FJ Mods

[Melfi]

On the top of page 2, Desert Fox had posted the differences between Body Lft and Suspension Lift, with diagrams (from another website). This has been moved to a new thread:
http://www.almost4x4.com/vb/showthread. ... #post16903

Moderator - please warn us next time you move something. I thought I was still dreaming that I had just read it above...:025::023:

[desert_hawk]

Hi DH,

Recently I got bigger bump stops while modifying my skid plate. Please advise, will my stock suspension adjust to these bump stops?

Have no clue, I'm not that good in mechanics of the car

[Darshan]

Dear Darshan ,

After all what have been written and said , I would like to dedicate my humble signature to you . GOOD LUCK ...

With all due respect Abu Jimmy: Thanks but no thanks. I don't believe in luck. I believe in being good.

[Darshan]

If my understanding is right, Darshan is mainly talking about stiffness giving more stability to the FJ in specific due to the soft FJ stock suspension.

The solution for less experienced FJ drivers is to go for a stiffer springs, but with the same height, obviously that is if your point of view about this SPECIFIC case is accurate.

The lifting of the car has nothing to do with the problem you are mentioning, Darshan, right?!

Theoretically that is exactly what i meant. But in practical terms on an FJ stiffer springs on stock suspension affects whatever little travel there is, Making it unbearable especially when going across ploughed up tracks.

Physics talk, adding a higher lift and the proportionate spacer should keep things almost the same, but how much is the proportionate spacers?!?!??!!, need a physicist to answer, plus, the FJ cannot accommodate spacers at the front without the well known rubbing issue.

The higher you go, the wider you should be seems like the right thing. A friend and i have done some considerable research on the rubbing issue/steering/CV stress issues and have sucessfully cured it on his and my FJ. Let me know offline and i will do what i can to help (ie:If you have an adjustable upper arm) The stress on the CV can be negated by a diff drop.(cheap mod)

I have spacers only at the rear now (got rid of the front ones) The reason to get rid of the front spacers was because the steering was a tad tighter and i dint want that. I am happy with spacers at the back.


IF my modding plans were different and had the time/money, the steering tightness could have been taken care of with a higher output pump (Fj has a variable output pump), but i decided that it was not worth the effort for what i need it for. I don't like spending money on marginal differences unless it is the mod is cheap.

[Darshan]

Hi, I have a new FJ and would like to know what Mods i should go for.

I am interested in

1] lift

2] tyres - I use the truck for both off and on road (more on road)

3] spacers - 1.25 or 2"?

4] Skid plate - Ricochet or ARB?

5] Snorkel ?

Anything else you guys can suggest. Budget is a constraint for me (i guess for all of us) so I will do this in stages. What should i go for first. Preference is for ICON suspension.

Don't know what your expertise is DF. Like everyone else seems to agree, Start modding once you understand your ride and you know its limits. But if are already doing anything more than very basic type of drives then, below is what I would do:

1) Lift: You are on the right track. Upgrade to ICONS, If money is not a constraint vis a vis top quality, then buy it with adjustable upper arms and piggy backs at the rear. And like someone with experience already said (sorry don't remember who) make sure that the alignment is set to acceptable limits using good old methods and then take it in for a proper alignment only after the suspension has settled well (3 to 4 off-road drives) I hear good things about king suspension as well, but i do not have first hand experience on it. There are some special settings that you could set up the upper arms and the ride height at.Ping me offline if you decide you need help with it.
Knowing that you already got bump stops, i am sure you have got good advice already :045: you will love the above setup, It will be safer even on roads and the vehicle is much more stable at turns and sudden braking/swerving situations. What you won't like (initially) is the ever so slight bounce onroad till your suspension settles down fully. (mine did it for abt 3 months) Other less expensive brands i presume will be reasonably good offroad and pretty bumpy onroad.

2) Tyres: I drive on stock tyres.
But i have tried some of the other brands mentioned. Geolander and Coopers seems to be the way to go. I will change my tyres as soon as it wears out (it has got a month of life left i think) and coopers with one size up will be my choice as like you, this is my daily ride and don't like the noise of the geolanders even though they are good offroad. There has been complaints of the sidewall bursting on geolanders, but they have been largely due to the flex at the rear causing the sidewalls of the rear tyre hitting the rear bump stop mounts. (Cheap mods are available to fix that)
The key advice would be to not over do it size wise.

3) Spacers - 1.25 would be MY choice and only at the rear. Stick with a good brand like H&R or similar quality as FJ steering system is very sensitive and will introduce steering shimmy and vehicle vibration at certain speeds if the tyres or spacers not being true/out of balance.

