80DDYota
Member
Hello all. It's about time I slap up my rig's build up. It's been several years since I've been here and posted. I'm back with a new build. The kids are a lot older now and I want to go play in the dirt with my toys. My 2007 FJ had been sitting around looking pretty for those mall parking lots for some time now, it's a great rig and I wanted to build something up to play with. Deciding between my Tacoma Crew LB or my FJ Cruiser, the FJ won the pick. Stock platform had the shorter wheelbase, and the factory rear locker, the Taco will have to stay on the pavement.
You all know what the Stock FJ looks like, so I won't bore you with that image. After adding the typical 3" lift, and 33" tires, it stayed that way for a long time, hauling around my bike and family.
I did build up some sliders to help the kids climb in and out. You know for those gnarly mall trips.
Then here I am today. Right out the box the FJ is pretty capable but, i wanted to be sure I was going to have fun. So I shopped for a suspension that check all the boxes for me. I wanted to retain the most of the rig and systems it came with form the factory. That meant no SAS swap, even though that would be really cool. Maybe when I retire with bags of money, cuz I'll have the time. I went with Total Chaos +2 LT, and Califabrication rear LT, Icon panhard bar, and King shocks and coilovers (thanks COVID19).
Oh!! and replace those narrow spindles with a beefy Camburg set. For Axles I went to RCV's. Had to do it right since I'm already balls beep in busting knuckles and swearing at my neighbors working on this thing.
For the rear Califabrication offered replacement long travel links, Icon 3" coils and Panhard bar. I did have to cut out the old shock mounts, and almost toasted the interior installing new ones, this will allow more droop with the shock. And that large hole on the left is for getting to the bolt, wasn't missed measured. Not sure how much more I would've gained by having to change out the mounting vs what's out there using the factory shock mount but, it's done.
When I was finished this thing sat HIGH. The original kit that I had was a 3"/1" lift kit. The new rear coils is a 3" lift. Without having any documentation explaining the gain in height, it told me that the front is almost a 5" lift. Daaauummm. It sat pretty level before the front settled.
With the suspension done, now on to the Armor and Wheels.....
You all know what the Stock FJ looks like, so I won't bore you with that image. After adding the typical 3" lift, and 33" tires, it stayed that way for a long time, hauling around my bike and family.
I did build up some sliders to help the kids climb in and out. You know for those gnarly mall trips.
Then here I am today. Right out the box the FJ is pretty capable but, i wanted to be sure I was going to have fun. So I shopped for a suspension that check all the boxes for me. I wanted to retain the most of the rig and systems it came with form the factory. That meant no SAS swap, even though that would be really cool. Maybe when I retire with bags of money, cuz I'll have the time. I went with Total Chaos +2 LT, and Califabrication rear LT, Icon panhard bar, and King shocks and coilovers (thanks COVID19).
Oh!! and replace those narrow spindles with a beefy Camburg set. For Axles I went to RCV's. Had to do it right since I'm already balls beep in busting knuckles and swearing at my neighbors working on this thing.
For the rear Califabrication offered replacement long travel links, Icon 3" coils and Panhard bar. I did have to cut out the old shock mounts, and almost toasted the interior installing new ones, this will allow more droop with the shock. And that large hole on the left is for getting to the bolt, wasn't missed measured. Not sure how much more I would've gained by having to change out the mounting vs what's out there using the factory shock mount but, it's done.
When I was finished this thing sat HIGH. The original kit that I had was a 3"/1" lift kit. The new rear coils is a 3" lift. Without having any documentation explaining the gain in height, it told me that the front is almost a 5" lift. Daaauummm. It sat pretty level before the front settled.
With the suspension done, now on to the Armor and Wheels.....
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