Builds 1988 BJ74 “Number 1” (4 Viewers)

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Just getting ready for the new rims/tires. Not my first choice and I didn't necessarily want spacers, but finding rims I like in correct backspacing that weren't $700 a rim.

Spidertrax
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1.5" per side out

Could be placebo, but it felt less tippy going into dips/turns than before. In theory it should be more stable, but I wasn't sure how/if it would be noticeable.

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Just getting ready for the new rims/tires. Not my first choice and I didn't necessarily want spacers, but finding rims I like in correct backspacing that weren't $700 a rim.

Spidertrax
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1.5" per side out

Could be placebo, but it felt less tippy going into dips/turns than before. In theory it should be more stable, but I wasn't sure how/if it would be noticeable.

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I went a little less spacing in the front, a little more in the back to even mine out, yet I definitely felt it less tipsy in the corners afterwards... so I don't think it was simply placebo that you were feeling. Looks good! :cheers:
 
Because I don't have enough projects in life, I found this project on CL with a bargain price.


didn't have any roof rack so had to just take the soft top off and strap it on redneck style.

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It's an EEZI-AWN Series III 1800T which is big. 172lbs :oops:

Why the stupid low price for a tent that looks barely used inside? Canvas looks new etc???


Well, someone in their Subaru/honda/micro-suv put it on their vehicle improperly and it fell off on a slow corner. o_O It was purchased at an auction, then another guy bought it to fix but has to move so he's selling it because he doesn't have time/money.

So for basically the price of a new EEZI-AWN ladder, I have a project tent.

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He said he contacted EEZI-AWN and they said replacement parts would be $300ish but the time frame would be 6 months or more. There are a couple of options, but I think the best one would be to just replace both pieces of plywood and bend that bracket back straight.

there are a few pieces of aluminum that need straightened back into place, but other than that I should have a solid RTT on the cheap. That or fix/flip it for something smaller.

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The day started with some great driving weather with the top off.

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Then tires came in and it was time to replace them. I could have got another 5K-10K miles, which would have put me at 35k-40K miles, which is pretty good for dedicated mud tires, but I tend to like to replace before that. They would have been down to nothing at that point.

Yokohama 285/75r17 on FJ Cruiser/4 runner 17x7.5 rims with Spidertrax spacers

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Man I forgot just how smooth and quiet new tires are. These are ion paper almost 1" taller and 1.25" wider. I'll have to get some actual measurements tonight.

The black ties in pretty good overall. I will see how it looks with the top on.
 
Looks pretty good with the safari top.

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Here's some size comparison. The fronts are at 29psi from the tire shop, I usually run higher so I need to check that.
The ground isn't level at all, different wear points and only one is weight mounted lol. So not a great comparison, but you get the idea.

285/75r17 G003 vs 255/85r16 G003 vs 235/85r16 BFG

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Sweet truck Ben! looking awesome.

Im on the search now for some steelies like that for my HZJ75 fire truck.
Any idea what the offset / backspacing is on those are ? hoping to find a 17x7.5 like these i can make work
 
Sweet truck Ben! looking awesome.

Im on the search now for some steelies like that for my HZJ75 fire truck.
Any idea what the offset / backspacing is on those are ? hoping to find a 17x7.5 like these i can make work
Thanks sir!


These are new takeoffs from a 4Runner. 17x7.5 4.5” backspacing. You would need to run 1” spacers at least. I’m running 1.5” spider trax.

@FJ73Texas has the part number for the same overseas 17” with 3.5” backspace, but finding them was harder, and shipping was $$$.
 
Cruise day.

@PabloCruise @Laughingjackal and I did a small shakedown trip in the cruisers.


Apparently the cruiser gods are biased.
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The Pig is cherry, plus it is running a 3FE/4spd combo. She scoots along quite well.

The 60 series has an Isuzu 4BD1T, intercooler SOA on 37's. a beast.

And of course, my BJ74 with a 13BT and holset. Hard to believe my 88 was the newest of the group.


This was the route. Just a quick drive to pull some hills and see how the 60 series would do as they are taking it to Black Hills Cruiser classic.
Altitude ranges from 4800 to start up to 8600 at the highest.

