Category Archives: 4×4 Tech

How to fix, maintain or modify your off road adventure truck is here. We also discuss gear and how it holds up out on an adventure.

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Dented My Dream

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fj cruiser dented fron fenderNever set limits, go after your dreams, don’t be afraid to push the boundaries. And laugh a lot – it’s good for you! ~ Paula Radcliffe

You spent forty, fifty, even sixty thousand dollars on a new truck and its modifications. You want to take it off-road to explore the 4×4 trails you’ve read about in search of solitude in the great outdoors. You just can’t seem to reconcile the idea of denting up a perfectly good truck in the name of getting away from it all.

If you take your truck off highway you will get some damage. That damage could be as little as paint chips from gravel kicked up on a forest road to full-on body damage caused by flopping your truck on the Rubicon Trail trying to navigate Little Sluice or Cadillac Hill. I say “you will” because eventually it happens. Maybe not on your first outing or your second but if you wheel long enough you will see damage on your truck.

There is something incredibly rewarding about driving a trail more difficult than the last and applying what you have learned in order to make it through the challenge unscathed. But as the saying goes; you learn more from your mistakes than you do from all your successes. In this case, an off-road fail can be a bit expensive. I recently learned a hard lesson. After driving thousands of miles of dirt roads and two tracks, the Baja 1000’s route to Cobo, The Rubicon Trail… TWICE and lots of 4×4 trails relatively unmarked, I got careless.

On a 4×4 trail I’ve driven several times before, I was working an easy stretch when another group of trucks approached from the opposite direction. I made a poor choice of places to pull out, miss judged the stability of a rock and before I knew it, my front fender and rear taillight were trying to occupy the same space as a fallen log which seemed to operate at a quantum level. I didn’t hear a bang or feel a big jolt. It was more of a soft kiss as the two came together leaving me with the sensation that something wasn’t right.

I’d be lying if I told you it didn’t hurt. For eight years I’ve kept my FJ Cruiser free of dents and dings. Sure a bit of pin striping but no body damage. This felt as if I’d somehow failed my truck, a broken promise to keep it out of harms way in return for it’s continued reliability and the assurance it would get me home. I’d screwed up. I was over confident in my ability and all the trucks fancy mods so I had tried to wedge the truck into a small crease instead of taking the time to look for a more appropriate turn out, and forced a bad choice. This mistake can be fixed. I will replace the taillight myself. The fender, well, it will get a little professional love after a few more off-road adventures we have lined up for the summer.

Now, before you give up on the dream of exploring the road less traveled in your new truck let me talk you off the ledge. I’m not telling you this story of carnage to scare you. Rather, I tell this tale so you will know there are much worse things than accidentally banging up your truck. The sting is temporary. It hardly even compares to the rewards you receive for exploring the fringes of your ability and discovering you have pushed out the boundaries that once held you back. This is the zen that eludes those who fail to try. These rewards are not given to the careless who thrash their junk against the rocks but is reserved for the thoughtful who attempt to live life without limitations and refuse to let setbacks stop their progress.

But the fact of the matter is: Sheet metal is repairable. Chicks dig dents. And the United States of America has the best body-shop to off-road-adventurer ratio in the world!

comeup winch
How To Modification Info

Off-Road Winch Installation

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comeup winch fj cruiserAnyone who explores the backcountry knows, a winch is one of the best recovery tools to have on your 4×4 truck when you’re on an off-road adventure.

Recently we received a new DV 9s Comeup winch.  The DV 9s has a pull line rated at 9,000 lbs, 3-stage planetary 156:1 gear train, an automatic full load Cone Brake Structure (CBS) and comes loaded with a 100’ of 3/8″ synthetic rope as well as a Hawse fairlead and mounting hardware.

Mounting the Comeup winch on most 4×4 aftermarket bumpers is relatively straight forward (Comeup winch installation manual).  Comeup includes a footprint template to locate the hole position for the winch’s four mounting bolts.  Once you have the the four holes marked, grab an 11mm bit and drill them out.

We’re installing our Comeup winch on a Metal Tech 4×4 tube bumper’s winch mount.  While Metal Tech’s winch mounting plate is pre-drilled, the holes will need to be increased in size to account for Comeup’s larger mounting bolts.  Once the holes are drilled out, a little shot of spay paint on the holes will protect your bumper against rust as you take on the elements.

