[JGRNAUT]

Just thinking of down the road, I plan to race my fj years from now when its paid off but till then i will still be driving it around town. My dream is to race in baja or somthing similar. I want to go with a 3.5 LT cause im thinking of the future, not to mention i like the fiberglass fenders too. Dont want to get the 2 LT kit when i would just have to switch it down the road to a 3.5 so i can race. Just wondering how would i get caught with the 3.5 kit if i decided to put it on next year while its still my daily driver. Our inspections out here are only smog and thats it. Also whats the price on a 3.5 compared to a 2 LT kit?

Any input is welcome!:cheers:

 

[ajstoy]

i know in texas, that heigth is very low..at 3.5", i wouldnt worry..i alos know that some much bigger lifts have been shipped to vegas, so id think youd be fine

 

[FJNewb]

He's not talking about the height - its width that he is refering to. Wider stance puts the tires further out which is illegal when they are so far past the fenders.

 

[cnckart]

Here in Utah, the tire can't protrude past the fender at all. You could always throw some pizza cutters on there to get you through inspection, or any fix it tickets you may encounter. I've done that a few times.:lookaround::cheers:

 

[ajstoy]

AW....got it..sorry...

 

[Nelson4568]

you cant have a lift in certain parts of the country...wtf has our country come to...i know some guy with an f350 in my town with no joke a 2 foot lift....his side skirts come up to the bottom of my window...thats how lifted it is....and for ny where we see snow storms maybe 3 times a year, its a little useless lol but sick

 

[BellyDoc]

If you think you're going to do some bolt on accessories like a set of long travel arms and go to Baja, you have a *LOT* of reading to do.

I strongly encourage you to get into racing. It's worth every penny. However, most of the go-fast stuff is going to cost you hundreds of thousands when it all totals up. The best thing you can do is start by actually going to some of these races and to start reading about what's involved.

The biggest hurdle you'll face is the safety requirements that are going to make you think that building a race ready FJC isn't really worth your time. It can be done, but you're talking about tens of thousands in fabrication costs alone for the tube work and TIG welding. It would be cheaper to start with a chassis that's purpose built and produced in the most affordable fashion. Then you'll want to put the savings into the suspension.

Go to some short course races and read SCORE tech. Also start browsing forums dedicated to desert racing like race-deZert.com

Honestly, I wouldn't even worry about whether or not a given bolt-on for the FJC is going to get you any closer to your goal... it's just piss in the wind at this point. Do what you want to do for right now and leave the racing plans for later.

 

[JGRNAUT]

Thanks for the tips bellydoc :cheers: Gotta start somewhere though right. I know ill be putting a ton of money into this in the future and dont plan on just jumping into a baja race. lol. Ive already got plans to go to baja and do some research on the field and expanding my knowledge. Even if it takes me 10 years to build up i will reach my goal. I dont have 150k to throw into my fj all at once like air2air did. It will just take me longer but also want to drive it around as long as i can in the meantime. The short track races are a good idea and more feasible once i get a long travel and plan too in the next couple years.

As far as the illegal part, if i get the fenders with the 3.5 long travel kit will that keep it legal for now since the wheels will be the width of the fenders? We dont have inspection by the way.

 

[TCao]

You don't have to go to Baja to check out the trophy trucks. SCORE will be racing in Laughlin NV, 14-16 Jan 2011. Score International Off Road Racing
You can also email SCORE Intl for their tech info on the different classes and safety regulations.
As far as legality of after market suspensions, you can check out this website as the regulations vary from state to state.

 

[DOfj]

In California the width can't exceed 102" width and tires must be covered by fenders.
I like your idea of eventually turning your fj into a race truck and yes it does take a long time to build but it will be a great experience! My buddy and I are planning on running baja in 2012 but we are going to be building a utv only because we have a list of sponsors ready to get on board! My friend has major connections with many manufactures.. It's our cheapest way to race!

If this is your goal don't let anybody talk you out of it. You can do it! This is why most people fail or give up. Learn as you go and enjoy the ride.

 

[JGRNAUT]

I was planning on going to laughlin but couldn't get off work thanks for the law info, no worries here in neveda.... Guess u can do whatever the hell u want out here..lol

 

[JGRNAUT]

How fast do utv's go?

 

[BellyDoc]

Fast enough that you have to actually drive the things like you mean it.

If you want to get into racing, look at Jeepspeed.

 

[DOfj]

They go about 65. Polaris rzr, yamaha rhino etc. My friend is a parts distributor so we will get hooked up. We don't have offroad racing experience but we have the determination to win!
We've both race motocross and do a lot of desert riding.
The new rzr 900 came out and supposedly does 80mph out of the box!

I like how people discourage others from doing things they want to do. Heck I plan on my fj being a full prerunner by the time I'm done with it. I don't plan on selling it so I'd rather destroy it!

 

[JGRNAUT]

Is automatic transmission a disadvantage in racing? I've seen many manual and automatic, just wondering.

 

[DOfj]

Auto trans is fine but a manual trans tends to hold up better. Clutchs and bands vs. Gears... Gears are stronger.
Trophey trucks use some sort os 2speed direct drive. I think it's kinda like a boat v drive setup

 

[cnckart]

I personally wouldn't even consider racing an automatic. As a driver you have so much more car controll with a manual trans. The one exception is rock crawling. That's a little easier with an auto.:cheers:

 

[DOfj]

If your in control your not racing!:rofl:

 

[clint5224]

Bellydoc = Debby Downer

If you think you're going to do some bolt on accessories like a set of long travel arms and go to Baja, you have a *LOT* of reading to do.

I strongly encourage you to get into racing. It's worth every penny. However, most of the go-fast stuff is going to cost you hundreds of thousands when it all totals up. The best thing you can do is start by actually going to some of these races and to start reading about what's involved.

The biggest hurdle you'll face is the safety requirements that are going to make you think that building a race ready FJC isn't really worth your time. It can be done, but you're talking about tens of thousands in fabrication costs alone for the tube work and TIG welding. It would be cheaper to start with a chassis that's purpose built and produced in the most affordable fashion. Then you'll want to put the savings into the suspension.

Go to some short course races and read SCORE tech. Also start browsing forums dedicated to desert racing like race-deZert.com

Honestly, I wouldn't even worry about whether or not a given bolt-on for the FJC is going to get you any closer to your goal... it's just piss in the wind at this point. Do what you want to do for right now and leave the racing plans for later.

 

[cnckart]

If your in control your not racing!:rofl:

To an extent you are correct.:lol::cheers: