Stop me from going to the Dark Side! (1 Viewer)

[cybrstar]

Hello fellow 80 enthusiasts,

I’ve been wheeling trails these last past 2.5 years and I went from a 4runner (3rd gen) to a 100 then to an 80. Been wheeling the 80 for about a year now and have been on trails like slick rock, deer valley, rubicon, bald mountain... etc.....

And surprisingly the 80 has done great on the harder trails.

BUT.....

I want to start doing harder trails and the “buggy lines”. I think that I’ve reached the limit on wheeling my 80 without turning it to a crushed beer can/chopped top buggy. The main factor with the 80 that can prevent them from doing so is one “the weight” and two “the lack of reallllyyyy low gearing.

With that’s said I’m thinking of going “TJ Jeep”. Yeah, I know, but it’s a freaking Tonka toy. You can get as mild or as wild with what’s available for them. They weigh as light as a toothpick and long arm suspension can go just about anywhere.

I really don’t want to go “minitruck” because all that are built normally turn into caged out buggies. I’d love to go FJ40, but with the money that I am going to spend to build one I can’t fathom the cost of being realistic(I.e motor, suspension, tranny and all the modern creature comforts of a modern vehicle)

SO HELP ME!!!!!

 

[Mountainpassing]

Your bored..allow me to escort you from the premises.
Go sleep it off.
That was my best effort ,your on your own now.

 

[Marco Lau]

pick up a mountain bike and start doing trails even your buggy can't imagine doing. Keep your 80 safe and better yet, losing weight while doing it -=)

 

[Heckraiser]

I'd say mini truck or runner, and just try to restrain yourself from cutting it up. Nothing like good ol' leaf springs, a couple of tandem transfer cases and 4 angry squirrels under the hood.

 

[2fpower]

What @Heckraiser said.

here is what you want then. I just posted this up. Taken down at Smorr 2 years ago. George is amazing with that thing.

4 runner, stock engine, running on propane. frame is still under there, tubed out.

 

[jcardona1]

Jeeps get a lot of hate around here but there's no denying how capable they are. Yeah you'll need to change out most of the drivetrain to get serious, but that goes for almost any other platform too. An 80 can only do so much with the 8" front diff.

Not to mention the ridiculous amount of aftermarket support Jeeps have. Sure you can make an 80 just as capable, but by then you will have cut so much off that it won't even look like a Land Cruiser anymore. If rock crawling is what you're after, something smaller and lighter is the obvious choice.

 

[retrofive]

Jeeps get a lot of hate around here but there's no denying how capable they are. Yeah you'll need to change out most of the drivetrain to get serious, but that goes for almost any other platform too. An 80 can only do so much with the 8" front diff.

Not to mention the ridiculous amount of aftermarket support Jeeps have. Sure you can make an 80 just as capable, but by then you will have cut so much off that it won't even look like a Land Cruiser anymore. If rock crawling is what you're after, something smaller and lighter is the obvious choice.

Have to agree. I wheel my 80 within the 80 realm being a "family" wheeler. If buggy lines is what I was after I would build buggy.....

 

[Marine7]

For serious rock crawling you would be crazy to run anything other than a Heep. The size, weight, and after market support are out of this world! You can build a crawler out of a yj, tj, or jk for half what it would take to get a 80 ready.
80’s are GREAT overland vehicles, but not meant for crawling verticals.

 

[GW Nugget]

It's all about time & money.
How much you have will determine the end result.

An 80 series chassis with an 40 series body is one of my dreams.

 

[nukegoat]

I would love a 4 door jku built as big as my 80. But i havent had any issues running harder trails than the ones you listed.

At any rate, spend the extra for an LJ. TJs have no storage space

 

[FZJ80 in KC]

What @Heckraiser said.

here is what you want then. I just posted this up. Taken down at Smorr 2 years ago. George is amazing with that thing.

4 runner, stock engine, running on propane. frame is still under there, tubed out.

I remember this! Even George was surprised at how easy he crawled it.

 

[Heckraiser]

Every time I go wheeling with a jeep buddy, there is always some element of mechanical failure. Guaranteed. Meanwhile I roll around in poorly-maintained 30 year old toyotas that cost 1/5th as much and I've broken stuff, but never anything mission critical. This is why I hate on jeeps. I don't doubt their capability or the "easy factor" of getting everything you could possibly need out of a catalog.

 

[Box Rocket]

Stupid idea. Buy another 80 and chop it up however you need it. (Think Slee Shortbus). Then you have one you can travel in and a rock buggy that's reliable and a better wheelbase than a TJ.

 

[-Spike-]

Begone! Leave your 80 at the door!

 

[92LXAZ]

You said stop you...

Your welcome.

 

[OverlandImage]

Ive got an FJCruiser for sale, you can add a SAS kit and go anywhere a Jeep can... and being a Toyota, still get home.

 

[Andrew Bluemel]

I’m in highschool and I have a buddy who just bought a TJ. Not for rock crawling but just to drive. I figured when I heard about it being a 2006 and having only 140,000 miles I thought it would be awesome. His family payed 11k for it and when he first brought it back I thought it was actually pretty cool. I think the thing i was most jealous of was the 6 speed manual. But here we are 3 months later and it makes me love my cruiser way more. He has dropped over 2 grand into that Jeep trying to make it run correctly and drive correctly. Even to this day it still doesn’t drive like a champ it wobbles like crazy on the highway. It is also so loud and uncomfortable.

So whenever we wanna go somewhere what car do we take?

We don’t take the 2006, 140,000 mile Jeep

We take my 1996, 211,000, lifted, 37inch tire, land cruiser


Maybe for a rock crawler it doesn’t matter but I don’t trust Jeeps after seeing how awful and expensive it has been for my buddy to keep his running

 

[Qball]

Well built mini trucks are hard to beat when it comes to rock crawling.

 

[Box Rocket]

Well built mini trucks are hard to beat when it comes to rock crawling.

YESSSS! Can't wait to get this one wrapped up for my son. Getting close.

 

[ReformedJeeper]

I hit the same wall you did. I bought a 1st gen 4runner and it's not tubed out, its tubed in (internal roll cage). You still have plenty of storage space and can get stupid without feeling bad since they are pretty cheap. I even tipped mine over and didn't feel bad. I took it up to swamp lake with my 3 kids and wife without any space issues.

You will be surprised how easily a mildly built minitruck will work. Also, there is plenty of aftermarket support, unlike the 80. I was blown away how cheap stuff was for the 4runner.