Friend looking for an FJ

Hey there,

I have a friend who is looking for an FJ to replace his lemon jeep. He wants to wheel with it, and he's not sure if he should look for a stock one, or what to look for with botched lift jobs, etc...

Any info on what to look for with used ones (like the frame rust on Tacomas, etc...)? I want to help point him in the right direction on fitting 33's or 35's, too, so any info you FJ guys have would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

 

I just parted with a 2007 that saw a lot of off road use over the last decade. For th first 1/2 of that time I wheeled with stock parts and it was a very capable truck. One real downside was ground clearance, especially once the armor is bolted on. Look for one with off road package - will already have rear locker and traction control.

FJs are relatively easy to customize / build for off road use. The differential / tranny/ transfer case breather mod is a must. Armor and rock sliders are most valuable upgrades. There are plenty of bumper options too. As for lift you can go one of two ways.

You can run 33s with extended travel shocks but should replace the UCA to get proper alignment and add differential drop (unless you want to replace axles often). If you don’t install adjustable coil overs up front you’ll also need a spacer for the driver side to level the truck.

Jumping up to 35s is a different ball game. You’ll need a long travel setup and will have to do a body mount chop (in addition to what I mentioned above). May also need to remove or relocate sway bars.

Good luck with the search.

 

Sounds pretty similar to the Tacomas I'm more familiar with.

Thanks!

 

Fender bulge on the early models all is fix and strengthen by Toyota on 2010+ but all the cool FJ’s are 07