Eric Stegall

Having the drivetrain of your daily driver vibrate can get annoying really fast. Just ask my wife. She told me that she could hear a vibration at 25 mph and then she could FEEL the vibration really bad at 45 mph. She also told me that as she turns to the right really fast, the vibration goes away, but as soon as the wheels are straight, the vibration is back. Hmmmmmm, sounds like wheel bearings to me.

This is a picture of my 1987 FJ60 in action on my first real trail ride at the 97' Catamount Cruiser Challenge in New Hampshire. I'm told I got air under 3 tires on this run through the mud pit--BANZAI! [By the way, the CCC was a great event with fantastic trail leaders that were very helpful to a beginning off-roader--I can't wait to come back next year with bigger tires! This event is great for anyone on the East Coast looking for a 1st trail ride]. It was great to see the Order of the Elongated Cruiser out in such force. Now that I've popped the "Big Red Cherry" as Tyke or Junior (the fantastic trail guides on my 1st run) called my rig, I can't wait till my next wheeling event.

Do you want to add a little rock to your stick? Since most of us are so addicted to 4 wheeling, why not add something special to our rigs that we can enjoy each time we shift gears? Replace your shift knobs with RockNobs. That's right, real rocks. RockNob offers hand-crafted gear-shift knobs made from river rounded rock found in the mountains and deserts of Utah. Each RockNob is hand picked so it will fit comfortable in the palm of your hand. RockNobs come in various shapes, sizes, and colors.

Introduction: After a great day of wheeling with some of my friends, I noticed some fresh oil drips on the front differential of my Land Cruiser. I looked around and did not notice where the oil had come from, so I just forgot about it. Forgot is exactly what I did. A few weeks later, I attended Mountain Transit Authoritys Mud-N-Yer-Eye-Frolic at Hollister Hills SVRA. About 20 minutes into the trail, I noticed a significant amount of oil on my front differential. Sure enough, my fuel pump was leaking oil out the weep hole.

This is our grocery getter, a '93 fzj80, shown here on Steelbender Trail in this year's CruiseMoab. I removed the fender flares, lifted it with a OME suspension, installed a Lockright in the rear diff, and shoed it with 33" Yokohama Geolandar MT's. It's one of many 80 series in the AzLCA that sees the dirt regularly. I love it and when it's paid off I'm going to get a '97. Eric Madsen, Scottsdale, Arizona

I dont know how many times that I have gone to hook up my one of my trailers only to find out that I cant find the right size ball for it or the correct drop or rise for the tow rig that I planned on using. I think I have invested a small fortune in tow hitches since I have a few different trailers and tow rigs set up at different ride heights. It seems like I am constantly tripping over my tow hitches when I dont need them, but when it comes time to go out and play, I cant find the right hitch for the job. All I want is one hitch that is easy to use and versatile enough to handle all of my towing needs.

Whether you are cruising down twisty fire roads or crawling over large off camber boulders, it is very important to tie your gear down. You never know when you might get in a collision or go somersaulting down a steep hill and that "what-cha-ma-call-it" you had sitting on your seat becomes a destruction-seeking missile. In the event of a rollover, every loose object in your vehicle becomes a potential risk to your life as well as others around you.

Since I bought my 78 FJ40, I have been trying to improve its off-road performance and its on-road comforts. The more I wheel it, the more I want to improve it. Not only is this Land Cruiser my trail rig, but sometimes it is my daily driver. I do not have a tow vehicle for it (yet), so this rig has to be driven to the trail, through the trail, and back from the trail without any problems. Therefore, the main goal of Project FJ40 ? ROK CRZR is to make it into a bulletproof rock crawler without sacrificing reliability and on-road handling.

This is my beloved 1985 FJ60, named Pete. He is the successor to my 1988 FJ62 "Larry" which is now loved and driven by my best friend Brian McNutt. Pete is a stable mate to a real soulful beater named "Loopy," a 1975 FJ40. I went all the way to Boise Idaho to get this fine wagon, because I was tired of dealing with Boston rust. Pete sports Old Man Emu heavy suspension, an ARB front bar, Land Cruiser Connection siderails, FJ62 mirrors, and 33x10.5 BFG All-Terrain KO tires on white spoke wheels. This photo shows Randy Elkin spotting me up the quarry steps on the Mason/Brookline trail in NH. I am a proud member of the TLCA and I am a founder and president of Yankee Toys, a Toyota club in southern New England. Dave Beattie, Boston MA