FJ55, what is necessary to out-preform an 80? (1 Viewer)

[lowtideride]

SOA will flex as good as coiled 80....just wont be as nice in the cab. A properly setup 4-link should not have crappy road manners. The fj55 is awesome looks wise, has the 80 beat by miles.
to make it wheel like a mad man and be a nice as the 80 inside
super soft seats
sounds proofing out the wazhoo
a/c
sound system
4-link
FI
5speed
ARBs
the rest is cosmetic...bumpers,sliders and the like


Since you have two 3FE powerd 80s (my fav) I would take the body off one and fab up some mounts for the fj55. Would be less work then all you would have to do to make it wheel better and be more cushy than an 80.

That and you could save the body parts for when you mess the other 80 up on the trail.

 

[tucker74]

SOA will flex as good as coiled 80....just wont be as nice in the cab.

Nope - got both of them sitting in the driveway

The fj55 is awesome looks wise, has the 80 beat by miles.

Don't get me wrong here - I'm not bashing on the pig (I love 'em), just stating the facts.

Lowtide, I'm sorry but I've yet to ride in a 4-link I'd drive from here to Moab without thinking about at 80MPH like my FZJ ...

Tucker

 

[lowtideride]

Nope - got both of them sitting in the driveway

Don't get me wrong here - I'm not bashing on the pig (I love 'em), just stating the facts.

Lowtide, I'm sorry but I've yet to ride in a 4-link I'd drive from here to Moab without thinking about at 80MPH like my FZJ ...

Tucker

I have both of them parked in the drive way too (80 and SOA 60)

wheeled with many 80s and my rig flexed just as well if not better than some 80s with a 5inch lift coils....so I do know first hand.

And I do believe that a properly set up 4-link should hand just as well as a SOA rig or a lifted rig for that matter.

 

[tucker74]

I'm not getting my point across here - a SOA 40/55/60 will flex and wheel great, but not the same as coils. That's why people go to all the trouble to cut all their suspension out and fab 4-links. Now 4-links work great as well for what they were designed to do (flex) - I just wouldn't want to throw the family and dog in one and head out cross country. This is exactly why 99% of the guys running them pull them on trailers to the trail. I was answering the question with the thought he wanted an all-around rig, eat up the trail and hook it home with the radio blaring on cruise....

My 80 is that ... the 55 could be that (Evan's is) ... but it would take a lot of money to make it do it better.

Long live the Iron Pig

Tucker

 

[Wayneraintree]

A rough estimate for a mildly rust free 'comfort modified' pig could be..... (shot in the dark) 10-13000$ or more depending on the level of luxury, etc. (could be a close estimate for any built toy 4x4) You could buy a 2500$ pig and then find a wrecked FZJ80 and swap the best parts including the interior and you would have best of both worlds. Evan, if I may.... this is his "lexus" FJ-55 interior..... from birfielddotcom. Appears saweeeeeet to me and his Toyota V8 likely make it road trip worthy. A good example of what you seek...

and one of his enviable piggie...

 

[bad_religion_au]

Nope - got both of them sitting in the driveway

Don't get me wrong here - I'm not bashing on the pig (I love 'em), just stating the facts.

Lowtide, I'm sorry but I've yet to ride in a 4-link I'd drive from here to Moab without thinking about at 80MPH like my FZJ ...

Tucker

guy in my club has a yellow 40 on 80 series diffs with a 4 link front

i've driven it and it handles better than any factory coil sprung 4bie i've ever driven (80, 105 series, gq and gu patrols, range rovers etc)

 

[tucker74]

guy in my club has a yellow 40 on 80 series diffs with a 4 link front

i've driven it and it handles better than any factory coil sprung 4bie i've ever driven (80, 105 series, gq and gu patrols, range rovers etc)

Most guys who go to all the trouble to install 4-links want them for articulation, and design them as such. A suspension designed for massive flex will have inherently scary road manors w/o sway bars. I never said you couldn't design a coil spring suspension that would be great on the road ... you'd just have a hard time designing one that would do both.

BTW: Evans truck rocks ... that's why I quoted it above, it would cost you a whole lot more than a built 80 to do what he did however.