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Stopped in Laramie for breakfast. Yes those signs are on springs....yes, Wyoming is that windy.

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Heading out of Laramie we got quite the looks, and a few cell phone pictures of the cruiser parade. I grew up going to Laramie, the "big city" for groceries, always like it here, the wind not so much.

Beautiful weather, heading out of Laramie on i80 up the pass.


Heading up the hill, we had to slow down as some semi's were going 2 wide.



1080F EGT, 12psi at :

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This pass was a little slower up top as pablocruise's 3FE pig started feeling the effects of naturally aspirated engines at altitude. The turbo diesels went on like business as usual. Had boost and power left over for climbing in 5th.
 
more shots from the trip.

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The stop at Virginia Dale. Interesting history here:
The Virginia Dale stage station was established in 1862 by Jack Slade, former station manager at Julesburg, Colorado where he famously got into a dispute with Jules Beni. Beni had previously shot Slade five times but Slade survived and exacted his revenge by ambushing Beni, tying him to a fencepost and shooting off his fingers before delivering a coup de grace to the head. Slade kept Beni's ears as trophies. While station master in Julesburg, Slade met and breakfasted with Samuel Clemens, "Mark Twain" and made quite an impression upon Twain. Twain wrote about his encounter with Slade in his 1872 publication "Roughing It".

When Ben Holladay took over the Overland Stage in 1862, he changed the route, taking it south from Julesberg along the South Platte River to Greeley and then up the old Cherokee Trail through Latham, LaPorte, Virginia Dale, Colorado, and into Wyoming.

Virginia Dale was a "home station" on the Overland Trail, meaning that passengers could disembark, get a meal, and stay overnight in a hotel if the stage was delayed by weather or nightfall. Thirty to fifty horses were kept at the station which was located in a pleasant, grassy glade (or "dale") along a clear bubbling stream, later named Dale Creek. Slade probably named the post after his wife Virginia, whose maiden name might have been "Dale". Slade was an excellent stage manager as long as he stayed sober. Many stories credit him with outrageous actions from shooting up a saloon in LaPorte for serving his stage drivers whiskey, or for having "a fondness of shooting canned goods off grocery store shelves" [5] to robbing the stage of $60,000 in gold, which later disappeared. Slade was fired as stage manager in November, 1862 after a drunken shooting spree at nearby Fort Halleckand left with his wife for Virginia City, Montana where he was hanged in early 1864 by angry miners.

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A little stop at the end for a beverage and fill up that Pig with some Ethanol Free. I used a little over a quarter tank on the trip. It was starting to get hot out so good time to end the trip.

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The next morning picking weeds with the dog. He wasn't much help but he was a great listener.

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I need a bigger exhaust, it's holding it more heat that it should and in turn holding back that turbo. Plenty of room to add more fuel, pump settings with upgrading that exhaust. From there I'll see about which intercooler I want to put on.

The seats are...well factory seats that are 30 plus years old. If I want to do some longer trips, I will definitely need some better seats. Not sure I'm going to drop Scheel Mann money(I want to), but there are lot and lots of threads on seats.

This rig drives/rides really good. Just chugs away, easy to drive. The whole trip we pretty much hovered around 65~72ish mph. I'm pretty happy with how solid it is and how good it rides. There are always upgrades to be done, but it's really hard to find any big complaints with the rig at all.

Interesting watching the boost gauge show a -1 psi at altitude and idle. Altitude definitely takes it's toll, especially on NA vehicles. The slightly larger/wider tires were no issues at all. Smooth and gave it just a bit more legs for RPMs. 2300rpm at 65mph.
 
I always go up from Laramie to Medicine Bow area. Alpine views without 100's of atv's.
Ever checked out the Buddhist Drala Mt. Center near Red Feather Lakes?
 
I always go up from Laramie to Medicine Bow area. Alpine views without 100's of atv's.
Ever checked out the Buddhist Drala Mt. Center near Red Feather Lakes?

Oh yeah great area. I grew up very close to medicine bow. Also been around red feather area quite a bit but it’s been taken over much more than it used to be.
 

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