🛠️ Member Build Overtrail Upgrades

[Bluegill]

Bluegill - as someone who has had multiple off-road rigs with steel bumpers and sliders - how did they fare over time and did you have to do anything to maintain them (rust/corrosion/etc.)?

Out here in AZ nothing rusts. Seriously, I put a custom-fabbed steel rear bumper on my 2004 Discovery and it came to me raw (powder coating was not an option from the fabricator). It came from the eastern US and it had some minor oxidation on it when I received it. I was so lazy that I ran with it raw for 4.5 years before I got around to painting it. I just checked my old photos and I installed it in April 2015 and finally painted it in October 2019. Over the years the raw bumper developed a nice patina but no real oxidation.

Installed in 2015:

September 2019:

Finally got off my butt and painted it October 2019:

The key with rust is to just make sure that you touch up scrapes and don't let the rust get under the paint and start to bubble it up. If the paint is bubbling then you have to bite the bullet and scrape & sand it down and repaint it.

 

[Bluegill]

Update from Blue's Garage:

Sliders were almost easy. If it weren't for a couple bolts on each side that are incredibly difficult to get to (and to get a wrench on), this would have been a breeze.

Having a big side step is so much nicer, the kids and wife love it. And they are perfect for standing on and accessing the roof rack with the doors open or closed. Previously I was trying to balance on the door sill and/or the rear tire to get to the roof rack and I had to hold myself up there with one hand work with the other hand. Now it's like having scaffolding to stand on. Very much worth the entry price.

 

[jclaffee]

Wow those look a lot better than the other "step" sliders I've seen here. For some reason the round tubing just works better for me.

 

[Bluegill]

 

[Bluegill]

One thing I just realized...none of my standard and well-used 3/4" bow shackles fit in the front recovery points of this JW Offroad bumper! They just barely don't fit - it must be the powder coating finish that reduces the inner diameter of the recovery point hole by a millimeter or two. I figured I'd pop on a couple bow shackles before heading out in the snow in case I get stuck or have to pull someone. No can do! Total fail. I'll have to drill them out when I get back home.

 

[AtomicEric]

Looking good in the snow... enjoy!

 

[Bluegill]

 

[Bluegill]

One thing I just realized...none of my standard and well-used 3/4" bow shackles fit in the front recovery points of this JW Offroad bumper! They just barely don't fit - it must be the powder coating finish that reduces the inner diameter of the recovery point hole by a millimeter or two. I figured I'd pop on a couple bow shackles before heading out in the snow in case I get stuck or have to pull someone. No can do! Total fail. I'll have to drill them out when I get back home.

update on the bow shackles not fitting....

Turns out my unpainted bow shackle pin fit fine in the passenger side recovery point and a painted pin fit with a little wiggling. Both recovery points have raised edges inside the holes. The driver's side recovery point hole's raised edge was a bit too raised to let a bow shackle pin slide through. A little dremel tool grinding and it's fine.

 

[Bluegill]

OK, forget lift, wheels, tires, rack, winch, sliders, etc. This modification may be my favorite so far. Maybe it's because you can feel it with your hands at all times. Maybe it's because I secretly find sewing to be very soothing. My wife called me Martha Stewart when she saw what I was doing. She came out to the garage this afternoon and in her little sing-songy voice said, "Oh, is Billy playing with his truck again? What's Billy doing now? Oh, he's sewing!"

A while back I picked up a cheesy steering wheel cover. One of those awful cheap covers from ebay or Amazon. I wanted a cover because this is actually my work truck and get my hands very dirty often while working with my truck.

So then monkeeboi on this forum posted a link to this steering wheel cover from Stickerfab:

OSD Steering Wheel Wrap Cover - 2024+ Land Cruiser / GX 550

I ordered the black version with no center stripe because I'm not driving a race car. But I did take the opportunity for a little flair with the thread color.

People can get Lexus GX550 advice anywhere, OK? They come to the GXForum.com for the atmosphere and the attitude. OK? That's what the flair's about, it's about fun.

I picked up some 0.8mm "Army green" waxed thread on Amazon (LINK). We ladies in my sewing circle know that you want about a 150D or 0.8mm waxed thread for steering wheel work. I went with Army green to play on the subtle green accents in the Overtrail models. Also, the black thread that came with the kit was pretty thin and it wasn't even waxed. Rookies.

The steering wheel cover looked a little janky at first. I'm thinking that there is no way this thing will work out well. I almost didn't even start but I finally dove in and it came out pretty good. I only screwed up a few times but it looks fine, in my opinion. I always mess up the starting and stopping knots and they end up looking like giant boogers, but I hid them pretty well. The portion that covers above the steering wheel buttons was a little short and it's just barely tucked back there behind the silver button trim. You also can't escape the fact that you're adding bulk with a cover installed over a cover so the black plastic trim on the backside of the steering wheel bulges out a bit at the edges. Again, not noticeable unless you shove your head between the wheel and dashboard, which people aren't likely to do very often. The wheel feels great now, it's too thin in it's stock form, in my opinion. It's also slippery in stock form. We'll see how long this cover lasts.

