No lockers, no sliders, lots of fun!

Sempertoy

Explorer
Thought I would post up a few pictures of the weekend.

My rig is a 97 FZJ80, unlocked. I am running an OME J lift (3.5-4") 35x12.5x17 BFG KM2's (just picked these up, usually on 315 BFG AT's)
I dont have any armor, but learned this weekend what I need to protect, Need sliders. I banged my rockers pretty good a couple times but the damage is less than I was expecting to see when I got out. I have also decided that an Aussie locker is in order. I have been saving for a dual swing out rear, but think that I will buy sliders and locker first. They would have been very beneficial this weekend. That being said, I never got the Cruzer stuck. Some lines I had to try a few times and the skinny pedal got some good work.

It was a great weekend to really test out the capabilities of the land cruiser. To this point it has mostly been "overland" trips to DV and anza borrego state park. It is an incredibly capable machine! It took all the abuse I felt like giving it with out ever skipping a beat, and then took me home in luxurious comfort. As you can see in the pictures, I really flexed it out and every time I did I felt like the LC was thanking me for letting it stretch its legs.

Another note to add, I recently installed my Iron man 4x4 caster correction plates. They have improved the handling tremendously! It was pretty sketchy to drive before the plates and often required two hands to keep her tracking straight. Now just a couple fingers are needed. I have been meaning to do a write up of the plates, but have been busy.

Anyway, enough jibber jabber, I know everyone is here for the pictures. If there are any questions let me know!


We had a blast, we did Gold Mountain on Saturday morning.

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Then we did Holcomb creek, and the wrap around that goes back to 3N03?

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This rock garden was challenging. This is where I would have been most happy to have a locker, especially with wet tires.

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The next day we ran rattlesnake canyon and Pontiac sluice. Both were fun trails.

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I also have some videos that I will try and get loaded up.
 

TangoBlue

American Adventurist
Watched the videos - looked like a lot of fun.

Have you heard of the "red-neck locker?"

Isn't that just a welded third?

Nope; I noticed a lot of wheel spin...

An old trick I learned by accident when both my diffs were open was the "red neck locker." I was at Moab watching extremely capable rigs struggle up a slab of rock... I knew there was no way I'd make it up with my unlocked truck but to be funny I'd pull up and spin a little bit, then do the bypass. I had parked on an incline and set my parking brake, but when I went to do the rock slab I didn't fully release the parking brake, and I pulled up to the obstacle. I gave it some gas and just started to creep up and up and up then over. Everyone standing by watched with their jaws open, including me. Why? The slight application of rear E-brake helped to keep the rear wheels from slipping and loosing traction. Try it sometime - it works. Left foot braking can help too.

But I'd go for the instant on and off of an air locker if you're budgeting for that.

What was your tire pressure in that first video? Your sidewalls must be really stiff or airing down a little more might give you a little more tractive force.
 
Nope; I noticed a lot of wheel spin...

An old trick I learned by accident ... I had parked on an incline and set my parking brake, but when I went to do the rock slab I didn't fully release the parking brake, and I pulled up to the obstacle. I gave it some gas and just started to creep up and up and up then over. Everyone standing by watched with their jaws open, including me. Why? The slight application of rear E-brake helped to keep the rear wheels from slipping and loosing traction. Try it sometime - it works. Left foot braking can help too...

Left foot braking definitely works, too. That trick got my old stock WJ through some hairy spots on Poison Spider Trail in Moab.
 

Sempertoy

Explorer
Nope; I noticed a lot of wheel spin...

An old trick I learned by accident when both my diffs were open was the "red neck locker." I was at Moab watching extremely capable rigs struggle up a slab of rock... I knew there was no way I'd make it up with my unlocked truck but to be funny I'd pull up and spin a little bit, then do the bypass. I had parked on an incline and set my parking brake, but when I went to do the rock slab I didn't fully release the parking brake, and I pulled up to the obstacle. I gave it some gas and just started to creep up and up and up then over. Everyone standing by watched with their jaws open, including me. Why? The slight application of rear E-brake helped to keep the rear wheels from slipping and loosing traction. Try it sometime - it works. Left foot braking can help too.

But I'd go for the instant on and off of an air locker if you're budgeting for that.

What was your tire pressure in that first video? Your sidewalls must be really stiff or airing down a little more might give you a little more tractive force.

That sounds pretty interesting. I will have to try that next time. So far the budget only allows an auto locker, but I am ok with that, from what I have read they are really transparent in an 80.

PSI in the vid was 20, looking back I probably should have been at about 10. However there was a decent amount of twisty road driving between trails so having it at 20 kept it feeling nice for the highway.
 

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