Zach Pickett, a longtime Toyota fan, wanted an unusual, highly functional 4×4. It did not have to be a Toyota, but it did need Toyota DNA. The answer is this trail-shredding, one-off 1998 Suzuki Sidekick. It packs a Toyota engine and drivetrain along with an impressive collection of custom trail-slaying modifications.
Crafted In Tennessee
Huffman’s Fab, a nine-year-old shop in Hixson, Tennessee, played a key role in the build. The company is known for its production Trail Chassis, unique custom 4×4 builds, custom axle housings, and more. Owner Jared Huffman says the Sidekick arrived from Georgia bone stock. Jared and Skylar Peak, the shop’s fabricator and welder, combined their experience with Zach’s vision to turn the little rig into a purpose-built trail machine.
Tacoma Power
Power comes from a 3RZ four-cylinder sourced from a 2003 Toyota Tacoma. The engine sits on a custom removable crossmember, and upgrades include a balance shaft delete kit and a Marlin Crawler rear-sump oil pan. Fuel is supplied by a custom 21-gallon fuel cell from Huffman’s Fab. Cooling duties are handled by a 2000 Tacoma radiator with an 18-inch Spal fan and a custom shroud. Electrical power comes from an Optima battery and a high-amp alternator. The engine breathes through a custom cold-air intake, while exhaust gases exit through a Summit Racing-sourced header, custom 2.5-inch tubing, and a single-chamber Magnaflow muffler.
Other upgrades include a Trail-Gear power steering filtered reservoir, a PSC steering cooler, and custom fuse box mounts. There is also a reworked core support, and a custom wiring harness.
Attention to detail is obvious. For example, the factory coolant overflow was relocated so the sensor still functions, and the factory windshield washer reservoir remains in place and fully functional.
Five-Speed Manual, Dual Transfer Cases
A Toyota W56 five-speed manual transmission is bolted to the engine and fitted with a Marlin Crawler heavy-duty clutch kit and a custom shifter. The gearbox routes power to a Marlin Crawler dual transfer case setup with 23-spline output shafts. Rad Designs triple-stick shifters control the system. A pair of thick-wall, long-slip driveshafts from Hudlow Axle deliver power to the axles.
Toyota Truck Axles
Up front is a solid axle from an early 1980s Toyota truck. Highlights include Trail-Gear Six Shooter knuckles, ARP studs, and a trunnion bearing eliminator kit. It is fitted with an FJ80 centersection packed with a Yukon Grizzly Locker, Nitro 4.88:1 gears, and a Low Range Offroad cover. It also runs manual locking hubs and RCV chromoly hub gears. Steering is handled by a Trail-Gear double-ended ram assist.
Out back is a fourth-gen Toyota axle built for abuse. It features Yukon Gear & Axle chromoly axle shafts, a spool, and a Low Range Off-Road diff cover and disc brake kit. The housing is reinforced with a custom backbone truss from Huffman’s.
Three-Link Up Front, Four-Link Out Back
The Huffman’s-built front suspension is a three-link setup that blends Huffman’s Fab components with one-off custom pieces. The lower links are built from 2-inch-diameter, 0.250-inch-wall tubing, while the uppers use 1.75-inch-diameter, 0.188-inch-wall material. The upper links run 7/8-inch Heims, and the lowers use 1.25-inch units. Other highlights include Radflo 14-inch-travel remote-reservoir coilovers, 2-inch-travel Radflo bump stops, and custom bump pads and reservoir mounts.
Out back is a four-link system that also relies heavily on Huffman’s Fab parts. All of the links are built from 2-inch-diameter, 0.250-inch-wall material and fitted with 1.25-inch Heims. The rear uses the same Radflo coilovers and bump stops as the front. A RockJock 4×4 Antirock sway bar rounds out the setup.
The rig rolls on 40×13.50R17LT Nitto Trail Grappler M/T K-Spec tires mounted on 9-inch-wide KMC Grenade beadlock wheels.
Loads Of Body Mods
The custom suspension pushed the rear axle about 6.5 inches aft and the front axle roughly 7 inches forward. That required several body modifications to keep the tires moving freely. For example, Huffman’s Fab removed about 8 inches from the front fenders and 6 inches from the rears. Other changes include a trimmed grille and a trimmed, reconstructed firewall. The Sidekick’s frame was back-halved behind the hatch area to remove about 5 inches of material. The hood was opened to clear the custom shock hoops, and the frame under the core support was chopped, then boxed and plated.
Exterior upgrades include a 10,000-pound-capacity Smittybilt winch, a custom front tube bumper, and a custom tire carrier.
Trail Time Is The Norm
As you can imagine, the Sidekick sees a fair amount of trail time, and Zach can often be found slaying trails in Moab as well as Tennessee’s Adventure Off Road Park, Windrock Park, Golden Mountain Off-Road Park, and more.
Photos: Rachel Garrett
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