Exo on FJ80

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we used the dunes to real world test the Ultimate 80. A good shake down in the dunes cant be beat. The U80 has a few finishing touches but the mechanics of the vehicle are done. The one casualty was the rim and we now know they are not the strongest and the rim manufacturer made changes replaced it.

The U80 will be sheltered from rain with a rear plexiglass window and storage box.

The U80 owner Drexx will be exporting the U80 to the Philippines and from there take the U80 to compete in the www.rainforest-challenge.com

The rig was built to compete in the Rainforest Challenge



A little exo-cage works great to keep the rig in one peice as Drexx drives like he stole it.
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fj40m4 said:
we used the dunes to real world test the Ultimate 80. A good shake down in the dunes cant be beat. The U80 has a few finishing touches but the mechanics of the vehicle are done. The one casualty was the rim and we now know they are not the strongest and the rim manufacturer made changes replaced it.

The U80 will be sheltered from rain with a rear plexiglass window and storage box.

The U80 owner Drexx will be exporting the U80 to the Philippines and from there take the U80 to compete in the www.rainforest-challenge.com

The rig was built to compete in the Rainforest Challenge



A little exo-cage works great to keep the rig in one peice as Drexx likes like ho stole it.


Does Drexx have a website? and will we be able to watch this event on television? Does ANY station broadcast it?
and yes I realize that it is in the middle of No Where but when you have survivorman why not have this on film.

Site says 36x13.5" Max tire size. It's about 8 months away, but that looks like one of the toughest truck challenges next to Dakar (different type of racing).

I hope Drexx is practicing getting comfortable with those neck high water crossings. Having a snorkel is manditory in order to enter the even.

Thanks for sharing, ActionJack...apologies for continuing the hi-jack on the exo topic, but I'm sure your next round of pics will bring the focus right back.

Sam:beer:
 
PKP80 I hope Drexx is practicing getting comfortable with those neck high water crossings. Having a snorkel is manditory in order to enter the even. [/QUOTE said:
Don't know Drexx, do you? He has been practicing since he got his fist 80. :D:D:D:D He has probably sunk more 80's than anyone else. That boy just loves the mud and water.
 
sleeoffroad said:
Don't know Drexx, do you? He has been practicing since he got his fist 80. :D:D:D:D He has probably sunk more 80's than anyone else. That boy just loves the mud and water.

Is that right, well from the looks of the website, the rainforest challenge will make him feel right at home.
 
Sorry guys. I've been so busy with all the demands of a family with 4 kids (soon to be 5 :eek: ). The exo is still happening so don't give up on me. :doh:

One positive thing is I got some more goodies for the cruiser!!!

Ultimate Air tank for the back and the Cruiser Crawler box from Marks4WD so I'll have another write up on that in a few months :cool:

I'm hoping to have the exo done by Cruise Moab.
 
Guys have been reading the board on and off for a while. I have had so much work that I haven’t really had a chance to follow it every day.
Here are some pics from my exo-cage. Is not done yet, we got it done like in 1 ½ or 2 (working from 5:30 pm to 9:30) before GSMTR last year so we really didn’t have a chance to finish it properly (and never did after I got back). I clearly remember painting until 4 AM, going home, taking a shower, packing and getting in my truck with a freshly paint roll cage to head up to Tellico!
What I have drawn on the pic is what I have decided it to add to it to make it a bit stronger, but haven’t had a chance to do it yet!
I wanted to make my exo removable, not sure if it is the best idea because of the strength compromise; but I must say that mine held up really good at GSMTR. It actually saved me several times from serious body damage (especially at pinch rock? (SP). Those trails are definitely not wagon friendly.
FYI: There is no way to have a vertical tube running between the two doors that will allow both of them to open and be functional therefore it would be necessary for this tube to be removable. Forget about accessing anything on the back seats unless it is through the windows. This becomes super annoying after a while when a truck is this high or you need to get heavy stuff! But I guess it’s a good compromise!
I thought about running horizontal tubes in the rear doors similar to what clownmidget shows in his pics just didn’t have time to finish or find a proper way to do so that it will be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional! (FYI: I would have ripped that fender flare independent of whether I had them or not )

