clarkrw3 said:
Not necessarily. When you put it in low the CDL is activated regardless of if you have the button installed or not.
Steps in lifting a FZJ80 for light wheeling... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter zmacman
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Not necessarily. When you put it in low the CDL is activated regardless of if you have the button installed or not.
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I have a spare set of arms and a press to install the bushings.
I am in a similar situation, however, I plan to do more heavy offroading (w/family) once completely outfitted. Here is my list, in order of priority:
1. Lift - OME "J" springs, 20mm spring packers, caster/swaybar correction kit
2. Larger tires - I'll be going to 315's, but 305's would better fit your situation
3. Bumpers - front ARB, rear Hanna w/panel bars
4. Hanna sliders
5. All the other goodies - CDL switch, CB, cupholder (found one for 2.88 at WalMart that fits next to Diff shifter), roofrack, driving lights, 12M winch, etc., etc., etc.
In your case I would slip in lockers at number 6, probably ARB air lockers.
Good luck and have fun! And good for you getting your family involved.
1. Lift - OME "J" springs, 20mm spring packers, caster/swaybar correction kit
2. Larger tires - I'll be going to 315's, but 305's would better fit your situation
3. Bumpers - front ARB, rear Hanna w/panel bars
4. Hanna sliders
5. All the other goodies - CDL switch, CB, cupholder (found one for 2.88 at WalMart that fits next to Diff shifter), roofrack, driving lights, 12M winch, etc., etc., etc.
In your case I would slip in lockers at number 6, probably ARB air lockers.
Good luck and have fun! And good for you getting your family involved.
zmacman said:
Ready to hit the trails? Get in and go! I suggest taking your truck as is with a group and get to know what it can do just how it sits in your garage! There are lots of things that people have suggested that you can do once you get to that point but for light wheeling you are set! What proof?
Stock truck with out lockers...the ONLY "mod" was I took the running boards off the morning we went out, and left them in camp. And yes..those are even the stock 285 Dunlop tires.
Check out the avatar also...
Now a word of warning...doing this in your stock truck will increase the desire to do a med-heavy lift...tires...arb...sliders...and possibly lockers. Which are all on my possible future once fund$ are available, but don't sell your truck short. Get out there and enjoy it!
I'll chime in on the Revo's - great tire for daily road use and light off-road use
zmacman said:
My 2 cents- per your requirements:
Step 1-
Remove running boards
Do some easy trails runs to get familiar w/ the rig and see if you want to go further
Step 2-
Tires. Get a compromise you can live with.
Sliders. protection first
Wheel some more
Step 3-
If at this time you feel you need a lifted truck, look to OME.
One thing that isn't talked about too much is the fact even a 2.5" lift is TALL compared to 'normal' cars. Getting into/out of the truck (esp. the back seats) and rear cargo is more challenging than a stock rig. Account for it in your daily driving and family duties.
OME makes a stock height suspension also if you don't need the height but want upgraded coils and shocks.
Beyond this, I'll leave to the build up expert threads in 80 tech.
For light wheeling you only need one thing.
A good trusted spotter.
Without armour your only way to prevent damage when you get into those inevitable close call situations.
A good trusted spotter.
Without armour your only way to prevent damage when you get into those inevitable close call situations.
Don't fret too much about not being locked. I drive a Pajero with only a CDL but I'm having a blast at the trails.
Just choose which trails to hit, drive properly and have a good spotter.
And listen to the guys' advice here about taking the steps off. They're usually the first to hit.
Try easy trails first so you'll get a feel for it.
Just choose which trails to hit, drive properly and have a good spotter.
And listen to the guys' advice here about taking the steps off. They're usually the first to hit.
Try easy trails first so you'll get a feel for it.
Hit the trails like you are first.
I still don't have sliders or rear protection, and I've run a number of moderate trails at Tellico in my truck, yet I've gotten more damage in the parking lot at school.
