4WD Toyota Owner magazine Project FZJ80 pics

[clarkrw3]

Thanks for the nice comments guys...(sorry I never ment to thread jack). I like this build, and I love the Mag!!! I think the set up on the winch is very nice and i might have to copy it some day soon (did you get the rope with the heat shield on the inner?) My first post in this thread was "nice build up". I understand that this type of lift isn't for everyone it's not for me that is why I went with the 6". That said there have been enough threads bashing this lift that were about the lift. I just don't think that bashing on some guy that just put it on his truck is right!!! It is a valid way to lift a truck, so is springs with spacers etc. I don't personally think springs with spacers is the "right" way to lift a truck but that is just my opinion which is why I used slee's lift. I do not, however, bash everyone in my club or on this board for using spacers. I guess what I am really trying to say is that I don't think it is right to bash Dave in his thread...we had other threads that had enough bashing of the poor horse. :shotts:

D'oh! An LX450, of course. LOVE the black!

thanks..I didn't want black at first but now love it!!!

And no I am not using spacer for the person that asked that.

Here are side buy side pics that better show underbody of the two lifts

 

[Texican]

wow - I don't have time to check mud for a while and ya'all have a bracket pissing match without me.

This weekend won't settle anything. There are a bunch of people on this board who will piss and moan about drop brackets no matter what. They're generally the same people who will run down any product made by anyone other than Slee..

I've never bought anything from Christo, although I have met and wheeled with him, twice......
The truck I posted was completed prior to anyone making a caster correction device for the front axle and it was done with old fashioned do it your self fabrication......
I'm not bashing anyone, here, just my opinion, or should we just keep it to ourselves?
Asthetics are then main reason I hate the drop brackets ........call me vain, but that is important to me......

Butch

 

[sleeoffroad]

With the cut and turn you run into the same problem that at some point the tie rod hits the control arms. I can not recall if it was Jeff or someone else that actually heated the steering arms and bent them some to get them to raise the tie rods.

The White whales was indeed done way before big lifts was the common practice. The truck has one of the very first sets of aluminum spacers on it that was still done when we just started.

 

[landtank]

from working with my caster plate which mimics a cut and turn as far as rotating the knuckles are concerned, the limit is around 9* before tie-rod contact. I'm at 7* and still have about 5/16" of clearance. This is just a guess but I beleive it's a good one. Other trucks may be different and this is based on a single truck.

 

[Texican]

. I can not recall if it was Jeff or someone else that actually heated the steering arms and bent them some to get them to raise the tie rods.
The White whales was indeed done way before big lifts was the common practice. The truck has one of the very first sets of aluminum spacers on it that was still done when we just started.

Christo, just talked to JJ, his is not the one that the arms are heated and bent.
He recalls discussing this, but they never hit on the whale. I reckon they hit an extreme droop?
Mybe the shocks are limiting this?
Butch

 

[hoser]

Yep, drop brackets are too low, and the fenders get in the way of big tires, so lets take those off. That rear ovehang can get in the way too, so lets cut the back half of the truck off. Damn, that hood is blocking my view, throw it away too. Boy, seems unless you're running a buggy, you're making some compromises.

Anyone wanna buy my hood? Haha, well said, Eagle.

 

[Walking Eagle]

I've never bought anything from Christo, although I have met and wheeled with him, twice......
The truck I posted was completed prior to anyone making a caster correction device for the front axle and it was done with old fashioned do it your self fabrication......
I'm not bashing anyone, here, just my opinion, or should we just keep it to ourselves?
Asthetics are then main reason I hate the drop brackets ........call me vain, but that is important to me......

Butch

Butch -

I didn't say keep your opinion to yourself, I didn't even adress my last post to you - I chose not to direct it to anyone on purpose. It's not a matter of people expressing opinions - it a matter of how they are expressed.

 

[Texican]

Butch -

I didn't say keep your opinion to yourself, I didn't even adress my last post to you - I chose not to direct it to anyone on purpose. It's not a matter of people expressing opinions - it a matter of how they are expressed.

I meant nothing by quoting ya' other than chit chat, so......are we gonna see your 80 with some of them pimp brackets????

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Anyone wanna buy my hood? Haha, well said, Eagle.

