[Corey]

CB coax is in, 8-05-2006

CB coax is in

I tried to run it underneath like I saw a few others do on various forums, but I would need to have the rig on a lift.
I decided to drop it right down from the bandi mount and run it behind the bumper, then up through a rubber grommet inside the left rear pocket where the jack is.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00013.JPG

I was thinking about drilling a hole into the forward part of that long compartment, but I was not sure if I could snake the cable through, even with a coat hanger.
I decided to just bring the coax out the top of the access door where a slight opening by the handle you pull to take the door off.
It worked out good.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00014.JPG

From there I am able to hide the coax underneath the plastic directly in front of the D ring on the floor.
You can see the coax where it rests in the left side of the picture.
It is all hidden quite well.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00015.JPG

It runs along the side and exits underneath the passenger side rear seat.
From there it tucks underneath molding again, very stealth.
Sorry, this picture turned out fuzzy.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00016.JPG

From there it travels along side the passenger threshold moldings, and I have it tucked underneath again for that stealth look.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00017.JPG

I had just enough coax left to exit out where I will probably end up having the CB mount to the glove box.
I can not really think of any other place for now where to mount the monster Cobra 29.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00018.JPG

You can see the coax here where it comes off of the bandi mount and tucks behind the rear door where it exits behind the rear bumper and down to that grommet as seen in the first picture.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00019.jpg

Next up is getting the CB mounted, but that is for another day.

 

[micrad]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Thanks for the photos, this is all helpful information.

 

[Corey]

CB is in, 8-06-2006

OK, I got up Sunday morning, took my power wire out to the rig, and I did not want to go drilling through the firewall or a grommet on the firewall.
New rig, I chickened out

I called up Cartoys and asked them if they might be able to run the CBs power cable through the firewall for me, and they said yes, it was easy.
Yeah, easy for them to say, they do this kind of work daily.

Drove up there, and also took gigantor (Cobra 29 CB radio) with me.
I told the tech I had installed the same CB myself into my '91 4Runner on the glove box, and he said piece of cake.

I also showed him how I ran the cable down behind the bumper, and up through a grommet in the storage bin on the drivers side.
He said he could bring it in right at a wire bundle, and also this would give me more cable up front, it was kind of tight.

On with some pics.
The bandi mount he cleaned up the way the coax comes off it it, you can not hardly see the coax.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00020.JPG

Here he has the coax going into the cable bundle for all the wiring for the rear door.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00021.JPG

Here is the coax inside of that storage bin again.
I am not sure how he ran it from there, but it is all stealth.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00022.JPG

Couple shots of the CB on channel 4.
Remember, channel 4 for 4x4
That is the channel we always run when out wheeling.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00023.JPG
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/cb/DSC00024.JPG

I did not snap a shot of the hookup to the battery, I forgot.
But I am sure it is stealth, just like when they wired up my alarm system a few weeks back.

Now it gets better.
They use to do CB installations long ago, but they got out of it.
They have no SWR meter to tune it.
They did not even attempt to tune it, I said I would since the Cobra 29 has its own built in SWR meter.
Just another reason I wanted to keep big bertha.

I fired it up on channels 1, 20, and 40, and my SWR match was .50 to .75.
A good match is considered 1.5 and below.
I am getting just as good a match as I did when it was on the ARB bumper.

Now it gets even better.
In Bandi's installation instructions for his "bandi mount", he says to scrape away a little paint to get a good ground.
I did not scrape anything.

I did not have to tune the tip at all on the Firestik II antenna.
I lucked out, and a few days ago after getting my new antenna, I even screwed out the screw on top a bit for kicks.
I guess I got it right

I hated to pay for this today, but it is a lot more professionally done than I could have done.

Now all of you know that the glove box is a good area for the CB, even a monster like mine.

I ran it this way in the 4Runner for years, and never had any complaints from passengers about leg room with the CB.
At the angle it is at, no problemo.

 

[bigbill25]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

I nice alternative to my install. Thanks Corey!

--Bill

 

[Corey]

New iPod mount 8-11-2006

New iPod mount installed.
Yes, I am doing away with my homemade one.
The base on it had a crack in it, and the iPod sat pretty low.

With this new Arkon CM330 mount, the iPod sits higher in the air, thus easier to reach the controls on the iPod.
Here is the URL to it
http://www.arkon.com/ipodaccessories.php
Scroll down to the CM330.

Here are a few pics of it.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/ipod/DSC00031.JPG

http://www.pnw4runners.com/fj/ipod/DSC00032.JPG

It is totally adjustable for tilt back and forth, and the clamps on the side to hold various MP3 players besides the iPods.

