John's LX450 slow build

[johngottfredson]

Current condition:



So, I guess its about time I started documenting what I'm doing with my 80 series. I'll start with my background, vehicle ownership history, broad goals, then goals specific to this vehicle.

I grew up in Utah, spent most of high school skipping class to go 4 wheeling or dirt biking or camping. I love the outdoors, and I enjoy exploring new places. In high school I drove a '91 1st gen Montero, which I absolutely loved. I have memories of loading up with 3 friends, throwing the bikes on top, and cruising down to moab at 85 mph at 2 in the morning, sleeping at the slickrock campground, and waking up early enough to not have to pay the morning ranger The thing was stock with some BFG A/T's, and it was a great wheeler, super utilitarian. Loved it.

After my mission I drove a '93 Montero SR. Again, lots of moab and camping experiences, went everywhere I wanted to go. Loved my Monteros, and the wagon platform.
My next 4WD vehicle was a new '04 tacoma SR5. Loved this truck, except the stick shift. Hated the stick. I was working in construction at the time and thought I needed to upgrade to something bigger, so I traded in for a new '05 Ram 1500. Worst. Decision. Ever.
Sold the Dodge after a year and picked up a buddy's '01 Isuzu Trooper. I was thrilled to be back in a wagon, and the Trooper was awesome. However, I had begun to learn about lifts, lockers, etc, and quickly decided that the Isuzu was going to be really hard to modify, so I sold it to my brother, and picked up a Chevy truck for a DD, and bought a sweet little Samurai for the trails.

It had the 1.3L motor from a sidekick, ARB rear locker, lock right front, 33" M/T, toyota springs, 6:1 T-case, removable hard top, and a bunch of other little things I can't remember. This was a fun little truck! Tips over, just pick it back up, no problem. Would clime up a brick wall. However, after a while driving at a top speed of 35 mph got too old, and I realized I'm more of the exploring type, and less of the rock crawling type. Sold it and picked up a '95 Land Cruiser.

With my buddy Marshall Haglund from Utah Powdercoatings, we yanked the fender flares, built custom front and rear bumpers, which taught me that I would probably never do that again. It took so much time! and the end product didn't look as clean as some of the production options out there, though it was a good experience. I can't find any photos of my bumpers, so I'm going to modify my statement to say that they were epic, awesome, and you would all be very impressed.

 

[johngottfredson]

School took me back east to Virginia, so being practical my wife and I sold the cruiser and just drove our trusty little corolla. I was okay selling the cruiser, even though it had such epic bumpers, because it was pretty beaten up by the previous owners, and didn't have lockers or any other noteworthy features, other than I had bought it for $3,900.

When we came back to Utah to do some more school in Logan, I picked up my buddy's '97 XJ with only 40k miles on it. I really liked this vehicle! Great power, great size for the trails, fun to drive. However, the wife wanted a camping trailer, so I sold the jeep, and picked up this bad larry for $500:

It wasn't running because the cat. converter was all gummed up. So, we aired up the tires, punched some holes in the cat with a screwdriver and hammer, and drove it home. I put 4" lift on it, some used 35" M/T's, and a lock right in the rear, and this thing was awesome. First of all, it was like driving your living room. It's freaking huge! Second, it was incredibly capable, if you could find a trail large enough to fit. And, previous owner had installed this little number:

First of all, kudos to chevy for offering a 39 gallon fuel tank. Apparently this guy was worried about the tow hitch coming off, so this massive heavy plate was welded on to protect the tank and make sure you could life this truck up with a crane by the tow hitch without any problems.
The oldness got old, so I decided to get something smaller and funner. I picked up a '97 40th anniversary Land Cruiser, 27k original miles.

It was worth too much in its pristine condition, so I decided to sell for max value (dude flew in from Louisiana to drive it home) and I picked up another 97 cruiser with a messed up bumper. ARB had a solution for that.

