Project Fauxverlander 200 Series Land Cruiser Build Thread

[cruiseroutfit]

Introducing the Cruiser Outfitters Project Fauxverlander (Faux-Overlander) Build

First, let's get the name out of the way. The 200 Series Land Cruiser has taken some serious heat from some in the Toyota off-road community, lobbing comments like "mall-crawler", "bloated with needless electronics" and "no different than a Sequoia". Well, let's set the record straight. The 200 Series platform is every bit of an off-road capable machine as the 100 Series Land Cruiser and it's predecessor the 80 Series and ironically the comments I'm hearing about the 200, are the same exact comments I recall hearing about the 100 which has now been acclaimed the "#1 Used Overland Vehicle". Oh my, have times changed. The US Spec 200 Series is a stalwart beast bedazzled with refinement, some hate the refinement such as the available air conditioned seats, refrigerated center console and off-road cameras and others will absolutely come to embrace it. I'm neither for it or against the refinement really, it's simply the only way I can have it in the US market so here I am. So for me, the name is more of a fun poke at the dissenters and a showpiece to customers as in fact a great platform for off-road travel and overland style adventures.

Why the 200 Series? Great question. My 100 Series Land Cruiser (aka the Death Star) has been a fantastic rig, for the past 3 years it's taken me all over the western US and hauled team members and myself up and down Mexico's Baja peninsula supporting our Baja 1000 race endeavors. I wasn't exactly looking for a replacement but the 200 was starting to appear on my radar as a future candidate. I'd spent a bit of time in the Aussie spec VDJ200 featuring the twin-turbo 1VD-FTV V8 diesel. Back on US soil I continued to be impressed. I was spending more and more time with customer's 200 Series and hearing their continual accolades and add some trail time with my friend Greg in his 200, where despite being 100% stock he's maneuvered it through a snow and ice covered Beef Basin and Elephant Hill.

The real driving force was my involvement as part of Canguro Racing where we have have been desert racing a 200 Series in races such as the Baja 1000, Vegas to Reno and Mint 400. As it works out with desert racing you spend a great deal of time behind the wheel, but 10x that many hours underneath the vehicle inspecting, repairing and prepping for the next big race. While parts wear out and things need to be overhauled, our race vehicle "Monica" has held up amazingly well to the many races under her belt. The engine, trans, t-case and axles are nearly stock and post-race tear downs and testing show the internals are holding up absolutely fine despite hard racing in dusty conditions pushing 37" tires over the roughest terrain found along a race course. I was sold.

Rewind to last spring and a 200 that met my criteria popped up on my saved search query and I figured I would run down and take a look. My pal Dave came along with me, he had recent picked up a 2013 URJ200 and was fresh on the market offerings and condition having looked at many before settling on his Cruiser which he drove home from New York. The private seller was located in nearby Provo, Utah and had just listed it on a local classified website, I was the first to come take a look. At first glace I was mortified, the wheels were enough to turn a grown mans stomach. I was able to look past the wheels and the rest of the vehicle was in great condition, reasonably clean and the seller was the original owner and quite detail oriented. Following a short test drive I was ready to make it official but I wanted to sit on it for the night and we agreed to touch bases the next evening to finalize details.

The next day he proactively called me while he was sitting in the showroom of a Infiniti dealership. His wife had suggested they stop by and look at a new vehicle replacement and they landed in a deal and were considering using the Cruiser as a trade-in. However he was willing to honor our previous nights discussion if I could be there in the next hour to ink the deal. On my way there he informs me I'll now be buying it from the dealership as a tactic to save him some sales tax on the new car. The deal was going a little sideways in my mind and I expressed a little hesitation, he was willing to sweeten the deal a little bit to make us both content and I was soon driving it home. The deal was done and I had to figure out what to do next.

