If you’re anything like me, there’s a small part of you that has thought about quitting your job, selling all of your belongings, moving to Mexico, and racing trophy trucks for the rest of your life. These million-dollar behemoths are capable of ripping through the deserts of Baja California at over 70 miles per hour and eat up two-foot-tall whoops as if they were a small pothole. They are often built on specialized platforms, requiring immense amounts of custom fabrication and design.
Dirt King, one of the leaders in the aftermarket suspension industry, has put together its take on a Baja-ready trophy truck, built on the 2nd Gen platform. The suspension system has been completely rebuilt from the ground up using Dirt King’s line of long-travel components. Many of the frame and drivetrain components have been braced for added strength and they even added a custom-fabricated prerunner-style bumper to complete the look.
Here’s the crazy part: for several years, one of the owners used this mini-trophy truck as a daily driver. Check it out as we chat with them about this epic build!
Table Of Contents
Walkaround
About:
- Website: dirtking.com
- Email: info@dirtking.com
- Phone: (619) 944-8913
- Instagram tag: @dirtking
- Location: 7149 Mission Gorge Rd, San Diego, CA
Base Vehicle:
- Year: 2013
- Make and Model: Toyota Tacoma
- Trim: TRD Off-Road
- Cab: Double Cab
- Bed: Short Bed
- Color: Custom Wrap
Dirt King Suspension Products:
- Long Travel Kit with Axle Assemblies and Spring Under Kit
- Long Travel Spec Coilovers & Triple Bypasses
- Deaver H70HD Springs & Hardware
- Dirt King Uniball Upper Control Arms
- Dirt King Performance Lower Control Arms (Install & Review)
- Alignment Cam Gussets
- Spindle Gussets (Install & Review)
- Upper Arm Double Shear Kit
- Front Frame
- Rear Bump Stop Kit
Dirt King Armor:
- Prefab Bed Cage
- Plate Rear Bumper
- Rear Frame Plate Kit (prevents frame twisting)
- Custom Front Bumper
Other Mods:
- Dirt King 3-Way Spare Tire Stap & Mounts
- FiberwerX 4.5″ Fiberglass Fenders
- KMC KM444 Forged Mesa Beadlocks (17×9 -12mm)
- Toyo Open Country Mud Terrains (35×12.50.17)
- Baja Designs XL Linkable LED Light Bar
Company Overview
At Dirt King, we offer a wide range of services including manufacturing, retail sales, and installing products at our facility in San Diego, CA. Our primary business is manufacturing performance suspension systems (commonly referred to as mid-travel and long-travel).
Why A Tacoma?
Back in 2013, we looked at what platform would be best to invest our time in for product development and chose the Tacoma due to its rising popularity. There was (and still is today) a large selection of aftermarket parts for the Tacoma, so it was an easy choice. In fact, the majority of the Tacoma products that we sell today were originally developed off of this rig. We still regularly use it for product durability testing, proof of concepts, and, of course, a little bit of weekend fun.
Build Process
The first step in building out the rig was to map out all of the products we wanted to develop for the platform. We separated the products into two groups: bolt-on products and products that required modifications to the vehicle. Then, we prioritized the groups and tackled one product at a time.
Best/Worst Parts Of The Platform?
What we like most about the Tacoma platform is that it’s compact, lightweight, and can accommodate an impressive amount of travel when fitted with our suspension kits. The downside of the Tacoma is its lack of power and room for passengers.
Our customer base for the Tacoma market is made up of people who enjoy the outdoors and want a vehicle to satisfy their day-to-day needs while being able to have some fun with it on the weekend.
Most/Least Favorite Mods?
The only mod we regret was installing the original General Grabber Red Label Tires. They had an aggressive look and decent off-road grip, but they wore quickly, causing a rough and noisy ride. That tire has since been replaced with the General Grabber Red Label X3 which we don’t have any personal experience with.
Our favorite mod? Probably the long travel front!
What Makes This Rig Unique?
This was one of the owner’s first brand-new trucks and also served as his daily driver for many years. The build is unique because this truck was our entry into the Toyota market and has now been part of the company for over 11 years. We continue to develop new products & accessories for the Tacoma platform and each time we do, this is the vehicle we use to test.
What’s Next?
Currently in the pipeline for Tacoma development is our +2 Kit. We recently released our new Rear Shackle & Hanger Kit that’s going to pair perfectly with our front +2 Kit. Our +2 offers additional wheel travel compared to a mid-travel setup, while still being able to retain factory fenders and keep the overall build cost down. It’s the perfect in-between if you want to upgrade your suspension over stock width but don’t want to fully commit to a long-travel build.
The +2 kit is scheduled to be released around Quarter 3 of 2024. We also just purchased a 2024 Toyota Tacoma, which was delivered in late March. We are developing suspension products and other accessories right away to be released to the market.
Final Thoughts
After a decade of ripping through the SoCal desert, this truck remains one of the most impressive Tacomas we’ve featured. What’s truly amazing about this rig is that it was built with many of Dirt King’s line of bolt-on suspension components, meaning that if DK supports your vehicle, you too could turn your daily driver into a Baja truck with some fabrication work. On top of that, if you’ve used any of DK’s products on your own Tacoma, you can boast that your suspension was born under this very truck.
A huge thanks to Danny over at Dirt King for sharing this incredible rig. Be on the lookout for future articles detailing their ever-growing line of suspension components— including a lineup built for the all-new 4th Gen. If you’re ready to embark on the journey of putting a mid- or long-travel suspension system on, head on over to their site and they’ll make sure you’re taken care of. If my daily commute ever involves trekking hundreds of miles across a sandy desert, I know who I’m calling.
Epic build man. Nothing but good things to say about the guys at DK.