armor vs. non armor poll

[RLMS]

Here's a ? How many FJC owners have or want aftermarket armor vs. those who have an FJC and just cruise? or how may would you quess from what you all see drivin, wheeling and so forth?


Just curious

Thanks

Justin

 

[joebob2586]

I think that if you plan to wheel the fj period armor is a good idea, the problem is that its pricey and most of the time take away from your ground clearance just me 2 cents

 

[1911]

I have a Demello front skid, a custom re-positioned frame cross-member and custom tranny skid, but nothing aft of that right now. Will probably add something to protect the TC even though it is 3-4" higher than stock. Also have a rear E-locker motor guard and aftermarket rear trailing arms. Not too worried about the plastic gas tank. Sliders and steel bumpers front and rear too.

 

[FJCthulhu]

My percentages are based on guesswork. They are by no means scientific

In my region of the world (Connecticut), I'd guess that 90% of the FJ's that I see are stock or slightly blinged for street looks (shiny rims, stick-on Wal-Mart bling, etc.) but not set up for off road.

The remaining 10%, myself and some of my buddies are heaviliy modified some with 6" lifts, etc. and all of those have aftermarket trail armor - including skids, sliders, and bumper(s). I think there's even a solid front axle FJ lurking around this state somewhere...hmmm...

In contrast, I'd guess that 95% of the newbies I see who go off roading in a stock FJ move to improved trail armor and their first set of Old Man Emu's quickly. A few of the popular get togethers at places like Rausch Creek Off Road Park showed first timers getting immersed in the activity quickly. Very few off road this vehicle and then decide to never go off road again.

 

[knoll0351]

If you do it yourself armor is very reasonable. I built my skids in a day and it cost less than $200.00 for the sheet of 10 guage that I used. Plenty left over for a couple of small projects. And I had to reinforce my lower control arms ( a must if you plan on wheelin' at all ) and that ran me about $60.00 (1/4 " wall tube ) I split that lengthwise with the plasma and welded top and bottom. And sliders, those are about all the bits you need if you intend to wheel. Bumpers are nice, but not needed. I hope this helps some.

 

[GoISU]

I currently have a rear diff skid only. I really want some added protection but I still have to commute 80 miles a day round trip. I just can't hang all that steel under my truck. I am one of the people out there taking a real hard look at the aluminum skids that are hitting the market. I don't rock crawl (live in IL) and most of my hits to the under carriage come from the earth between the muddy ruts and the occasional half buried rock in the trail. I need MORE protection, not bulletproof protection. If I get an aluminum skid that takes the hits, gets dinged up but protects all the important stuff so I can drive to work on Monday then I will be a happy man. If it weighs and costs half as much as steel then that is icing on the cake. There is a poster in the Blue Room who just scooped up an aluminum front skid off e bay for $100.

 

[Blues Dawg]

There is a poster in the Blue Room who just scooped up an aluminum front skid off e bay for $100.

If that is the OEM skid, its more of a detriment than a benefit.

And if you wheel, belly armor is a must, imo.

 

[Hondo352]

I have been running my daily driver with a full set of the Rasta skids. These skids are very durable in my opinion. They have seen the Black Hills,The Cliff's,Tall Corn,McCaslin, Flat Nasty,Hannibal Rocks, Cruise Moab. Thanks to RLMS for the lower links.

John

 

[tendeadhorses]

Its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it

 

[OlyWaFJ]

If you wheel it, armor it! My BudBuilt's have already paid for themselves at least two times over by saving me from a couple hidden stumps in the trail... If it is a pavement princess then save your money and the loss of MPG.

 

[knoll0351]

This may be a side note that isn't for this thread, but I keep reading it and can't say nothing any longer. How does a hundred or two hundred extra pounds of sprung weight have any affect at all on MPG??? Do you think about who you let ride in your 5,000 lbs + vehicle? I can't wrap my head around how anyone could actually believe skid plate, sliders or even a bumper would have any affect on MPG on a rig as heavy as ours are. If you're that concerned are you on a diet so you don't over load your truck and cost you a fraction of a MPG?.... Okay enough soap box but really I can't see how it would make any difference at all, much less an noticable one.