Start the installation by inserting the mounting nuts into the slots on the winch’s feet.  Carefully lift your Comeup winch into place aligning it with the mounting holes.  From below, attach the winch using the 8.8 grade bolts that come with the kit.

Metal Tech 4×4 provides a set of brackets designed to mount Comeup’s solenoid pack to their tube bumper.  Attach one of the brackets to the back of the solenoid pack using the supplied hardware.  The bracket should remain loose in order to make any final adjustments when it is attached into place.  The other bracket can be firmly attached to the Metal Tech tube bumper.

Attach the solenoid pack’s “F1”, “F2” and “A” leads to their matching terminal on the winch’s motor. Using two wrenches hold the lower nut steady as you tighten the upper nut over the lead.

Next attach the thinner “green” lead from the solenoid pack and black ground cable to the bottom of the winch motor.  Now attach the motor’s lead using its pre-wired connector to it’s mate from the solenoid pack.

Work the solenoid pack into place where it will attach to the bumper.  Before screwing the two plates together ensure the leads remain untangled and can be tucked out of the way than tighten all the nuts to secure the solenoid pack in place.

Route the black ground and red power cables to engine compartment and attach them directly to the battery posts starting with the black ground cable.

Once the winch is installed and wired it’s time to run a few tests.  Prior to using your Comeup winch ensure you have read and fully understands the Comeup winch operating instruction manual.  Test that the winch free spools, then engage the clutch in order to test both power out and power in.

A properly installed winch is a powerful tool for self recovery on any off-road adventure.  If properly maintained your Comeup winch should provide years of service on your off-road adventures.

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Oregon’s 4-Wheeling Gem

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red toyota bj60 cedar treeOregon’s Tillamook Forest  Off Highway Vehicle area offers off-road adventurers one of the best 4×4 areas in the west.  250 miles of trails that range in difficulty from easy forest roads to sever, you’re going to have to trailer your rig right to the shop and everything in between.  While the 4×4 trails are open to all, there are several trails designated for motorcycle and quad use only allowing everyone to find the off-road experience they are looking for.voodoo blue toyota fj cruiser woods

The off-road trails are well marked and the Oregon Department of Forestry puts out  the Tillamook Forest OHV area map clearly identifying all the trails, their difficulty level and vehicle usage. This area is a working forest and occasionally sections will be closed for logging.  Trail closures are posted on the OHV trail report along with lots of other useful information.  To help ensure this area remains cared for and open for recreational 4×4 use a permit sticker is required for each vehicle using the OHV area and can be purchased at many of the local stores along the highway in route.prayer flag tent camping

The Tillamook Forest OHV area is very family oriented with day use and large improved camping areas such as Browns Camp or Jordan Creek.  If you enjoy a little more rustic experience, you will find numerous secluded dry camp areas throughout the OHV area.  As you would expect camp sites fill up quickly on the weekends while you will have your choice of sites during the work week.

red toyota bj60With so many trail options, the Tillamook Forest OHV area is the perfect location to build up your driving skills, and there is nothing that can replace seat time behind the wheel when it comes to off-road adventures.  Because of the hours we’ve spent driving trails like “Firebrake 5”, “Hog’s Back” or “Cedar Tree”, when we came to a washout that had completely destroyed the route, on our Baja off-road adventure, dropping into a boulder filled dry river bed felt comfortable and allowed us to keep going.  In fact many of the situations we run into on our more secluded, solo overland style off-road adventures, present little worry because of the hours of practice we’ve put in drifrench press camp coffeeving all levels of 4×4 trails in OHV areas like the Tillamook Forest.

Only a couple of hours from Portland, Oregon and even less from the Oregon coast this area provides endless opportunities to wheel hard all day and still enjoy the many other sights and sounds of the pacific northwest.  The Tillamook Forest Off Highway Vehicle area is truly Oregon’s 4-wheeling gem.

toyota fj cruiser forest
gear review

BFGoodrich’s KM2 Mud Tires First Impressions

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new bfgoodrich km2 tiresOur off-road adventures take us to places where AAA is not an option.  On our adventures we drive our FJ Cruiser over dirt, boulders and rocks that eat tires for breakfast.  In addition we usually have to cover thousands of miles of asphalt to find the end of the road.  Well built, tough as nails tires are not an luxury, they are a necessity.

