Expeditionr

The 11th Annual Coal Mine Cruiser Classic (CMCC) run was another great event with more than 80 registered vehicles and close to twice as many participants. The weather this year was a bit less cooperative on the first day of the three-day event, but after a good solid rain Thursday night, the temps and humidity levels evened out a bit. Like the previous year’s Coal Mine run, event participants were a bit more leisurely in their pace. So after registering, inspections and general trail preparations, I decided to roam around and meet some of the early arrivals. Having attended quite a few sponsored events, I recognized many of the faces, however I’m a bit ashamed to say that names almost always escape me. There were also quite a few new faces among the gathering crowd. I introduced myself to members both old and new and we proceeded to chat about a variety of event-related topics while waiting for the late-comers to arrive.

Last year’s Coal Mine run was a bit disorganized but thankfully there were quite a few folks who stepped up to help out. Jeff and Aida, long-time Land Cruiser owners and enthusiasts, were among the group of volunteers, offering to serve as trail guides for event participants. As I roamed about Thursday morning, I was pleasantly surprised to meet up with Jeff and Aida again as they arrived and prepped their FJ-40 for the day’s activities. When I discovered they would once again be leading, I quickly jumped aboard, adding my FJ to their group. After a few last-minute vehicle checks and CB channel assignments we were heading out of the staging area towards the trails.

Due to the lack of recent rainfall, Thursday’s trail ride resulted in a very large collection of dust inside the FJ. The dusty conditions were further exacerbated by the lack of stock doors to block the low-level dust being kicked up by the tires. The tube doors offer great visibility and better air flow, but that increased air flow also means a lot more dust accumulation inside the vehicle – so much so, that by the end of the day the interior of the FJ was slowly disappearing under almost 1/8″ of fine powder. Despite the dust, however, we still had a great day of crawling on a variety of green and blue trails.

Thurdsay night was only forecasting a 30 percent chance of rainfall, so I decided to chance it and leave the tube doors uncovered for the evening. As it turned out, the odds were against me because it decided to downpour at some time during the night. This not only resulted in standing water inside the vehicle and rain-soaked seats, it also created a significant amount of muddy residue throughout the vehicle, turning the once fine dust power into instant brown goo that seeped into all sorts of nooks and crannies. Oops. Lesson learned. Don’t play the odds when it comes to rain.

The number of participants increased significantly on Friday, as more people joined the ranks. Thanks to the previous night’s rain, the weather had calmed down substantially as well, lowering temps to the mid 70’s and almost no dust to speak of. Jeff and Aida resumed their role as group leader and after the normal trail prep, we headed out for a second day of fun and excitement. Friday was a bit more eventful, as we had one group member with a problematic 80-series Land Cruiser – one that suffered from a lack of low gear in 4-wheel-drive, insufficient engine power, fuel flow problems, and a host of other issues. Lunch time came a bit early that day, as this same 80 series managed to bend its tie rod in an attempt to traverse a rocky hillside. Thankfully, we had some mechanically handy group members who stepped up to help out. The faulty piece was eventually removed, bent back to its original state via a nearby tree, and everything was re-assembled in working order.

We spent the remainder of the day on green and blue trails, but did manage to get one good off-shoot into a blue- and black-rated area known as “Yellow Jacket”. I didn’t get much in the way of pictures but thankfully Tony, one of our friends from the New York area, was kind enough to shoot some videos which I’ve included below. The first video is of me heading down the obstacle, requiring only a few minutes to traverse. The second and third videos are also me, but this time I decided to turn around and run the same obstacle from the opposite direction, heading up instead of down. As you can see from the videos, it took quite a few more tries before I was able to successfully top it. After watching the video a few times, it appears as though I could have simply approached the pile of boulders a bit closer to the passenger side and lined up a little better. But hindsight is always 20/20 as they say. Next trip up I plan to try it again now that I have a better plan of action.

Saturday took a slightly different turn as I had invited Dean and Bobby, some Jeeper friends from Virginia, to come up and run trails. Although I had a blast with Jeff, Aida and the rest of the group, Dean decided he wanted to run in a slightly smaller group, so I asked Tony and his wife (and co-pilot) Lupe, if they’d like to join us for the day, which they did. While I served as the overall guide of the group, we remained focused on green and blue trails, but I tried to spend a bit more time in blue areas than in green. At one point Dean and I split off with the intention of running a blue trail known as 12-A, but instead, we accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up running an alternate blue trail known as 12-B, which took a lot longer to complete. After more than 30 minutes of delay we finally re-joined our comrades, sheepish and apologetic. We continued running trails until about 3pm, when we decided to head to the southeast side of the property.

Our intention was to run “Yellow Jacket” again, but I decided to run Trail#8 beforehand where I managed to get hung up on a particularly pointy boulder on the back half of the loop. High-centered with almost zero traction, I ended up having to hi-lift my passenger side and add more rocks before I was able to dislodge the FJ off this pinnacle of immobility. While Bobby and I focused on a hi-lift recovery, Tony was spotting Dean in his JK Unlimited, attempting to get him into a position where he could winch me off the rock. Unfortunately, Dean’s rig was still somewhat lacking in proper skid plates so his progress was much slower than expected. He only made it about halfway back to my location when I managed to successfully dislodge myself. So between the time it took to recover with the hi-lift, spot Dean back to the trail entrance, and crawl my own way out, we had wasted well over an hour of potential trail time. Since it was nearing 4 o’clock at this point, we decided to hit one last section of green trail on the southeast side of the property to round out the day.

All in all, this year’s Coal Mine run was a great time with the usual collection of fun and interesting folks. I’d like to say thanks again to all the organizers. Without you folks, events like this would never take place. In addition, a special thanks goes out to Jeff and Aida (I hope I’m spelling that correctly)  for serving as our trail guide and spotter for the first two days. You guys did a great job as always.  It was also very nice to meet and wheel with everyone else in the group and I hope to see all of you on future runs. And lastly, thanks to Dean, Bobby, Tony and Lupe for making Saturday just as much fun and being good sports when it comes to my junior trail guiding abilities.

Yellow Jacket (heading down):

Yellow Jacket (heading back up) – Part One:

Yellow Jacket (heading back up) – Part Two:

While searching for local off-roading groups in the mid-Atlantic area, I happened across VA4×4.com, a web site that centers around off-roading events in the Virginia, Maryland and D.C. area. Unlike many other web sites which are dedicated to a single brand or model of vehicle, VA4×4 promotes the idea of “open-brand” off-roading, and with a growing member base and a wide range of vehicle types, it’s a concept that’s proven highly successful thus far. Curious to learn more, I signed up as a new member back in April (2010). It wasn’t long after I joined that I learned of a June 5th meet-n-greet at Rausch Creek Off-Road Park (RCORP). I responded excitedly, indicating that I would be in attendance as any trip to Rausch is generally a lot of fun. As it turned out, this event was no exception.

Some of the members arrived the night before and camped out in tents but since I’m a little closer than most, I decided to just drive up the same day. I arrived at the RCORP staging area around 8am where I was introduced to several members of the VA4×4 crew. There was apparently a large event for Xterras scheduled for that same day as well, so the park was busy that morning. After paying the park fees, airing down and seeing to other general trail preparations, we organized into a small group of five vehicles and headed out of the park in search of mud and rocks. Our vehicle line-up consisted of two Toyota truggies, one from an ‘88 pickup and one from a former 4Runner, one well-equipped XTerra, an equally-outffitted 80-series Land Cruiser, and myself in an FJ Cruiser.

After crossing through some short green sections of trail, we spent the remainder of the morning hitting blue- and black-rated trails. The truggies were very impressive to watch as they traversed the larger boulder areas with apparent ease. Even the Land Cruiser managed to prove true to its heritage, deftly scaling large boulders and steep ledges with agility that belied its size. I bypassed several of the more difficult areas but the rest of the crew performed marvelously over some genuinely difficult obstacles.

