New to the site , and Cali .

[makomatt]

My name is Matt , Larry at Dirty Parts turned me on to the site and it looks pretty interesting . I have an FJ and I am dying to get it off road . This seems like a great place to start . The Ham radio thing might be cool too. Im new to California , from Connecticut and I have a little offroad exp. . I love to camp , travel , and to be outdoors. Hope to meet some of you soon.

[BruisedFJ]

Glad to have you aboard. Welcome. If you're planning on building up your FJ, what philosophy are you going with? Rock crawler, Desert racer, Expedition?

We've got people here that are into quite a lot of outdoor activities. Hopefully I'll run into you soon.

[makomatt]

I recently installed a 3" pro comp lift kit , and BFG all terain 33"s . I have to drive my car daily , so I dont want to beat it too bad ,or over modify it. I intend to ad skids and rock rails , and maybe a winch . To answer your question I would have to say Sand and expedition , probably some light rock crawling . What do you suggest ? I have not had much experience with west coast four wheeling .

[raYGunn]

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have the right idea already, we have lots of sand and places to explore. Also if you've met Larry you know the right people.

[cruiserlarry]

My name is Matt , Larry at Dirty Parts turned me on to the site and it looks pretty interesting . I have an FJ and I am dying to get it off road . This seems like a great place to start . The Ham radio thing might be cool too. Im new to California , from Connecticut and I have a little offroad exp. . I love to camp , travel , and to be outdoors. Hope to meet some of you soon.

Glad to see you up on the site, makomatt !! I think you'll find a lot of good advice, interesting ideas, and fun folks here at OAUSA...

Also if you've met Larry you know the right people.

Thank you, Jesse... - just don't let makomatt in on the trouble his wallet is in for

[OLLIE]

I think you definitely found a great place to find fun stuff to do. Welcome to the community. I look forward to meeting you on the trail.

[makomatt]

Thanks for the input guys , hope to see you out there . Can you suggest any good trails in the area? I live in Sherman Oaks , maybe with in 50 miles or so

[BruisedFJ]

I recently installed a 3" pro comp lift kit , and BFG all terain 33"s . I have to drive my car daily , so I dont want to beat it too bad ,or over modify it. I intend to ad skids and rock rails , and maybe a winch . To answer your question I would have to say Sand and expedition , probably some light rock crawling . What do you suggest ? I have not had much experience with west coast four wheeling .

MakoMatt, I'm right where you are in terms of my FJ being my daily driver, and using it for light rock crawling and expedition runs. I learned after pursuing the rock crawling thing that my budget won't take me very far with that, but making a near bullet-proof expedition vehicle is just as rewarding and an easier route to go.

I've got a 3" sway away lift and 33" BFGs, and already did the mods you're hoping to do. The rock rails are a must. I've beat up my skids pretty good, which means they're doing they're job, but they add a lot of weight to the vehicle. You can presumably do without them if you don't do any agressive rock crawling and drive carefully and conservatively when you do.

On the front I put an ARB bull bar and a winch with steel cable - a very heavy combination. I would suggest considering the weight very carefully and not go too heavy. Sounds like you're having fun already. Keep it up. See you on the trail.

[makomatt]

Thanks bruisedfj , I will keep these things in mind. I was thinking about the ARB bull bar , would like the ARB bumper but it is out of my price range . What type of winch did you mount ? Also what kind of rock rails would you suggest .

Thanks Again

[BruisedFJ]

For a winch, I've got the Warn 9000. Performs great. As for rock rails, I've got the Toyota factory ones. But I really like DeMello rails that come out in the rear to help protect the rear quarter panel and act as a step, too. I'd suggest talking with Larry from Dirty Parts about ones he's put on for other people and how he's heard they perform. Larry's got a wealth of knowledge. And he's got at not pushing you in any one direction. He just spills the info.