A few days back we received a set of BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tires to test out on our off-road adventures.  The KM2 is BFGoodrich’s second generation of their toughest “E” rated off-road tire.  The KM2 protects against punctures with three layers of polyester and two more belts of steel.  In addition BFGoodrich wraps the KM2 with three ply sidewall construction to resist cuts and bruises in order to take the edge off of rocks and other off-road hazards.bf goodrich km2 and zep

We chose to mount the 285x75x17 KM2 tires on our Walker Evens beadlock wheels and balance the mud tires with Dyna Beads.  The first thing we noticed is that these tires look good on our Toyota FJ Cruiser.  Aggressive tread blocks and 34″ stance, these BFGoodrich KM2 tires seem to weep testosterone.

In order to get a good first impression of these BFGoodrich tires we decided to leave the state and head over to Browns Camp Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) area in Oregon’s Tillamook Forest.toyota fj cruiser bfgoodrich km2

Mud tires are notoriously loud on the highway however BFGoodrich’s KM2 Mud tires were surprisingly quiet and smooth as we motored the 300 miles of highway down to Browns Camp.  The tires provided good road feel as we navigated the twisty asphalt that leads through the foot hills of the coastal range to the trail head.bfgoodrich km2 fj cruiser

At the trail head we aired down allowing the tires to soften the bumps and ruts of the trails.  On the dirt and gravel we easily made our way as the KM2 Mud tires dug in and carried us over the 4×4 trails.

When it came to the tougher rock crawling sections of firebreak 5 we discovered that we had left way too much air in the tires.  At 28psi the tires could not conform and grab the boulder’s edges.  The smart thing to do would have been to bleed off 10 psi and let the tires work for us…  that would have been the smart thing to do.  We kept the tires at 28 psi, worked back and forth through the steep boulder infested hill and climbed to the top.bfgoodrich km2 mud tire

For this initial impression we drove 600 miles of highway and spent a full day driving several levels of trails (easy, moderate and difficult, we stayed away from the extreme and sever rated trails…  after all we still had to drive home).  Our first impression is that the KM2 provides solid performance on and off-road.  The KM2s are well behaved on the road and deliver good footing off-road (next time we’ll give firebreak 5 a try with 18 psi). Over the next few months we’ll count on these tires to take us on several more off-road adventures and we will let you know how they perform.

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trail talk

First Aid First

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green land rover defender 90We’ve always taken wilderness first aid preparedness seriously as a part of our off-road adventures but it was not until that fateful day in Moab that our training got put into use.

There are two requirements to help produce a successful outcome in a wilderness first aid situation.  First you and preferably everyone in the group, need to have the knowledge on how to treat victims for a wide range of accidents and (b) you need to have the medical resources to treat  the problem.

When you get off the beaten path by bike, hiking, horseback or 4×4 it is important that you have a solid understanding of how to treat accidents of all kinds. This includes: second or third degree burns, deep cuts, sprains, broken bones,  heat exhaustion, hypothermia, animal bites and more.

In order to learn how to treat accident victims, start by taking a basic first aid and CPR class taught through the Red Cross, the American Heart Association, local community college, outdoor club or private company. These courses will provide you with a basic understanding of first aid and how to work with victims in an emergency situation.

woman taking injured man pulseIn addition to the course materials print off, read and keep with you on your adventure:

If you are the leader of an off-road adventure you have an increased level of responsibility and leadership role as medical support for the group.  You may want to take a more intense wilderness first aid training course or assign the medic role to one of the other member of the group who has additional training.  In extreme off-road adventures where first aid is the only aid you can expect, you may want a paramedic, ER nurse or doctor to join the team.

wilderness first aid splinting injured man armWhen it comes to medical supplies we recommend braking it down into two categories, personal first aid kit and group trauma pack.  The group trauma pack should contain a wide list of supplies  such as: scalpels, scissors, tweezers, forceps, nitrile gloves, splints, burn creams, eye wash, ice packs, heat packs,  space blanket, ACE bandages, blood clotter, antibiotic ointments, antiseptic creams, alcohol swabs, hydrogen peroxide, aspirin, non-aspirin pain relievers, mole skin, butterfly wound closures, large sterile gauze pads, triangle bandages, non-stick pads, sterile gauze rolls, adhesive tape and lots of various sized band-aids and sterile gauze pads.  The group should carry a  trauma pack with enough supplies to support several team members being involved in an accident.