We returned back to camp around noon to take a short break and grab some lunch. After lunch we decided to go have some fun in the competition course area, where once again the truggies proved quite capable. Instead of heading back out to the trails, we decided to toy around on the comp course for a bit longer  before heading back to the staging area and calling it a day. All in all we had a great time and I got to meet some great new folks that I hope to wheel with again in the near future. I didn’t get as many pictures as I normally do, but I did manage to snap a few at the staging area, as we stopped for breaks along the trail, and a few more of some of the rigs in the comp course area. I’d like to close by saying thanks to all the guys in the group for having me along. I look forward to wheeling with you again soon!

I call this one a mini-mod. It’s one of the few times I’ve actually done something purely for fun. I’ve never owned a vehicle that inspired this much enthusiasm before, so the thought of a vanity license plate just didn’t make sense before now. But after nearly 3 1/2 years and more than 60k miles in the rear view mirror, I decided it was finally time to give my trail buddy a more glorified title – an identity of sorts. I was looking for something fun that didn’t come across as preachy or too obnoxious.

Using the Maryland Vehicle Administration (MVA) online license request utility I began the process of narrowing down my choices, many of which were already taken. In the end though, I think I came up with a plate that fits my FJ’s personality to a “T” and manages to bring a little more life to an already thriving vehicle. Behold my newly re-branded FJ, casually known to friends and relatives as “Chunk”, now formally and officially known as the “Dirt Hog”. It was an exciting day for both of us as we stood proudly with our new name tags.

See you on the trails!

As the ratio of off-pavement to on- tips in favor of the dirt path, I’ve found myself in need of a slightly more aggressive tire. For a daily commuter and general off-road use, the Nitto Terra Grappler is a great all-around choice. I ran this tire for roughly 40k miles, wearing the tread to approximately 50 percent of its original depth. For those less familiar with Nitto’s tire line, the Terra Grappler is Nitto’s answer to the all-terrain, and a great answer at that. The Grapplers ran relatively quiet, emitting a slightly higher tone than the BFGoodrich T/A KOs they replaced. As the miles accumulated on these tires, the noise levels did increase, but not disturbingly so. The tires performed admirably through light mud and rock but in heavier conditions, especially after the tread began to wear, they exhibited a noticeable loss in traction. This became even more apparent during a recent snow storm that left us trapped in almost four feet of drift. Since performance has always been a key component in building the FJ, I decided it was time for an upgrade.

For a lot of folks, selecting the next set of tires for your vehicle is as simple as replacing the existing set with a new set of the same brand. This is one of the primary reasons why opinions on “the best tire” are so limited. It’s commonplace for consumers to stick to a single brand/model of tire for the lifetime of their vehicle – the theory being that if it works, keep using it. This is the primary reason why I ran BFGoodrich all-terrains for so many years. It was a good all-purpose tire that suited my needs very well in most scenarios. But based on price as well as the reviews provided for the Nitto Terra Grapplers, I took a chance at the time, and switched brands to try something new. And I’m glad I did. I definitely preferred the Nitto all-terrains over BFG’s offering. Not to say it was a better tire but simply that I preferred the look and performance of the Nitto design. Since all-terrains had proven repeatedly that they lacked the necessary traction to get through the tougher obstacles, I decided to try something a bit more extreme this go-around, opting for a mud-terrain tire instead.

So, once again, I was facing new territory. For anyone who has ever faced the vast selection of tires available, you can most likely attest to the magnitude of narrowing down your options to a single choice. Even narrowing down to a brand is a difficult task. I did a fair amount of research beforehand, comparing online reviews, to customer reviews, to marketing hype, to real-world testing and results. Forums can be a great resource as well but the opinions are so widely varied that it becomes a somewhat futile task to filter through all the opinions. And like I said earlier, devotion to a single brand is not uncommon. Very rarely do you find someone who has tried and tested multiple brands on the same vehicle under the same conditions. In the end, selecting the perfect tire for your individual needs is at best a crapshoot. After several months of digging and comparing, I finally narrowed down my choice to two options: 1) BFGoodrich KM2 Mud Terrain or 2) Interco TrXus M/T Mud Terrain.

The KM2’s reputation for being a great all-around mud tire is quite prevalent among the online communities – so much so that it’s difficult to find anything negative about this tire. The Interco TrXus MT, while not nearly as popularized, has an even better reputation for grip and performance under virtually all conditions. From a pure cost standpoint, both tire models come in at roughly the same price point, but final delivery cost can vary depending on the vendor. When it comes to product stock and availability, the KM2s are the clear winner as BFGoodrich is a much larger operation than Interco and their tires are typically more widely distributed and more vast in number. Interco, as it turns out, only produces a limited amount of certain tire models and will not produce any more until there is a large demand. This makes locating and purchasing their tires a lot more difficult. The number of Interco vendors is also much more limited compared to the number of vendors that stock the BFG brand.

In terms of overall performance, the one negative comment about the KM2s that cropped up pretty regularly, was that performance in slushy or deep rain conditions left a lot to be desired – to the point where driving became a bit precarious. The TrXus MTs on the other hand, got very high marks for grip, particularly when it came to traction under wet and icy conditions. This notable difference in traction is most likely due to a difference in compound density, as well as factory siping, or the lack thereof in the case of the KM2s. The KM2s appear to be constructed from a much harder rubber compound than the TrXus MT. This will ultimately translate to longer tread life but carries the downfall of reduced traction in slippery conditions (when compared to softer compounds). The KM2s also lack any siping from the factory whereas Interco claims the TrXus design includes “more siping than any other mud terrain on the market.”  So although the TrXus MTs will wear more quickly than the KM2s, their reputation for performance under slippery circumstances was considerably better. Based on consumer testimonials, the KM2s appear to last around 40-50k miles whereas the highest number I saw quoted for the TrXus was around 30k miles. So the KM2s will net you about 50 percent longer tread life.

Two additional factors to consider are balancing and aesthetics. From what I’ve been told, BFG’s manufacturing process is more likely to produce a well-balanced tire as compared to an Interco tire. However, even though I suspect the KM2s are a bit more consistent from one tire to the next, balancing any mud-terrain tire is going to be more problematic than a comparable-sized all-terrain due to the larger lugs and increased weight. There’s also the visual appeal of each tire to consider. Both of these tires have the aggressive stance and appearance you’d expect from a mud-terrain. The KM2s remind me of the older military style tire with their large square lugs. The TrXus MTs have a slightly different tread pattern with alternating shoulder lugs and a very discernible sidewall tread. It’s difficult to rate visual appeal since it often comes down to individual preference. For me, either one would have looked great, so I’ll call this one a tie.

In the end, after considering all the various facts and opinions, my decision was pretty easy. Even though the KM2 scored slightly higher overall, my focus at this stage was on gaining the best traction possible, so I decided to go with the Interco TrXus MT in a 33×12.50R17. Of course it wasn’t until after I decided to purchase the TrXus MT that I discovered most vendors were out of stock. Luckily, when I contacted Interco to determine dates for their next production run, they were able to recommend a vendor local to my area that just happened to have five new TrXus MTs in stock. Because the vendor was local, I received five brand new tires the very next day. I initially tried using Dynabeads to balance these tires, placing 10 ounces of beads in each tire,  but there was enough inconsistency (lateral imbalance) in the tire design that the Dynabeads were unable to compensate. So I ended up dumping the beads and using traditional weight balancing instead. Like many mud-terrain tires, balancing the TrXus MTs did require quite a bit of weight. One tire in particular took almost 20 ounces before it evened out. But eventually, all five tires were completely balanced and stable. Initial road tests showed no signs of shimmy or vibration so I was very pleased.