You don't need a ton of protection, lockers, and a lift to hit the trails and have a good time. It's really better if you build up your truck as you realize it's limitations specific to your uses. Instead of doing what a bunch of guys wheeling different terrain think the best order would be.
I still don't have sliders or rear protection, and I've run a number of moderate trails at Tellico in my truck, yet I've gotten more damage in the parking lot at school.
You don't need a ton of protection, lockers, and a lift to hit the trails and have a good time. It's really better if you build up your truck as you realize it's limitations specific to your uses. Instead of doing what a bunch of guys wheeling different terrain think the best order would be.
I'll cast my vote with the drive it as it is first crowd. Aquiring the needed mods as you recognize the real need is more satisfactory and would probably be cheaper. Besides, first and foremost you have to learn to drive your ride.
Kalawang
Kalawang
Remove the steps. The best spotter in the world won't save them from damage on anything other than fire roads. You can leave them at home and put them back on when you get back; assuming you haven't made up your mind to pitch them and get sliders first.
-B-
-B-
CruisinGA said:
Bingo. Don't start with anything. The first and only truly important step is to build the driver - let your skill lead the rest, not the other way around. Until you understand what your rig can and cannot do, and more imporantly what you can and cannot do (and what you want to do), a lift and larger tires are not in your interests simply because your rig will be a lot more capable than you are.
The 80 series has good stock clearance and 31" tires and not small by light wheeling standards. Wheel with a group and learn...and then you'll know what you need to buy, if anything. Web wheeling is worthless for a newbie.
Nay
I'll echo the "drive first, upgrade later."
I'm not a hard-core offroader, but I've taken my unlocked, unlifted, unarmored '93 up, over and through terrain that really surprised me. Even more impressive was how easy the FZJ80 does it all.
Right now I'm planning a rear bumper/tire carrier build that will eliminate the pregnant spare tire effect that you get carrying a full size spare in the stock location. I might also be springing for a 2.5" lift pretty soon too.
I'd be hard-pressed to say that I feel limited in my current stock (except tires) form.
It's also been stated on this forum that lockers make it easier to do something that damages your truck. That said, I still would have bought a Cruiser with lockers if I could find one, but they're low on my list of modifications.
Hayes
I'm not a hard-core offroader, but I've taken my unlocked, unlifted, unarmored '93 up, over and through terrain that really surprised me. Even more impressive was how easy the FZJ80 does it all.
Right now I'm planning a rear bumper/tire carrier build that will eliminate the pregnant spare tire effect that you get carrying a full size spare in the stock location. I might also be springing for a 2.5" lift pretty soon too.
I'd be hard-pressed to say that I feel limited in my current stock (except tires) form.
It's also been stated on this forum that lockers make it easier to do something that damages your truck. That said, I still would have bought a Cruiser with lockers if I could find one, but they're low on my list of modifications.
Hayes
- Thread starter
- #35
I've been sittin' back and taken it all in.... I think it would be wise for me to go out and see the types of trails that I want to go on as well as get the feel of the Cruiser on rougher terrain and go from there. Is Slee the best place to go for this stuff (lift kit, bumpers, gaurds, etc) or are there better priced or more perferred places? Thanks everybody for all the help!
landtank said:
What he said.
I would plan on some protection (heavy bumpers , sliders etc)
We all are going to look at things diffrently. One mans tail is another man class one rock fire road. To me a stock 80 in American dosen't have enough ground clearance to drive over a curb at the mail much less run trails. when I bought our cruiser it had 285 on it however, I had very little travel and I think you could get 305s in there to but with some minor rubing.
The 2.5"HD just feels right.
Sam
zmacman said:
No. there is no one stop shop if you want the best that you can buy. However, Christo was one of the first shops for the 80s and most of us call him The Master. For me I had to have a Luke Potter rear bumper with ladder. Now I live on the same road he does and his shop is here in Grass Valley. I would give Christo and the boys a call about what your looking for in a lift and If you can't do it yourself drive up there and have him set you up right.
Sam