Each person in the group should carry a personal first aid kit that is kept with them.  The individual first aid kits are a combination of simple basics as well as personalized medical needs.  At a minimum we recommend each personal kit include: antacid tablets, Pepto-Bismol tablets, aspirin/non-aspirin, antihistamine, insect sting relief, insect repellant, lip balm, sunblock, Moleskin, antiseptic cream, large and medium sized band-aids as well as several 3×3 sterile gauze pads, adhesive tape and tweezers.  Every individual should personalize their kit to support any prescriptions or medical needs they may have such as allergy meds, asthma inhalers, insulin kit or EpiPen.

yellow land rover discoveryMore than likely you’ll never pull out the group trauma pack.  Most little  scraps, blisters and upset stomachaches can be handled by the individual using their personal first aid kit.  More serious needs will utilize both the personal first aid kits, the group trauma pack and other do-dads such as duct tape, Velcro straps, leatherman tools, blankets, water, hi-lift jack bars, hoses, what ever it takes, in order to bring all available resources to bare .

The last piece of the first aid preparedness puzzle on an off-road adventure is to have a pre-departure check-in to assess everyone’s skills, discuss any team members’ special medical needs and drug allergies,  verify individual kits and ensure everyone knows where the group trauma pack is kept as well as what protocol to follow in case of an accident.

Most off-road adventures never encounter a serious injury but without a doubt you have to be prepared to provide medical aid in locations where first aid may be the only aid for a long time.

stock fj cruiser and modified fj cruiser side by side
trail talk

Before You Modify Your Vehicle For Off-Road Travel

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total chaos long travel fj cruiserDon’t modify your truck!  No, I mean it! Don’t MODIFY Your Off-Road TRUCK!

Ok, let me explain. No showroom vehicle is perfect for serious off-road adventures so depending on your adventure you will most likely need to make some modifications to your vehicle.  However, before you start, be clear on why you are making the modification, what you are looking to gain and what effect it will have on the entire vehicle.  Based on our experience, we put together a few thoughts to consider before modifying your off-road vehicle.

Suspension plays a critical role on and off-road. Suspension is responsible for handling in normal driving, emergency situations and maneuvering through obstacles on the trail.  It is important to keep in mind the manufacturers geometry ideals when deciding how you will achieve increased lift and articulation.  Good quality suspension component upgrades in the right configuration will improve off-road performance and allow your vehicle to drive down the highway as well mannered as it did right off the showroom floor.  It won’t do you any good to be able to crawl up 18 inch rock shelves if you cannot swerve to avoid hitting a cow on the road in Baja.  Your goal should be to increase lift and wheel travel while keeping the center of gravity as low as possible and maintain on road handling performance.land rover d90 toyota fj cruiser 4x4 trail

Keep the tires sized right.  Suspension provides lift but tires give you ground clearance.  Larger tires add weight, which in turn puts stress on steering components, reduces gas mileage, strains performance and often contributes to broken axles.  The ground clearance difference between 33″ and 35″ tires is less than an inch and it decreases more as you air down.  If you absolutely need 37″ tires for your adventure, make sure all your steering and suspension components are matched to safely drive highway speeds and still perform emergency maneuvers.  Choose a durable, high quality tire, with strong sidewalls and tread matched for the terrain without over sizing it. We ran 33.5″ (according to the tape measure) tires for both adventures through Rubicon and ground clearance was never the problem.

A big part of keeping the center of gravity low is to avoid putting weight on the roof.  It’s easy to pack a large roof rack with fuel cans, storage boxes, spare tire, roof top tent, awning and even a kitchen sink.  But all that weight becomes a liability in off camber situations or in an emergency maneuver to avoid the cow.  We’ve watched several trucks easily drive through a tight trail section only to see an identical truck with a heavily packed roof rack take a ding as it leaned into a over hanging tree or rock face everyone else slipped by.  Additionally all that wind resistance up top has a very negative affect on your fuel mileage and highway driving manners.  Select a light weight roof rack and use it sparingly, limited  to lighter items such as a shovel, camp chairs or duffel bag of cloths.  If you cannot pack all the items you need for your adventure in the back of the rig, you may have the wrong off-road adventure vehicle.ultimate fj cruiser trail flexing