Update @ 500 Miles
No additional vibrations or shimmy – these tires ride smooth. I tried various pressures and actually found that I had the best performance by airing up to about 60lbs per tire. I experimented with various pressures ranging from 32 to 60 pounds per square inch (psi). The standard tire pressure of 32-35psi was just too squishy feeling and I experienced excess wandering as a result. The TrXus MTs are rated at a maximum pressure of 65psi but my particular wheels max out at 60 pounds so I stuck with 60psi per tire just to be on the safe side. I should point out that even at 60psi these tires still feel slightly mushy. In straight line travel, or at lower speeds, it’s not really noticeable. I tend to notice it most when changing lanes at higher speeds (excess of 60mph). I attribute this mushiness to the generally softer compound in combination with bigger lugs and larger voids. I don’t mean for this to sound critical as it’s really not an issue for me. But it is something that takes a bit of getting used to since a little more care and control must be taken while driving at higher speeds.

Update @ 3000 Miles
I’ve been running the TrXus MTs for a bit longer now and I’m still quite pleased with my decision. The mushiness issue appears to be diminishing somewhat, stabilizing more so after the first 1000 miles. One of the biggest surprises I experienced with this tire is that they’re exceptionally quiet. While they are still relatively new, the noise level even compared to my previous choice, the Nitto Terra Grapplers, is considerably less. I’ve also had multiple opportunities to test traction during rainy conditions and I have to say I’m ecstatic! Even with a torque-heavy, supercharged FJ, I have yet to lose traction on wet roads. Multiple testing areas and obstacles that used to require four-wheel drive can now be traversed entirely in two-wheel drive thanks to the aggressive lugs and sidewalls. Initial testing of the TrXus MT’s off-road performance is notably better than its Terra Grappler predecessors, providing superior grip on especially muddy and slippery trails. Further testing will be conducted in more severe conditions and I’m still in the early lifespan for this tire, but I think I can safely say that these tires were designed with grip in mind! I’m very impressed so far.

Looking for wheels? Look for a review of Hutchinson’s Rock Monster dual beadlock coming soon!

Although I have a fair amount of experience driving in off-road conditions, I didn’t really get into off-roading for recreational and sporting purposes until a few years ago. Since that time I’ve come to truly enjoy my time on the trail. It’s no longer about the destination. It really is about the trip along the way. For those of us in the mid-Atlantic region, Rausch Creek Off-Road Park (RCORP) is one of the more favorable locations for off-road enthusiasts. Rausch offers nearly 3000 acres of trails ranging from light-duty fire roads and green-rated river beds, to the more hard-core, black- and red-rated rock crawling obstacles.  As my number of recreational trail hours increases, so does my appreciation for the experience as a whole. Surrounded by trees, rocks, water, dirt and mud… it’s a great way to get away from the day-to-day work schedule and even better when you get to spend it with friends.

Up until recently, my trips to Rausch have been based on larger, sponsored events. These types of events are a lot of fun, with a large number of participants and even prizes and a dinner at the end. But there are some downsides to this type of arrangement. The sheer number of participants means that each group will contain an average of six to eight vehicles. Overall, this means a lot more vehicles on the trails which increases the likelihood of having to wait for one or more groups to complete a particular trail section. Because Rausch Creek is fairly large in scale, this is not typically a problem. But it does happen on occasion. A second down side to sponsored events is that they are often vehicle-specific in nature. While most of the events I’ve attended in the past are completely open to other vehicle brands, it is not well advertised and many folks are still unwilling to attend because they would feel out of place.  It is for these reasons, primarily, that I decided to organize the Rudimentary Rausch Creek Invitational.

I had been looking for an excuse to get together with a few friends and travel up to Rausch Creek to run trails as a small group of mixed vehicles. I’d been talking about it for several months before I was able to finally get everyone organized and coordinated for a mid-May trail run. The would-be crew of friends consisted of Chris and Paul in a 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser, Troy and Anna in a 2007 Nissan Xterra, and a long-time friend of mine, Dean, riding solo in his 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon edition. I, of course, was also in attendance with my semi-modified 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The 2009 FJ and the Xterra were both completely stock with the exception of upgraded tires. The 2009 FJ was running BFGoodrich T/A KO all-terrains and the Xterra had recently invested in a set of Goodyear Dura-Tracs. The Jeep had a couple of skids for the rear differential and the evaporation canister but was otherwise completely stock. Although to be completely fair, the Rubicon editions come with front/rear solid axles and lockers, 4:1 low gears and a swaybar disconnect. On top of that, Dean has a fair amount of off-roading experience as well, so the Jeep would have a bit of advantage over the other two. Excluding myself, none of the other vehicles had any type of lift installed and skids for the FJ and Xterra were limited to the thin sheet metal skids offered from the factory. Because of the limited experience and even more limited mods, our plan was to stick with green-rated trails in order to avoid any unnecessary damage to the vehicles. Well, that was our plan anyway.

We arrived at RCORP around nine o’clock in the morning and proceeded to register for park access, memberships, etc. The XTerra and myself decided to air down our tires while the Jeep and other FJ opted not to. The front office provides all park visitors with a detailed map that outlines all the various trails, color-coded based on difficulty level. So we laid out an informal plan to ride several green legs out of the park – trails that would lead us to the outer portions of the park and even more green trails. With gear secured, tires deflated, and maps in hand, we headed out of the park, excited to hit the trails. Looking back now, I believe that’s when the general enthusiasm piqued because not long after we left the main staging area, we were confronted with a green trail that was truly boulder-iffic!

I’d like to state for the record, that it was never my intention to mislead any of the attendees as to what they were getting themselves into. Having been to Rausch multiple times in the past, I was completely at ease during the first leg of the trails. But apparently my version of “green-rated” did not align with the expectations of the other drivers. Over the course of multiple runs now, I’ve spent a lot of time and money in mods that not only enhance performance, but also add a significant amount of protection to the underside of my vehicle. I’ve become so accustomed to hearing the sound of metal on rock that it barely fazes me nowadays. To the new arrivals, however, it was more than a little unpleasant, and understandably so. Without the knowledge that their vehicles’ under-components were safe and secure behind thick steel plating, these sounds became the audible manifestation of ensuing damage from below.

We made it through the first section (which was by far the worst conditions we would see all day), pulled over to the side of the trail, and got out to inspect for damage. To everyone’s surprise the only real damage was to one of the XTerra’s nerf bars, displayed in the form of a dent and crease to the outside tube. We debated about removing the bars in order to avoid them getting pushed further into the rocker panels but it was decided that they would be better left in place to serve at least some protection. As a group we also discussed the meaning of “green-rated” and I did my best to apologize for any mis-representation on my part. After some brief discussion it became clear that their version of “green-rated” was what most folks refer to as a “fire road”. These roads are paved with either dirt or gravel and are generally travel-able even by car or other two-wheel-drive vehicles. For those unfamiliar with RCORP’s rating system, please don’t make this same mistake. A “green-rated” trail is the easiest rating that Rausch assigns to its trails. This is true. But this is an off-road park designed to provide drivers with courses and trails that are both fun and challenging. There are some sections of trail that would be considered fire road, but there are plenty more trails that are much, much worse. I think Dean probably summed it up best in the aftermath when he stated,

“All participants must understand that lift kits, oversized, off-road tires, skid plates, winches and other such recovery gear aren’t just for show and that there is a possibility for real damage to occur to their vehicles – even on GREEN trails.“

Hindsight being what it is, I realize now that I failed my friends in a major way, intentional or otherwise. From the beginning, I wanted the trip to go well in order to share at least some of what I myself have experienced on previous excursions. Unfortunately, that first leg of the trip left the folks in the XTerra and the other FJ a bit disheartened. Despite a rather bumpy start, however, we managed to find quite a few additional trails that were a bit more in line with their version of green. Sadly, we bypassed a good portion of trails because of the potential for damage, but I did manage to convince them to at least try a fun portion of a trail labeled simply as “J”. Upon first glance, it looks pretty rough for a green trail, but I decided to show them first by running my FJ through it so they could decide for themselves. Dean followed up shortly afterward in his Jeep. Surprisingly, after seeing both of us go through with relative ease, both Troy (XTerra) and Chris (FJ) were willing to give it a try. All it took was a little bit of spotting and they both made it through without a single scratch or dent. We even got a couple photos of them doing a small wheel stand in the process. Seeing the grins on their faces after making it through the first section of “J” was probably the best part of the whole trip for me.

