Hello all.
i decided to reminesce about Cruiser things...So I thought it was time I sign in here. I'm not new to the Toyota or Cruiser-world. Just kinda faded to the back of the room for several years. Some of you might "know" me from my membership in the Rising Sun 4x4 Club in Denver. I was secretary for a couple years. I was a pretty prolific poster on the Land Cruiser digest. I was aka "The Queen of Research" or simply The Queen. I grew up in Sacramento Ca. My family had CJ-5's and an older (75) Bronco. We also owned a 4x4 shop. So wheelin was in my blood. We used to wheel with a group of families with FJ40's. I always thought they were cool. Then I grew up and got married. Then he wanted to get into wheelin. So we bought a new 85 Toy 4x4 SR-5 short bed pick up. I promise, the Cruiser part of the story is coming... I can honestly say that when the truck was less than a year old we took it to the Rubicon for the first time. It was still completly stock. Down to the 225-75-R15 Desert Dueler tires. it was just husband and I... and a VERY long day. We made it with only 2 dents in the rear skirts (the area behind the rear mud flap and the bumper). We didn't use go arounds... and yes we went up Little Sluice. That was before boulders were dropped in there. We took our time, went slow, and did a minimum of rock stacking when really needed. It was my job to direct him where to go, take pics and then unstack the rocks we stacked... That was the first of many trips up there.
Eventually we began modifying the truck. It never really got a lot... but to us it had to be a functional modification. Like no 10 inch lift kit just so we could be a monster truck... Central 4WD got a lot of money from us. First thing was a double-single 3 inch pipe "light bar", with rectangular KC lights. Then came the Rancho 3 inch lift kit with the short stubby add-a- leaf for the rear spring pack. A set of 32x11.50x15 Armstrong Norseman Tredloc's. Remember those? The radial version of Armstrong Tru-Trac's? IMO, that was the most awesome all purpose tread pattern. It did well on the street, in rain, snow, mud and rocks... I still have ONE of these tires... it was the spare. Next was the Warn M8000 winch with the Warn mounting kit and brush guard. Trails got a lil easier after these toys were installed. I think every weekend we were in the hills playing.
Later after we moved to Colorado is when we did the last of the mods to the truck. We put in f&r ARB air lockers and 4:88's. I have to say to this day with all the nasty trails we did through the years.... we NEVER broke anything... Like a birfield... We did break the spring pack in the rear on the Rubicon during a vacation out there. It was our only means of transportation. That add-a-leaf was the culprit. It was bad... we limped back down the mtn and into Central 4wd. They didn't have a whole lift kit in stock, but they did have some rear springs. We got the springs. put them on and within 100 miles out of Sacramento, they were flat, the shackle inverted... They were defective springs. So we limped to NWOR in Washington and bought a complete 4 inch lift kit with 4 complete springs. Oh and Central did NOT want to warranty the springs... eventually they did. I will tell you... That set of springs has been the stiffest most uncomfortable ride I ever have had.
Then we move to Wyoming. Within 2 months of being here, the husband rolls and totals the truck on ice on the interstate. Oct 96. We were mighty attached to that truck. We kept it so we could rebuild it. We went to Ca and got a complete cab for it and began to rebuild it. (why a cab from Ca... it was rust free) I'd say it's 90% done. I need doors, fenders, hood, and grille/bumper stuff.
Cruiser stories coming I promise
June of Egbert WY - Where is Egbert? 30 miles east of Cheyenne right on I-80, 10 miles from Nebraska, and 12 miles from Colorado.
i decided to reminesce about Cruiser things...So I thought it was time I sign in here. I'm not new to the Toyota or Cruiser-world. Just kinda faded to the back of the room for several years. Some of you might "know" me from my membership in the Rising Sun 4x4 Club in Denver. I was secretary for a couple years. I was a pretty prolific poster on the Land Cruiser digest. I was aka "The Queen of Research" or simply The Queen. I grew up in Sacramento Ca. My family had CJ-5's and an older (75) Bronco. We also owned a 4x4 shop. So wheelin was in my blood. We used to wheel with a group of families with FJ40's. I always thought they were cool. Then I grew up and got married. Then he wanted to get into wheelin. So we bought a new 85 Toy 4x4 SR-5 short bed pick up. I promise, the Cruiser part of the story is coming... I can honestly say that when the truck was less than a year old we took it to the Rubicon for the first time. It was still completly stock. Down to the 225-75-R15 Desert Dueler tires. it was just husband and I... and a VERY long day. We made it with only 2 dents in the rear skirts (the area behind the rear mud flap and the bumper). We didn't use go arounds... and yes we went up Little Sluice. That was before boulders were dropped in there. We took our time, went slow, and did a minimum of rock stacking when really needed. It was my job to direct him where to go, take pics and then unstack the rocks we stacked... That was the first of many trips up there.
Eventually we began modifying the truck. It never really got a lot... but to us it had to be a functional modification. Like no 10 inch lift kit just so we could be a monster truck... Central 4WD got a lot of money from us. First thing was a double-single 3 inch pipe "light bar", with rectangular KC lights. Then came the Rancho 3 inch lift kit with the short stubby add-a- leaf for the rear spring pack. A set of 32x11.50x15 Armstrong Norseman Tredloc's. Remember those? The radial version of Armstrong Tru-Trac's? IMO, that was the most awesome all purpose tread pattern. It did well on the street, in rain, snow, mud and rocks... I still have ONE of these tires... it was the spare. Next was the Warn M8000 winch with the Warn mounting kit and brush guard. Trails got a lil easier after these toys were installed. I think every weekend we were in the hills playing.
Later after we moved to Colorado is when we did the last of the mods to the truck. We put in f&r ARB air lockers and 4:88's. I have to say to this day with all the nasty trails we did through the years.... we NEVER broke anything... Like a birfield... We did break the spring pack in the rear on the Rubicon during a vacation out there. It was our only means of transportation. That add-a-leaf was the culprit. It was bad... we limped back down the mtn and into Central 4wd. They didn't have a whole lift kit in stock, but they did have some rear springs. We got the springs. put them on and within 100 miles out of Sacramento, they were flat, the shackle inverted... They were defective springs. So we limped to NWOR in Washington and bought a complete 4 inch lift kit with 4 complete springs. Oh and Central did NOT want to warranty the springs... eventually they did. I will tell you... That set of springs has been the stiffest most uncomfortable ride I ever have had.
Then we move to Wyoming. Within 2 months of being here, the husband rolls and totals the truck on ice on the interstate. Oct 96. We were mighty attached to that truck. We kept it so we could rebuild it. We went to Ca and got a complete cab for it and began to rebuild it. (why a cab from Ca... it was rust free) I'd say it's 90% done. I need doors, fenders, hood, and grille/bumper stuff.
Cruiser stories coming I promise
June of Egbert WY - Where is Egbert? 30 miles east of Cheyenne right on I-80, 10 miles from Nebraska, and 12 miles from Colorado.
. 
Couldn't resist.