You also use the inner cup holder to insert the Arkon unit into, then insert the whole assembly into the larger cup holder hole.

This is a lot nicer than the homemade one I made a short time back.
You can see the old one on the passenger floormat.

Go ye forth and buy one now, you will not be disappointed.

 

[Corey]

Lund Vent Visors 8-11-2006

Lund Vent Visors
Good gosh, I just got the email today that these were being shipped.
FedEx pulled up right at 5 PM, and here it is 5:45 PM and they are completely installed as I type this.

It was so easy.
Roll down your windows all the way.
Take a small scrub pad and clean the window channels, then swipe it down with some alcohol pads.

Peel back the sticky tape a bit, then insert into the channels.
Once in the channels, push the visors up into position, then peel the three pieces of tape per vent visor.
Roll up your window to hold them in place while the sticky tape cures.

You can order these vent visors from
http://deflectors4less.com/toyota-fj-cruiser-avs-in-channel-ventvisors.html

I ordered them a week ago, not to bad on the shipping.

They were really to easy to install, and I like the in channel ones much better than the tape on ones I ran on my 4Runner.

Here are a few pics.
http://www.pnw4runners.com/index.php?dir=fj/vent_visors/

 

[Corey]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Finally bought a 4' ladder today at Lowes, as I could hardly reach the roof the other day when I washed and waxed the rig.
It is a lot higher than the 4Runner was.

With the ladder I was finally able to put up the Yakima 10V mounts and Slee's Hi-Lift mounts.
I did not however put the jack up there to test it yet, to much to do here, I will try to snag a pic later this week with the jack up there.

Yakima 10V mounts on the rack slats

Slee's Hi-Lift mounts mounted up to the Yakima ones

Where to purchase parts
Yakima 10V slat mounts
Slee's Hi-Lift mounts

You want the ones in the lower right corner, not the ones at the top of the page.
Also you can order his as seen with Yakima Mighty Mounts, but I am not sure if they are the 10V ones or not.
You would have to drop Christo a phone call or email to find out.
If they are, you can get it all in one shot.

 

[Corey]

iCarKits iPod adaptor

This is an iPod adaptor that charges your iPod and works with the factory radio of many makes.
The company is iCarKits.com
My specific model is the I-Toyota-R unit.

You can control your iPod 3 ways.
From the iPod itself, your head unit buttons, and your steering wheel controls.
You have full functionality of your iPod.

Only drawback is the unit needs a firmware upgrade, and I hear it will not be out until 60 days.
I will have to send in my unit.
Why?
'Cause there is no frickin' text listing the name of the song.
Any factory head unit that can display text is suppose to show you the same thing your iPod shows on the screen.
Right now it just shows the song number.
But other than that major snafu, it is a great unit.

Once the firmware update comes out, I will ship the unit back to have them reprogram it.

Here are some pictures.
All the parts laid out
Lotta wires for sure and connectors.
You do not use all of the connectors.

The head unit
Very simple to pull the dash apart.
I have not done so in over 20 years, and it was really easy for me to do.

At the bottom of each side are 2 screws you must take out.
Once they are out, you grab the side strips from the bottom and pull upwards.
It will takes some force, but do not be like a gorilla, you may snap one.
They have tangs in them that push into the dash in the middle and top, and they have to break their connection to come out.

Once the side strips are off, remove 2 more screws that hold the faceplate for the heater controls.
Once you have it pulled off, there are 3 plugs you muse disconnect.
You need to push in the little plastic catches to make the plugs release.
Set the faceplate aside.

After the faceplate is out of the way, use a socket set with a 10mm socket and remove the 4 bolts.

Hook up the cable like it tells you in your manual, it is pretty straight forward.
I may update this thread later with a pic of the cable for the iPod I ran from the head unit to the glove box.
You lower the glove box by squeezing the sides in, and it will drop all the way down.
I used a screwdriver with some tape on it and the end that goes to the iPod and shoved it from behind the head unit into the side of the glove box.
Also the black box is just sitting behind the head unit, I did not tie it down for now.
Will see if it rattles while going into work.
There is a lot of room behind there.

I also may pull all of this apart later and see if the cables are long enough so the black box can also be stored in the glove box.
This will facilitate it when I need to send in the unit for its firmware upgrade.

You can store your iPod in the glove box or in your cup holder.
Since I already had a custom iPod cup holder mount I bought a few weeks back, I am going to use it.
You can close the glove box and have the cable run out the top, and it does not look bad at all.

Here is the iPod back in the cup holder mount.