I sure would not mind your hood orniment......


Christo addressed another problem I never heard about which by the sounds of it is the reason they are not cutting and turning the 80s front axles.


Trying to picture how it would make contact, might have to get under the truck tomorrow and try to imagine the contact.




Rob

 

[cruiserdan]

The tie rod is behind the axle, above the leading rods. as the axle is tipped backwards (or the knuckles and steering arms in the case of a cut-and-turn) the tie rod gets closer to the top edge of the leading rods, eventually contacting the top edge.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

The tie rod is behind the axle, above the leading rods. as the axle is tipped backwards (or the knuckles and steering arms in the case of a cut-and-turn) the tie rod gets closer to the top edge of the leading rods, eventually contacting the top edge.

Got it now..........

Thanks Dan.

 

[notyourmomslx450]

I want that bumper. Do you guys offer it at slee, or did you custom make it?

 

[cruiserdan]

That is a one-off, built by Christo for that particular vehicle. It is similar to his production bumper but is a bit more compact and fits a smaller winch. In addition it was designed to fit with the body lift used on this vehicle.

D-

 

[ryanjl]

wow - I don't have time to check mud for a while and ya'all have a bracket pissing match without me.

This weekend won't settle anything. There are a bunch of people on this board who will piss and moan about drop brackets no matter what. They're generally the same people who will run down any product made by anyone other than Slee.

Is it really too much to accept that most trucks are built as a balance of off and on road capability, and that not everyone's idea of where the balance point should be for them is the same?

Yep, drop brackets are too low, and the fenders get in the way of big tires, so lets take those off. That rear ovehang can get in the way too, so lets cut the back half of the truck off. Damn, that hood is blocking my view, throw it away too. Boy, seems unless you're running a buggy, you're making some compromises.

So, if someone was to post a picture of their rig with a boat anchor chained to the back, dragging all over the ground, and says "Whadda ya think?", no one is allowed to say "Ummm.... that isn't good"?

It doesn't take a genius to look at the lowered brackets and see some pretty big shortcomings. Those are obvious.

What isn't obvious, though, is any benefit they may have over alternatives. Are they better than modified control arms, brackets, or bushings? That is what only a road test will probably tell.

 

[-Spike-]

It's a public forum. Anyone who posts should do so with the knowledge that other people are going to give them an opinion. The responses in this thread have been fairly respectful, in my opinion and compared to things I've seen on other boards (coughpiratecough).

-Spike

 

[notyourmomslx450]

That is a one-off, built by Christo for that particular vehicle. It is similar to his production bumper but is a bit more compact and fits a smaller winch. In addition it was designed to fit with the body lift used on this vehicle.

D-

Thanks Dan. I'm going to have to make one. I like the more compact design compared to the ARB. (the crowd gasps in disgu st!)

,
Jason

 

[Walking Eagle]

I meant nothing by quoting ya' other than chit chat, so......are we gonna see your 80 with some of them pimp brackets????

Seriously thought about it, since the drive from Tulsa to moab is pretty far, it'd be nice to have a stockish ride out there. An option other than slee or MAF fell in my lap, so I'm actually not planning on using either.

 

[Walking Eagle]

It's a public forum. Anyone who posts should do so with the knowledge that other people are going to give them an opinion. The responses in this thread have been fairly respectful, in my opinion and compared to things I've seen on other boards (coughpiratecough).

-Spike

Ya', and Rosie O'Donnel is fairly atractive compared to Rosian Burr, but I wouldn't sleep with either. If pirate is the yard stick you measure by - have fun with Rosie.

I thought the negative comments made about 4WDTO mag were disrespectful. It's too new to have proven itself one way or the other on it's journalism.

 

[landtank]

I thought the negative comments made about 4WDTO mag were disrespectful.

Probably in one of my moods at the time, but I got the idea that this thread was more about increasing interest in this issue than tech.

All questions will be answered this next weekend, then written fully in the Mar/April issue. I can tell it's going to be carefully scrutinized!

 

[Texican]

Look, I meant absolutely no disrespect to the mag, or MAF however, anybody that knows me via the web or in person, knows I am not one to mince words.
You'll know where I stand on dang near anything.........