 

[johngottfredson]

I enjoyed this cruiser, but started getting nostalgic for the old days of the montero. I sold the 80 and picked up a 2003 montero:

Okay, so mine was stock, but this was the idea. I sold the monty to Sixstringsteve, who offered it back to me after he picked up his 4runner. I had one of my buddy's buy it, but I am conflicted about not getting it myself. It is a great little SUV.
One of my complaints about the montero was when I had little questions about things, there just isn't the fanbase out there to easily type in a symptom and have 40 threads of solutions available on the web. As someone who is not mechanically gifted, or financially able/willing to pay mechanics for every little fix, this was a downside for me. While I owned the montero, I had picked up a clean low mileage LX450, and I really went back and forth on which vehicle to keep and build, as per this thread:

http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.ph...ituation-for-Utah-help-me-decide-!&highlight=

I ended up siding with the 80 series for the following reasons:

1. Longevity. These are engineered heavy duty enough to last a long, long time. The 80 series are built like a tank. Not sure if I'll end up keeping it forever, but I'm trying to plan for the future. My 6 and 8 yr old are already calling dibs on driving it to high school...
2. Durability. For what I want to do (max 35's) I won't have to be upgrading much in the way of heavier axles, motor, frame, etc. Its heavy duty enough that it can handle my planned upgrades in ways that, say, my old XJ could not without extensive modifications.
3. Support. There are enough enthusiasts out there to make owning one of these older vehicles more realistic. Mods, troubleshooting, parts availablity, aftermarket support, all easier than the montero.
4. Potential. There is a lot more you can do to build an 80 vs the monty. Solid axles, proper frame, etc.
5. Aesthetics. I just think they look good.

I picked up my 80 from a single lady in Virginia when I was out there on a business trip. She purchased it in 2003 and had a healthy folder of all the maintenance since that time. Very clean condition, rust free, quiet, tight. No lockers, but since it drove comparable to my low mileage 40th, I chose mechanical integrity over some the the beater locked rigs I had looked at.

With 4 kids now, I'm really not looking to get into serious wheeling or crawling. This is a family camping vehicle, and needs to have enough capability to A) Get me to some really neat places, and B) Get me home.

Goals for the build:

1. Retain stock, or near-stock road manners.
2. Remain as close to factory specs as possible. No crazy air intake or muffler systems, electrical mods, or whatever. I want any random mechanic to be able to work on this car without wondering what happened to it. Bad experiences with the samurai in that regard...
3. No modification snowball. As stated above, I chose this vehicle because it didn't need a bunch of upgraded stuff to be plenty capable. Once you get a certain size tire, you now need gears, trimming fenders, more intense lift setups, engine mods to make more power, etc, etc.
4. Try to keep it looking nice. While the primary function of this vehicle is camping, I do on occasion take it to work where I meet with clients and need to retain some modicum of respectability. Also, the wife loves it, and her only requested mod is to not make it look "rednecky."
5. Budget friendly. I would love to drop my truck off at Kurt's and pick it up with the full Kurt package - lifted, locked, armored, winched, racked, fridged, etc, etc. New home purchase means all mods need to be thoroughly vetted for ROI before passing the budgetary committee.

On to the build.

When I brought it home:

I drove home from Virginia in two days. Those were long, 15 hr driving days with a brief stop somewhere in the middle of the country for some sleep in the back. This truck handled perfectly, no overheating, no driver fatigue. I was very impressed. First mod was to lose the running boards and tow hitch for a bit more clearance.



Then, I had Kurt go through it to see what needed fixing, and I took it up to Divinity Auto where Angel and Ralph gave it some baseline love. Changed all fluids, plugs, coolant flush, fan clutch, etc. Clean bill of health.
Next, bought the biggest battery I could fit in the battery tray. It just seemed like a good thing to have.
Then, I tried it out on White Rim

 

[johngottfredson]

I was super impressed with how this thing handled with stock, tired suspension and road slicks. I tend to drive a little faster than I should, and the cruiser soaked up the terrain quite nicely. There had been some rains a few days before, and the rangers were advising everyone to turn back due to washed out roads. It was fun to see well-built jeeps turn around and we went all the way through. Not that it was the wisest thing to do, but we had plenty of food and water and were maybe okay with being stranded for a few days if it came to that We did have to chain up to get through some gnarly stuff, but the cruiser did great.

The suspension had too much body roll in it, and I felt that the safety of my family dictated that I get an OME 2.5" HD lift from Kurt I like to put family first. I also added some 285's, BFG A/T's, and some rock rails from Rocky Road.



