Builds '07 FJ Cruiser Build (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Threads
2
Messages
44
Location
Southern IL
Thought I should go ahead and start my build thread since I've gotten a few things done to my new to me '07 FJC. It won't be quite as intense as some of the builds that I have seen on here but if nothing else maybe it'll help someone else in some way. I hope to do some moderate offroading with it. Most of the time it will be my hunting and fishing vehicle. Well, here we go!

First thing's first.. Have to thank my father, fantic, for all of his help and resources.​

2007 FJ Cruiser Voodoo Blue
-100,000 mi
-ARB front bumper with Warn XD9000 winch and Blue Factor 55 Prolink
-Blue Factor 55 Hitchlink
-M-Pac Springtail Solutions side rack
-ARB Premium Recovery Kit
-OME 2.5in lift
-CB radio kit with Cobra 75 WX ST and 4' Firestik from rightchannelradios.com
-285/70R17 Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx
-Diode Dynamics LED dome/cargo lights (SMF6)
-Husky 22" Pro Grade Rolling Tote

Soon to come~~
-??

What I could use some input on~~
-I'm not sure exactly where I want to mount my CB antenna yet. The kit that i bought came with the bandi mount but i'm actually leaning towards mounting on the front right of the ARB front bumper. Any input would be appreciated.

-I don't know which tires I want yet. I pretty much have it narrowed down between the Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx and the Dick Cepek Fun Country. I currently run a set of Fun Countries on my '06 Duramax and haven't had a complaint about them yet(17,000mi). The FC's are about $20 cheaper per tire than the Maxx's. There are just so many good reviews about the Maxx's and I love the white lettering.. Help me out guys.

-Do I really need to get new UCA's with my OME lift, and if so which ones do you recommend? (Light Racing,Total Chaos,..)

On the way home from the dealership she rolled over 100,000K. Made me kinda sad. lol
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First thing I had to do was replace the gunked up flat 4 trailer wiring harness and replace it with a 7 way. I'm not sure if the original had ever been used..
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The 7 way does hang down lower than I had hoped but if I ever think I may get into a bind and scrape it, I can remove one screw and zip tie the plug in up by the frame.
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Felt like Christmas morning.
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Finally we get to mount the winch into the bumper. I ended up running the ground wire of the winch all the way to the engine compartment of the FJC with some wire we had in the shop.
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Whatever you do, DO NOT forget to put these little nuts into the bottom of the bumper BEFORE putting the fairlead on.. Learned that the hard way.
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Got the bumper mounted, plummed up, and wires run.
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Ran my wires towards the drivers side of the car along the original brackets to a hole just behind the headlight.
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Ended up drilling out the neg post clamp and running a bigger bolt and double nutting the ground wire to the battery. I ran the smaller cable from before along the drivers side of the engine compartment and up to a bolt to secure it.
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Looking good.

my $0.02, skip the expensive CB install and go straight to HAM radio. Cheaper equipment cost, longer range and the entry level licensing test is not hard to pass.
 
Nice work. I have the ARB Bull bar as well and solid is an understatement.

I have the OME 3" and am still on stock UCAs with no issues. The plan is to upgrade to SPC or something like that whenever I need to replace balljoints. So, yes you can run stock. After market will get you better alignment specs but so far so good for me. Also have 285-70-17 ST MAXX. Great tire, quiet and does well on the trail. You may want to look at the new STT PRO as an option. Although more aggressive, I think they are going to become a hit.

The CB antenna is your call. I normally leave mine on most of the time so I went with a BANDI mount, HD spring and a quick disconnect in the back for when I need to take it off. I'm in the NE and the trails are tight. That was another reason why I didn't want it on the front.

Depending on what type of wheeling you get into, you may want to rig something up for your tow plug. I left mine like that and destroyed it one day on the trail. It was a steep departure and I drug it on the way out. Maybe something that can be hinged?

Nice build and I'm looking forward to your transformation.
 
Got the Factor 55 Prolink attached and the ARB rock guard mounted. The worst part about it was taking off and putting back on the original skid plate.(rusty bolts)
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Now all that was left was to trim the fender wells.
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I secured the fender well to the metal behind it with a bolt/washer combo and will cut the bolt soon.
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The bumper ended up making the front end squat almost an inch so I'm hoping the heavy OME springs up front bring it back up just under level. I would like to have just a hair of drop in the front so when I tow my boat (20ft Alumacraft jon) it will level out nicely.
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Now it's time for the M-Pac Springtail side rack. Very easy install and i'm very pleased with it so far.
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I ended up drilling the optional two holes for the bottom of the mount since who knows what I may end up putting on it.
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If you want the bag and the pair of quickfist make sure you order the FJ side rack combo.
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Looking good.

my $0.02, skip the expensive CB install and go straight to HAM radio. Cheaper equipment cost, longer range and the entry level licensing test is not hard to pass.

I definitely thought about the HAM but for no more than I will probably be using it the CB will be more than enough for me. (Hopefully). HAM could always come later. ;)
 
Dad got tired of rolling around on a creeper after, well lets just say a few years :D and finally got his two post Rotary 10K lbs lift. And just in time to put on my OME lift, what a coincidence!
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I may have been a little nervous with the FJC being the test monkey for the lift we installed ourselves.. But she held true!:clap:
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Well my Factor 55 Hitchlink finally came in,"got lost in transit on the first go round". And we got the CB installed using the bandi mount. I have to say we had more problems with grounding than anything else. The coax cable that comes with the kit is hot on one side and grounded on the other, but the metal ring that is supposed to ground to the metal on the bandi mount didn't stick out far enough to contact it because of the black plastic that surrounded the metal ring. So after much :bang: we installed a star washer between the ground side of the coax and the mount and actually bent down the edges of the washer to slide between the metal and the black plastic so the metal ring was surrounded.. Not cool. But I am getting a 1.1 reading from my tester.

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I ended up connecting a HD spring and a quick connect to the 4' Firestik.
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Ran the coax along the inside of the car under the kick panel and seat over to the center console and attached it like lgrt did in their video, I just put my own spin on it. Thanks btw :cheers: it helped a lot.
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And I ended up deciding to mount the radio to the back portion of the center console so it would be out of the way most of the time. Plus I really didn't want to drill into the dash unless I absolutely had to.
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Nice work! Your rig is looking great.

Thanks! Got told my Maxx's are in today and will be installed tomorrow but the local tire shop wasn't confident that they'll be able to do the alignment with the 2.5" OME lift.. I wouldn't think it would be that far out of whack, but what do I know. We'll see how they do and I may have another shop take a look at it if i'm not satisfied.
 
I've always been told and done this myself. It doesn't hurt to drive the Vehicle a little. 1/2 tank of gas or so after installing the lift before alignment is done. Let it settle in some.

A decent shop should be able to get you back into a tolerable spec with the setup you have. We have a local guy that's been doing alignments for years and he didn't have any issues getting me close. This is an older guide and there may be something newer but it is helpful.
https://www.allprooffroad.com/images/stories/Instructions/2007fjcalignment.pdf
 
I've always been told and done this myself. It doesn't hurt to drive the Vehicle a little. 1/2 tank of gas or so after installing the lift before alignment is done. Let it settle in some.

A decent shop should be able to get you back into a tolerable spec with the setup you have. We have a local guy that's been doing alignments for years and he didn't have any issues getting me close. This is an older guide and there may be something newer but it is helpful.
https://www.allprooffroad.com/images/stories/Instructions/2007fjcalignment.pdf

Cool, thank you!
 

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