Zathrus~SPARTA~ Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Hello all, Well, since Toyota decided to stop building their FJ Cruiser in the USA effective 2014, I decided to grab one. Through some contacts I have in car wholesale businesses, I was able to acquire this one for an excellent price. I was able to get it so cheap, that I decided to put some major upgrades on it. Here in Arizona, and much of the Southwest, there are just many places that if you want to go to them, you must have a decent 4x4 or your not going to make it. So the Mods are as follows: 1)Old Man Emu 2.5 inch lift suspension with factory soft ride. This suspension is amazing, it has lifted the truck about 2 inches, but has retained the factory ride. In spite of the vehicle being lifted, the ride is not harsh in any manner. It is actually a very soft and flexible suspension, which is what you want for off road travel. Stiff suspensions tend to lift tires off the ground during severe angular situations. 2)American Racing Performance series AR172 Baja Wheels. This is a very heavy duty aluminum mag designed to take the brutal punishment off road racing tends to give wheels. 3)Goodyear Wrangler "Duratrac" series. This is a new tire by goodyear that they designed for commercial vehicles that have to go into desolate areas for deliveries. It has been found to work very well as an all terrain tire for people who go off road a lot. It is 5 plies in the tread and 2 in the sidewall. Because of the design, even though it has a very aggressive tread, it is not as loud on pavement as one would expect. They are actually fairly quiet for an all terrain tire. 4)All Pro rock slider side rails. These are super strong rock rails that protect the truck. They are so strong you can lift the truck off the ground with them. I had the dimple die fill plates welded into them also, so they make a nice step for easier access to roof rack and truck. These rock sliders are made with DOM thick walled tubing that is used to construct off road racing chassis. They approx. 70 pounds each. So a nice benefit of these is they also add 140 pounds to the frame between the axles thus lowering the center of gravity on the vehicle. All Pro Side rails with fill plates These side rails mount directly to the frame at 4 points in factory mounting holes. Goodyear Duratrac series tires (285's) 33 inch in diameter on 17 inch American Racing AR172 Baja series wheels. OME rear shock OME front shock with coilover Minimum Clearance is about 12 inches (at rear diff). Appropriate skid plates are installed all over. This truck is equipped with everything from locking differentials to an 11 speaker JBL sound system with subwoofer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cylawyer~SPARTA~ Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 That is pretty sweet looking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
custard~SPARTA~ Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 More than a little jealous mate nice wheels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchman~SPARTA~ Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Love this car, would snap one up if it came available at the right price. Sadly we only get grey imports this side of the pond and it makes them pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halli~SPARTA~ Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Man that is a Modern Bronco!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeno~SPARTA~ Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Looks tough, nice!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoScream~SPARTA~ Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 WHO CARES ABOUT A TRUCK !! WELCOME !! YOU OLD TIMER.... Dam I thought you gone for good, Arizona can do that to a man...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathrus~SPARTA~ Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Ha ha Yes I have to say I love it out here in Arizona... it is an amazing place. Much of it unspoiled because few venture into the deep desert. I have always since a teenager, been a very intense explorer. When I see something like a large plateau, or canyon... it really does not matter, I have the natural tendency to want to make the effort... to explore it. See what is there.. etc. I will be equipping this truck with a lot of gear. A problem in the deep desert your unprepared for can be fatal... just as it was in the Congo when I explored there. You must be fairly self sufficient I have been forced to slow down significantly over the years... but now I have a new tool. This truck... is going to help me get much farther than I have been able to go since I got out here. There is much to see in Arizona on paved roads... but there is even more stuff back jeep trails and old wagon trails... things that most do not get to see. Btw... considering this is what I love to do in real life... guess what I am going to be doing in Star Citizen? Into the void Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adder360~SPARTA~ Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 looking very nice mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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