The rest of the day continued without any further damage. Dean and I got a few opportunities to branch off the main trail to hit some slightly more challenging sections. There were a few sections of green trail, to include a deep rutted stretch along “H” trail that even allowed us to briefly make use of our lockers. And for many sections like this one, there was usually a bypass route, providing an alternative path for vehicles with less protection. All in all, I’d say we had fun. From what I’ve been told, Troy will be joining us again in the near future once he’s had a chance to add some belly skids and rock rails (sliders) to protect the rocker panels. I’m not sure about Chris and Paul at this point, but I’m hopeful. If nothing else, they were at least willing to give it a try which is a lot more than some folks. Dean and I are planning to return some time in June for another informal run but plans are still up in the air for the time being. Between work and family life, trips like these don’t happen nearly as often as we’d like. I’m sincerely thankful for good friends and for the opportunities we have to spend time with one another. I hope to experience many more trips like this in the future.

I don’t normally segue too far from expeditionary- or off-road-related topics, but every once in awhile I come across something that either makes me laugh or think harder than usual. I realize that everyone’s sense of humor is different, but I thought the following compilation of advertisements might be worth sharing with others since it made me chuckle. The Trunk Monkey ad campaign was put together by the Suburban Auto Group and due to the overwhelming popularity of the ads, many of them have made their way online to sites like YouTube. Whether these are old or new to you, I bet you still get a good chuckle. Enjoy!

When I initially purchased my Toyota FJ Cruiser, engine performance was the last thing on my mind. The 1GR-FE 4.0L engine had more than enough pulling power to meet the needs of the everyday driver.  Even pushing the stock weight of an FJ Cruiser at nearly 4,300 pounds posed no difficulty for this well-built engine. But as time went on and the upgrades continued, the FJ’s love handles began to show and performance wasn’t what it used to be. Mind you, adding on some skids and a bumper isn’t going to turn the FJ into a complete slug. But over time, those who invest in the heftier upgrades will no doubt begin to notice performance degradation. Knowing that my upgrade plans were far from over, I decided it was time to begin looking around for ways to boost the FJ’s horsepower. And rather than building boost in small increments through chips and high-flow exhaust systems, I decided to go with a supercharger solution. At the time of this decision, there were two possible supercharger systems available, one from Toyota Racing Development (TRD) and an alternative system offered by a company named Underdog Racing Development or URD for short. Both offerings were great systems but each had their pros and cons.

One of the primary advantages to the TRD supercharger is that it’s completely covered by factory warranty. The caveat to this is that you must have a Toyota service technician perform the upgrade which means no do-it-yourself installations. The URD supercharger system is not covered under factory warranty – in fact it will no doubt void your factory warranty completely, or at least the drive-train portion of it. But the URD has the advantage of providing a significant increase in both horsepower and torque, much more so than the comparable TRD system. So if you’re looking purely for speed and top-rated performance, there’s no question that URD should be your first choice.

The TRD supercharger system is a Roots-style supercharger produced by Eaton, whereas the URD model uses a centrifugal Rotrex blower design. I’m still in the process of learning all the differences between these two systems, as well as the contrast between superchargers and turbochargers. Since there are currently no readily-available turbo solutions for the FJ Cruiser, I’ll focus this article on superchargers for the moment. The information provided below is based purely on my own research so please don’t consider me an expert in the field. The following data is simply a synopsis of what I picked up when I was researching and comparing the two styles in order to determine which one would better fit my personal requirements.

Our first competitor is the Roots-style supercharger, which has been around since the mid-1800’s, although according to sources, it wasn’t employed for use in engines until much later.  These superchargers are known to be much less efficient than the more modern centrifugal models, but are also much simpler in their design and operation. If my research is correct, they also deliver better low-end torque more quickly than the centrifugal units, which experience much greater lag time when building boost – similar to a turbo. The longevity and simplicity of the Roots-style units allows them to be produced at a much lower price point than the Rotrex models which makes them a more popular choice for those consumers who are trying to stretch their modding funds.

The opposition to the Roots-style comes in the form of a centrifugal-style supercharger, more specifically the Rotrex design. The primary advantage to the Rotrex unit comes in the form of  something called “adiabatic efficiency”, a term used to describe an air compressor’s ability to compress air without increasing air-charge temperature.  As with any engine, lower air temps allow for greater compression and increased volume. This allows the engine to ingest more air (thus increasing the fuel intake as well), which will ultimately equal more power. The Roots-style superchargers average about a 40-50 percent adiabatic efficiency rating whereas the typical centrifugal units come in around 60-65 percent. The Rotrex design, however, claims even higher numbers, stating they’re able to achieve adiabatic efficiency levels of 80 percent or more. The internal design of the Rotrex units also give them the added advantage of reduced noise levels versus the Roots-style units which emit a very audible “whine” at higher RPMs. For many enthusiasts, this last aspect would actually be considered a disadvantage since most gear heads prefer to hear audible proof of the power within. But the lack of noise in no way translates to poor output. The top end Rotrex superchargers can achieve much greater performance numbers than the Roots-style units could ever hope to reach. So for those looking for the ultimate power mod, a Rotrex supercharger should be the clear winner.

All in all, both designs have strong points and weak points. In this case, we are looking more specifically at the TRD vs URD units available for the FJ Cruiser. The above comparisons still apply but there are a few other manufacturer-specific factors to consider to make this battle a bit more equitable. Baseline price for the URD model is going to push the $6000 range, and that’s just for the supercharger parts. You will either need the expertise to install it yourself, or you’re looking at another $1000 or more in installation costs. In addition, the higher-performance output of the URD unit will require additional upgrades to other components, such as brakes, transmission, gears or more. The URD brings a lot of power to the table, but there’s a price to pay for adding that much horsepower and torque to a stock vehicle like the FJ Cruiser. The TRD model, on the other hand, comes in at a much lower price point, sitting around $3800 for a complete supercharger kit. Installation costs would be roughly the same, but no additional upgrades are required to other components. The TRD model is quite capable when it comes to adding power to the FJ. But the power added is still well within the specs and capabilities of the stock components. This not only reduces costs (since additional upgrades are not required), but allows Toyota to offer full factory warranty coverage for all TRD superchargers installed by a certified Toyota technician. Lastly, although hardly a deal breaker as it’s simply my own personal opinion, the aesthetic design of the TRD model is much more impressive and stylistically appealing than that of the URD model.

In the end, for my particular needs, I opted for the TRD, Roots-style supercharger, for all the pros mentioned above – price, warranty, low-end torque and cosmetic appeal. All were factors when considering which one worked better for my needs. I’ve never driven a URD-equipped FJ so I really can’t compare it to the TRD’s performance. But I can say that for a vehicle that weights almost 5000 pounds, the TRD supercharger was well worth the purchase price. It’s not going to qualify at the track any time soon, but it adds a significant amount of boost to a vehicle whose performance had slowly been waning over three years of ownership. The more equipment bolted on or carried within translated to reduced performance – a reduction that was becoming more and more apparent over time. This is one of my favorite mods and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t hesitate to invest in a supercharger solution. And although the URD units are nice, I believe I’d choose the TRD again as well. It just seems to be the better option and the best overall compromise for my purposes.