4) Skid plate - NG designs!!!! Period. I also believe that it is the most value for money option. After sales service i have experienced with NG designs skid plates is unmatched!! I hit my skids doing speeds over 120(on gps) on stone which bent it (No damage to internal components: just didn't look good afterwards) My installer tried to straighten it out, but being the perfectionist i am, it itched to see the lines not aligning! My installer sent it in to NG designs and they ran it through the high tech machinery that they use. It came back as good as new!!! Since it was not a manufacturing defect, i expected to send some dhirams on fixing it. And they did sent me a bill except that it was zero dhirams!!! (As a side note, i had factory suspension at that point)

5) Snorkel: I hate to drill holes on my FJ. But this is a mod that i may finally decide to do. Though i have no first hand experience on this, Our good friends on this forum has done extensive research, Apart from obvious benefit of not letting as much sand/dust into the intake, they have also noted substantially lower intake temperatures which in-turn provides better performance. I dont think there is enough power to be noticed, but engine will breathe cleaner air and hence will thank you by providing you with longevity. Talk to duck commander when you can and he will hook you up with all the info you need.

If i were you, i would have saved up for bumpstops+lift+skids as my first mods.

[caprihorse]

My response to all contributors, where we respect their effort and lots of time consuming reading and understanding, is following (and I'm repeating myself again, just for the clarification):

1. Senior off-roaders never advised and and we will never advice any Club Member or Newbie to lift his car or make similar dangeruous modification to his car suspension, due to the high probability of fatal driving errors, based on their inexperience
2. Any car owner can do whatever he wants to his property, increase the height, width, add new mufflers, heavy tyres, shocks, computer chips, etc., we don't mind. However if they ask for our opinion, we will express, what is good or wrong, based on our experience, not on his opinion or what he heard as a rumour from others.
3. We accept to express the experience with modifications to the cars by senior off-roaders to increase overall safety and our education.
4. We always answer a question from a completely new off-roader about modifications 'what I need for the first drive' with 'petrol and water'.
5. We can never accept on our Forum, that a member, where under his name is stated, Club Member or Newbie, is giving 'modification advices' to all, who might read our Forum. In a certain extent, there are few members, mainly from other clubs, experienced off-roaders, and we appreciate their contribution, who due to our internal policies are entertaining their current title (Club Member or Newbie), but we kindly ask to introduce themselves, before giving some advices. Not many of our readers might know who are they.

[Big Red]

Good point not everyone will know who Darshan is and I myself am really only a newbie too. All i was doing was expressing my opinion to give a different view point. I hope i will not be penalized for this.

[Abu Jimmy]

With all due respect Abu Jimmy: Thanks but no thanks. I don't believe in luck. I believe in being good.

I am really happy that you got my point . but under certain circumstances , no matter how good experience you have , or how heavily modified your car is , only pure luck will save the day . especially when you are trying to do what you think you can do , instead of doing what you know you can do.

[Mosalf]

Have no clue, I'm not that good in mechanics of the car

Well I did take it to the sand and it didnt break anything (as yet) ;)

[Darshan]

My response to all contributors, where we respect their effort and lots of time consuming reading and understanding, is following (and I'm repeating myself again, just for the clarification):

1. Senior off-roaders never advised and and we will never advice any Club Member or Newbie to lift his car or make similar dangeruous modification to his car suspension, due to the high probability of fatal driving errors, based on their inexperience
2. Any car owner can do whatever he wants to his property, increase the height, width, add new mufflers, heavy tyres, shocks, computer chips, etc., we don't mind. However if they ask for our opinion, we will express, what is good or wrong, based on our experience, not on his opinion or what he heard as a rumour from others.
3. We accept to express the experience with modifications to the cars by senior off-roaders to increase overall safety and our education.
4. We always answer a question from a completely new off-roader about modifications 'what I need for the first drive' with 'petrol and water'.
5. We can never accept on our Forum, that a member, where under his name is stated, Club Member or Newbie, is giving 'modification advices' to all, who might read our Forum. In a certain extent, there are few members, mainly from other clubs, experienced off-roaders, and we appreciate their contribution, who due to our internal policies are entertaining their current title (Club Member or Newbie), but we kindly ask to introduce themselves, before giving some advices. Not many of our readers might know who are they.

I fully respect the policies of almost4x4. Afterall, i learnt all my basics here. I do not consider myself "experienced" under any measure. I am still learning. The Pun was intended while using "newbie" title.

Having said that, i am of the opinion that everybody has the right to express what "HE THINKS" is right, Even if he is a newbie.

Looking at the broader picture on safety of club members and newbies, you may restrict such members from offering advices/opinions. But, there is only so much anyone can control. Everyone is owner to his own free will.