ORP on Hellsgate Wilderness Trail in AZ (OnX trail rating 5)

[Jneely]

First the build.
2025 4Runner TRD Off-road Premium (BEA)

-Westcott Designs items
0 degree sliders with kick and top plates
Ladder
Ditch light brackets
Preload collar lift
All installed myself
I live 10 minutes away from them so parts are very accessible and they make some amazing products.

-Wheels and tires
17” Icon Rebounds w/ +25 offset
285/75R17 (34”/11.5”) Falken Wildpeak AT4s

-Others
Baja designs Squadrons
Off-Road awning

We have been serious off-roaders for years now and my Wife decided she wanted her own. She does have a lot of seat time in our mid travel 16 Tundra. But this was our maiden voyage with her 4R.

Hellsgate Wilderness Trail is rated a 5/10 on OnX. It’s located just west of Lake Pleasant Regional Park. Has a few obstacles, fast sections and some pretty cool hill climbs. So we figured it would be the perfect trail to test everything out. Trail took about 1.5 hours and after we hit a side trail that took us down to the back side of the lake.

We had the wheels and tires before we installed the lift and the ride took a pretty good hit. It was pretty rough. Once we put the preload collar on we are almost back to a factory ride. The stock TRD off-road shocks are very impressive and I don’t see us switching them out any time soon.

Rear travel is actually very good.
Front travel is ok. lol.
We had no issues with clearance anywhere on the trail.

Photo Dump

Preload collar lift install

The install was straight forward and simple.
The hardest part is on the TRD OR shock you need to remove the tip of the shaft in order for everything to slide off and on. After many failed attempts at getting it clamped in a vise without damaging the shaft I found the heat was the answer. The tip has lock tight on it from the factory and heating it up softened it and made it very easy to come off.

Our Tundra just cause I wanted too lol

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[squawbum]

Nice

 

[TXYOTA]

That's a 3/4 rack on top? Just curious what made you want the 3/4 vs a full as I'm trying to decide.

 

[Jneely]

That's a 3/4 rack on top? Just curious what made you want the 3/4 vs a full as I'm trying to decide.

It is the 3/4 rack. It’s the factory one. It’s plenty for us. We don’t carry enough to even fill it. When we go out we are usually camping in our travel trailer so that carries most of our stuff and we also have the Tundra which has everything we would need in the bed. I’ll most likely just throw some traction boards and a small case up there and call it a day.

 

[drchip]

Hey neighbor .. curious how is the milage on the your 4Runner with those tires.. I got 295/70 17.. and its 15 running around off-road.. 17 city and highway

 

[Jneely]

Hey neighbor .. curious how is the milage on the your 4Runner with those tires.. I got 295/70 17.. and its 15 running around off-road.. 17 city and highway

We average 15.1 mpg. We don’t do too much highway driving. My wife works 10 minutes away. We drove to Texas a few times and the best we got way 16.2 mpg.

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