Basic stock specs of the 200 Series Land Cruiser:

Model: 2008 URJ200
Engine: 5.7L 3UR-FE - 381HP/401LbFt
Trans/T-Case: AB60F 6-Speed Auto Trans/JF2A Full-Time 4wd T-Case w/locking differential
Color: Classic Silver Metallic
Suspension: IFS front (coil/strut) & 5 link rear (coil/shock)
Features: Crawl Control, ATRAC, KDSS
Curb Weight: 5690 lbs
Payload: 1585 lbs
Tow Capacity: 8500 lbs
Fuel Capacity: 24.6 gal

Compared to the 100 Series, the 200 Series received some major spec improvements in the engine division as well as the front suspension. The 3UR-FE features 381 horse power versus the lack luster 228 that the early 2UZ-FE has. Likewise the torque saw a major improvement, from 302 pound-foot to an impressive 401. That said the 100 never felt really starved for power, I mean in Land Cruisers haven't ever been known as rocket ships... the 200 changes that. The suspension on the 200 also saw a considerable upgrade to the front end. While the torsion/shock combo on the 100 Series worked well and allowed for quick adjustment, spring rate offerings were limited on the torsion bars and suspension travel was limited as result of the design. The 200 has a standard strut/coil combination with an impressive amount of aftermarket components already available such as bypass shocks, remote reservoir options, heavy duty and high travel upper control arms and high travel CV axles.

Next up, time to start planning the build

 

[Greg]

Love the name!

I would never have considered a 200 Series, but that 5.7l engine and the strut/coil front suspension combined with the coil/linked rear would make for one hell of an overland SUV!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Love the name!

Me too!

Do you even overland bro?

I would never have considered a 200 Series, but that 5.7l engine and the strut/coil front suspension combined with the coil/linked rear would make for one hell of an overland SUV!

Yup, and fuel economy on par or better than a similarly built 100. Beefier frame, on par or better steering, bigger brakes and a 6 speed trans that pumps through the gears smoothly. Come take it for a spin and you'll be convinced.

 

[Kevin B.]

Come take it for a spin and you'll be convinced.

What sells it for me are the wheels. Those just scream "rugged offroader."

 

[Tonkaman]

Quit teasing us and share some build plans!

When is the Faux-a-Palooza build party?

 

[I Lean]

Sub'd.

 

[Brian P]

Kickass!

 

[MOODY]

Stellar trucks. The 5.7 liter motor is a powerhouse. I'm slightly considering selling my Tundra and picking up a 200. Seeing your sexy truck all built up may seal the deal.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

What sells it for me are the wheels. Those just scream "rugged offroader."

Find something that takes this 5-lug and I'll make you a hell of a deal

Quit teasing us and share some build plans!

When is the Faux-a-Palooza build party?

I decided against another marathon build for a couple reasons. Many of the aspects of this build are in fact new or newish to me. By the time I built my 100 Series I had done similar builds for dozens of customers, I was comfortable and confident with every aspect. However the 200 is still a current platform and while we've sold some parts and done some installs, I don't exactly have the instructions memorized and I want to be quite methodical about the build so I learn along the way. Another major factor was finding a weekend to do the marathon build, between work, travel and desert racing, I don't have any available until December, perhaps later. Lastly, I don't want to burn out those that are always willing to jump in and help. I've got other projects we can do that on

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'm starting to see a bunch of these around. I REALLY like them.

 

[Skylinerider]

Kurt Williams: Business owner, global explorer, soccer mom.

J/K man. I look forward to seeing what you make of it and sharing a trail or two with it sometime.

 

[Lifelong Jeeper]

Subscribe.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Stage One - Maintenance & Baseline:

All the signs of a leaking water pump.

I purchased the 200 private party and while it came with decent service records, I wanted to baseline the fluids and swap the air, oil and cabin air filter, a fresh start. While climbing around the undercarriage during the oil change I noticed a trail of dried up pink coolant coming down the face of the motor. The leak was easily traced back up towards the top of the block, leaking from the weep hole of the water pump. I had an Aisin water pump and gasket on the shelf in the shop so the swap was really just a few hours of shop time and some coolant. We went ahead and swapped the fan bracket while doing the water pump, the bearing had been exposed to the leaking coolant and I didn't want to have to do the job twice. The 5.7L (3UR) is somewhat known for water pump weeps around the 100k mark and they give plenty of warning, don't really ever catastrophically fail and are easy enough to change... not a deal breaker.

The old parts, ready for the scrap bin.

I have had a slight side view mirror shake at high speeds that I need to resolve. Toyota has produced a Technical Service Bulletin kit to remedy this exact situation, I have the parts and need to get around to installing them. Lastly, I have a slight "thunk" coming from the rear driveline, also a somewhat common annoyance found on the 80, 100 and now the 200 Series Land Cruiser. Many (most?) live with it, an occasional re-grease will quiet the problem for quite some time. Others choose to replace the driveline and it's worn slip-joint assembly to resolve the thunk permanently. Again, Toyota has a TSB dealing with the thunk but my 2008 was outside the window of free replacement so I simply greased it up and went on my way. I'll revisit the rear drive line later if it presents a problem down the road.

