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Toyota FJ Crusier Top Truck Challenge 2009Part 2: Our FJ Cruiser Takes on Top Truck From the December, 2009 issue of 4Wheel & Off-Road By Fred Williams
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Four Wheeler magazine's annual Top Truck Challenge is like off-road summer camp. When you first get there you don't know anyone, but by the end of the week you have a whole new group of friends. Every day you do something different, and only the guys in charge (the Four Wheeler camp counselors) really know what's next. It is easily one of the most fun events you can take your truck to if you can get in. As many of you know, the '06 FJ Cruiser (aka the Ninja Turtle) that we built for our Ultimate Adventure a few years back was actually a preproduction engineering mule, and since it couldn't legally be sold it was scheduled to return to Toyota where it would eventually go to the crusher. Sad but true. We wanted to give it one last shot at glory before it left us. The Toyota folks were happy to see their truck run against some bigger competition, so we took it to One Ton Off-Road in Pearblossom, California, for some 'cage upgrades as well as a 1,000-pound weight loss program ("Top Truck Turtle," Oct. '09). In fact we got the big girl down to a svelte 5,100 pounds, still heavy, but much lighter than most of our competition.  Our first event was the tow...  Our first event was the tow test. We were a little concerned that our light little Turtle wouldn't even get the 35-million-ton truck moving. The secret here is to get as much momentum as possible at the bottom of the hill and stay in it until you start hopping, then stop immediately before you break something. When nothing came loose from under the FJ we felt much better about our chances, but a big heavy torque monster really owns this one event  This minefield of rocks, logs,...  This minefield of rocks, logs, and water holes called the Frame Twister is a great way to rip an axle out from under your truck with too much throttle, but crawling isn't always the best option either. We did fine through the rocks with our low center of gravity and straight rear axle. The logs are terrifying. They don't line up with any wheelbase, so they'll always catch you. We hit them hard and had the spotter running with our winch rope as soon as momentum stopped.  Day one ended with the mud...  Day one ended with the mud pit. We had the smallest motor of the bunch and the smallest tire size, but we didn't give in to the doubters. First we backed up and got a good run at the pit, and in fact we'd recommend backing up as far as you can. The little FJ was spinning the wee out of our 42-inch Goodyears (which we later found were as tall as some other manufacturer's 44-inch tires), and to our surprise it kept on clawing forward. In fact the truck almost stopped at one point, but then found traction and amazed onlookers with another 10 feet of progress. More motor and less weight would have helped. Though we didn't win Top Truck, we did have a great time trying and would recommend entering the event to anyone interested. It's hard on equipment but more fun than you can imagine. Even though it has grown into a monster truck competition of sorts with giant tires and huge motors, some of us believe that a well-built, smaller trail rig could not only be competitive but actually win this event with an experienced driver behind the wheel. For official results and coverage of the whole field check out the November and December issues of Four Wheeler, on newsstands right now, and order the 2009 Top Truck Challenge DVD from 4Wheel Parts, 800.213.5668, www.4wheelparts.com. Tank Trap
The final day is dedicated to the Tank Trap, a quarter-mile pit of doom and despair! At least that's what we had been told to expect. By now we were pretty sure we were out of contention for the trophy, but this may have actually helped us, as we went into the trap with a "just have fun" attitude. Actually we had that attitude all week-it'll save you when the other guys are getting worked up trying to win. When the rig before us rolled over backwards we knew we were in for a good time, but again we didn't get to see the course prior to running it. Our supercharged V-6 engine had no trouble pulling the FJ up the climbs with our four-speed Atlas' worth of gearing, and before long we were straddling the deep notches, dragging along the steep canyon walls, and splashing into the water holes. The recipe involved launching up the next hill, stopping for a second to scout the upcoming water hole and hill, and then rolling into it along one side and not stopping until you were at the top of the next hill. This worked great until we busted another hub on our front axle. (We should have swapped in drive flanges the night before, but sat around the campfire laughing instead.) With only three-wheel drive it was winch time, but we kept the wheels turning at all times because you never know when traction will come. Also remember that these water holes have solid bottoms, so a moderate drive through them is possible (at least this year it was). With just four winch pulls we somehow made it to the top of the trap and out of the course in roughly 20 minutes. Some competitors finished in under five minutes; others flipped, rolled, and broke in the first few hundred feet; so we didn't feel too bad with our little truck. Epilogue
The Turtle has since gone to the great trail ride in the sky. We stripped it down (all the good parts will make their way into future project trucks) and returned it to Toyota with a tear in our eyes. You were a good truck, Green Turtle.  We started day two with the...  We started day two with the obstacle course. Unlike some events, this one is kept hidden until you start, but you can see a map prior, so memorize it. First you must descend an extremely steep hill before turning into water holes. We floundered but eventually worked the bank down enough to launch out and onto the rest of the trail. Unfortunately a now wet boot slipped from the brake pedal and sent us through a low-hanging tree branch, which cracked the windshield and had driver and copilot laughing like lunatics as we bounced through the steep holes, tight corners, and twisty notches. A tight, quick-turning rig with gobs of power would outdo a monster truck in this episode.  The hillclimb is a steep course...  The hillclimb is a steep course through deep gullies and off-camber ridges surrounded by trees. Like most of the events, this one requires that the driver and passenger be prepared for anything and stay calm, as they don't get to preview the course. They say to get the truck moving and don't stop, steering quickly from hill to hole and always aiming up hill. This is a true test of traction and quickly reading the terrain and choosing a line. We made it to within sight of the top before busting a front hub and sliding into a hole. Even so, we ended in the top half of the group and, with drive flanges, might have finished it.  The mini Rubicon doesn't look...  The mini Rubicon doesn't look that bad, but it is. This year it was worse than ever, with holes as big as the FJ itself strung throughout the course. We drew first on the course and should have used our winch to drag big rocks into the holes, but by the time we figured out this plan we were already nose-deep in a Turtle-munching pit. A rig with 90 degrees of approach and departure angle and tight turning shouldn't have any problem with this pile. Yes, the 54-inch tires help fill the big holes, but we've seen small rockbuggy type rigs devour trails like this all over the nation, so we think 39/40-inch tires would be fine here.  Upon our finish it was time...  Upon our finish it was time to party. Before long the old Turtle was shell-down. We're not sure if it was our amazing good looks, exceptional driving skill, or dumb luck, but apparently the mob of spectators lead by an apparently jealous Four Wheeler staffer bum-rushed the old FJ and sent her dirty-side-up. Lucky for us we were out signing autographs and kissing babies when she went over, so no bodily harm was done. The poor truck was soon righted and became part of the annual truck stack before we all retired to the campfire for the final night of stories and lies.  Our team of Fred and John...  Our team of Fred and John in their special kid's helmets, Top Truck Todd, and Crew Chef Jeff are half the reason Top Truck was so much fun. If we could do it again, we would in a heartbeat. Go build yourself a capable trail rig and give it V-8 power, super-tight turning, and no less than 40-inch tires on 1-ton axles, and get your application in for the 2010 Top Truck. Be sure it has a fast winch, a great approach and departure angle, good visibility, and a strong 'cage. And if you get voted in, bring a group of buddies that you'll have fun hanging out with.
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