When connecting all of this up, pull your radio fuse.
This is much easier than pulling the 3 plugs at the back of the head unit.
Also reset your iPod by pushing the menu button and the button in the center of the wheel to reset it.
After doing so you can fire up your head unit and select CD1 from your head units buttons.

You then should have full control over your iPod with the steering wheel controls or the head unit buttons.

It is pretty trick, but I am ticked off about the text thing.
If they do not make good on it, I will demand my $$$ back.

Also since this is controlled via the dock connector plug, you do not have to mess around with a volume control on the iPod.
When using the aux connector on the FJammer head unit with a stereo mini cable, you had to have the iPod cranked up all the way.

To see the manual on how to install the unit and a cool Flash movie on how it works, here is the URL
http://www.diceelectronics.com/ipod_integration.htm

 

[Corey]

Maglite mount in the cargo bay

Sunday morning was a great day to work on the rig.
I bought a few Rubbermaid kitchen organizers to spruce up and organize my cargo boxes middle drawer which is mainly for hand tools.
It sure makes it easier to find stuff now.

Next on the days menu is the Maglite install.
In the 4Runner I had the Maglite mounted with C clips to the front passenger side Husky floormat.
The FJ Cruisers floormats do not really allow me that option.

I could have bolted/screwed the C clips to the passenger side of the lower console, but I really did not feel like doing that.
Something about a new rig I am a little more cautious on drilling

In the back is a perfect spot, the right side cargo door that covers the storage bin.
Owners of the subwoofer from the factory do not have this option though.

I used oversized washers in the back on the bolts to keep the weight of the light from ripping/breaking the plastic from the weight of the light, especially when bouncing around off road.

The head of the Maglite also is facing towards the back.
This will prevent the light from shooting forward if I am ever in a situation when the rig stops to fast.

I am very happy how this turned out.
And my website has also been updated with the info.
On with the pics...

 

[ironmind]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

I had that clifford unit with the auto start. It went T.U. after one year. I was so pissed after what I spent on it. after the start feature went out, a few months later the fob alarm kept going off for no reason, and then the alarm wouldn't set at all after about 18 mos. within two years the door unlock feature went out too.

 

[Corey]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Did you get a warranty on it?
I paid extra to get an extended warranty on mine too, in case anything goes wrong after the factory warranty is up.

With Cartoys, they will rip out a defective unit and replace it for free.
My key fobs are also covered for 4 years.
If I drop one and break it, I get a free replacement.

 

[Corey]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Not to rest upon Sundays small Maglite mod, I had yakked with Les Schwab Tires Saturday about the Cooper Discoverer STT tires I have been wanting.

They are unavailable right now in the USA almost in the stock size of 265x70x17 which equal 32".
He did locate a set of 4 this morning in Pennsylvania, and I had him get them shipped, they will be here in a week.

But...I changed my mind.
Les carries a tire made by Cooper for **** Cepek called the Mountain Cat.
They are so new they are not shown on **** Cepeks site, or on Les Schwabs site.
When you look at them, you can clearly see they are made from the same mold.
They changed the sides a bit, and a little on the tread, but you can see the mold is pretty close.
These are still actually Cooper STT tires in disguise

I got $200 for 4 of my stock tires that came on the rig.
Not bad considering I have 1,200 miles on them.

These tires are beefy!
They are actually quieter than my Wild Country TXRs I ran for the past 8 years on the 4Runner, but the tread is way more aggressive, a true mud/dirt/rock tread.

They want some feedback from me on these tires since they are so new.
They do have a low hum, and I hope that it gets louder as they break in.
I like loud tires

They also had one demo mounted to a really cool Les Schwab brand (Ultra) wheel called the Allied 891/892 in a 17x9, and they mounted it up.
I think they had that demo tire and wheel waiting for me since it fit the FJ just right
Nice wheels, and $128 each, about $75 cheaper than the AR Mohave Teflon wheels I was thinking about.

Anyways, I can not wait to get my rig off road for the Fall Colors Run coming up and test out these new bad meats.
If I like them well, I will get five of them sized at 285x70x17 and new wheels come spring to run as my spring through fall set, and the current set will become the fall through spring set.
Nice thing about having two sets is it makes them last quite a few years.
I did not opt today to replace the stock tire on the tailgate.
I will do that before winter.





What the heck?
The name D i c k is edited here.
It must be in the words not allowed.
Anyway, they are D i c k Cepek tires made by Cooper.

 

[Tony5150RN]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Keep up the good work Corey. You're on a roll brother!!

 

[Corey]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Thanks Tony.
I think a few will be looking at getting these same tires.
I have a thread up in the tire section.
I really dig these meats.

