FJ Mods

[Desert Lizard]

Gents..

As much as I would like to join the fun and talk about mods :027:, I would appreciate if the thread isn't hijacked..We can take the Mods talk to the Off-Roading Lounge please :028:..

[Wasif Ahmed]

If you have modified your FJ's, live in Abu Dhabi and are having issues with Al Futtaim regarding honoring the warrently feel free to get in touch with me.

I can get you sorted with them !

My car has ICON stage 1, TRD Cat Back, a TBS and the UNICHIP but i still get full warrenty support.

Last time they changed my steering rack for free after one of the boots cracked and the oil leaked out. Then the rear axle had to be replaced as there was a slight noise. They discovered it was bent and had eaten the bearing !

First they said the lift, bigger tires and too much offroading is the reason but I still got the warrently enforced.

I can also get a cool 40% discount on parts from them for you !

[jdemay]

When I bought my used FJ (50K Kms), I had to change the tyres, I did some research and went for Yoko Geolander ATS. I'm very happy with them, they are very good off-road, and provide a good ride on road.

[jdemay]

Wasif. A few questions for you.

How much should I plan to spend for a Icon Stage 1 ? Also, what is your perspective on the impact of the Uniship ? does it make a real difference ? how much should I plan to spend for the chip ?


My FJ is model 2008.


thanks in advance.

[Wasif Ahmed]

Wasif. A few questions for you.

How much should I plan to spend for a Icon Stage 1 ? Also, what is your perspective on the impact of the Uniship ? does it make a real difference ? how much should I plan to spend for the chip ?


My FJ is model 2008.


thanks in advance.

The ICON Stage 1 I have costed me 7.5K in 2009 from mebar. Now there are several places you can get them so shop around for teh best price. Check AEV, they had good prices and then Mebar and then Bin Hofan in Abu Dhabi and go to any of thme who offers a better price.

They are cheaper in the US but there will be no warrently support here so best to buy locally. Also dont let themdo wheel alignment after they fit the kit, some of them like Mebar will want to do it right away.

You need to drive the car for maybe a couple of hundred KM to let the suspension settle and then you get them to fo the final adjustments to the ride height if required and then the alignment.

The UNICHIP is basically a device that will tie up all the mods you have to the engine and let you get the best performance from them. If the engine is stock there will be no gain from the UNICHIP.

If you have a CAI, Cat back, headers etc then you will get a good 30 HP extra over stock with the UNICHIP.

you can buy it locally from MOCA but they sell it for around 5K with the wiring harness and 3.5 K without the harness, they will cut the wiring on your car and splice in the chip.....NOT RECOMMENDED ! If you can afford it go to MOCA as they will Dyno the car before, then tune the chip in real time on your car, Dyno it again and show you the gains.

I got mine from the US from www.trdsparks.com for 1.8K with shipping. They tuned it on their computer based on my mods and what i wanted and I have had no issues with it so far. I would ideally want to have it tuned when it is fixed on my car but have not had a chance to get this done yet !

[Mosalf]

Hmmm things for a better future.

[Darshan]

Guys...I can assure you that not all senior members of this forum are against lifting - they just are not internet warriors :011:.

I fully understand what Red is trying to convey as i had been in the same boat a while back. I allso agree with other forum members suggesting that an after market suspension is not required for newbie type of drives.

The only two reasons why i think a lift kit is required is because of safety and prevention of damage to your car.

After market suspensions increase the centre of gravity, so common logic will tell you that there is more likely hood to roll over..Right??? Wrong!! For the reason that aftermarket suspensions are usually much stiffer than stock. It controls body roll much better. The vehicle does not lean to one side or other thereby causing the shocks to compress more and eventually cause the wheels to point to the sky. (Ya well, you could still roll if you do something stupid)

Even the "bestest" offroader will hit his skid plate/bumpers now and then. Look under the car of any senior person and you will know what i mean (unless they fix it promptly) The aftermarket suspension gives an added insurance. No doubt that you need to get your basics right before you start modding though.


Personally i have always felt that FJ already has enough power to do everything you would want it to. Especially the pre 2010 models. There will be a noticeable difference in performance on a pre 2010 model if you add any of the following- CAI, headers, Exhaust, Throttle body (larger size), Y pipe, Unichip etc. The king of the mods is definately the supercharger option.

On 2010 and post models, a supercharger option is not available as of now (actually there is...but not from TRD, the ones available are still at a very early stage) The factory intake is redesigned to be somewhat of a CAI. So adding a CAI will provide only very small difference, The headers are slightly bigger, etc. There are some amount of power to be gained from tuning and also all of the above components. But the change will not be as good as on the pre 2010 models.

Mine is a stock 2011 (minus suspension and skids) and it lets me do whatever i am capable of. I just need to watch out to keep the machine in the power band and then it kicks butt. (note that i am a newbie driver ) So i guess you should learn to utilize the power that your machine already has and THEN do what you like, mod it till your wife goes mad mabe?

[Wasif Ahmed]

LOL....newby driver ! Stock 2011 FJ !!!! C'mon dude we all know how seriously modified the driver is !

[caprihorse]

After market suspensions increase the centre of gravity, so common logic will tell you that there is more likely hood to roll over..Right??? Wrong!! For the reason that aftermarket suspensions are usually much stiffer than stock. It controls body roll much better. The vehicle does not lean to one side or other thereby causing the shocks to compress more and eventually cause the wheels to point to the sky.

Darshan (Newbie Driver), you are not challenging me, but you are challenging, basic physical principles.

Imagine, you take a rod made from metal (simulating aftermarket stiff suspension) and rod made from plastic or rubber (simulating stock, soft suspension). You dig them in sand vertically, equal depth and on top of each you fix a certain weight (simulating engine weight).

After that you push both rods with equal force to the side. Metallic rod will fell down, thanks to gravity and the bottom end will jump out of the sand. Plastic/rubber rod will bent and stay. Off course if pushing further, it will come out of the sand and fell down thanks to gravity. But this little difference is safety just before roll-over.

[Desert Lizard]

After market suspensions increase the centre of gravity, so common logic will tell you that there is more likely hood to roll over..Right??? Wrong!! For the reason that aftermarket suspensions are usually much stiffer than stock. It controls body roll much better. The vehicle does not lean to one side or other thereby causing the shocks to compress more and eventually cause the wheels to point to the sky. (Ya well, you could still roll if you do something stupid)

I was expecting Caprihorse to come in with more heat.. but he seems busy

I need to clarify a point first.. Harder or Softer suspension does NOT equal LIFTING the car. Lifting the car by 2 or more inches changes the center of gravity up and therfore increases the roll over potential. Better suspension improves the handling of the car by providing better traction (the suspension pushes the tire on the ground when the car leans, therefore maintaining friction) faster recovery from weight transfer (once the turn is over, the car needs to level back and lean again if required) and dampening shocks (goes without saying).

A car lift is intended to provide better ground clearance and improve your approach and departure angles so you don't hit the dirt quite as often.. but the sacrifice is that the center of gravity is also higher so you can't take corners at the same speed as a lower car. Even if both have the same suspension system with same handling properties.

Now the reason why the off-road suspension is stiffer than stock is because off-road is not as smooth as on-road, so the suspension has to react to changes in the contour of the road faster and dampen bigger shocks.