Since I was adding forced induction to the list of performance mods, I decided I might help things along a bit by replacing the stock air box with a higher-flow, cold air intake (CAI). Although the stock air box is technically qualified as a CAI, the flow is somewhat restricted compared to some of the aftermarket solutions. There are multiple options available for aftermarket intakes but based on popular reviews as well as aesthetics, I selected the TRD CAI. This intake comes with all the parts required for installation, including an oil-based, high-flow filter. Having followed the research and statistics of oil-based filters over the years, I have to tell you, I’m not a big fan. There’s simply too much variance in air flow during usage, resulting in either too much restriction or not enough filtration. Luckily, AFE offers a composite, dry-flow filter in the same size. The Pro-Dry S, is comprised of a composite media and does not require any oiling whatsoever. These filters are even washable, allowing them to be re-used just like an oiled filter.

To save on installation costs, I decided to order the TRD CAI kit and swapped out the stock air box myself. All parts and detailed instructions are included, making this one of the quickest and easiest modifications to date. I had the old box out and the new CAI installed in less than 30 minutes. Instead of using the oiled filter provided, I installed the Pro-Dry S filter in its place. Once installed I decided to test everything out. At idle there was very little difference in sound. However under partial or wide open throttle (WOT), there was a noticeable improvement, producing a nice throaty growl from the exhaust.

It should be noted that some dealerships do not support the use of a TRD CAI in tandem with the TRD supercharger and have actually refused to perform the supercharger installation if one is installed. This is strictly for legal (READ: EPA) reasons since it’s been proven again and again that both these items work perfectly fine together. If you are looking to add a dealer-installed TRD supercharger and your local dealer is hesitant due to the presence of a CAI, I would suggest finding a different dealer. Another option is to re-install your original air box temporarily, wait until after the supercharger is installed, and then re-install the CAI.

If you’re looking for a great deal on a TRD supercharger, I recommend ordering the parts through TRDParts4U.com. You can pick up your TRD supercharger components, your TRD cold air intake, and your FJ Cruiser supercharger fit kit all at once. They often sell well below the MSRP which means their prices are generally quite a bit lower than what you’ll find through your local dealer. Since I don’t have the expertise for this type of installation and I wanted the parts and labor covered under factory warranty, I opted to have my local Toyota dealer perform the install. Once the parts arrived, I simply scheduled an appointment to have the work done. It was an all day job and I believe they charged me for 8-9 hours of labor with an out-the-door cost of around $900, but labor costs will most likely vary depending on the individual dealer.

To give you an idea as to the performance increase, I’ve listed the before and after statistics below. The numbers listed “at crank” are based on Toyota’s advertised specs. The other set of numbers is based on the more realistic “rear wheel” performance. These numbers were obtained by running the FJ on a dynamometer or “dyno” as it’s known in the industry. Comparing the two sets of numbers, there was an overall increase of 79 horsepower and 69 foot pounds of torque. Based on the advertised numbers at crank, it would appear that Toyota is hedging on the low side of the numbers. A more realistic assessment would around 318 horsepower and 347 foot pounds of torque at the crank. But even with the advertised numbers, it’s still not too shabby.

UPDATE:

There’s not much to tell really. Since the TRD cold air intake and supercharger were installed almost a year ago, I’ve had no significant issues with either component and the performance benefits have been amazing. While I can still feel my trailer when towing, the response while pulling is significantly better with the supercharger. If I had it to do all over again, I would not hesitate to add a supercharger. If anything, I would probably add it much sooner. As far as TRD vs URD goes, I believe my decision would be the same. The TRD unit just fits my needs better and knowing that it’s all covered by factory warranty provides great peace of mind.

Most of the folks I know who spend any amount of time modding their vehicles will tell you, once you start, it’s difficult to stop. I don’t think I’d go so far as to draw up a “drug addiction” metaphor, but for many of us, the modifications tend to grow from minor cosmetic upgrades into full-blown mechanical makeovers. Not surprisingly, the extent of funding available for mods can have a major impact on the quantity and quality of the upgrades selected. But in my opinion, a limited budget can actually be beneficial when selecting and prioritizing which mods are completed, and in what order. In order to encourage others that may be interested in modding on a budget, I’ve compiled a quick summary of suggestions and points of view that might help.

The next time you end up frustrated because of limited funds, try using the extra time on your hands to learn something new about your vehicle. Pull out the owner’s manual, if you haven’t already, and scan through it. You might be surprised to discover just how complex vehicles are nowadays. Look through the maintenance guide, if one was included, to determine if there are services that you might be able to do yourself. In my experience, performing regular maintenance on your vehicle can provide some great insight into how your car operates and what’s required to keep it up to snuff. If the owner’s manual doesn’t satisfy those urges, try the Internet. There are a lot of great resources online these days that will allow you to learn more about your vehicle. Online forums and communities dedicated to specific platforms or manufactures can be a great way to learn more about your vehicle as well as a method for meeting others who may have similar interests or questions about your vehicle type. If sitting in front of a computer isn’t your idea of vehicular bonding, then perhaps a good spit and polish session is in order. Detailing your vehicle, inside and out, can take several hours depending on the vehicle type, but in my opinion, it’s time well spent. Not only do you get to know all the various nooks and crannies of your car, but a well-maintained vehicle will last longer and run better for your efforts.

Now please don’t  misunderstand the above suggestions. Even vehicle maintenance will require some monetary investment, be it for soap and water or oil and filters.  But as a general rule, spending time learning about your vehicle and performing as much of the work yourself can save you a significant amount of cash – cash that can be better spent on other mods. For those folks with a bottomless pocket, it’s easy to throw every upgrade under the sun at their vehicle in one sitting. And this may sound like a great deal, but often the results are far less exemplary than you might expect. Limited funding means really, REALLY prioritizing your mod list. Without a constant flow of funds, you typically end up with more time between modifications. This extra time has two main benefits: a) you have more time to research and select the perfect components for your next mod, b) you have more time to stow away the extra cash required for these upgrades.  Reduced cash flow also means you’re less likely to blow hard-earned money on unnecessary or frivolous upgrades.  Performing the upgrades themselves in whole or in part can also save modders some money. This approach has the added benefit of knowledge gained from the work performed (at least for those unfamiliar with the task required). In the end, for me, the best part about taking the slow-paced upgrade path is that it allows me to enjoy and savor the experience for that much longer since it essentially becomes a long-term hobby. Just remember that you should be enjoying the modding process, not lamenting it.

The mid-Atlantic region recently experienced several rather severe snow storms which left us with with more than four feet of accumulated snowfall in less than a week.  Because of the road and parking lot conditions, many businesses remained closed during that week, to include my current work location.  As a result of these closures, I had some free time on my hands and decided it would be a great opportunity to test out the FJ’s sure-footedness in some seriously heavy snow and ice conditions.  The detailed results of that testing can be found in this post, but the bottom line of my initial tests showed that the combination of long, flat skid plates and Nitto Terra Grappler tires just didn’t perform all that well in deep, wet, heavy snow.

Realizing that I required a better solution to this problem, my next thought headed to snow chains. As I mentioned in the previous traction-related article, the use of studded tires in Maryland is prohibited. Using snow chains during inclement weather, however, is perfectly legal. Since I didn’t currently own a set of chains, I began searching the Internet, in hopes of finding a set of chains that not only fit my over-sized tires, but ones that were sturdy enough to endure deep snow and mud conditions. My research led me to the “Grip 4×4″ chains, manufactured by a German company known as RUD.  Among other positive reviews, these chains were personally recommended by Bill Burke, an internationally known and well-respected off-roading spokesman and trainer. Based on these reviews and recommendations, I decided to give them a shot. For my current tire size, a 295/70R17 Nitto Terra Grappler, I ordered one set of model number 2533, the largest size offered in the Grip 4×4 series.

