Bean! My FJ60 build and adventure (6 Viewers)

[theron]

Theron,

Question for you regarding your roof rack and bolts. I have a JB tent also but on a 3 pole rack from Yakima on my other truck. I'm thinking about switching the tent to the Fj62 with a full rack. Which rack are you using and are you able to use the original bolt kit with it or did you use something custom?

Thanks in advance!

I have a Rhino Rack these days. You can use JB factory bolts and plate with it....the Rhino main planks run long ways and underneath those are cross members where the tent bolts to. I'll post a photo of it soon for ya...but it's attaching just like your Yakima setup.

Off the top of my head the only rack I know of that WON'T work is the Front Runner. I helped a friend assemble his once and have little interest in ever doing that again

 

[RBA]

Thanks dude!

 

[cruisermatt]

The 4:1 lo-range gears 'whine' all the time now, even when you're in 2hi but when I turn on the radio I can't hear them. And the gear swap does affect your Hi-range, Advance Adapter says 10%...but I put on a lot of highway miles and in the end it was a fair trade. The gears are so good off road

Is that 10% overdrive or under drive?

 

[theron]

Is that 10% overdrive or under drive?

Underdrive, per Advance Adapter's website (last sentence on the page)...and my RPM's being a touch higher now on the highway

 

[cruisermatt]

Did you consider a Blackbox doubler?

 

[joebattle1]

Hey hey TheRon, Big fan, dig your IG page and this thread. I have a dog question... I've debated the roof top tent for some time. My biggest issue with it is my dog (100lb Ridgeback/pit mix, big dumb and not that agile). He sleeps on his own bed next to my wife and I at home but when we camp he must be in the tent or back of the wagon with us or he'll lose his "dog-gone" (pun intended) mind. Where does Maddie bed down at night? Does she just climb the ladder? I mean it looks like she splits half the driving with you so it wouldn't surprise me if she did. Keep it up. You're living most of us working stiffs dreams.

 

[klinetime574]

I follow you on IG as well @theron

Love the posts, and can't believe I haven't read through all of this yet. You definitely are living the dream though!

 

[theron]

I have a dog question... I've debated the roof top tent for some time. My biggest issue with it is my dog (100lb Ridgeback/pit mix, big dumb and not that agile). He sleeps on his own bed next to my wife and I at home but when we camp he must be in the tent or back of the wagon with us or he'll lose his "dog-gone" (pun intended) mind. Where does Maddie bed down at night? Does she just climb the ladder? I mean it looks like she splits half the driving with you so it wouldn't surprise me if she did. Keep it up. You're living most of us working stiffs dreams.

I pick up Maddie and plop her into the tent, one hand under her chest and other on her rear. In the morning I wrap her around my shoulders and walk down the ladder normally...she's about 50 lbs.

 

[Shebamacalla]

Thanks for the info on the shift boot and gears. I'm gonna try to rig up the stock boot but maintain the shift light. It's too bad about the under drive in high range. My highway rpms are already a bit higher than I want. I wonder what their reasoning behind that was? Maybe for people that went to bigger tires without regearing the diffs?


Sent from my iPhone

 

[theron]

Thanks for the info on the shift boot and gears. I'm gonna try to rig up the stock boot but maintain the shift light. It's too bad about the under drive in high range. My highway rpms are already a bit higher than I want. I wonder what their reasoning behind that was? Maybe for people that went to bigger tires without regearing the diffs?

I'm now @ 2k RPM's on the highway @ 70mph so it wasn't an issue for me....but I'm not sure why it also changes the Hi-Range gears. I'm sure someone around here smarter than me will know. But @cruisermatt had an alternative product called a Blackbox Doubler, but I don't know much about it.

Some pics of my shifter:

 

[theron]

Thanks dude!

Here's a photo of how the James Baroud tent is attached to the Rhino Rack:

 

[Shebamacalla]

Love the shifter boot. Very clean!


Sent from my iPhone

 

[drillduty]

Love the shifter boot. Very clean!


Sent from my iPhone

Love the shifter boot. Very clean!

Another option for shift boot and Lokar shift indicator. Custom shift boots from vendor @NCFJ62

 

[theron]

Made it up to New Hampshire to peep some leaves and check out some Class VI roads, which are mostly listed in the Delorme NH Atlas and the Delorme digital maps on the InReach Explorer (which I have). There's a neat group called Exploring NH that has spent a lot of time mapping and rating the Class VI roads, but you gotta hang and ride with them to get access...which I still don't have...but I did ride with their Fall Crawl and it was a blast. Next to Colorado some of the most fun I've had off road so far has been in NH.

It's always tough taking a lot of photos when you're solo....but I had to bring my winch out a few times and use my lockers. Real stick around here. If you're ever in these woods def find these public roads.



Phone screen shot of the digital Delrome maps....Class VI roads in NH show up as these dotted lines:













And 2 from the group ride....always easier to photograph everyone else's rig. Are Jeep photos cool here?

 

[RBA]

Wow, pics like that really make me miss the northeast, just for a few minutes.

 

[drillduty]

Miss the foliage not the salty roads!

 

[boozewz]

Keep the pics coming Theron

 

[theron]

Small wiper blade update:

I accidentally ran over my wiper arms....long story. Actually not really, ha! I took them off and sat them on my tires and forgot about 'em.


Instead of replacing them with FJ60 wiper arms I went with two, LH side, 1996 4runner arms. They are ~$45/each vs. the ~$60/each FJ60 arms. I also replaced the nuts but I didn't replace the black plastic covers that touches the truck even though mine are brittle....they were ~$30/each.

The arms bolts right on and feel stronger than the stock FJ60 arms, hopefully they will make better contact with the windshield. Only issue now is the bolt is exposed...maybe paint it black? Maybe these covers would fit?

Part #: 85221-35080

Part #: 90179-08026

It was also a good time for some new wiper blades. I got a pair of 19" Silblade's, fit is great.

 

[cruisermatt]

What, got a problem with exposed hardware?

Put some anti-seize on the threads, then cover them with these:

Also, what are the wiper blades off of? 4Runner I assume?

 

[theron]

What, got a problem with exposed hardware?

Put some anti-seize on the threads, then cover them with these:


Also, what are the wiper blades off of? 4Runner I assume?

Nooooiiiicceee, I'll get a set of those.

Yeah, the wiper arms are 1996-2001 4runner. The wiper blades are some Silblade's, link in the first post.

Oh, and just FYI if anyone looks: the RH 4runner arm is longer and it's more expensive. 2 LH side arms seems to be the ticket.