Tucker

 

[Tigerstripe40]

I was a 40 series purist for a long time.

But seeing what a STOCK FZJ80 can do (with lockers) vs what my built (sm420, lift, tires, locker, PS)FJ40 can do it's not comparison.

You'll spend more on building up an FJ55 and you will probably have the same capability as a stock 80 series.

I'd say buy another 80 for trail use.

 

[FJBen]

But seeing what a STOCK FZJ80 can do (with lockers) vs what my built (sm420, lift, tires, locker, PS)FJ40 can do it's not comparison.

Can you say wheelbase? I walked over stuff open that many a short wheelbase rig had quite a hard time going over due to wheelbase... I don't think a 40 vs. 80 is even in the same league.

you can easily get the flex part down...80's don't flex THAT great...yes coils do flex better than stock SUA...but a decent SOA will flex the same or better. that...I think it has to do more with the comfort/power side than the can it go the same places...personally a 55 will prolly go MORE places due to size/width.

 

[RHINO]

Can you say wheelbase? personally a 55 will prolly go MORE places due to size/width.

AMEN BROTHER!!! i was going to say the same thing, w/b and weight do awsome things in trail rig form. cant compare a 40 to any of the wagons for this reason.

 

[RHINO]

I'm not getting my point across here - a SOA 40/55/60 will flex and wheel great, but not the same as coils. I was answering the question with the thought he wanted an all-around rig, eat up the trail and hook it home with the radio blaring on cruise....

My 80 is that ... the 55 could be that (Evan's is) ... but it would take a lot of money to make it do it better.

Long live the Iron Pig

Tucker

tucker i totally get your point and respect it. i would like to add that my points were of a more dollar for dollar build up nature. i think dollar for dollar a pig can wheel right along side an 80 easily and in some cases outwheel said 80 becuase of the owners unwillingness to point it down some trails or over some obstacles that my pig takes for granted. speaking of my pig, its well equiped and totally home built i can take on and surpass the average 80 everytime because of what i just mentioned, and so far i've done all on open diffs long live the 80 also

 

[tucker74]

tucker i totally get your point and respect it. i would like to add that my points were of a more dollar for dollar build up nature. i think dollar for dollar a pig can wheel right along side an 80 easily and in some cases outwheel said 80 becuase of the owners unwillingness to point it down some trails or over some obstacles that my pig takes for granted. speaking of my pig, its well equiped and totally home built i can take on and surpass the average 80 everytime because of what i just mentioned, and so far i've done all on open diffs long live the 80 also

That's why I've got both

Tucker

 

[Poser]

" FJ55, what is necessary to out-preform an 80? "


nothing that a five gallon bucket of 100 dollar bills could not fix...

 

[esh]

You can save some money and get one already built nicely. Works very well on both trails and asphalt.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=57455&highlight=fj55

 

[alkaline747trio]

Sorry to have let this thread die, forgot I had posted this after the deal I had found on a 55 fell through. But, just incase another pops up....I don't need it to handle great on-road. It just needs to get me the 15 miles from my house to URE's, but clobber EVERYTHING while on the trails. Keeping leafs, and not adding armor, what would it take to keep up with a locked, J-sprung (4" lift), 35'd FJ/FZJ-80?

 

[FJBen]

Sorry to have let this thread die, forgot I had posted this after the deal I had found on a 55 fell through. But, just incase another pops up....I don't need it to handle great on-road. It just needs to get me the 15 miles from my house to URE's, but clobber EVERYTHING while on the trails. Keeping leafs, and not adding armor, what would it take to keep up with a locked, J-sprung (4" lift), 35'd FJ/FZJ-80?

Well hell, if you don't need to ride like a and you want to keep leaves...than your option is SOA...

Run Fj55 rear spring pack ALL the way around for nice flex...or buy Alcan custom springs,

Take your time getting the shock mounts right to get the best length your rig can take. Bilsteins WOOT WOOT...