On a minor side note I see how unsprung weight could be noticable, and I see how taller tires changes things as well as roof rack with the impact on wind resistance.....but this isn't what we're talking about on this thread.

 

[GoISU]

I have been running my daily driver with a full set of the Rasta skids. These skids are very durable in my opinion. They have seen the Black Hills,The Cliff's,Tall Corn,McCaslin, Flat Nasty,Hannibal Rocks, Cruise Moab. Thanks to RLMS for the lower links.

John

The Cliffs is exactly what I was referring to when I mentioned the "earth between the ruts". See ya around Hondo!

 

[GoISU]

This may be a side note that isn't for this thread, but I keep reading it and can't say nothing any longer. How does a hundred or two hundred extra pounds of sprung weight have any affect at all on MPG??? Do you think about who you let ride in your 5,000 lbs + vehicle? I can't wrap my head around how anyone could actually believe skid plate, sliders or even a bumper would have any affect on MPG on a rig as heavy as ours are. If you're that concerned are you on a diet so you don't over load your truck and cost you a fraction of a MPG?.... Okay enough soap box but really I can't see how it would make any difference at all, much less an noticable one.


On a minor side note I see how unsprung weight could be noticable, and I see how taller tires changes things as well as roof rack with the impact on wind resistance.....but this isn't what we're talking about on this thread.

I hadn't really differentiated between sprung and un-sprung weight but what your saying makes sense and does make me feel a little better. I guess I was just thinking of how all this stuff adds up eventually. Bumpers, winch, sliders, tires, tools/storage in the rear, hi lift ect ect and pretty soon my 5k LB truck is a 6K LB truck. My big ass is just the start of it... Guys that pack everything for an African expedition and then drive across a continent just don't get the same gas millage as the truck did when it was stock, no debate there, sprung or un-sprung doesn't seem to matter when it's loaded and built up. Eventually it all adds up. I am just trying to be choosy now, once it's on I want to know all mt pounds were well thought out and functional. Added weight adds stress to a lot of othe components I am sure, suspension/drivetrain ect as well.

 

[knoll0351]

The only time I've heard of people wrestling with which wieght to load into their rigs it's not so much as how much weight, but how high the weight is loaded. Again, I personally think of it as a moot point.

 

[BigyellowFJ]

Several years back, my wife and I took a 2 day class in Hungry Valley on off road basics. We did this to get me back into wheeling after many years of muscle cars and for my wife to get her comfortable with off roading in general. We also did this to take our new then , FJ Cruiser out and see what it would stand up to. Well after the first day of rocks, we trashed our factory skid plate and trailing arm mounts. Second day we lost our rear bumper. Well we came home ordered 4+ skid plates from Man a Fre, Trailing arm armor from All Pro and added a diff armor. Then came the Expedition One bumpers and sliders. Two plus years later and many miles off road and we have never had a failure or worry since. Well worth it if you go off road. Not too costly on the skids and the weight down low helps the overall center of gravity. Almost anything you break or punture is ten times the cost of skid plates that work. Five thousand pounds of truck on a rock opened the factory skid plates like a cheap beer can.

 

[template]

The FJ is my daily driver and I just ordered a 1/4 inch thick aluminum front skid plate for it.

Thought about steel vs. aluminum for a long time and I chose the lighter weight aluminum because I don't plan on doing any rock crawling and perhaps just a little off road driving.

My driveway is unpaved and my main use for the front skid plate will be for driving over hard chunks of frozen snow in the winter.

The aluminum plate won't rust or require frequent repainting.

This particular skid plate costs only $100 and I can upgrade to a more expensive steel skid plate later if I want.

 

[Mikescruiser]

if you plan to wheel? go with armor! I bashed in my stock IFS skid so bad two years ago that I couldnt make left turns on the trail that I had to remove it right there and then to continue wheelin. now I have AP IFS & trans and they work great.