2016 ExpoRunner Toyota Tacoma Combines Pre-Running With Expedition
- Oct 25, 2016
“Our roots at ICON Vehicle Dynamics are in the hard core, high speed west coast desert off-roading,” explained Jeremy Headlee, Marketing Manager for Icon Vehicle Design. “But we have been noticing a different kind of off-road activity in the middle of the country and on the east coast that involves more rock crawling, mud bogging, and expedition kind of stuff. Our goal is to have a vehicle that can do both the high-speed desert running and the slower creepy, crawly kind of off-road and expedition travel.” So what ICON has developed is a hybrid vehicle with the type of suspension that can take the extremes of rugged high speed off-road and rock crawling with accessories like a rooftop tent, plenty of storage capability, a refrigerator and other amenities that makes it a self-sustaining vehicle. “We wanted something that can get you there fast and then allow you to pull out a tent, set up camp and do what you want to do including sleep there overnight,” added Headlee. “We’ve named the vehicle the Icon ExpoRunner Toyota Tacoma. Expo meaning expedition.” ICON Vehicle Dynamics chose the 2016 Toyota Tacoma to serve as the platform for its hybrid vehicle because the company has used Tacomas for previous projects. “We have a lot of experience with the Toyota Tacoma,” said Headlee. “It’s been the staple of Icon’s product line. The Tacoma is such a robust platform. It’s very easy to get a lot of wheel travel with it with very little modification. It is also the perfect vehicle to serve as an off-road machine and still be an efficient Monday through Friday daily driver. “ Prepping Prior to the build, ICON engineers tested a stock Toyota Tacoma in desert off-road driving to ascertain the limitations it had in such an environment.
The truck was put up on a lift and disassembled and the suspension components were studied to identify where the limitations were. Loaded with all sorts of data, the Icon Vehicle Dynamics’ engineers inspected the components to determine how the limitations could be reduced and then designed and constructed new components that perform better. “We measured travel, looked at the chassis to see where we could work around the limits, and more,” said Headlee. “For example, the stock upper control arm of the Tacoma is very good. However, we determined that a uniball upper control arm would perform better and offer a little more droop to the vehicle.” The engineers designed and manufactured new components for the Tacoma. Moreover, ICON Vehicle Dynamics obtained products from other companies that give it the functionality and appearance it needs to be an off-road expedition vehicle and improve the performance of the engine. For example, the vehicle includes the AIRAID 510-309 MXP air intake system that boosts the engine power of the Tacoma an estimated 8 horsepower and improves the airflow that had been restricted by the stock air intake system. “The 3.5-liter engine on the Tacoma is a great engine in stock form,” said Headlee. “However, when we put all sorts of other accessories on the vehicle the engine got a little sluggish. The AIRAID cold air intake system has been a great improvement. It feels like the vehicle is breathing now. It’s woken up the Tacoma and has given it some extra grunt. AIRAID has a great reputation for putting out a great product that fits well with what we wanted to do, performs well and can stand up to abuse over time. So it was a no-brainer for us to select the AIRAID intake.”
The build was divided into two stages. The first stage addressed the suspension, wheels and tires and the second stage dealt with the accessories. The ICON Vehicle Dynamics suspension components were bolted on and tested to assure that the vehicle performed well. The new suspension equipment lifted the vehicle, so the company created 17-inch alloy ALPHA wheels paired with 285/70R17 Nitto Ridge Grappler tires to match the look they were trying to achieve. “The tires and wheels allow the vehicle to work 100% with the new suspension,” noted Headlee. The off-road related parts were then added including Demello Offroad frame sliders and front bumper, CBI Offroad rear bumper, and a WARN M8000 winch with synthetic line.
“The 30-inch FLEX light bar in the front bumper puts out a great pattern of light and the KC HiLites Cyclone LED lights work well from the A-pillars of the Tacoma,” added Headlee. An sPOD 8 Circuit SE system with touchscreen was included to command the lights. “The system is very easy to use and allows full control of the lights from both inside and outside the vehicle,” said Headlee. Next, the components that give the vehicle its expedition characteristics were installed. They include a Leitner Design Active Cargo System; roof rack with expedition rail and cargo and fridge slide from Front Runner Outfitters; 37-quart fridge and Kakadu rooftop tent from ARB; and finally RotopaX fuel cans. “The bed rack is extremely modular and allows us to attach anything from storage bins and shovel holders to MAXTRAX recovery mounts,” said Headlee. “The active cargo system allows us to put anything on the side or in the bed of the truck. The ARB rooftop tent allows driver and passengers to stay at a location in the middle of nowhere overnight. The Front Runner Outfitter roof rack is above the cab and offers expedition vehicle functionality. You can put just about anything that won’t fit anywhere else in the truck into the roof rack. The fridge slide allows us to tuck the fridge into a corner of the bed and slide it out on to the tailgate for use.” ICON Vehicle Dynamics is already offering products that are a part of the Tacoma including a suspension system that has been available since last February. ICON Vehicle Dynamics partnered with Toyota USA on the project. The ICON ExpoRunner will be displayed in the AIRAID booth, #22755 at the 2016 SEMA show. If you will be in Las Vegas for the show, be sure to swing by and see it first hand. Also, while you're there, grab an autograph from off=road racers Jeremy McGrath, Matt Lovell, and Corry Weller. A full list of products on the Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2016 ExpoRunner Toyota Tacoma follows. • ICON Vehicle Dynamics Stage 7 Toyota Tacoma 0-2.75” suspension system with billet UCA’s • ICON Vehicle Dynamics Stage 3 S2 Performance secondary shock system with Omega bypass • ICON Vehicle Dynamics rear hydraulic bump stop system • ICON Alloys 17” satin black ‘ALPHA’ wheels • 285/70R17 Nitto Tire Ridge Grappler tires • KC HiLites FLEX LED light bar • KC HiLites Cyclone LED • AIRAID 510-309 MXP cold air intake system • SDHQ ditch light brackets • sPOD 8 circuit SE system with touchscreen • Demello Offroad front bumper • Demello Offroad frame sliders • CBI Offroad rear bumper • Leitner Designs active cargo system • Front Runner Outfitters Slimline II roof rack with expedition rail • Front Runner Outfitters cargo/fridge slide • Factor 55 flatLink • Factor 55 hawse fairlead • WARN M8000 winch with synthetic line • ARB 37-quart fridge • ARB Kakadu rooftop tent • RotopaX fuel cans • MAXTRAX MKII vehicle recovery system | |||||
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