Lockers...since you don't care about roading I would suggest 3 options:

A. Welding the spiders, ie lincoln locked...cheapest route but never unlockable

B. Aussie lockers front and rear, ~$500ish easy to put in

C. Detroits $$$ but super tough, prolly close to $1000

You WILL need power steering being locked up front...armstrong steering, aired down and locked is a beyotch...ask me about it.

Gearing you can throw an Orion on the pig and get 4:1 gearing which should be plenty for that pig. 67:1 low range, not enough? throw in a SM465 as well.

A 55 WILL clobber everything in front of you...lol...SOA, Swampers, lockers and since you'll be saving money by no fancy 4 link, or A/C or any of that crap...sack up and by a set of Chromo longfields/inners for that front axle...you'll be golden and walking all over them Pink Pantied 80 drivers

 

[Pighead]

Just curious aboat what all would need to be done to have one out-preform a well equipped 80 (4" and 35's, rear locker)? Just trying to figure in my head the cost of the project...

Easy.
You take 1 Pig, preferably pre-smog, in good condition.
Add:
1 SOA (prices vary)
Power steering (can be done cheap, or can be done well)
Disc brakes (ditto)
A doubler (I paid 900 bucks for a used one)
A rear locker (lunchbox for under 300, Detroit around 700, ARB a grand or so)
35's (I got mine used)
Rocker protection (I use 3" angle iron. What's rocker armor for an 80 cost?)
Custom front bumper (I got 4" C-channel, notched and bent in at the ends. Whats a bumper for an 80 cost)
Custom rear bumper (Lance offers a nice one, made just for a Pig. Compare price to an 80 rock-crawler bumper)

I can wheel with 80s. Out-preform? I dunno, probably. How do you measure preformance on the trail? I can go where most 80s go, can most "well equipped" 80s follow me? Maybe.

 

[Gumby]

I would add some power with a 350

Fuel injection

Auto trans

The 350/auto is an easy option with the doubler.

You could add a channel iron bumper to an 80. Nothing says you can't. you can't really compare that to an ARB.

As for the rear bumper, many, if not most, of the rock crawler rears out there are built and not bought.

Same goes for sliders. My FJ-55 sliders cost excactly what my 80 sliders cost because I took them off the 80.

The difference is that it's more accepted to hillbilly up a 55. Doesn't mean you can't do it to an 80.

 

[Pighead]

Sure, Gumby, a 350 might be nice. but not really necessary to out-preform an 80 (name of this thread).
Same with FI. Ditto auto.
A 350/auto is an easy option? O.K. I think rebuilding a six is easier, and; I know this sounds crazy, but I kinda like the six for its off-road ability. I coulda built a V8. Built a bitchin 6 instead.

I'm not sure if a bigger front bumper is going to help much on the trail. Seems like more stuff to get hung up on...and sure, many of the rock crawlers out here make their own rear bumpers too. Not really necessary for wheeling like an 80, but nice to know that there is vendor support with Pig-specific trail-ready stuff, just in case alkaline747trio was unaware.

"Hillbilly up" a 55?! I think iron stock compliments the lines of a Pig. Lends a certain penache, so to speak.

I would add some power with a 350

Fuel injection

Auto trans

The 350/auto is an easy option with the doubler.

You could add a channel iron bumper to an 80. Nothing says you can't. you can't really compare that to an ARB.

As for the rear bumper, many, if not most, of the rock crawler rears out there are built and not bought.

Same goes for sliders. My FJ-55 sliders cost excactly what my 80 sliders cost because I took them off the 80.

The difference is that it's more accepted to hillbilly up a 55. Doesn't mean you can't do it to an 80.

 

[Gumby]

Pretty tough to get 200+ reliable HP out of a 2F. I know a buncch have done it, but I prefer the V-8 swap.

The auto/manual debate has gone around too. I think the bottom line is that most of the hard core competition guys have gone auto. i personally think it's easier to wheel.

I also don't think there is a lot of debate about FI over carb.

If you swap in all three in one fell swoop, it ain't much harder than a competant rebuild.

Since I feel these are all important and all stock on the 80 series and missing on a 55, I'm sticking to my opinion.

Hillbilly up was for lack of a better term. You could go cheap and homebuilt on an 80. It does look better on a pig though.