First of all, always love working with Kurt. I don't really understand why anyone would not choose the OME heavies. I really like the firm ride, even without heavy bolt on's. I think these should have come from the factory with 33's and this suspension. It just feels right. With the tires and lift I'm seeing about a 1-1.5 mpg difference, down from 15-15.5 to around 14-14.5 freeway. I can feel a bit of a power lag, but not much. I'm very happy with the BFG A/T's, its what I ran on my montero's in high school, very quiet, and you can't beat the classic tread.

The rock rails were recommended to me for quality and value, and having them right there in heber was good, especially when one of the main mounting holes didn't line up . Luckily, when I took it in to them, they had a few guys get under there, drill the hole out a bit so the bolt would line up, and got it done for me. I just feel bad for someone who isn't close like that, hopefully it was a one-off issue.

I did white rim trail in May to try out the new suspension, and it was incredible. I'm very impressed with the 2.5" OME setup for this truck, better than stock.

Earlier in December I went down to Ephraim to cut down a Christmas tree, and was able to take some fun trails up the mountain. There were a few precipitous drops, and the snowy trail in places made for slow going, but the 80 did great.



I enjoy sleeping inside my vehicles, so rather than opt for a sleeping platform, I simply removed the middle and third row seats. This creates a huge sleeping area for 2 people comfortably. I just keep my gear in plastic totes that I remove and place on the ground. If I need to bring a couple of kids, I can throw in the jump seats within just a couple of minutes, and if its a family campout where all seats are required, it won't take long to re-install the middle row. With a brand new baby, those won't be happening for a while anyway...

I also installed LED interior lights, which are possible the best bang-for-your-buck upgrade you could ever do. Tons of bright, white light.

 

[johngottfredson]

In contemplated my next mod, I've been thinking about recovery. As you recall, I listed my ultra specific build goals as an ability to A) get me cool places, and B) get me home. I feel like I'm well on the way to get cool places, but need to address the getting home part. I typically go out on my own (with a friend, but just one vehicle) so I don't have the luxury of other folks pulling me out of a ditch. So, in considering how do I avoid said ditch, and my extraction options, I began to read around.

It seems that for maximum traction, I need to air down, and look at some locking differential options. Hopefully, with best traction available I won't need to do much self recovery. However, going it alone dictates that some form of self-recovery would be prudent. I own a couple of come-alongs, and I have watched videos where hi-lifts are used to winch vehicles out of a tight spot. Testimonials of those options are fairly universal in the negative. As in, yes, it can be done in an emergency, but chance of injury are high, and they just royally suck to use. So winch it is.

My near-term wish list began to shape up:

1. Lockers. Wish I had factory. Oh well. Options include swap in factory lockers ($2k on the used market, plus rebuild axles, plus a ton of work), ARB's (super strong, transparent when not in use, but reliability questions [usually do to install error, but more complicated systems by definition allow more chance for problems - leaky o-rings, punctured air line, compressor failure, etc] and big $$$), and some form of auto-locker (lock right, aussie, and yukon/detroit).

I think long term I will have F/R ARB's, but that's not in the budget right now. I will pick up a $300 aussie for the rear. They are proven, and the heavy vehicle + full time 4WD helps mitigate some of the quirks of the lunchbox locker. I plan on doing the install myself, so the price is right.

2. CDL switch. Driving up the snowy trail the other day to get my christmas tree, I was amazed at the difference the center differential locker made. I drove up in 4wd high until I was completely stuck. Once I dropped it into low and the center differential locked up, I had a whole new world of traction. These 80's have the wiring to mount up a button that allows the CDL to engage in 4WD high that I will get. Kurt sells them, I installed one in my last cruiser.

