Picking options on FJC!

[ProjectLC]

Hey all, I was hoping to get the 411 from some of you about selecting options on the FJC. I'm about ready to make an order for one and would like to learn from your experiences. What I don't want to do is order all the goodies and find out they are junk or would have been better off not purchasing them as an option and getting something much better after market. For instance, is the factory bush bars just for asthetics or is it of good quality? Factory aux. lighting, are these worth ordering or is it more for looking good at the mall! Basically I want to set this thing up to be trail worthy, not just for looks. Currently I'm going towards the TRD package.

-I'm building an FJ40 for the serious stuff but I would like the new FJC to be a capable machine, not just fluff!

Thanks for any info..

[TxCruzr]

maybe here http://pirate4x4.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=78 :confused:

[LC Hamma]

:idea: buy the cheapest one you can find cuz All Pro Off Road has an SAS kit coming out & yer gonna wanna cut all that light duty crap outta there. Direct form their site, but didn't have any more info:
"FJ Cruiser Parts Now In Stock - SAS Kit is Coming Soon!"

[ProjectLC]

Ok, Thats a good start.. The All Pro web page had all the goodies! Any options that are particularly just fluff on the TRD package though?? I'm mostly interested in the exhaust, skid plates, rock rails and so on. Are the 16 in. wheels which come with the TRD package the way to go over the 17 in. wheels that come in some of the other options?? Haven't actually seen them side by side for comparison..

Thanks for your response!

[crusty1007]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=670145

[FJ Tex]

stock skid is poop. personally i like the 16" steelies best. the 17" are junk for the trail... soft alloys scratch sooooo easy. the A-TRAC is kinda neat, but if you SAS thats out teh window. the 6MT is fulltime 4WD, auto is pt time. prettymuch grab the cheapest 4x4 you can scrounge up, you'll be happy with it. the TRD stuff isint well thought out sadly. the Exhaust hangs lower than the stock setup. MetalTech makes some nice lookin sliders (havent tried em out yet) and btw keep in mind because its new everything is still stupid expensive.

[BellyDoc]

You can get a TON of opinions about aftermarket parts on the fjcruiserforums.com site. Many come from people who have never done more than to put on the one part that they're singing the praises of, but the sheer numbers of loyalists to various parts eventually adds up to some reasonable information.

The FJ Cruiser is surprisingly trail worthy even as an IFS rig. Unless you're thinking to go up to 37" wheels, you're not going to be forced to do a solid axle swap just for strength considerations. For tires smaller than that, the added articulation isn't necessarily going to open up a lot of trails you wouldn't otherwise want to do with this full-bodied 4x4. I've gone with aftermarket transfer case, gears, front locker, 35's, and general armoring. I rerouted the exhaust and traded out a low hanging crossmember for a high clearance version. It's done a lot of great trails with minimal carnage.

My recommendation is not to pay the dealership for a bunch of parts that you're going to end up replacing. Get the minimal FJ Cruiser and then pick out your own non-bling upgrades as you see fit.

The factory sliders are reasonably strong but they're too close to the body to protect you adequately. The way the rear quarter panel hangs out over the rear wheel and the way the bug-eye rear light sticks out even farther is a rock magnet... trust me on this one. I recommend the All-Pro sliders or equivalent with a kick-out at the end.

[ProjectLC]

Thanks for the great imput! Well, I was thinking logically and was also looking to purchase a bare bones FJ and add all the good stuff I wanted, but the final say was my beautifull wife's as she would be the primary driver, (Weekends are MINE!). She wanted white, all white, to hide the Arizona dust... That meant she wanted the special edition trail package model. As a good husband I couldn't refuse her. First stop after the purchase was home to pick up tools, GPS, recovery strap, and so on. This package has some decent goodies added on although some need to go! Skid plates, junk! Front is like having an alloy whale tongue at your 12 O'clock, just waiting for you to decend at a great angle into a sand wash so it can swallow 29.4 lbs of gravel... My Wifey sitting shotgun of what is "supposedly her new commuter" was going ape sh#t.. It only took 9 hours of half drunkin washing, waxing, and detailing so she could go to work with a shiney new FJ to show all her friends.. First time I got some in weeks so I guess it was worth it. Next options are most likely ARB bumpers which will also get ride of the whale tongue and an Old M.E. lift / 33x12.5 tires. Do any of you have experience with the OME 2" lift?? Is it as good or better than the Bilstien suspension that I have? Any advise would be appreciated!
BTW, I wanted white also... It hides Arizona pin-striping:)

[BellyDoc]

Thanks for the great imput! Well, I was thinking logically and was also looking to purchase a bare bones FJ and add all the good stuff I wanted, but the final say was my beautifull wife's as she would be the primary driver, (Weekends are MINE!). She wanted white, all white, to hide the Arizona dust... That meant she wanted the special edition trail package model. As a good husband I couldn't refuse her. First stop after the purchase was home to pick up tools, GPS, recovery strap, and so on. This package has some decent goodies added on although some need to go! Skid plates, junk! Front is like having an alloy whale tongue at your 12 O'clock, just waiting for you to decend at a great angle into a sand wash so it can swallow 29.4 lbs of gravel... My Wifey sitting shotgun of what is "supposedly her new commuter" was going ape sh#t.. It only took 9 hours of half drunkin washing, waxing, and detailing so she could go to work with a shiney new FJ to show all her friends.. First time I got some in weeks so I guess it was worth it. Next options are most likely ARB bumpers which will also get ride of the whale tongue and an Old M.E. lift / 33x12.5 tires. Do any of you have experience with the OME 2" lift?? Is it as good or better than the Bilstien suspension that I have? Any advise would be appreciated!
BTW, I wanted white also... It hides Arizona pin-striping:)

Welcome to the mania!!

Be sure to check out www.fjcruiserforums.com and www.azfj.org.

Arizona FJ Cruiser folks are actually quite a lot of fun. There's a ton of us and we actually get together now and then. The "blue room" fjcruiserforums site is a nationwide group of nut cases while azfj.org, the "brown room" is all local nut cases. Everyone on the latter board is on the former too. If you want to get their attention, post on both.

Very few of the AZ FJ'ers post on Pirate, and honestly other than Sol and me, and maybe 1 or 2 others, I've not seen anyone from the blue room post here. This FJ Cruiser section is under utilized.

I can't possibly overstate the value of the Pirate board, though, as an information source. This site is basically the encylcopedia of 4WD. I go on the blue or brown forums to BS... I come here to learn something.

...and *then* to BS. ;)