On a brief side note, I should point out that if you are looking for a set of snow chains, it’s best to purchase them well ahead of time. I discovered, nearly too late, that finding snow chains toward the end of the winter season is next to impossible. Snow chains, like swim wear and pumpkins, are apparently considered a seasonal item. I happened to luck out and find one set left, through an online retailer. But I was told that if they hadn’t been available, I would have been looking at September at the earliest to see a set. So if you don’t currently have a set of chains and foresee yourself needing a set, I highly recommend picking them up late fall or early winter.  Once suppliers run out, they’re usually out until the next season rolls around. Thanks to some quick shipping, I received my RUD Grip 4×4 chains less than three days later.

NOTE: Per the FJ Cruiser’s operation manual, chains are only to be used on the rear wheels, not the front. My assumption is that the space tolerances in the front, given the various independent suspension components, are simply too tight to accommodate a set of chains.

Round One:

Even though the snow had settled some since the original storms, there was still plenty left on the ground for testing purposes. In addition to the chains themselves, RUD also supplies a handy tote bag to store the chains, along with a set of laminated instructions for installation. I removed the chains from the bag, along with the instructions and promptly began the installation process. Thanks to the detailed instruction sheet, I had both chains installed in less than 15 minutes, and proceeded slowly out of the garage to begin my testing. These particular chains have an added advantage since they can be installed without moving the vehicle. However, I recommend driving a very short distance and then stopping to re-adjust the tension straps since the chains are still somewhat loose after installation.

The back pasture behind our house which was still blanketed with significant snowfall, so I decided to use that area as my proving grounds. Having done this several times before (without chains), I decided to place the transfer case in 4-wheel-drive, low gear, in hopes of improving my odds. I slowly eased the FJ into the nearest drift. Sadly, I only made it about 15 feet before I began to slip significantly. Sensing that I was losing forward momentum, I urged it forward with a bit more gas, at which point the rear tires simply began to spin and dig. In the FJ’s defense, the snow had languished for well over a week, turning any remaining powder to mushy, slushy ice. So effectively, the FJ was attempting to push its way through more than a foot of well-packed “slurpee.”  It was an exercise in frustration to say the least. But I have to give credit where it’s due. The chains continued to dig as long as I gave it gas. In fact, they dug to the point where the rear of the FJ was now sitting 6-8 inches lower than the front.

I placed the FJ in reverse and with a steady flow of gas, it began to inch its way back towards the house. However, before it reached its destination, the tires began to slip and spin again. I engaged Active Traction Control (A-Trac) but it made no difference. Engaging the rear locker also met with no results. So I decided to give it a little more gas and see if I could get enough traction to pull myself out. More gas meant more spinning but it also resulted in a slight backwards creep – I was moving again. So I gave it a little more gas and the FJ slowly began creeping backwards, spinning and digging with the rear tires, but gaining a little momentum with each passing second. This continued until the FJ eventually gained the upper hand and began moving without slipping.

My enthusiasm was short-lived, however, when I reached the garage only to discover that the passenger-side chain was hanging limply from the tire. In the wake of excess gas and wheel spin, the rubber tensioner on the outer portion of the chains had simply given up the ghost, tearing itself in half as a result of too much strain. The lack of tension on the outer ring caused the entire assembly to fall inwards, looping itself lifelessly around the rear axle. I’d like to state up front, that excess gas is not my typical approach to traversing an obstacle. I much prefer to approach each obstacle with slow, even control, which means using as little gas as possible. By using the slow approach, I suspect that the rubber tension strap would have maintained its position without damage.

But while my extraction technique may have proved too aggressive, I feel the need to point out that the RUD Grip chains are rated for more than just snow. They are also designed to be used in mud – a harsh and abrasive environment that is bound to contain large combinations of sand, stone, rock, stumps, roots and other debris. It’s also an environment where (despite the tread lightly motto), significant churning is not uncommon in order to free one’s self from slippery obstacles. I have no complaints about the chains themselves, which appear to be very well designed and seemingly quite sturdy. But using a thin rubber bungie for a tension strap makes me wonder if the manufacturer was truly considering the environments these chains would witness.

Rather than send the chains back, I began devising a plan to replace the rubber tension strap with a sturdier alternative. Since I still required tension and flexibility, the first item that came to mind was a metal spring.  The original rubber bungie came molded with two metal hooks in each end. I cut away the remaining rubber and extracted both hooks. Then I picked up an assortment of springs from the local hardware store, attempting to find a set with a small diameter but sufficient resistance to maintain the chain’s position. Without a fish scale or other tension measuring device, it was difficult to determine how much resistance the original rubber straps provided. I suspect that during normal rolling conditions, the original strap would have held up fine. But during excess wheel spin, the forces applied were clearly increased, so the replacement spring would obviously need to exceed the limitations of the original strap.

Round Two:

It took me over a week, but I finally got around to assembling the reconstructed chains and springs. The images that follow show both of the original rubber tension straps (good and broken). Using a combination of wire snips and a box knife, I cut away the original rubber strap and extracted the metal hooks from each end. I then replaced the rubber strap on both chains with a metal spring and re-attached the metal hooks. Without knowing the amount of tension applied to these straps during wheel spin, I was left with some guess work when it came to selecting springs. I managed to locate a set with a small enough diameter so as to not interfere with the tire, but in so doing, the springs were only rated for a bit over 10 pounds a piece. But I figured I’d give them a try and see how well they performed.

It only took a few minutes to re-mount the chains and I was off for round two. The depth of the snow was now less than a foot but the consistency was still pretty much slush. Since the driveway area was now bare pavement thanks to a few sunny days, I decided to approach the snowy hill in reverse this time, assuming it would make for an easier extraction if I got stuck. Once again, the FJ only managed to gain about 12 feet of ground before momentum was lost and wheel spin began. I decided to use the “gas” approach again, steadily increasing the throttle and wheel spin until I started creeping backwards again.

Round two of testing came to an audible and startling halt as an unidentified object of significant size and/or speed smacked into the underside of the FJ. I placed the FJ in drive and pulled forward back onto the pavement where I quickly discovered that the driver’s side spring and hook assembly had dislodged itself from the chains and shot forward into the unknown. I returned to the scene and spent quite some time scanning the ground for any remnants but the evidence had simply vanished. I guess it was safe to say that I needed springs with greater resistance. Without significant resistance, the springs also became overextended, losing tension and the spring loops that held the hooks in place became distended as well. So now, in addition to needing some heavier-duty springs, I also needed a way to attach the hooks to avoid potential separation.

Round Three:

With the one exception in the Vermont mountains, I’ve not experienced significant slippage in mud thus far. I suspect it’s because most of the trails and mud holes I’ve seen up till now have been on a relatively level plain. The incident in Vermont was based on a combination of mud, sand, tree roots and a rather serious incline. It is my belief that had the FJ been equipped with a good set of mud terrain tires, it would have succeeded in overcoming this obstacle. In other words, chains would not have been required.

Further analysis of the RUD chain design also has me thinking that perhaps a tension strap is not required. I am considering two possible options for the next revision: either using a much heavier-duty spring assembly with welded hooks (to prevent separation from the spring) or eliminating the spring portion altogether and replacing it with a heavy-duty carabiner or other type of closed hooking mechanism. This second option may not put as much tension on the outer chain loop, but as long as it can withstand the stress during wheel spin, it may prove to be the better of the two options.

So for now, I’m reserving final judgment on the performance of these chains until such time as I can use them without them falling off the tire. I can say, that with the exception of the weak rubber tension strap, these chains are very well designed and rugged enough, I believe, to survive both mud and snow as advertised. And for daily travel across hard-packed snow and ice, I believe the chains would perform quite well in their stock condition. But I think I’ve effectively proven that the tension created during excess wheel spin is simply too much for the current design to handle without breakage.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had an opportunity to rebuild the chains as of yet and very little snow remains at this point. Due to the resulting failure of round two, I am also now short one of the original hooks. I’m hoping that once the snow has disappeared completely, I’ll be able to successfully locate the lost spring and hook assembly, but by then, my icy test environment will effectively be gone as well. The back pasture area is completely grassed so a mud hole would have to be created for further testing. But even with an available slop pit nearby, I don’t foresee the need for chains outside the deep snow arena.