3. Winch. At some point I know I will be stuck somewhere by myself, and if I don't have a way to get myself out I will be highly dissatisfied with my life choices up to that point. Being that these are heavy pigs, I wanted a large winch for extra insurance. I looked at the warn M12000's, but they are massive! They weigh upwards of 130 lbs, and don't fit between the frame rails, making bumper options limited. Warn offers a VR series winch at an affordable price point, and I looked at the VR 10000. However, they are affordable because the parts are sourced overseas, and while assembled here and backed with warn's warranty, they are known to be less sealed against water and the elements than the M-series winches. I looked at milemarker, smittybuilt, and superwinch. All very affordable, but again, made in china, not known to match warn's reliability over time. If I wheeled with other people and my primary use of the winch was to help a buddy out, I would hop on the superwinch tiger shark 9500 lb winch. Seems to get great review, under $400. However, imagining the scenario where I'm stuck somewhere, if my winch didn't work right when I really needed it, I won't be proud of my cost savings. The Warn M-series is proven, and its the type of winch that is rebuild-able, great company support, parts availability, etc. So, I opted for a M8000 winch. On the small side, but with snatch blocks as needed there are plenty of 80 owners that have used them for years with good results.

4. On-board air. Old timers claim that driver skill and properly aired down tires are the best offroad mods you can do. I'm working on the first, and the second one seems like a good practice. Rather than get a compressor I think I will try and get a CO2 tank. Doesn't take up much space, and am told that a once-a-year fillup allows for many offroad air-downs during that time.

5. Misc. recovery gear. No real science here, just need to make sure that my rig is outfitted with an appropriate amount of equipment. Doubles as a bug-out kit...Here's what I carry:
-Heavy duty tow strap
-Hi-lift
-Tire repair kit
-2 large cans fix-a-flat
-small tool set
-water
-firearm
-jumper cables
-flares
-1 qt oil
-leather gloves
-jacket
-shovel
-ax
-first aid kit
-flashlight
-utah map
-leatherman
-matches/lighter
-Some Patrick McManus book for emergency reading material

(Any suggestions here would be appreciated.)

 

[johngottfredson]

Turns out I must have been good this year, and Santa brought me my warn winch. I decided it wasn't in the cards for me to buy a winch bumper right now, although I psyched Kurt out a couple of times on one. So, I set out to install my winch behind the factory bumper. In other markets, toyota actually sold the 80 series with a winch from the factory, so I figure the idea couldn't be that crazy...

(Disclaimer - I'm a landscape architect, and I got mad skillz with trees and shrubs, but I pretty much suck at fabrication, so don't judge me...)

I went down to harbor freight tools and picked up a universal winch plate for about $45. There is a guy back east who makes a bolt-in plate for a hidden winch bumper (http://harriscustoms.com/products/80-series-land-cruiser-hidden-winch-mount) that looks way better than what I was about to do, but it's $200, and I'm on the new father, new home owner budget. I then pulled my bumper and got some rough measurements, put a new wheel in my grinder, and cut the plate to fit. I then put the winch on it to see how far back I could set the plate. Some of the ones I've seen done on the interwebs seem like they stick out a bit too far, and the last thing I would want to do is lead out with the fairlead rollers into a rock in Moab, so I wanted to get it tucked back nice and tight.



I basically set it back against the bracket that holds up the radiator. I then took measurements to make sure it wasn't set so far back that the rollers would be behind the bumper. It looked about right. So I marked some spots for the bolts and drilled them out using a 1/2" drill bit. You use the bolts that hold the tow points under the frame. I then mounted the fairlead so I could get measurements of where to cut the front bumper.



I marked out where to cut the bumper, measured like 8 times so I didn't cut too big, and got ready for surgery. Super nervous at this point...



Test fit, some minor trimming needed...



All good, wired up the winch, and ready for business!!



I'm super happy how it turned out. At some point I'm sure I'll get a grown up winch bumper when these useless bumper corners get hammered, but this is a great fix for the time being. I mounted the solenoid box up front for ease of access, although I'm sure other people figured out better locations, this works just fine for me. In order to activate the switch on the bumper to allow line out or engagement, I just have to remove two screws on the right air vent thing on the bumper. If I'm going somewhere that I think I will be busting out the winch, I will pull that off at the trailhead, or maybe in the muddy ditch I'm stuck in, it comes off pretty quick.

Next stop, order me up a locker and CO2 tank!!

 

[bryson]

Awesome.

 

[SLC97SR5]

Nice!

 

[OCNORB]

Looks good!

Our rigs are opposites. I have a winch bumper and no winch... your way seems better.

 

[Greg]

Looks good!

Our rigs are opposites. I have a winch bumper and no winch... your way seems better.

We going to have to change your name to 'RESIURC'? Doesn't have the same ring as ONCORB, does it?