[alkaline747trio]

As the youngest yet to post a ROTW, please excuse any half-assed/cheap-o/plain horrible mods that I may have done.

Summer 2005:
After shopping around and lurking this forum for a while I found my baby. A little rougher than I would have liked, and a little more expensive than I was hoping; but I found it and will never look back.

1992 FJ80
160k on the ticker
Damage Multiplier
Ground Clearance Killers
Rust Breeding Ground

[alkaline747trio]

Then came the repairs and PM:

The first issue was the alternator, it had been replaced before with a crappy advance model, so I figured I'd just toss another back in there

Then came a electrical gremlin, which prooved to be the aftermarket trailer wiring harness poorly spliced in by one of the previous owners. Chopped it out and got everything back to stock.

Then the birfs started to click, so I scammed my mechanic into doing the whole shebang for $200 after finding out how great CDan is on prices by buying the rebuild kit from him and the wonderful DVD from elmariachi (sp?).

Then the worst repair, replacing the radiator top tank..took about 3.5 hours to get it out, and another 2.5 to get in back in. Here's what she looked like at the halfway point.

[alkaline747trio]

On to the mods:

First mod was the add some tires and get rid of some of the low-hanging crap that was getting bent and mangled by the wonderful trails at Uwharrie National Forrest.

The tires:

285/75r16 BFG ATs, about 45% tread left got 'em from a buddy for $40!!


The rims:

US Wheel Modular 94s in 16x8 flavor, future proofing (FF rear axle) and the deal on the tires made me go the 16" rim route



Mounted:

I think taking the "crap" off and adding the new meats beefed things up a little

[alkaline747trio]

More Mods:

After getting the new meats on and dealing with the radiator, I started to worry about the engine running hot. Toyota knew this before hand and added a carb cooling fan that comes on after engine shutdown if things are already hot enough. I wanted a little more control over this so I spliced in a switch to the system so I could run the fan whenever I wanted.

[alkaline747trio]

Gotta get high:

After rolling around with the stock suspension long enough, and getting hung up on stuff and being limited on the trails/lines I could take, I decided to lift the beast.

Went with OME 863Js in the rear, Slee 4" springs in the front, and L shocks all around. Made custom rear sway and rear bumpstop extensions. Bought the front puck extensions. Got all the SS brakelines. Extended my diff. breathers. And eventually got some second hand Gen. 2 Slee front control arms from Waggoner5.

[alkaline747trio]

Heat still plagued me:

Even with the carb fan at my finger tips, I still "felt" as if I was running too hot. Decided to give the hood spacers that had been talked about a try. Guess what, THEY WORK! No smell or extra heat in the cab (a little more warmth at stoplights w/ windows down). 1" steel spacer + 1/2" nylon spacer w/ washers and 2" longer bolts all from Lowes.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...97644883LflmQi
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...97644883YDzQsO
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...97644883kEaTGb

[alkaline747trio]

Go big or go home:

33's were a great improvement over stock, but still left a lot to be desired. DanKunz cut me a great deal on some 50% 35x12.50r16 Super Swamper Radial TSLs. They grip great and with BBs in the tires, they are always balanced and as smooth as a TSL can be.

[alkaline747trio]

Just throw it in the back:

After wheeling for a while, you start to realize how bad things slide and roll around; I decided to solve this and give me a nice level place to sleep by making a drawer box. 1/2" plywood, bunch of staples and glue, some chair slides, and a little bit of pretty rope later and I had this.

[alkaline747trio]

Street kicks and getting skinny:

TSLs are great, and for an extremely knobby tire they are very smooth, but not LC smooth and not very snow/ice friendly, and Blacksburg Va has plenty of those (yup yup yup, finally got in!!!). So the pops splurged on me and got 4 brand spankin new 33x12.50r15 BFG ATs for a good price mounted and balanced.



Along with the new rubber for the road, I decided to take off some plastic to be replace with rubber. Fares and rear bumperettes are off for a Reflex lining that will hopefully be done on Thursday and one day some steel tubing bumperettes/quarter protection to be added.