While it’s not completely unheard of for Maryland to receive snow in the March-April time frame, it is unlikely that we will see anything substantial. The weather has already taken a turn toward Spring with the average temps now in the 60s. So even if I do manage to rebuild the chains, I won’t be able to truly test them again until next Winter. I do plan to stow them on-board, however, just in case an opportunity presents itself before then. Until that day arrives, I am forced to close out this particular chapter on Traction Control. See you in the hills!

Related Links:

Traction Control: Gaining Upper Hand with Lower Foot

RUD Grip 4×4 chain installation video

Bill Burke’s tips for using tire chains

Based on Toyota’s advertising campaign, one would assume that the FJ Cruiser not only commutes well, but that it also performs quite well in light to medium off-road environments. But let’s face it, ads are designed to sell a product. Because of this, it can be difficult at times to separate fact from fiction. From my own experience, I can attest to the FJ’s on-road capabilities. As my primary mode of transport to and from work, I find it’s road performance to be quite mannerly, combining the functionality I require with all of the creature comforts I’ve come to expect from a Toyota vehicle.

As of early 2009, with the exception of the occasional snow storm or foray into the field behind the house, my FJ had not yet seen any real dedicated off-road use. But that all changed in April, 2009, at the FJ Northeasters Run at Rausch Creek Off-Road Park in Tremont, Pennsylvania.  As both a driver and casual observer (watching all the other FJs on the trail), I witnessed the FJ’s off-road handling first hand and can now attest to the truth behind Toyota’s ads. In my case, I stuck with green- or blue-rated trails and despite a few more challenging obstacles, the FJ handled beautifully with absolutely no issues. Upon returning to the trail head, however, we discovered that others had not been so lucky.  A few of the more courageous folks had ventured into some of the black- and purple-rated areas, in near-stock configuration, only to discover that large boulders when combined with a stock FJ is almost always a recipe for carnage.

Although not immediately obvious to the casual observer, the FJ does have its weaker areas in terms of mechanical components.  The rear suspension on the FJ is a 4-link design using coil springs, mono-tube shocks and a panhard bar.  The lower links or control arms, are comprised of a hollow, but fairly thin-walled, steel tube, while the upper arms are designed as a solid, but very thin, steel rod. Although both upper and lower links are in need of reinforcement, it’s primarily the lower links that will lead to trouble because they are much more prone to damage when attempting to clear larger obstacles such as rocks or stumps. And several of those folks returning from the black-rated trails were able to attest to this issue first hand, having bent their lower links at some point during the day’s activities.

After two-days of fun at Rausch, I returned home with some minor scratches and scuffs, but seemingly no worse for wear. But the experience did leave me thinking, pondering and prioritizing in my head, as I attempted to determine my next upgrades. The rear links were one of the first items on my list given their propensity for bending under pressure. I also discovered a leaky seal in one of the Icon coilovers as well as one of the rear shocks. The coilovers, being rebuildable, would need to be sent back to Icon headquarters whereas the shock would simply need to be replaced. Since I needed to remove the coilovers for rebuilding, I decided it might be a good time to upgrade the upper control arms (UCA) in the front suspension. Up to this point I had not experienced any of the rubbing or steering issues typically associated with the stock UCAs after lifting. But in anticipation of future wheel and tire upgrades I decided it might be beneficial to replace the stock setup with a beefier, aftermarket alternative.  After much research, I selected replacement control arms from Man-A-Fre (MAF).

Man-A-Fre has been in the business of supplying aftermarket parts for Toyota Land Cruisers for more than forty years now and provides great quality products with an equal level of customer service to stand behind them. For the rear links I went with their 4+Plus High Angle Super HD control arms. To quote MAF directly from their web site:

The 4+Plus adjustable upper control arms are made from 1-1/4”, .250” wall DOM tubing, and on the frame end feature a QA1 Endura rod end with a Teflon/Kevlar, self lubricating, self sealing liner. Rod end body is heat treated Chrome Moly, and the ball is 52100 heat treated, hard chrome plated bearing steel. Increased cross sectional thickness help give this rod end a radial static load rating of 45,000 lbs. Stainless Steel misalignment bushings finish off the adjustable end of the upper control arm . At the axle end of the control arm is a large Old Man Emu, polyurethane bushing set with a custom sleeve to help absorb road shocks and vibration instead of transferring into the chassis .

Our lower 4+Plus control arms for the FJ are made from 1-5/8”, .250” wall DOM tubing, with a self-lubricating, stainless steel, Teflon lined spherical bearing at the chassis side with a radial static load rating of 82,200 lbs. Custom Stainless Steel misalignment bushings of course. At the axle end another Old Man Emu polyurethane bushing set with 4+Plus sleeve to isolate vibration and road shock. Our 4+Plus High Angle control arms allow for resistance free articulation, and adjustment of pinion angle without compromising ride quality in a configuration designed to take heavy punishment and still perform beyond our customers’ high expectations.

For the front I selected MAF’s chrome moly UCAs which provide improved strength and increased flexibility compared to the FJ’s stock front-end suspension system. Man-A-Fre describes these UCAs as follows:

Man-A-Fre’s upper control arms are dramatically stronger than the units they replace, and offer less resistance to motion than the OEM arms. Arms are manufactured from high strength 4130 Chrome Moly tubing, with a precision manufactured spherical ball cup that holds a heat treated, stainless steel, Teflon lined spherical bearing with a radial static load rating of 104,000 lbs. and an axial load rating of 19,300 lbs. Custom stainless steel misalignment bushings for a perfect fit. Arms are precision Tig welded to extremely tight tolerances to insure proper alignment . Greasable polyurethane bushings feature grease slots cut into the interior bore to keep them lubricated.

The folks at Man-A-Fre were very friendly and helpful, and less than a week later I was sitting in front of a complete set of replacement control arms. After a quick inventory of all the pieces I noticed that I was missing the washers required to install the front UCAs. But it only took a phone call to MAF and the remaining pieces were mailed out next-day delivery.

Removal of the Icon coilovers is a relatively painless process since they are mounted using a simple three-bolt pattern on top and a single large bolt on the bottom that attaches to a bracket on the lower control arm. With both front tires removed and the front of the FJ sitting securely on jack stands I began the process of unbolting the coilovers. Note that I still had the stock upper control arms in place during this process but decided to remove the front stabilizer bar for added convenience. For those who may not already know, the Icon coilovers can be safely installed and removed in their current condition and do not require any type of spring compression tool like some older coilover setups. But if you’re planning on doing a similar swap, make sure you use some heavy straps or cables to tie the the hub and spindle assembly to the UCA, prior to removing the coilovers. This prevents the hub from drooping too low and putting excessive pressure on the CV joints.

With the top three bolts of the coilover removed, as well as the nut on the lower bolt, I did have to put a slight amount of downward pressure on the lower control arm before the lower bolt would come loose. But once it did I was able to remove the coilover by wiggling and threading the spring portion downward between the tie rod and the front of the lower control arm. Looking back now, I realize it probably would have been easier to remove the UCA first but I still managed as is.

With the coilovers now out of the way, I began the job of replacing the front UCAs with the new MAF control arms.  I had never replaced a set of UCAs before so it was a new challenge for me. The main difficulties I ran into were due to overly tight spots and not enough hands. For example, removal and re-installation of the main pivot bolt for the UCAs required me to disconnect and remove the stock battery in order to gain enough access with a wrench. Feeding this bolt through the new UCA and four separate washers simultaneously was also a bit tricky. A second pair of hands would have made this job a lot easier. Final assembly of the UCAs was actually not completed until after the coilovers were reinstalled, but when this did occur I found that tightening the main nylock nut that holds the UCA to the spindle required a tremendous amount of torque. I nearly broke my torque wrench in the process of getting it completely snug. In the end though, thanks to MAF’s online installation instructions and their assistance by phone, I finally managed to complete the installation with total success.

