Our 5th Gen 4Runner Shop Build: Every Mod & What We Learned

34-Inch Falken Wildpeak Tires: Fitment, Rubbing & Our Viper Cut

The stance of the truck really started with the tire setup. We went with approximately 34-inch Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires mounted on [ADD WHEEL BRAND + MODEL] wheels.

The Falken Wildpeak platform made sense for this build because we weren't trying to build a dedicated rock crawler. We wanted an aggressive all-terrain tire that still made sense on a truck that spends plenty of time driving on pavement.

A lot of people immediately assume that fitting a tire this size on a 5th Gen 4Runner automatically means cutting everything apart. In our case, the amount of trimming required was surprisingly minor.

How We Fit the 34s

During the alignment, we used the available caster adjustment to position the front tires farther forward in the wheel well. That gave us more clearance toward the rear of the front wheel opening.

For normal street driving, the setup clears extremely well. We did not need a body mount chop for our particular combination. There is still a very slight rub if the suspension is compressed while turning, especially in reverse, but it is subtle enough that it hasn't been a problem for the way this truck is used.

The Viper Cut

To gain clearance at the front of the tire, we performed a simple viper cut on the factory bumper. It's one of the cheapest modifications on the entire build and dramatically changes the shape of the front end while giving the tire more room.

It isn't particularly complicated if you're comfortable carefully cutting your factory bumper. If you're in Utah and would rather have us help with your build, you can contact the 4R Customs shop in Orem to talk through your setup.

If your goal is to go even larger and build around 35-inch tires, we also carry the DRT 4Runner Cab Mount Relocation Kit for builds where the factory cab mount becomes the limiting factor.

Our 2.5-Inch Bilstein 5100 Lift Setup

Once the tires were figured out, suspension was next. We wanted roughly a 2.5-inch lift: enough to get the stance we wanted and improve clearance without making the truck unnecessarily tall.

Our particular setup uses Bilstein 5100-series components originally intended for a Toyota Tundra that we modified and matched to our spring and weight setup here at the shop.

One reason we went this direction was front-end weight. With the aftermarket bumper and other parts added to the truck, we wanted more spring support than the softer factory configuration provided.

For this truck, the combination ended up being almost exactly what we wanted. The front doesn't feel excessively soft with the added bumper weight, but the truck also doesn't ride like an unnecessarily stiff dedicated trail build.

If you're planning your own lift, start with our 5th Gen 4Runner suspension and lift kit section rather than simply copying someone else's setup. Build around the actual weight and intended use of your truck.

SPC Upper Control Arms Were One of the Most Important Parts

Once you lift a 5th Gen 4Runner and start trying to fit larger tires, alignment becomes much more important than simply getting the steering wheel straight.

We installed SPC adjustable upper control arms for the 4th and 5th Gen 4Runner . The additional adjustment gave us more control over caster and camber while helping us position the tire where we wanted it in the wheel well.

SPC's redesigned arms use their high-articulation adjustable ball-joint system and are designed specifically to help lifted Toyota platforms regain useful alignment adjustment.

For us, the real benefit wasn't just additional off-road travel. It was being able to get the alignment where we wanted it while running the larger tire. That's a major reason we were able to avoid a body mount chop on this particular setup.

Morimoto XB Evo Headlights, Fang Lights & Baja Designs Fogs

Once the stance was right, we moved into the lighting. This is probably where the truck made the biggest visual jump from a stock SR5 to the finished build.

Morimoto XB Evo LED Headlights

For the headlights, we chose the Morimoto XB Evo LED headlights for the 2014–2024 4Runner .

We've installed and tested a lot of aftermarket 4Runner headlights, and the XB Evo is one of the strongest setups we've personally used when it comes to usable nighttime output, beam pattern and overall build quality.

They also completely modernize the front end without looking like a random universal aftermarket headlight was stuffed into the truck.

