Modified Toyota FJ Cruiser: Conquer mountains 

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a five-door, five-seater midsize SUV that’s been around since 2006. And while a majority of markets around the world have since dropped the said model, it has been going strong in regions like Chile, South Africa, the Middle East, and here in the Philippines. 

A modified FJ Cruiser in its natural habitat [Photo source: ARB]

And yes, it isn’t the most practical midsize SUV in the market, considering its middling interior space, but it has built a reputation as one of Toyota’s most capable off-road machines straight from the factory. Some even say that it is essentially the Japanese version of the Hummer. Well, at least the civilian hummer. 

For those who want to try their hand at hardcore off-roading or those who want to camp with their FJs though, they might want to upgrade their vehicles. So, how does one modify a Toyota FJ Cruiser for more off-road brawn? How does one turn it into an “off-the-grid" mobile cabin? Let’s talk about that. 

Full-on mountain conqueror 

For those who find that the stock FJ Cruiser isn’t nearly as “off-roady” as they want it to be, there are several ways to go about this.  

First is a suspension lift kit paired with a larger set of knobby all-terrain tires. The former provides more flex and ground clearance, while the latter ensures optimum grip.  

For this, there’s the Bilstein 6112 series. These however will run you around USD 740 or around Php 38,000 for the front set only. These are pricey, and these aren't even a complete suspension lift kit. But do note that Bilstein has a good reputation for a reason. 

The Bilstein 6112 series for the front end. [Photo source: Bilstein]

If you want a set complete with front struts, coil springs, and shock absorbers, there’s the Old Man Emu FJ Cruiser suspension lift kit by ARB. This is available locally from PartsPro for around Php 50,000. 

For a set of aftermarket tires, there are a lot of options out there. Of note, the Yokohama Geolander GO15 can somewhat fit on the stock FJ Cruiser’s 17-inch alloy wheel set. If you want your FJ Cruiser to ride on larger tires, you’ll need a larger set of wheels too. For this, there are brands like Black Rhino, Fuel, Dirty Life, among others. 

An FJ Cruiser fitted with an ARB steel bumper [Photo source: ARB]

Next up, you’d want to protect your FJ Cruiser’s underside with armor. Also, you might want to opt for a steel front (or even rear) bumper that can accommodate a winch. For protection, there are brands like Road Armor that can provide a steel front bumper with a bull bar. There’s also ARB, RCI Metalworks, Almont, etc. for skid plates and rock sliders. There’s also a TRD-branded skid plate, but do be careful to avoid the many imitation ones being sold online. 

Moving on, you’d also want to equip your Toyota FJ Cruiser with some recovery gear. These include shackles, winch hooks, some shackle mounts, and a good strong length of rope.  

ARB's basic recovery kit. [Photo source: ARB]

Many different brands sell these bits individually, but it might be more convenient to get a complete kit. Brands that carry these include ARB and Extreme Outback, and these can cost somewhere around Php 20,000 to Php 35,000. A bit pricey, but these are crucial for when you need to pull out your FJ Cruiser from being stuck. 

FJ Cruiser: The beginner overlander build 

Besides the off-road pieces we’ve mentioned above, some of you might want to turn your FJ Cruisers into a mobile home of sorts. An overlander if you will. 

For the basics, you’ll need a roof rack that can accommodate a tent, some auxiliary lights, and an effective storage organizer.  

For the camping equipment, brands like ARB can also provide these. Sure, you can sleep inside the FJ Cruiser if you want to, but as we’ve said above, it isn’t the most spacious off-road capable SUV.  

Go anywhere, sleep anywhere. [Photo source: ARB]

Brands like Hella, Rigid Industries, Baja Designs, among others can also provide you with your off-road lighting needs. And yes, it would be easier for a beginner modder to make sure in advance that your aftermarket roof rack can accommodate both the tent and the said lights. 

If you want a rack that’s ready to take on an aux light array and can function as a tent platform, you should turn to brands like Warrior Products, and Baja.  

For the storage organizer part, you can get creative on this. You might even want to do-it-yourself and try your hand at building your own organizer/drawer/cabinet that can meet your storage needs. The alternative is to get one or two cargo nets to hold cargo boxes in place.  

FJ Cruiser: Pace yourself 

In a nutshell, modding an FJ Cruiser to give it the abilities of a mountain goat can be expensive. Heck, even the FJ Cruiser itself, even second-hand ones are pricey. As such, we urge you to take it slow and consider what you really want to do with your FJ. ARB however, does sell a roller drawer with a roller floor as a kit. 

Also, we didn’t include performance mods for the engine because frankly, its 4.0-liter V6 already makes enough torque for most off-road trails in the local setting.  

And yes, there are other mods that you can tack onto the FJ Cruiser like snorkels, auxiliary fuel tanks, and other odds and ends. Many of these provide redundancies which are crucial for a dedicated off-road vehicle. But for most weekend warriors or beginners, their use depends on the situation, and there’s a good chance that they’ll only complicate things.  

For more car modding guides, and car buying guides, keep reading here on the Philippines’ largest automotive portal.