Coming up soon:
Home brewed shovel mount for the stock FJ rack
OME lift, ARB bumper, and my old Warn XD 9000 winch

 

[Corey]

Home brewed shovel mount for stock rack

On my '91 4Runner I had made a home brewed shovel mount using the Yakima Snap Arounds, some long bolts, and some Yakima plastic wingnuts.
The shovel I had bought at Lowes hardware.

Since Yakima has the 10V Mighty Mounts that let me mount the Slee Hi-Lift mounts, I knew Yakima would have the equivalent of a mount that would let the bolt go vertically, but the mount would be horizontal.
With the bolt vertically, this would allow the same shovel I used before to be able to sit on top of the FJ Cruisers rack slats.

I called up Yakima and they were clueless.
The tech people there are trained to only tell you what fits your rack that they have in their rack guides.
The guy I spoke with said I had to use Yakima Universal Mighty Mounts, as that is all that fits.

I told him I beg to differ, but your 10V mounts fit perfectly, as that is what Slee turned me onto when I contacted him.
I told the Yakima guy I wanted a horizontal mount that had the same shape as the 10V.
He said he did not know, but I finally got it out of him that the 23H should fit.
Now was that so hard to tell me?

I ordered up a set from RackOutfitters.com and sure enough, they fit perfectly.
However my old bolts I had used on the 4Runner were a little bent, so I had to buy new ones.
The size you want is 5/16-18-4
Also since I took off two of my racks slats when installing the Hi-Lift mounts, the two slats left were to far apart to make the shovel work with its two holes that are drilled in it.
I had to add back a slat and move it in front of the most forward slat, and that worked out perfectly.

Here is a shot of just the 23H mounts on.


Here is a shot with the new bolts.
The other plastic Yakima wingnuts I had used were to small for the new bolts and the 5/16th nut that Yakima has you insert into the 23H.
Luckily I had some old 5/16th Yakima wingnuts laying around from some old Yakima thing I bought years ago.
You can also use a standard metal wingnut, but the advantage of using the Yakima ones are they are much bigger to grab onto.


And finally a few shots with the shovel in place.
One nice thing too about mounting it more forward like this is I can step up on the sliderz to get up and take the shovel off.


It turned out pretty good, and I have two of the 23H Mighty Mounts leftover that I can use for another project up on the rack.
Maybe the kitchen sink I can mount to them.

While I was up there working on the roof, I tried to finally mount my 48" Hi-Lift on the Slee mounts.
It is not going to happen.
Jack is to heavy, and I can not get close enough on the ladder to heft it up there.
Chalk it up to getting old.

I am still working with a friend on making a Hi-Lift mount for the spare tire, or I may end up getting the Demello Hi-Lift mounts for the side of the rack in the future.
Not as hard to put the rack on the side as it is trying to put it all the way up on top.

I do not see why everyone is in such a hurry to ditch the factory FJ Cruiser rack.
I like it a lot, and with a little creativeness, you can do a lot with it by fabbing up your own stuff like I did the shovel mount here.
With the two leftover 23H mounts and buying another box of four mounts (would use four mounts), I could fab up a nice jerry can mount adding back the fourth slat.

 

[Corey]

Sunday morning mod, the axe mount

With two leftover Yakima 23H Mighty Mounts and two of the hex bolts leftover also from the shovel mount project, I present you with my custom axe mount.

Went to Lowes and picked up a fiberglass handled True Temper 36" Premium Michigan axe, part number 118590.

Drilled two holes in the handle 21.75" apart after measuring the distance between the two bolts once they were mounted.

The axe fits neatly besides the shovel.

I am loving these Yakima Mighty Mounts.
It would be very easy to get another set and more hex bolts and mount a jerry can holder up there.
I may do that, but I would carry water instead of fuel.



I do not see why some are so fast to get rid of the factory FJ rack.
With a little imagination, this rack rocks, and I actualy like the look of it better than the Gobi racks.

 

[bandi]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Real Nice Write-up Corey !!!

 

[Corey]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Thanks Bandi.

Next mod?
ARB bumper, my old Warn XD9000 winch, and an OME 3" lift.

It has been fun modding this rig.
I think its a keeper.

 

[Kzoocruiser]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

Nice job and appreciated write-up, Corey.

 

[Tony5150RN]

Re: A few mods 7-25-06

I just finished the vent visors, a very simple 5 -10 minute mod. The visors from Lund / AVP are very good quality. I'm still not sure I like the look though. I almost think that it looks goofy without visors over the two back windows even though they don't open.