Despite my recent success with the front-end components, my new-found confidence was short-lived, as the rear link upgrade took a notable turn for the worse. Thanks to Toyota’s patented over-torquing policy and more than two years exposure to Maryland winters, my installation progress on the rear links came to a grinding halt in a hurry. The upper and lower links connect the frame of the FJ to the rear axle using two large bolts for each link, one in the front of the link and one in the back. The bolts in the lower links were easily removed by lifting the rear of the vehicle to relieve the pressure on the bolts. Because the vehicle shifts during this process, getting the bolt holes lined back up with the new links requires a cinch strap to pull the rear axle back inline. But eventually I managed to replace both lower links successfully. It was the front bolt on the driver’s side, upper link that proved to be my undoing.

The passenger-side upper link is more easily accessible once the rear of the FJ has been lifted and I had no problems removing the bolts in this one. But the driver’s side link sits directly above the FJ’s gas tank, making it much more difficult to reach. The position of the front bolt in this link makes it nearly impossible to get any kind of torque on the bolt head or the nut on the opposite side. In an effort to defeat my newly acquired enemy, I tried a variety of solutions ranging from an manual torque wrench, to an electric impact wrench, to an air-driven wrench that claimed to deliver nearly 600 ft/lbs of torque. None of these items did the trick. I tried repeated blasts with various de-rusting / lubricating chemicals in hopes of breaking the bolt’s hold. Nothing worked.

By the time the newly-rebuilt coilovers finally arrived almost two weeks later, I still had not succeeded in breaking this bolt loose. So I finally just gave up, reinstalled the coilovers, tightened the front UCA spindle bolts, reassembled the original stock upper links, and drove it down to my local dealership where they kindly managed to break the bolt loose in less than 3 seconds. To this day, I’m still not sure what the difference was between their tools and mine. All I cared about was that it was finally loose so I could complete what I started several weeks earlier. With the bolt removed I was finally able to replace the upper links successfully. Once again, a cinch strap and a well-applied pry bar was required to pull the rear axle inline with the mounting holes in the new links. Other than that though, it’s just a straight replacement of old link with new, two bolts a piece. I will mention that for the Man-A-Fre links specifically, they are designed so that the heim joints are to be placed towards the front of the vehicle, attached to the frame, while the end with the polyurethane bushings mounts to the brackets on the axle.

Looking back on the installation as a whole I wouldn’t rate it as being all that difficult to be honest. Labor intensive, frustrating and demoralizing? Yes. But not particularly challenging otherwise. With a set of basic instructions this type of upgrade is easily performed by any layman mechanic with some spare time and tools on their hands. My lack of familiarity with these components was the only inhibiting factor and I now realize that it’s pretty easy stuff (rear bolt aside). As I stated earlier, it did require some patience when threading the main bolt through the four washers and a tremendous amount of torque to tighten the nylock nut on the front UCAs. And the cinch strap procedure for the rear links was a bit cumbersome to deal with too. But in the end, I finished the entire job successfully. And the end result was a newly-improved FJ Cruiser and a new-found respect for mechanics that do this stuff on a daily basis.

UPDATE:

To date, I have been very happy with the performance improvements of the Man-A-Fre upper control arm in the front suspension. And from a strength standpoint, the Man-A-Fre rear links also performed above expectation. I did, however, run into some unexpected noise issues related to the heim joints and polyurethane bushings in the MAF rear links. Again, I chalk this up to being new to off-roading and the components used therein. According to Man-A-Fre, some noise is to be expected from heim joints and polyurethane bushings as a result of binding that occurs during axle flex. I guess if you’re building a rock-crawling buggy, noise is of little concern. But since the FJ is primarily my daily driver, squeaks and clunks are something I’d prefer to avoid if possible.

If you have any doubts, I am here to assure you that the Man-A-Fre upper links are noisy. Every time the rear axle twisted I experienced a series of clunks, squeaks and groans. I verified the culprits to be the MAF rear upper links after troubleshooting the issue on and off for almost a month. The movement of the lower links was minimal enough that the polyurethane bushings didn’t make a lot of noise. But the short length and design characteristics of the upper links combined with the axle twist resulted in a cacophony of sounds, none of which were pleasant. Further attempts to resolve the issue through Man-A-Fre resulted in an explanation that the noises were all completely normal for links designed with heim joints and polyurethane bushings.  In other words, there was nothing they could do as this behavior was to be expected. I guess Man-A-Fre and I have different levels of expectation.

After dealing with these noises for over two months I had finally had enough and decided to take a different approach. Chris Endres, owner of Digger Customs and the man behind Team Digger, made an outstanding offer to all forum members: rebuild the stock links by replacing the weak arms with considerably thicker 1/4″ wall DOM tubing, all at a cost that was considerably less than that of competing aftermarket link manufacturers.  The only stipulation for getting them rebuilt was that he required you to send him the original links since he needed to re-use the original ends that contained the molded bushings. This offer met with resounding success as one member after another sent off their links requesting the stronger design.

In the forums these rebuilt control arms quickly became known as Digger Links. Chris’ design not only has the advantage of substantial savings in upgrade cost, but also avoids any chance of squeaks and creaks since it reuses Toyota’s stock molded bushings. Unlike polyurethane bushings which are pressed into the link ends as two separate pieces, Toyota’s bushings are molded into the link ends as one piece, eliminating the possibility of excess movement or noise. It was a no-brainer for me. Since I already had the stock links removed, it was as simple as packing them up and sending them off to Chris for the rebuild. Chris performed the upgrade in record time and thanks to some quick return shipping, I had the newly-upgraded links in my hand less than two days after I sent them. And THAT my friends, is called great customer service!

With less than a week to prepare for the 2009 Coal Mine Cruiser Classic run at Rausch Creek, I was a bit pressed for time. But having done the job once, I was now familiar with the process. It only took an hour or so to swap out all four MAF links and replace them with the new Digger links. And I’ve had the Digger links in place ever since with absolutely no problems. I’ve repeatedly beaten the Digger links on purple- and black-rated trails at Rausch Creek with zero issues, minus the scuffs and scrapes that come with any boulder field. There’s no doubt these links are strong. Bending 1/4″ tubing is going to require a lot more pressure than my FJ will ever see in its lifetime. If you have any doubts whatsoever, just take a look at the above pictures that compare Toyota’s stock links with the rebuilt Digger links. There’s simply no comparison. If you are looking for beefy replacement links for the rear of your FJ, I can’t say enough positive things about Digger links. I don’t honestly believe you can get better bang for your buck. If you have any questions about Digger Links, feel free to contact Chris or Charity using the information below:

Chris and Charity A.K.A. Digger
Professional Extreme Rock Crawling Team
Owners of CTR Automotive Service Center
(608) 373-9750
Owners of Digger Customs
(608) 290-2343

In summary, since upgrading the FJ’s control arms, I’ve been very happy with the enhanced performance and strength. The front end tracks much better than it used to before and knowing that the back links are structurally sound enough to take a serious beating gives me great peace of mind. Also, just for clarification, I don’t want anyone to think that Man-A-Fre makes bad products. Quite the opposite. Given what I know now, I suspect that any link designed with heim joints and polyurethane bushings will tend to suffer from noise-related issues. There is a saying among the modding crowd, “race truck parts make race truck noises.” I’ve been very happy with the front UCAs from Man-A-Fre and for anyone who isn’t all that concerned about excess noise, the MAF rear links are no doubt quite capable as well. But for my money, Digger links win this contest hands down as they are a less expensive solution that, in my opinion, produces far better results.