Past the point of no return...

[TangoBlue]

Did I see you on I80 heading west In Wyoming on about July 9th or 10th?

Short answer - Yes you did.

Long answer - Was in Jackson Hole for lunch at the NY City Sub Shop. I looked for you...

Making my way up to the Teton NF, Yellowstone NP; met up with 007 in Helena to do the eastern slope of the Rockies and Glacier NP off-road. Met up with freeze in Calgary to do the Whipsaw Trail (which we opened after 3 days of shoveling and chopping) and on to Victoria Island for a whirlwind jaunt on and off-road. Met up with sbly for some R&R in Seattle and Bainbridge Island before I hit Mt Baker and the Northern Cascades, Black Hills, and the Badlands.

Now, 9,000 miles and a month later, I'm back in VA.

 

[RMP&O]

I thought so....your truck is hard to miss! It is bigger then I thought too.

I was heading east on I80 to Denver to pick up my FJ62 parts truck.

Sounds like it was a fun trip!

 

[RMP&O]

What is the deal...no updates, no wheeling pictures & no reports back on performance!?

Got a trip report showng us this thing in action?

 

[TangoBlue]

Post # 241. Anything more than that would require a lot of creative writing and picture downloading, and you got the monpoly on that.

I'm also really bad about taking pictures so I often rely on the kindness of others. It did great but what else would I say? I've done some smaller trips to VT, Rausch Creek, and Gore, VA since then.

I'll try to put something together this winter when cabin fever sets in and I start longing for some trips again.

 

[Sempertoy]

Tango, I love your truck! This is exactly what I wanted mine to be! For me it just worked out that I sold it and bought my 80 (with a SFA and 35 AT's). If you ever make it out to the west coast let me know!

 

[4Rescue]

So man after the ammount of time you've had to feel out the truck, how's everything working??? I haven't gotten a chance to go back and see if you already discussed this, but what did you end up doing about the links in terms of having them extend (???) and you were gonna put like a pin in one so it would be ok for the road but then for the trail it could slip or something... My memory is failing me currently. I love how the truck looks mate, I'm just curious if after all the seat time you've had there's any things you'd have done differently...

Cheers

Dave

 

[TangoBlue]

Tango, I love your truck! This is exactly what I wanted mine to be! For me it just worked out that I sold it and bought my 80 (with a SFA and 35 AT's). If you ever make it out to the west coast let me know!

Thanks! If I was in your shoes I'd have gone for an 80, too. If you make it to Quantico way give me a holler.

 

[TangoBlue]

So man after the ammount of time you've had to feel out the truck, how's everything working??? I haven't gotten a chance to go back and see if you already discussed this, but what did you end up doing about the links in terms of having them extend (???) and you were gonna put like a pin in one so it would be ok for the road but then for the trail it could slip or something... My memory is failing me currently. I love how the truck looks mate, I'm just curious if after all the seat time you've had there's any things you'd have done differently...

Cheers

Dave

RMP&O has kind of made me feel guilty about being a slacker so I'm going to start working on a trip report, but to answer your question everything is working fine. It climbs really well; obstacles I thought I'd need a locker for, I don't. It's very stable at highway speeds and cornering. The suspension is firm but comfortable - for me - not the wife who prefers her Nissan 4DSC plush ride. I did replace the OEM seats with a set of Procar Lumbar Elite's which have really enhanced long-distance comfort. As far as the link goes we did a greasable splined shaft that's pinned with a stainless steel QR pin. Frankly, I've only pulled it once for greater articulation during GSMTR but haven't felt the need to do it since.

Things different? Would I like it to be shorter; yeah, but I also have a great view from that altitude. I've got some fine tuning to the front planned over the winter but nothing major... Bobby Longfields wipers, rock rings. LED rock lights to install and maybe... just maybe start on that auxiliary fuel tank.

 

[4Rescue]

Cool, that's what I was wondering... I know what you mean about the suspension. When I put the OME springs on I was so happy but the fiance imediatly said "It's hard to get into and it's kind of les smooth" I personaly think a firmn suspension rides smoother overall and I'm with you, I love it espescaily when you're trying to drive a tall truck through a twisty mountain road (and my trucks not nearly as tall as yours.