Recovery gear is extremely important and an often overlooked modification.  A good winch can be an invaluable tool for getting you unstuck or pulling a fallen tree clear of the trail.  A winch should be considered in conjunction with an aftermarket bumper.  Select a bumper that gives you a clear view of and easy access to the winch.  Like any tool, it is very important that you know how to use your winch properly before you need it and follow all the safety precautions.  There are situations that will not require a winch or a winch it not appropriate.  The right tool for the recovery may be a shovel, hi-lift jack, snatch strap or traction device such as Maxtrax. When your stuck, a good situational analysis and well developed recovery plan is far better (more productive and safer) than hastily grabbing your favorite item without a thought.

land rover d90 toyota fj cruiser airing downWhen it comes to electrical modifications, keep them on separate circuits using properly sized fuses and relay switches.  To make troubleshooting and maintenance easier, clearly label the wires and auxiliary fuse box for your CBs, off-road lights, HAM radios, compressors and fridges.  Poorly wired electronics can cause fires, drain batteries or damage other electrical components including your vehicles engine control unit (ECU).

Weight is the enemy.  Heavy bumpers, sliders, full skid plates, winches,  and steel guards of all kinds add a lot of extra weight.  This weight effects handling, performance and reduces the carrying capacity for your other stuff.  A fully loaded truck ready for an adventure should not exceed the manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating.  Ideally it should be less than 90% GVWR.  We’re always looking to pair down the weight while still maintaining the right level of protection.  We run a skid, but only for the engine.  Our Metal Tech tube bumper is significant lighter than a shell style bull bar.

FJ Cruiser on the rackLower gears, after market transfer case, beefier third member, air lockers,  or super charger can increase your truck’s off-road capability but it comes at a very high price.  For us these items take you across a very real line in the sand.  By modifying your engine or drive train you now have a maintenance intensive truck that will require a significant amount of work to keep running smoothly.  You also go from carrying a basic tool set to hauling a full mechanics chest and a host of spare parts in order to make adjustments and repairs in the field.

Stronger is not always better.  For example we’ve talked about how the half shaft on an IFS vehicle is a weak link.  However if you opt for beefier CVs with stouter axles you have now moved the breaking point from an easy to fix IFS field repair into the differential gears which were never design for field repair.  The same is true for beefing up tie rods that than pushes the weak point into the rack and pinion.fj cruiser rear suspension components

A poor quality modification component is worse than no modification at all.  For example: if you attach thin walled, flimsy sliders that cannot carry the weight of the vehicle, you run the risk of significant damage on the trail.  On the trail your spotter, who assumes your sliders are more than looks, will guide you through an obstacle that may involve using them. Better to not have them and take an appropriate line than drive with a false sense of security.

One of the best investments you’ll ever make has nothing to do with your off-road vehicle.  Spend as much time as you can driving off-road.  Start out on easy trails learning how your vehicle behaves and build your skills as you progress to more complex off-road adventures.  A good off-road driving course  such as Bill Burke’s 4-wheeling America, can also help jump start your adventures, better than most vehicle modification.  Nothing beats seat time, the more experienced you are behind the wheel, the less modifications it will take to safely complete your off-road adventure.

Modifications are part off-road vehicles.  Every modification has both positive and negative effects on your vehicle’s performance. To get the most from your modifications it is important to understand their full impact in order to choose the ones that are right for your next off-road adventure.

metal tech 4x4 red eye bumper toyota fj cruiser
How To Modification Info

Installing Metal Tech’s Red Eye Bumper

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Toyota may have plans to end production of the FJ Cruiser but the aftermarket continues to bring out new off-road products for the FJ Cruiser.  Metal Tech’s Red Eye rear bumper is one of the latest rear expedition bumpers available for the Toyota FJ Cruiser and your off-road adventure.

The Red Eye bumper debuts after more than a year in development where CAD technology was used to remove weight were possible and strengthen areas where necessary.  Metal Tech used advanced engineering principles, modular design and a deep knowledge of metal fabrication to create a swing-out expedition bumper that does not require welding or drilling into the frame.  All parts have been engineered to work with Toyota’s structural design.

The Metal Tech 4×4 Red Eye rear bumper is one of the most innovative expedition style rear bumpers to come out for Toyota’s FJ Cruiser in years. Features include:

  • swing-out spare tire
  • hi-lift jack mount
  • dual fuel-can carrier
  • modular integrated design

As this video shows, installation is simple and straightforward allowing any FJ Cruiser owner with a few wrenches and a little time to install it themselves.

