Equipment in Australia. When I bought the truck it was not possible to get this option from Toyota in Sweden.
A set of exhaust headers from NWOR. Again, to bring the torque to the lower RPM's, where it's useful in off-road conditions.
I mounted the Energy Pack from Jacobs Electronics. I thought I would gain a lot of horsepower. But...
I mounted a set of manual hubs from Warn on my front wheels.
A True-Track unit in the front axle will work well with the ARB in the rear. This is part of my complete rebuild of the front axle.
Re-building the front axle was the golden opportunity to re-gear both front and rear diff's from original 4.56 to 4.88.
I have been looking for some kind of swaybar disconnect solution for a long time. Normally, I used to remove it when going off-road. Once I was just too tired to remount it before going home. ( BTW, it's a dirty work to remount it. :-) It was OK to ride without it. Not as stable as when it was mounted, but OK. So, now I constantly drive without it, waiting for Drew Person to finish the development of the disconnects for the '90 - '98 4Runners.

Some on-going projects...

None. I bought myself a Harley.

A rotating skull. Major breakdowns...

The differential locker from ARB is supposed to be one of the stronger units on the market.
But mine broke down.
I have now twice broken the front ring gear. Big wheels and strong engine. There has to be a weakest link somewhere. I just wish that the weakest link was easier (and cheaper) to repair. The situation led to a re-build of both front and rear diff.

So, do I use it off-road as well? Not anymore. Or at least very little. Since I got myself a bike, I have more or less quit off-roading. Anyway, here is a small number of pictures collected.

In Sahara.
At Gotland.
In Manosque.

I have had a lot of the inspiration to my modifications from reading the American Four Wheeler magazine. I can highly recommend this magazine. Interesting articles. A lot of "do-it-yourself" tips. If you are technically interested in your wheelin, then this magazine is for you. And I am not payed or sponsored by them. (Unfortunately.) I am just a very satisfied reader.