Austin Sharpe’s Off-Road Evolution: Building the Ultimate Tacoma

Austin Sharpe’s On/Off-Road Ready Tacoma 

Building a truck that can be enjoyed off-road as much as it is on-road while maintaining the creature comforts customary of a factory setup is a dream of many. In fact, talk to just about any of the feature vehicle owners from the pages of YOTA magazine, and you’ll quickly see this recurring theme. Many have built their rigs looking for that perfect balance of driveability and ride quality, while also aiming for top-notch off-road capabilities. But that can be a very fine line—one with many factors needing to be taken into consideration. Ultimately, the “perfect” balance boils down to a matter of personal opinion and how you want to be able to use your off-road rig.

“Take your factory Toyota on a trail and you’ll quickly find that, when faced with desert-style G-outs or larger rock obstacles, more suspension travel and clearance would go a long way.”

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For Windsor, Colorado’s Austin Sharpe, the ultimate road-worthy yet off-road-capable build is an ever-evolving mark, built from the third-generation Toyota Tacoma platform. But after five years of modifying his truck (and counting, he tells us), he’s getting closer and closer to having his dream ride. Check out what Austin’s 2016 Tacoma has to offer!

“Austin upgraded the drivetrain with 5.29 gears both front and rear, giving the truck considerably more pulling power.”

Off-Road Proficiency

While Toyota has arguably gone above and beyond other manufacturers to make its factory vehicles like the Tacoma and 4Runner more capable off-road than their closest industry class competitors, there is still a lot to be desired when it comes to more advanced off-road capabilities. Take your factory Toyota on a trail and you’ll quickly find that, when faced with desert-style G-outs or larger rock obstacles, more suspension travel and clearance would go a long way. This is why so many built Toyotas often start with suspension upgrades right off the bat.

“Additions like a TRD Pro grille and carbon fiber hood add aesthetic and weight-saving value to the already desert camouflaged Quicksand Tacoma.”

For Austin, this came in the form of a +3.5-inch-long travel suspension system from Total Chaos paired with a WarFab Inc. 3-link rear suspension system, both of which are designed to considerably increase wheel travel while specifically optimizing the suspension geometry for various off-road applications.

Up front, the Total Chaos kit boasts components like extended 4130 chromoly upper and lower control arms, upgraded 1-inch uniballs, billet CNC-machined uniball cups that are integrated into the boxed lower arms, and urethane bushings, allowing for 12.5 inches of wheel travel and giving the truck 2.5 inches of extra ground clearance. Out back, the WarFab Inc. 3-link system features components like boxed and layered 3/16-inch plate trailing arms, a 53-inch Panhard bar, and TMR Customs 1.25-inch Lifetime Heim ends, allowing for an available 20-plus-inch overall wheel travel. Talk about being optimized for the dirt!

Both the front and rear are bolstered with King coilover shocks and springs with bypasses added to the front, while bump stops in the rear help prevent the Toyota from bottoming out.

Wheel tubs were added to the third-gen Toyota for even more clearance given that Austin is running 37-inch Kenda shoes on his rig specifically designed with off-road environments in mind. These 37×12.5R17LT Klever R/Ts, backspaced 4.5 inches, spin around 17×9.5-inch Black Rhino Rapid wheels with a -18mm offset. Considering that Austin loves to frequent local trails in Colorado as well as Northern California, a proper wheel and tire package that can span different types of terrain is crucial.

While the factory 3.5L V-6 remains in the Tacoma for now, as does the standard factory 6-speed automatic transmission, Austin upgraded the drivetrain with 5.29 gears both front and rear, giving the truck considerably more pulling power. A front air locker was also added to the truck for added traction in rockier and/or more slippery situations.

Skid plates from C4 Fabrication help protect the undercarriage from debris and damage, while tube bumpers—the front being a Rock Runner from C4 and the rear coming from Outgear Solutions—protect the front and rear of the Tacoma from body damage so easily acquired when running off-road trails. Austin also equipped his truck with a Smittybilt 10,000-pound winch with a Factor 55 Flatlink hook for added assurance and recovery reasons, as well as custom AlphaRex headlights and numerous secondary lights from Baja Designs for added visibility regardless of the time of day or trail situation.

Extras for the Ultimate Package

While Austin’s truck is certainly equipped for off-roading, it also has to look good, right? And have some added amenities? You bet!

With an affinity for Toyota trucks, Austin knew just what his rig needed.

Additions like a TRD Pro grille and carbon fiber hood add aesthetic and weight-saving value to the already desert camouflaged Quicksand Tacoma. Body color-matched fiberglass fenders over the aforementioned wheel tubs give the truck more of a prerunner look  while also aiding with tire clearance, especially with the Tacoma’s long-travel suspension syste  Out back, the truck features a Sherpa bed rack for strapping gear or even rocking a rooftop tent for longer off-road adventures if so desired. Although for now, Austin is cool with tent camping the old-fashioned way.

Inside, finishing touches like MESO Customs dual color dome and map lights, as well as a Joying Android Car Play-equipped stereo system cap off an already comfortable modern interior.

Plans for the Future

Austin has set his Tacoma up to be quite the off-road capable machine, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to come for it in the future. When asked what he would like to change about his truck, Austin told us he’d love to swap out the Toyota’s powerplant for an LS-based engine. He’d also like to add a rollcage and beefier axles to the build to be able to do even more aggressive off-roading. We, of course, highly condone that!

Austin’s truck may remain a work in progress, so to speak, but enjoying the various steps along the way to building the ultimate rig is part of the fun. We think Austin summed this up nicely when asked what he’s learned along the way: “Figure out exactly what you want and do it the first time. Take your time and enjoy the process!”

UPGRADES

2016 Toyota Tacoma

Owner: Austin Sharpe
Windsor, Colorado

Chassis & Suspension: Total Chaos +3.5-inch long travel suspension; WarFab Inc 3-link rear suspension; King coilover shocks and springs front and rear; King front bypasses; King rear bump stops; C4 Fabrication front skid plates

Wheels & Tires: 17×9.5-inch Black Rhino Rapid wheels with a -18mm offset; 37×12.5R17LT Kenda Klever R/T tires with 4.5-inch backspacing

Engine & Drivetrain: 2016 Toyota 3.5L V6; Factory 6-speed automatic transmission; Front air locker; Factory rear E-locker; 5.29 front and rear gears

Body & Paint: TRD Pro grille; Carbon fiber hood; Custom AlphaRex headlights; Six Baja Designs secondary lights; C4 Fabrication Rock Runner front tube bumper; Outgear Solutions rear tube bumper; Fiberglass fenders over wheel tubs; Sherpa bed rack; Smittybilt 10,000lb winch with Factor 55 Flatlink hook; Factory Quicksand paint

Interior & Stereo: Joying Android Car Play-equipped stereo system; MESO Customs dual color dome & map lights