For more information on the Metal Tech 4×4 Red Eye bumper for the Toyota FJ Cruiser contact Metal Tech 4×4 and let them know you heard about it here on Last Great Road Trip.

metal tech 4x4 fj cruiser rubicon trail
gear review

Metal Tech’s Rear Long Travel Review

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fj cruiser little sluice rubicon trail Metal Tech 4×4 is known for its leadership in off-road protection, suspension performance and 4-wheeling innovation.  We thought we’d look at their recent suspension contribution.

The first big advancement in long travel for the Toyota FJ Cruiser  and 4-Runner came  in 2008 from Total Chaos taking the front end from eight inches to 12 inches of travel with their front 2″ long travel kit.  This step forward provided a big improvement to the front IFS but left the rear-end unattended.

Realizing the need for balance in off-road suspension performance, Metal Tech 4×4 introduced their rear long travel and has created the next evolution in FJ Cruiser and 4-Runner suspension. Eleven and half inches of rear shock travel translating into 27 inches of wheel travel to help maintain four points of contact with the ground as you motor over all sorts of terrain.

To achieve this impressive range of motion, Metal Tech’s long travel kit includes offset lower links that eliminate binding, bump stop relocaters, longer stainless break-lines and taller two stage progressive springs.  Metal Tech has teamed with Icon to create longer rear shocks specifically designed to take advantage of the new geometry.

The Metal Tech long travel kit offers two progressive spring options:metal tech rear long travel spring

  • Standard long travel springs have a free standing 19 1/4″ spring height that maintains a 2″ lift in the rear.  The bottom half the coil is rated at 250lbs of spring rate and the upper portion is at 105lbs of spring rate.
  • Expedition rated long travel springs have 3″ of rear lift. The bottom half of the coil is rated at 300lbs of spring rate and the upper portion is rated at 140lbs of spring rate to maintain ride height with the heavier loads associated with overland expeditions.

Using a progressive spring combination allows the spring to stay in it’s compressed position at ride height and expand out to it’s full free height on down travel keeping the wheels in contact with the ground.

But how does all this spring rating translate into seat of the pants performance? We tested both Metal Tech spring types and found some very interesting results.

Full disclosure here: we run the Metal Tech 3-link setup with their lower links, springs, bump stops, extended bake line and Sway-A-Way 2 1/2″, remote reserve, 12″ travel, triple by-pass shocks on our setup.  Travel numbers are for a 4-link set up and some of the test were using Metal Tech’s FJC running a 4-link set up and their long travel kit.  Both springs were tested on our rig to provide same/same comparison over a longer duration to see the difference in ride comfort, sag and spring response. We also left the bypass shocks at the same setting for all the spring tests.

First we tested the standard springs on some forest roads and local trails which offer a number of different levels of challenge.  Driving on highway, around town or on wash board gravel the standard long travel springs provide an amazingly comfortable ride.  While the heavier rated bottom half of the coil keeps a level ride height, the softer upper portion gives and takes the impacts of pot holes, cracks and bumps in the road.  On the 4×4 trails the springs open up nicely, allowing the rear wheels to travel their full arc keeping the rig steady as you crawl over large rocks or drop a wheel into a hole.  The three wheeled wave so familiar to FJC drivers who play on the bigger obstacles is a thing of the past (within reason).  Carrying lighter loads on the local logging roads (a few spare parts. tools and camp gear) the springs provide the stability needed to move quickly down half dirt, half gravel twisty terrain and absorb all the bumps and ruts allowing for solid control and comfort.fj cruiser rubicon

The expedition long travel springs are new…  in fact we were the first to grab a pair off the rack and test them.  These springs were designed to support the heavier loads of overland expeditions without sagging and giving up ride height (translate ride height into upward wheel travel).  In order to run the new expedition long travel springs through their paces we piled all the gear needed to be self sufficient for six days on the famed Rubicon Trail… and it was a lot of gear. On the big Rubicon rocks of Little Sluice, Big Sluice and Cadillac Hill the expedition springs carried the weight and still granted the rear axle full travel along the length of its arc allowing the wheels to remain in contact with the granite as we crawled up and over obstacles.  On all the obstacles the springs kept the rig stable, never feeling sloppy or sagging under the weight of all the camping gear, food, tools, spare parts, camera gear and gallons of water and fuel.