Here's some photos....excuse my sexy legs, I can't help myself sometimes.

Bonus material:

Also from Stickerfab, I picked up these decals that protect the B-pillars from the seat belt clanking against it. Very subtle but it works with the green color. It also counts as 2 more pieces of flair, so I have that going for me.

 

[YellowLab]

OK, forget lift, wheels, tires, rack, winch, sliders, etc. This modification may be my favorite so far. Maybe it's because you can feel it with your hands at all times. Maybe it's because I secretly find sewing to be very soothing. My wife called me Martha Stewart when she saw what I was doing. She came out to the garage this afternoon and in her little sing-songy voice said, "Oh, is Billy playing with his truck again? What's Billy doing now? Oh, he's sewing!"

A while back I picked up a cheesy steering wheel cover. One of those awful cheap covers from ebay or Amazon. I wanted a cover because this is actually my work truck and get my hands very dirty often while working with my truck.

So then someone posted a link to this steering wheel cover from Stickerfab:

OSD Steering Wheel Wrap Cover - 2024+ Land Cruiser / GX 550

I ordered the black version with no center stripe because I'm not driving a race car. But I did take the opportunity for a little flair with the thread color.

People can get Lexus GX550 advice anywhere, OK? They come to the GXForum.com for the atmosphere and the attitude. OK? That's what the flair's about, it's about fun.

I picked up some 0.8mm "Army green" waxed thread on Amazon (LINK). We ladies in my sewing circle know that you want about a 150D or 0.8mm waxed thread for steering wheel work. I went with Army green to play on the subtle green accents in the Overtrail models. Also, the black thread that came with the kit was pretty thin and it wasn't even waxed. Rookies.

The steering wheel cover looked a little janky at first. I'm thinking that there is no way this thing will work out well. I almost didn't even start but I finally dove in and it came out pretty good. I only screwed up a few times but it looks fine, in my opinion. I always mess up the starting and stopping knots and they end up looking like giant boogers, but I hid them pretty well. The portion that covers above the steering wheel buttons was a little short and it's just barely tucked back there behind the silver button trim. You also can't escape the fact that you're adding bulk with a cover installed over a cover so the black plastic trim on the backside of the steering wheel bulges out a bit at the edges. Again, not noticeable unless you shove your head between the wheel and dashboard, which people aren't likely to do very often. The wheel feels great now, it's too thin in it's stock form, in my opinion. It's also slippery in stock form. We'll see how long this cover lasts.

Here's some photos....excuse my sexy legs, I can't help myself sometimes.

View attachment 9244View attachment 9245View attachment 9246View attachment 9247View attachment 9248View attachment 9249View attachment 9250View attachment 9251


Bonus material:

Also from Stickerfab, I picked up these decals that protect the B-pillars from the seat belt clanking against it. Very subtle but it works with the green color. It also counts as 2 more pieces of flair, so I have that going for me.

View attachment 9253View attachment 9254
View attachment 9255

That looks great - the contrast is a great color choice as it the top trim. With that said - if you start doing Duckie and Bunny stencils around the car as your next project - we will need to have some biker dudes do an intervention/drag you out of the house in the middle of the night.

 

[YellowLab]

Sticker Fab is f'ing dangerous - so much more stuff to buy that I had no idea I NEEDED!!

I did not even notice how bad the door hinges looked until I was on their site - and just ordered covers that will let me sleep at night now!

Praise Marty Moose!

 

[Bluegill]

Go look at your hinges, you already have covers!

 

[Bluegill]

That looks great - the contrast is a great color choice as it the top trim. With that said - if you start doing Duckie and Bunny stencils around the car as your next project - we will need to have some biker dudes do an intervention/drag you out of the house in the middle of the night.View attachment 9257

I’d sew duckies & bunnies on the back of their leather jackets and have them eating out of my hand.

 

[YellowLab]

Go look at your hinges, you already have covers!

MY HINGES DO NOT LOOK AS NICE!!! Your hinges are hideous too - you NEED THESE!!

 

[Bluegill]

Do they come in NYTOP red?

 

[YellowLab]

Do they come in NYTOP red?

ROFL - yes!

 

[serbiansizzle]

I really didn't need to learn about Sticker Fab today. I am now shopping for knick-knacks and a steering wheel cover that apparently I didn't know I needed. I like those topo vinyl stickers to protect the seat belt from banging against the hard plastic. My goal was to stop shopping for upgrades after my PPF install, which I am about to drop the car off today.

 

[Bluegill]

LOL, sorry guys!

 

[munkeeboi]

great write-up.. I also picked up the side seatbelt covers a while back.

 

[AtomicEric]

I really didn't need to learn about Sticker Fab today. I am now shopping for knick-knacks and a steering wheel cover that apparently I didn't know I needed. I like those topo vinyl stickers to protect the seat belt from banging against the hard plastic. My goal was to stop shopping for upgrades after my PPF install, which I am about to drop the car off today.

Same boat ... the stickers seem innocent until it leads to more. I think they look great.