NWFJCC Product Review

Craven Speed FlexPod Review

By Jim DeFord

VANCOUVER, Washington (August 15, 2010) — Ever think of installing some extra analog gauges in an FJ Cruiser? Didn’t think so. There’s nowhere, short of the A-pillar (ugly!) to add any gauges in this super tight cockpit. Until now…

Enter: The FlexPod by Craven Speed

The awesome folks at Craven Speed recently installed their Toyota Truck FlexPod for the FJ Cruiser in my vehicle. The install is very simple, very clean and completely reversible. The Flexpod mounts to two existing attachment points directly behind the steering wheel. You do not have to remove your steering wheel.

To install, attach your gauge cups, turn the steering wheel to expose the existing screw. Remove screw. Install one side of the bracket. Turn the steering wheel in the other direction and repeat. Voila! That’s it and your new FlexPod is installed! Install time: Less than 5 minutes and one tool used.

You can see a short video of an install in a Toyota Tacoma here. The install for the FJ is exactly the same. Can it get any simpler than that?

The cool thing about the FlexPod is that the gauge cups are fully adjustable and as you can see by the photos, there is no interference with the existing dash displays at all. There are three gauge cup sizes available. Two simple set screws hold the gauges in the cups. You can select your own gauges or purchase Marshall gauges from Craven Speed. The possibilities are nearly endless.

I have seen A-pillar gauge mounts and just do not care for that option. As we know the FJ Cruiser is tight for space for anything much less adding additional gauges. The Craven Speed FlexPod system is the perfect answer to this dilemma.

The one small addition I would like to see is some small black plugs to insert into the set screw holes once the gauges are installed. The black finish is perfect except for the shiny threads that show once installed. I might take a trip to the hardware store to see what I can find. As hard as I searched this was the only drawback and very, very minor.

Customer support at Craven Speed is second to none. They sincerely want to be sure every customer is fully satisfied with their purchase. Their follow through is excellent. Craftsmanship of the product is also excellent and obviously well thought out.

I would like to thank Kellen at Craven Speed and Ryan at Columbia Overland (formerly Columbia Rover) for the excellent install. Check Craven Speed for other products for your FJ. Also note that Columbia Overland is an authorized dealer for ARB, ScanGauge, Old Man Emu, BajaRack and MagnaFlow and install all the above and more.