piggy expedition base?

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BillyGHusk

BillyGHusk

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Threads
78
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495
Location
Merced, CA
So in the next year or tow I will be building an expedition rig. I have gone round and round in my head as far as the base to build from.

One of my options is a 55.
I will be swapping the engine over to a 1hz+turbo, regardless of the chassis.

I like the look and room in a 55.
My concern is mainly ride comfort....compared to a 60 or 80....the other two main options.

I am looking for thought from 55 owners pro and con.

Thanks,
Tim
 
I like the engine combo, personally I might use the old school 12ht diesel cause its got a inline pump and is pretty tough, no timing belt good old gear driven.

Also on my list for the FJ55, either build a link suspension front and back prolly three linky front and rear with rubber bushings on one end and either twisties or johny style joints at the other. I think four runner coils might do the trick with the weight of the 55.

I would build a fuel tank in the rear and have it 75% waste veggie oil tank and the other side would be 25% diesel fuel, also install a WVO system of some sort.

Rear bumper with tire mount and jerry can rack, nice light wieght roof rack.....

Lots more but I just home from the shop and need some nappy time.

Good luck


Rob
 
I think the 55 is the most easily customizable...And I think a 55 will carry a load better, you'll probably need a spring upgrade for either a 55 or 60...but if your main concern is ride comfort, the Pig comes in last place behind either a 60 or 80...
 
Pighead said:
...but if your main concern is ride comfort, the Pig comes in last place behind either a 60 or 80...
Click to expand...

any leaf spring suspension is not going to give you "comfort". Then you start loading it up with expo kit and you need stiffer suspension, etc.

If the ride isn't much of an issue, a 55 is a perfect overlander. Super simple, and TOUGH. A newer 1HZ like you said, and an H55F with maybe Troopy springs would be awesome. Just what I would do when I find my FJ55, just with a 12H-T.
 
the 55 is a fine base to build on, but unlike a newer 60 or 80 your gonna be wanting a seat swap, weatherstripping work and maybe even re-hanging the doors. then of course there sound deadening, a/c blah blah..... it wont take too much work to bring the comfort up like a 60 but you'll spend alot of hours making it like an 80.
 
Thanks for all the comments. While I think comfort is important it is not at the top of my list. There are some many pro's to each series.

What I think will probably end up making my mind up is what I can find when I am ready to start building.

With the 80 its going to have to have a shot engine for me to justify the cost of the rig if I'm doing an engine swap.

The 60 would have to have a rock solid frame.

The 55 can be a little rougher, but since it would most likely be getting the most major mods that is fine.
 
<My concern is mainly ride comfort....compared to a 60 or 80....the other two main options.>
<While I think comfort is important it is not at the top of my list.>

:confused: :lol: First, you gotta make up yer mind ;p If it were me, I'd put that #2 on the list for long expeditions, behind the diesel/ 5 spd. conversion. *Comfort automatically excludes a leaf type suspension :D A *simle linked suspension w/ coils would be way better (80 series).
I started building up my :pig: thinkin I'd like to try some expedition wheelin. I ventured over to the Expedition Forum & noticed *most were sayin to keep the rig as stock as possible & add minor mods, such as roof rack, extended gas tank, etc. :frown: Then, I realized I was just building another crawler :doh:
 
Cruiser_Guy in my opinion has the perfect expedition rig; diesel, h55, PTO......simple but with the mods I would like to have again if I was in the boonies again far from the USA..........real boonies<LOL>

Lou
 
n2666s said:
Cruiser_Guy in my opinion has the perfect expedition rig; diesel, h55, PTO......simple but with the mods I would like to have again if I was in the boonies again far from the USA..........real boonies<LOL>

Lou
Click to expand...

Cruiser guy has a H41 4 speed tranny and not a H55F 5 speed. Minor detail, I know, but worth mentioning.
He definitely has a nice 55 that I am quite jealous of. Hopefully, my diesel pig will be on the road soon.
 
I think a 55 would be a fine expedition rig. Though the stock leaf setup or a lift leaf setup isn't as cushy as a coil setup, a leaf setup can be designed and tweaked to ride much better than stock. With the addition of a long range fuel tank, and extra expedition gear, all the weight can also help soften it up. And like RHINO said, a nice set of buckets can help too.
 
Yep, my '55 has the H41 tranny not the H55, that's in my '60.

I think that for any expedition rig you do want to keep it simple and as stock as possible. While mine is not stock in the strict sense of the word, it is as I think it would be if Toyota ever made the '55 with a diesel. There is nothing on the truck that is not OEM Toyota other than the turbo so if something does fail I don't need to have it from some specialty shop in LA somewhere.

I consider a turbo such an improvement that I'm willing to deal with it should there be a failure.

To the question of the '55 as an expedition base. It is certainly simple and parts are readily available for the drivetrain though with modifications it could get difficult if OEM Toyota is not used.
 
GreaseCruiser...thanks for the point:doh:hard to keep the upgrades on CGs straight........specially when you are drooling over them like I am ............:D


Lou
 
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