Of course you have to give up something with these heavier springs right…  These springs are designed to ride level with a load so empty you will notice your FJC has a bit of rake like it did when it came off the show room floor. Driving around town with the expedition springs and an empty rig reminds you you’re a driving a truck. Not harsh, looking for a kidney belt, rattle your teeth loose ride but not the supple smooth ride of the Metal Tech standard long travel springs either.FJ Cruiser little sluice

When we first upgraded the front end to the Total Chaos long travel we had one complaint…  the rear end just could not keep up as we took our rig through the Baja, Rubicon (the first time back in 09) and the backcountry discovery routes of Utah and Washington.  Now with the Metal Tech long travel and their choice of springs we have the balance we’ve been looking for as we travel the road less traveled.

If your looking for an upgrade that will provide you with gobs of rear travel and you want to be able to carry all the gear you need to be self sufficient on long expedition in a Toyota 4-Runner or FJ Cruiser then give Metal Tech 4×4 a call to talk about their six different rear long travel kit options.

cam can gear boxes
gear review

Cam Cans Can

mounted cam cansLong off-road adventures mean you are carrying what you need…  tools, parts, recovery gear, fluids or anything else you may require to be self sufficient.  But where do you put it all so that you don’t have to dig through your entire truck to get to it when you need it?

We are always looking for ways to store stuff so that is it organizes, accessible, and safe.  Our friends over at Auto Anything sent us a set of Daystar Cam Cans to try out.

Cam Cans are an ingenious way of providing storage space for liquids (antifreeze, water, oil, and other fluids) or trail tools on the outside of your rig so they remain easily accessible.  Their tech says “All containers are constructed of Daystar’s patented polyurethane construction which makes them resistant to warping, crushing, or degrading from UV rays and the elements.” We found them to be pretty durable as they got kick around the garage for several weeks while we waited for our off-road FJ Cruiser to return so we could mount them up.

The containers mount to the spare tire where you can carry one or two Cam Cans locked together.  We opted for a water storage  (you can go a long time without food but run out of water and it gets ugly fast) and the blaze orange tool box.  There is a green for other fluids.cam can tool box

Mounting them up is simple and only takes a few minutes to replace the lugs on the spare with Daystar’s mounting kit hardware.  Each container slides on, twists and their cams (hence the name) locks into place.  No tools required to access them on the trail, just twist and slide off.

We have started carrying our basic recovery kit (tree strap, shackle, gloves, and winch remote) in the tool box so that what we need most to get unstuck is quickly and easily accessible.  We can also throw a muddy strap back in the Cam Can tool box when were done and not worry about making a mess in the back of the rig.

And while we hope we are not digging into our recover gear too much, it is nice to know it will be right at our finger tips when we need it and out of the way when we don’t.

If you want to see their introduction at SEMA, here you go

 

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trail talk

Thoughts Behind The Change

fj cruiser flexingThe second universal truth of the Buddha, and off-road adventures, is that everything is continuously changing. Our rig has been going through immense change.  Sure the changes are very bad ass…  but what is important, is to understand why we’re making these changes.

Read through our website (go ahead, we’ll wait) and you will see our rig, the Blue Bunny, has successfully taken us on many amazing off-road adventures so why would we change it.  Seven years ago, in order to go to the North Slope, AK we upgraded the suspension with a three inch lift relying on Sway-A-Way (SAW) coil-overs, rear shocks and springs.  We needed a suspension that could provide lift for larger tires, take constant jarring and improve the handling of our FJ Cruiser. These changes fit the bill for driving over 2,000 miles of nasty unpaved roads. But we wanted more travel to soak up the endless jarring of long off-road adventures.

currie axle with ford 9"Chasing our desire for more travel and a smoother ride we upgraded to a  Total Chaos long travel kit and bigger set of SAWs coil-overs that extended the front travel from eight  to about 12 inches.  This upgrade made a huge difference as we crawled the Rubicon, bombed down Baja and wound our way on the Utah Backcountry Discovery Route or any number of local NW 4×4 trails.  But this front suspension upgrade left us wanting more for the rear.  While the front remained confident in everything we threw at it, the rear just couldn’t keep up.  That is when we turned to LT from Metal Tech 4×4 and arranged for them to build a custom rear suspension that was worthy of our adventures.