4R Customs LED Fang Lights

Below the headlights we installed our 5th Gen 4Runner LED fang lights .

These replace the otherwise plain trim around the fog-light area and add white lighting with integrated amber turn-signal functionality. For a cosmetic build like this, they're one of those relatively simple modifications that makes the entire front end look much newer.

Baja Designs Squadron Fog Lights

For the actual fog-light locations, we went with Baja Designs Squadron-series Toyota lighting .

We wanted the lighting upgrades to actually be useful rather than installing parts purely because they looked good. The Baja Designs pods give us additional usable light while fitting naturally into the rest of the front-end build.

TRD Pro Look Without Buying a TRD Pro

To finish the front end, we installed the 4R Customs 5th Gen 4Runner TRD-style facelift grille .

This was one of the main cosmetic goals from the beginning. We wanted the stronger TOYOTA-lettering look of the TRD-style front end without needing to start with a TRD Pro just to get the appearance we wanted.

Combined with the XB Evo headlights, fang lights, fog lights, larger tires and bumper, the grille helps make the front of the truck look like a completely different 4Runner from where we started.

Custom Roof Rack & Full Blackout

Up top, we're running a custom roof rack that we had fabricated specifically for the truck. We intentionally kept the rest of the exterior relatively simple.

That's something we wanted to demonstrate with this build. It's incredibly easy to keep ordering parts until you've spent $30,000–$40,000 on a 4Runner. We've done those builds too. But you don't necessarily need to.

A good stance, the right wheel and tire setup, a few lighting upgrades and some carefully chosen cosmetic parts can transform the truck without replacing every component Toyota put on it.

Deleting the Factory Chrome

We finished the body with a complete blacked-out theme. That included covering or replacing the bright factory trim around the truck, including the 4RUNNER badging, SR5 badges, Toyota logos and other exterior accents.

Individually, these are tiny modifications. Together, they make a huge difference. Getting rid of the leftover chrome made the grille, lights, wheels, tires and roof rack all feel like part of one build instead of a collection of unrelated parts.

If you're starting your own truck, you can browse our complete 5th Gen 4Runner mods and accessories rather than trying to do everything at once.

AJT Design Interior Trim: The “Batmobile” Treatment

The same idea carried into the interior. The stock 5th Gen cabin has plenty of silver and lighter trim, and we wanted this truck almost completely black.

We installed AJT Design 5th Gen interior door-handle covers along with additional black AJT interior trim pieces around the cabin and radio area.

I keep calling it the Batmobile treatment. Nothing about the interior is crazy, but deleting the contrasting trim makes the cabin feel cleaner, more modern and much more custom.

Small interior parts are also a good example of where you can change how the truck feels without dropping thousands of dollars. You're looking at and touching these pieces every time you drive the vehicle.

5th Gen LED Tail Lights Tied the Entire Build Together

The final major cosmetic change was the rear lighting.

We installed our 4R Customs 5th Gen LED tail lights to get rid of the dated factory-light appearance and bring the rear of the truck in line with what we had done up front.

This is one of those mods that doesn't seem absolutely necessary when you're making the original build list. Once everything else is blacked out and modernized, though, the stock tail lights start standing out immediately.

What We Learned & What We Wish We Knew Before Starting

Overall, we'd rate this build a 10/10 for what we wanted it to be. It isn't our most capable 4Runner. It isn't our most expensive 4Runner. That's exactly why we like it.

It accomplished the three things we cared about from day one: it looks dramatically different from stock, it still feels like a Toyota, and it's still a truck we'd actually want to drive every day.

Would We Change Anything?

There will always be another modification you can make to a 4Runner, but we're trying not to ruin what made this particular build work.

We may continue adding parts as we actually find a need for them, especially if the truck starts seeing more trail use, but we aren't interested in turning it into another extreme shop rig simply for the sake of adding parts.

That's probably the biggest lesson from the entire build: more modified isn't automatically better. Build the truck around how you're actually going to use it.