Ultimate 6th Gen 4Runner Off-Road Build on 38″s by Stellar Built
Whenever you see the word “ultimate” in the heading of an Offroadium feature, have no doubt—it’s there for a reason. We reserve it for builds that reach a significantly higher level of capability than others in the niche, and the vehicle we’re featuring today is exactly that. Outfitted with massive 38-inch tires and 74Weld Generation 2 portal axles, this 6th Generation Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is, without exaggeration, pushing the limits of what’s possible for this platform.
Installing such huge tires and making them work on a lifted 6th Gen 4Runner without destroying the factory suspension geometry was a serious challenge, but Stellar Built successfully achieved it through the Gen 2 portals and other custom modifications. To get the exact blueprint behind this awesome off-road build, we reached out to Dmitriy Dolotov—the man behind Stellar Built—who gladly gave us the full build breakdown. Read on for a deeper look at the parts, fitment specs, and insights into what it takes to build a rig of this caliber!
Build at a Glance
- Vehicle: 2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro (i-FORCE MAX Hybrid)
- Lift: 74Weld Gen 2 Portals + Westcott Designs Lift
- Tires: 38×13.50R17 Falken Wildpeak R/T
- Traction & Armor: Front Eaton E-Locker, Dissent Off-Road Front Low-Pro & Rear Swing-Out Bumpers
Why Portals?
The off-road ABC is simple – higher ground clearance and bigger wheels are better. How this principle gets implemented on every vehicle is often a compromise between suspension geometry, durability, safety and many other factors, that’s why installing a lift and oversized wheels often poses challenges for the engineers and builders.
Back in the WWII times, long before lifts became a thing, the Germans figured out a way to lift their military VW trucks and later, postwar, the famous Unimogs with a clever solution that transferred the axle torque above the center of the wheel’s rotation axis with the help of extra gearing, and named them Portal Axles.
This system allowed dropping the wheels lower than the differentials, gaining more space to mount larger tires and achieving much better off-road capabilities overall.
It also mitigated multiple problems that come with common extended suspension components, but the manufacturing costs and servicing difficulty never allowed them to get into production on mass-produced vehicles. That’s why they remained available only on select Mercedes vehicles like the Unimogs and the super expensive G-Class 4×4 Squared models.
Back in 2020 we have featured a G63 AMG 4×4 Squared conversion with portal axles built by Pit26Motorsports that is specialized on installing portals on production G-Class models, and now it’s the time for 6th Gen 4Runner to try them on.
The 6th Gen 4Runner Build
As I mentioned above, traditional long-travel or heavy lift kits on IFS (Independent Front Suspension) vehicles like the 4Runner often require significant compromises in steering geometry, CV angles, and ride quality.
By utilizing 74Weld Generation 2 portal axles, which replace the factory steering knuckles and route the drivetrain downward, Stellar Built achieved a significant 4 inches of lift and 3 to 4 inches of increased track width strictly from the hubs.
It allowed their 6th Gen 4Runner to maintain its factory suspension geometry while gaining massive ground clearance directly under the differential. At the same time, it freed up enough space in the wheel wells to mount 38-inch tires without any custom work.
Because the portals do the heavy lifting, the rest of the suspension work is relatively more common for a regular off-road build. A Westcott Designs collar/puck spacer lift adds approximately 1.5 inches of height on top of the portal gain — just enough to level out the factory stance and clear the 38s at full lock, rather than to chase travel.
Matching 74Weld billet upper control arms handle the alignment side of thing, preset specifically to work with the cast geometry of the portal knuckles so the truck can be dialed in to spec.
That same logic carries to the dampers. This stage of the build retains the OEM TRD Pro Fox shocks, which are highly capable in stock form and, more importantly, still operating within their designed range.
Up on the back, there is a 74Weld billet aluminum panhard bar, which strengthens the rear axle connection and keeps it centered under load.
The rest of the build — body armor, recovery, overland equipment and lights — is done to the same industry-high standard, totally backing up the portal side of things.
List of Modifications
Suspension
- Westcott Designs Puck Spacer Lift — approx. 1.5″
- 74Weld Billet Upper Control Arms
- Factory TRD Pro Fox Shocks (retained)
Steering & Drivetrain
- 74Weld Generation 2 Portal Axles — 4″ lift, 3–4″ added track width
- 74Weld Billet Panhard Bar — non-adjustable, factory ride height
- Eaton E-Locker (front)
- Factory Rear Locker (retained)
Wheels & Tires
- Fifteen52 Evolution HD Wheels — 17×8.5 (Phase 1)
- 17″ KMC Impact Beadlock Wheels (Phase 2)
- Falken Wildpeak R/T Tires — 38×13.50R17
Exterior Modifications
- Dissent Off-Road Low Pro Front Bumper — TSS sensor compatible
- ComeUp Winch — 12,000 lb
- Dissent Off-Road Rear Bumper — single swing-out 38″ tire carrier, fold-down camp table
- Agency 6 Billet Shackle (front)
- Agency 6 Hitch Shackle Block — 2″ (rear)
- Front Runner Slimsport Roof Rack
- Front Runner Awning
- Agency 6 Grab Handles (roof rack mounted)
- Custom Graphics — retro Toyota side stripes, matte hood vinyl, “Turbo” tailgate decal
Interior Modifications
- Air Down Gear Up Rear Drawer System — narrow-width 6G hybrid version, fold-out flat sleeping platform
- sPOD BantamX — 8-circuit, with interior switch panel
Lights
- Baja Designs S2 Fog Lights — yellow, factory fog switch triggered
- Baja Designs OnX6 Light Bar — roof rack mounted
Brief Q&A with Dmitriy Dolotov
Did you have to regear or the portals address that?
– No regearing required since portals have a 22% reduction built in.
What was the most difficult part of the build?
– Most difficult part is getting suspension height just right so it’s not too tall.
How does it actually handle on road with portals and 38s?
– Truck handles incredibly well on and off road.
Your Number one recommendation to anyone considering portals for their 6th Gen 4Runner
– Just do it! There is nothing like having portals!
Conclusion
Portals are a total game changer and the ultimate win for the 4Runner that used to be available for the classic luxury 4x4s like the G-Wagon in the past. They aren’t cheap, but the capability they unlock is absolutely worth it if you can afford them — added ground clearance under the diffs, room to run 38s or even 40s, and a suspension that stays functional and durable. That’s an edge nothing else gives you.
Offroadium Rating: 70/70
Thanks to the heavily oversized 38 inch tires, portal lift, front and rear lockers as well as other 4×4 tech, this 4Runner build gains ultimate score of 70 out of 70 points possible based on our build evaluation system.
Stellar Built is already famous for building ultimate off-road Toyotas, and with this 4Runner they pushed it up a notch. If you’re after a similar build — or something even more extreme — reach out to them directly on the website StellarBuilt.com or on Instagram.