I looked back a few pages and saw the pictures of the link you made the slip joint on... nice solution aye. I like how your links look like a farm impliment piece, it reminds me of like my dad's Kubota's 3-point hitch. I really do mean that as a compliment hahahaha

Glad to hear you're liking it, you've spent alot of time and it's really well thought out. I can see wanting it lower, everyone I know who's done an SAS on a Toyota has done leaf front ends and they've almost all initialy gone with the 5" option and then subsequently droped down to eaither 4" or 3" springs... LITTLE harder to do with a linked front end though aye

Cheers

Dave

 

[upcountry]

Thanks for posting this thread. That is a great setup and as someone else said you have set the bar so high (no pun intended) that we all feel like chumps with our measily OME setups!

I hear from an inside source tjat the Virginia State Troopers are not too fond of your elevated status and have pulled their tapemeasures out on you!!!!

 

[TangoBlue]

Thanks for posting this thread. That is a great setup and as someone else said you have set the bar so high (no pun intended) that we all feel like chumps with our measily OME setups!

I hear from an inside source tjat the Virginia State Troopers are not too fond of your elevated status and have pulled their tapemeasures out on you!!!!

Nah - OME is great stuff I had it on there for several years and the truck did great.

LOL! I tell you what -- if that inside source was a real friend he would have distracted the trooper by running around the shoulder, waving his arms and hollering when his wife pulled over. Instead, sbly just continued playing 'Angry Birds' on his iPhone while he giggled, looking at me in his PS rearview mirror.

That trooper must have thought I was deaf... "What - huh?" I could barely understand his thick southern Virginia accent and what he was trying to tell me. He sort of mumbled real fast like Boomhauer on 'King of the Hill."

Besides, it's completely legal now...

 

[TangoBlue]

Cool, that's what I was wondering... I know what you mean about the suspension. When I put the OME springs on I was so happy but the fiance imediatly said "It's hard to get into and it's kind of les smooth" I personaly think a firmn suspension rides smoother overall and I'm with you, I love it espescaily when you're trying to drive a tall truck through a twisty mountain road (and my trucks not nearly as tall as yours.

Glad to hear you're liking it, you've spent alot of time and it's really well thought out. I can see wanting it lower, everyone I know who's done an SAS on a Toyota has done leaf front ends and they've almost all initialy gone with the 5" option and then subsequently droped down to eaither 4" or 3" springs... LITTLE harder to do with a linked front end though aye

You know, I wondered what it was like on those twisty mountain roads at speed and when I was going through the mountains in BC I asked the CT4WD guys I was travelling with what it looked like; was it swaying or rocking in the corners? They commented on how flat it stayed in the corners and how well it tracked - I had no problems keeping up with the IFS 2nd gen trucks, at least when it came to maneuvering. The Currie Anti-rock front sway bar is a must in my eyes for good manners for this sort of setup.

Lower would be nicer... but look at the bright side. The way it stands now, it's like driving from RTT height!

 

[RMP&O]

cool, thanks for the feedback...I am looking forward to that trip report! Flex pictures would be nice!

Pretty much what I was wondering about you have already replied to. I wondered if it was tippy off-road and on since it looks so tall and is narrow, narrow being not much wider then stock.

I bet you could lower it fairly easy. How much I don't know. I bet you get tired of jumping up in it. On the big tall trucks I have had that got old to me, even with my Cruiser being SUA and on 35s sometimes it gets old hoping up in it. As a result I am glad I didn't go SOA and make it taller.

So no issues with stuffing a tire or rub? No issues with bump stops or steering? Prop shafts are good under flex too? No vibes, it tracks straight and has no wobbles? Brakes are as good as stock? Nothing wearing odd like tires or the Johnny Joints?

 

[TangoBlue]

So no issues with stuffing a tire or rub? No

No issues with bump stops or steering? No

Prop shafts are good under flex too? Yes

No vibes, it tracks straight and has no wobbles? I have a slight harmonic vibe at 43-47 mph from the main prop shaft but otherwise no noise. Fine tuning the drop on the carrier bearing is about all we could do. Turning up the stereo completely resolves the issue. My prop shaft rear half is schedule 40 DOM. No wobbles and tracks straight.

Brakes are as good as stock? Much better. SW13's.

Nothing wearing odd like tires or the Johnny Joints? The outer edges of the front tires are wearing faster but rotation helps keep that tolerable; I have around 20K on them. The Ballistic Fab forged joints are not showing any signs of wear.

The suspension really keeps the rubber firmly planted on all 4s. It is a good stretch getting in and out of the cab but it's good exercise for the retired guy.

 

[upcountry]

Well......you always could go higher.....