My advice to you guys will be to make it fixed to the frame, DON’T make it removable u r never going to take it off, and if you decided to do so it will probably will be easier to cut it off and weld it back on! Im sure my exo deformed so much after the trip to GSMTR that I'm afraid that if I take it off it wont fit back again! 
Do not over build the exo either, the 80 is already a super heavy truck, you don’t want to add a ton of weight to it, trust me it will get heavy, and you don’t want to raise the CG either, so try to keep it as light as possible!
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VZLAFZJ80 said:
Guys have been reading the board on and off for a while. I have had so much work that I haven’t really had a chance to follow it every day.
Here are some pics from my exo-cage. Is not done yet, we got it done like in 1 ½ or 2 (working from 5:30 pm to 9:30) before GSMTR last year so we really didn’t have a chance to finish it properly (and never did after I got back). I clearly remember painting until 4 AM, going home, taking a shower, packing and getting in my truck with a freshly paint roll cage to head up to Tellico!
What I have drawn on the pic is what I have decided it to add to it to make it a bit stronger, but haven’t had a chance to do it yet!
I wanted to make my exo removable, not sure if it is the best idea because of the strength compromise; but I must say that mine held up really good at GSMTR. It actually saved me several times from serious body damage (especially at pinch rock? (SP). Those trails are definitely not wagon friendly.
FYI: There is no way to have a vertical tube running between the two doors that will allow both of them to open and be functional therefore it would be necessary for this tube to be removable. Forget about accessing anything on the back seats unless it is through the windows. This becomes super annoying after a while when a truck is this high or you need to get heavy stuff! But I guess it’s a good compromise!
I thought about running horizontal tubes in the rear doors similar to what clownmidget shows in his pics just didn’t have time to finish or find a proper way to do so that it will be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional! (FYI: I would have ripped that fender flare independent of whether I had them or not )

My advice to you guys will be to make it fixed to the frame, DON’T make it removable u r never going to take it off, and if you decided to do so it will probably will be easier to cut it off and weld it back on! Im sure my exo deformed so much after the trip to GSMTR that I'm afraid that if I take it off it wont fit back again! 
Do not over build the exo either, the 80 is already a super heavy truck, you don’t want to add a ton of weight to it, trust me it will get heavy, and you don’t want to raise the CG either, so try to keep it as light as possible!


Great pic's but.....



















Show the HARD SIDE...... the snorkel side............ please.




Thank you.

Apon futher review it looks as if you just wraped around the snork and down to the same spot as the drivers side?
 
Unfortunately I don’t have pics from the right hand side and my truck I don’t have here at my house. Best I can do is post some pics from GSMTR (only pics that I have from the snorkel side).
I decided to go on the inside of the snorkel so that it wouldn’t make the 80 much wider that what already is. It came out really good; you can hardly see the tube from inside the truck. I will try to get more pics to show you. For now this are the ones that I have handy.

First two Guard R.
Third Helicopter Pad
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First two pics Pinch Rock...It saved my rear quarter panel (with the help off all they guys)
Second pic see the big rock in front of the left front tire (no way around it, at least on 37”) making the truck lean on the big rock, that’s where the exo did its job.
Third pic see the exo working, the truck hit that really hard no damage!!
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Hey Ale,
Kina is going agian this year so you better be going, there is a florida ride on lower 2 on tuesday. I am taking Velveeta every where this year...the body is too dented to care what I take it thru...

hope to see you there...
-Al
 
DOM tubing 1.75" 0.120 wall for the cage, 1" .0120 wall gussets. I use it for desert prerunning as well as rock crawling and anything else I can throw at it, so I went with the DOM (60mph roll and pipe don't mix..:eek: .). Spare tire carrier coming soon...

numtel said:
I know it's not an 80 but a 4runner is pretty close and this exo works well.
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No damage except for the side mirror fell off.
 
PKP80 said:
will we be able to watch this event on television? Does ANY station broadcast it?
and yes I realize that it is in the middle of No Where but when you have survivorman why not have this on film.

Site says 36x13.5" Max tire size. It's about 8 months away, but that looks like one of the toughest truck challenges next to Dakar (different type of racing).
DVDs of the event are available. I have the 2003 and a mate has a few of the others. One of my favourite 4wdriving competitions.

Almost as good as the Outback Challege.
http://www.outback4x4challenge.com/
This event is based around Broken Hill, my old home town.
 

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