It sure is a shame to keep a Landcruiser cooped up for an entire winter, but up until today that is pretty much what I had done. Today, however, I drove out into the Ibex Valley and, for the first time, I was able to drive trails that were dry and free of snow. In fact, it felt like a summer day out there.

If you are also interested in off-roading around Whitehorse, stayed tuned for write-ups on some of the better off-road destinations as I find time over the summer and fall.

Check out photos from this latest excursion in the following galleries: Landscapes, Nature, and Taffy and Friends.

Not only was it my first 4x4 of the year, it was also the first off-roading I had done since I installed power steering. Next to my upgrade to Old Man Emu brand suspension, and the addition of a winch, power steering is this most important change I have made to the ‘cruiser. It used to take quite a bit of effort to steer in rough conditions and at slow speeds. Now it’s as smooth as butter.

In case you are a Landcruiser fanatic, the steering I installed makes use of a factory steering box and steering column from an ‘80 FJ40, a modified pump from a Toyota pickup (22RE engine), and hoses that are all factory except for one from a Toyota van. Again, lot’s of work, but worth it. If you are planning this upgrade, let me know. I should be able to give you more information. Upcoming upgrades to my truck include roof console, roof rack, new sub boxes, and transmission, transfer case, and differential rebuilds.

I will also be working with a friend on replacing the engine of his ‘96 Volkswagen Golf. The engine that is in it now has pretty much rusted away. This doesn’t say much for the quality of Volkswagen engine parts. The engine we’ll be putting in has about 10,000 kms, or so we are told, so if the last engine is a typical one, the new one should be good for at least a few years. Even this would make it worth the effort, especially since it would be a shame to throw away a car that’s only 10 years old. I’ll post some photos as we work on the project.

Related Tags: landcruiser, off-roading, 4x4ing