How did the move go?
I moved up back in 2002. I soon realized that an array of expensive mods to a four wheel drive can oftentimes be a waste of money due to our limited road system. Snow machines, boats, and bush flights will get you off the beaten path. There honestly isn't much wheeling to be done up here, unless you want to rev the piss out of your motor out in the muck, destroy the country side, or pack your drive train full of glacial silt that will eventually destroy your ujoints, birfields, tie rod ends, and axle bearings.
In the winter, positive traction lockers are downright scary. Limited slips are a phenomenal addition to any four wheel drive. Likewise, your vehicle must pull boats, snowmachines, supplies from town (if you live in the bush), and heavy loads of moose meat on return trips. Studded tires are also a great thing to have.
With the distance traveled, I frequently run to eagle, whitehorse, and McCarthy. The gravel can be sharp, and cooper discoverer st's WON'T suffer punctures. Likewise, tire pressure should NEVER be lowered like the offroad magazines tell you to do. Every single time I've seen a puncture on long distance trips....it was the side walls squatting to the sharp gravel because some dude read somewhere he'll get more "traction" if he lowers his PSI.
When I was in the Army up here for 8 years, I watched guys come home from deployments, and blow all their hard earned dollars on worthless upgrades, and never truly see the real Alaska. My preferred tire size to get you and your expedition equipment from point A to point B is a 265/75/R16, they're usually E-rated. If you want to keep the cruiser rims, a 33x10.50 would be a good addition. Toyo makes a 33x10.50 which arouses me every time I think of the perfect landcruiser tire for stock landcruiser rims! In the winter, you don't want to be running around on fat baloon tires. They're worthless, and spread the weight out too much. Skinny tires put fourth more traction to the ground. TALL/SKINNY. No wider than 10.50.....seriously. We aren't california rock crawlers up here......so don't introduce that expensive disease to your cruiser. Think of your cruiser as a long range hauler/tower.
Dual batteries are also important. When we snowmachine back from remote icefishing trips, a vehicle HAS to start at 40 below with no assistance from block/battery heaters. It's a lot to ask....but ask you must. 0W-30 or 5W30 in the winter months. Full length roof racks, or at least four cargo bars, you don't want moose meat/salmon coolers in your cab the whole ride home.
Dielectric grease on EVERY electrical connection you can find, it rained almost every day this past summer. If an FJ-62, pull the rubber plug where the wires run from the fuel tank, and into the rear driver side fender. The electrical connector gets real corroded, so clean it up. You may even find burnt plastic on the connector due to bad corrosion that collects back there.
Remove your seat covers, and replace the old foam, distances traveled are insanely long. It takes me 18 hours to get to Eagle to put in on the Yukon River for summer-long river trips. It takes me 20 hours to mcCarthy, usually helping people replace punctured tires. It takes a full 24 hours to Whitehorse to visit friends, or purchase canoes.
NGK irridium spark plugs, or V-powers. Gap em slightly wider than stock specs. When motors start at 40-50 below without the help of block heaters, lot of unburned fuel can make the motor dye, and get the plugs wet.
Towing revisions: trans cooler. You can also drop your valve body and have a reputable trans shop spice it up a bit with new springs or better than stock springs, since that's all a 1,400 dollar "high-po" valve body really is.
Highlift jacks are dangerous/worthless additions. A high-height cylinder jack with extra 1" thick plywood blocks are much safer. I cut plywood blocks around 16"x16" and stack them under the seats.
CHAINS Regardless of studded tires, sometimes yah just need some chains. Whether it's to help recover someone's vehicle, or get back on the road after a spill into the deep snow. After thaw periods with heavy winds.......I wish I could tell you what it's like to have the wind BLOW you off a lubricated ice skating rink of a road............my brand new studded tires we helpless to keep me on the road. The ice was too soft and wet, the wind was too strong.
Alaska Landcruiser:
Safely travel an unsalted ice scating rink of a road system
Through a blizzard, pulling a four place trailer with gobs of traction. With caribou from a winter hunt, building materials for a remote cabin, or fish from an ice fishing trip. Maybe loaded with folks for a back country ski/snowboard/or snowshoeing trip
Summer/fall Landcruiser:
Pulling ATV's, or boats that take you off the limited road system. Hauling hundreds of lbs of caribou meat, bear, salmon coolers, or moose meat. Be prepared for washed out roads, especially heading to places like Eagle.
Be happy with 55-60 mph on the highway, that's all you need, it's the speed limit. Even a 4-speed will do fine .
End of Rant.