LT went to work replacing our original axle with a Currie that was four inches wider than stock so it would match the width of our extended long travel front end.  The Curie is a bullet proof housing with huge axles that we will be hard pressed to damage.  A Ford 9″ third member  with 4.56:1 ring and pinion gears was mated up to the Currie.  We needed the gearing to gain back the power that has been lost with the bigger tires, armor and all the gear needed for long expeditions. A Ford 9″ is used extensively in desert racers because of it dependability and parts are readily available throughout the world.  An ARB air locker replaced the stock E-locker that was left behind in the stock third member. A custom rear drive shaft to direct power back to the new rear end completed the circuit.  All these changes were in response to our request for rock solid dependability.  But what about the suspension.Atlas transfer case

Stock FJ Cruisers come with a 4-link rear suspension and nine inches of travel.  LT replaced this with a custom 3-link.  Starting with Metal Tech’s long travel lower link design, LT lengthened the design for our setup while still retaining all the engineering that has gone into Metal Tech’s original design.  Our links incorporate 2 1/2″ forged Johny Joints® with 1 1/4″ threaded studs and tube steal capable of supporting the weight of the rig if it is drug over a rock, ensuring the lower links will remain true regardless of where we go.  The links were paired with Metal Tech long travel progressive springs and bump-stop off sets to maintain proper positioning as the rear axle travels the entire arc.  When it came to shocks we knew we needed both length and girth to give us the travel we desired and the stamina for endless rough dirt roads without fading.

With the extra width of the Currie, LT add outboard shock hoops to hold 2 1/2″ triple by-pass, remote reserve shocks from Sway-A-Way that are capable of 12″ of travel. Sway-a-way triple bypass shocks By increasing the shock diameter from the 2″ to 2 1/2″ we equaled the dampening power of two, 2″ shocks and effectively doubling our previous setup’s stamina. The by-pass feature will let us dial in both the rebound and compression dampening to match the terrain we are traveling on.  And what is good for the rear…

Up front we added another set of 2 1/2″ triple by-pass, remote reserve Sway-A-Way axillary shocks to our Total Chaos long travel so we can tune the front and share the load with the coil-overs.  And since the front transfer case was going to be pulled apart to match the gears in the rear, LT added an ARB locker up front giving us complete wheel locking capability front and rear if needed.

new gear shiftsThe Blue Bunny is a six speed manual and driving a manual off-road is all about having options in the gears.  We’d been thinking about changing out the transfer case for a number of years and since we had everything pulled apart it was time to make a decision.  High and low are pretty standard transfer case options and we could choose some crawler gears to improve control over gnarly trails but that is still a compromise since we face mud, sand and crawling over rock on our off-road adventures.  In order to ensure we can crawl slow, pull a load up a steep hill and still run with speed where we want, we chose an Atlas 4 speed.  The Atlas’ planetary 2.72:1 reduction gear along with the 3.8:1 low range gear provides all sorts of options: H-H, H-L, L-H and L-L along with the ability to engage front or rear independently. You can do the math with all the gears involved to figure out our final crawl ratios but what it comes down to is we can now ooze slower than molasses over rocks, climb a tree fully loaded, sail over sand dunes and still drive to work.

There is a price for all these high end off-road modifications.atlas transfer case mounted

  • You’re running with mods that take adjusting to get right and tune it all in.  These are not just drop in and forget it components.  But get it all right…  and wow!
  • No parts store has spare parts on the self for any of the custom work.  You are running a one of a kind rig.
  • You need to know how it all fits together, comes apart and then goes back together because no one else will.
  • You need to learn your rig all over again…  it’s new sounds, feel and driving capabilities…  but that is half the fun.

When it comes to our off-road adventures we aren’t satisfied with one style of wheeling, we love it all. Sure you can put together a purpose built rig that will exceed the Blue Bunny’s capability on any one terrain but we think we’ve built a solid rig to conquer all terrains.  Of course there will be times when we’ll have to finesse a situation or let a faster rig pass but with the trade offs we’ve made (like IFS for the desert over straight axle for rocks, or a short wheel base for maneuverability over tons of room for expedition gear that comes with a longer wheel base), the Blue Bunny should get us through anything we encounter as we continue to look for the last great road trips left in the world.