As she sits in the driveway right now.



Future plans:
38.5x11r16 Boggers
2" Bodylift
SROR Sliders
FOR/New Slee style front bumper
Interior Reflex lining
Custum Aluminum Roof rack (already made, but for a 60...brackets are just waiting to be redrilled for my 80's gutters)
IPOR skid OR Drivetrain lift/flat belly skid
Aussie Rear Locker in FF rear axle
Retro-fitted front E-locker
3-link'd front end
12-14" Bilstein/Procomp shocks all around

[cc93cruiser]

man that thing is going to look sweet with an ARB. Future plans? Oh yeah, I haven't forgotten about the drawers I want u to make, just waiting for the holidays to be over...

[Romer]

Thanks for the quick post up. I am curious on the BB's in teh tires. I bet that makes some noise on the highway.

[cc93cruiser]

[QUOTE= I am curious on the BB's in teh tires. I bet that makes some noise on the highway.[/QUOTE]

Thats exactly what I was thinkin, well do they?

[Bear80]

I'm curious, those tires look like SSR radials, did they change the design of the radial TSL's? Also what is the size? 35x12.50-16 or 315/75-16?

[alkaline747trio]

cc93, I'm starting to lean towords the FOR or new Slee bumper, or a custom knock off of both of those. I think I fell further into the rock-crawling/hardcore scene than expedition, I hope it ends up being a good thing.


The bbs are completely unnoticable after 30mph, no noise or anything. The only time I hear noise in the cab is slowing at a stop sign/light and get under 5mph. People outside the vehicle can hear them when I accelerate, but I cannot.

Bear, they look like the SSR but don't say SSR on them, they say Super Swamper Radial TSL. They are a true 35x12.50r16, not a 315.

[DanKunz]

They are old Swampers, came out before the SSR was released but has the siping. I am thinking the guy I got them from siped them for more road grip in the wet.

Logan, looking good! Looking forward to wheeling with you again

[lovemylc]

Great write up and good job on the mods. You've done well and should be proud of your ride.

[80krazE]

Nice rig, good write-up! What a proud pop you must be. By the way, normally not into these, but the wheels look great on your rig. And your placeholders are keeping me in suspense!!

[Mueller]

looks great! Nice to see the evolution of the truck from stock.

[sseaman]

nice ride

[CaliCruiser]

Very nicely done man. I can appreciate the build mainly because I am doing the same thing on my fj60 and it is tough. Nice Cruiser

Dylan

[dieseldan]

I like your before and after - nice truck - good write up!

[Josh9180]

great looking truck. i really like the drawers, good job

[alkaline747trio]

Thanks for all the nice comments guys, this will be a forever going project and I'm hoping will last me till I get too old to wheel. I'll post up some after pics of the fender lining if/when it gets done.

[alkaline747trio]

Some wheeling had to have occured:

Living only 16.4 miles from Uwharrie National Forrest, I get plenty of oppurtunities to wheel. Here are some pics and a video of some of my excursions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McXQS37UiLM








And what is wheeling without trail damage? Busted up shock, dented rocker, dented quarter, boogered up wheel.

[alkaline747trio]

The mods never stop:

Flex, you can't go anywhere without someone commenting on how much or little flex someone's rig has. Well, in my attempt to be on the much end of things, I experimented with the hitch-pin "mod". It works great, but my heavy foot might be a little too much for the stock mounts. So I beefed them up.






Same rock, same shocks, hitch-pin vs non.

[concretejungle]

Nice job Alky....especially on a high school budget!

A note on the rock posing pick.......don't forget you have 35's and the other rig had 29's.
But i must add, after seeing him wheel with the hitch pil out, i could really tell a difference in flex.

[alkaline747trio]

29's? You mean 33s?

Alex, I think you and I need to have an Aussie party...get all locked up and stuff.

[MJADDICTION]

Hey that looks just like mine. Very nice!

[Tapage]

I love see some home made custom mods .. by hand with nothing more than Cruiser pasion ..

[Dusty]

nice truck
did you your 35 inch swampers rub when wheeling with your lift?