Stage Two - Upgrade & Refine: Developing the Build Plan

Perhaps I over-think things? Perhaps I under-think them? I simply desire to make sure I'm adding things to the Cruiser that are worthwhile for my planned uses, stalwart and up to the rigors of the way I plan to use the vehicle and lastly a good aesthetic fit without any compromise for function. The build plan is pretty straight forward, repeat everything I liked about my 100 Series Land Cruiser build and table a few items that I haven't quite solidified my opinion on.

The "Death Star" 100 Series. The vehicle the 200 will eventually replace - Photo by Bart W.

Some of this is a direct repeat from my 100 Series build as the ideology remains exactly the same. I'm a big proponent of planning ones vehicle build long before you turn the first bolt. All to often I'm discussing a customers Land Cruiser plan and they ask "What would you do next?". It is by all means a valid question and I appreciate their trust in my opinion and product knowledge but while some items can suggested others need to be developed solely on the needs of the end user themselves. For example I can tell a customer they need to replace their shocks based on a few questions or suggest tie rod ends get replaced based on a quick inspection. However, questions like "What accessory should I do next?" are generally a launching pad for me to discuss a "build plan" with the customer. We do "build plans" on the phone with customers on a daily basis, rebuilding a Land Cruiser front axle and we'll go through our build sheet to make sure we are covering all your parts needs. Looking to install an Old Man Emu suspension and we'll spend 15-20 minutes talking about your past, current and future vehicle uses, loads, accessories, etc and from there we'll recommend the right components. But why not use this same logic on a complete vehicle build? Why not pull up a chair next to your rig in the driveway and start making notes. What do you want out of your rig? What didn't you like about the one you just sold or will be selling? What made you purchase this one? What needs do you need to build around? While it might sound a little naive for some, I think many can benefit. It doesn't matter whether your build is going to take a weekend or a few years, after all "A goal without a plan is just a wish" (stolen from Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Back to the 200 build. What did I need? What did want? What did I love about my 100 Series and what did dislike about it at the same time? Just like the 100, this vehicle will see far more time bombing down dirt roads in high range than it will crawling in technical rocks in low range. It will support 1-4 adults, their gear and food on anything from an overnight trip to a week+ self supported trip out out of country. I envision owning the vehicle for the next 3-5 years. While it won't necessarily be a daily driver, I want it to be comfortable, reliable and ready. My wife may use it from time to time on her mountain biking adventures and we might load the dog in the back and head to the hills for a short hike after work, versatility is fundamental. With that said I've decided to touch on a few of the major categories for my build plan and add a few notes about their importance for my needs.

Armor & Protection: The rig would need protection, front, rear, sides and the belly. While one or several of those areas are easily ignored on the emotion of budget or lack of perceived need, if I was going to do it I was going to do it right and there wasn't a single piece of protection that wasn't used and appreciated on my 100 Series.

Roof Rack: Like many I have mixed emotions on roof racks. They produce aerodynamic drag, noise and result in loss of clearance in tight trees. However, when storage space is at a premium or a roof-top-tent is an option, a roof rack is mandatory. When not in use a quality rack is generally easy to remove. Given my criteria to have one weeks worth of gear for 4 adults for a trip this month, a rack was included in my build plan.

Suspension, Wheel & Tire: With the anticipated loads I expected to carry along with the additional height needed to allow a larger tire and additional ground clearance, a quality, reliable and sturdy suspension were mandatory. With the increased room I hoped to achieve with the suspension I wanted to run a strong wheel that met my aesthetic needs and a tire matched to the job. This truck will bounce between long stretches on the Interstate and hundreds of miles of dirt road, I needed a tire that was capable of providing reliability and function in both scenarios.

Shower System: I've had lines of grungy camp mates lining up to take a quick rinse with hot water, a godsend after a few days in a dusty line of vehicles for men and women alike. While its an easy sell to the misses for those married folks, its also an easy sell to anyone that has every used one. I've installed one on each of my vehicles since, absolutely no reason this one would be different even if space under the hood would be a premium with the other plans.

Snorkel/Waterproofing: Some love them, some hate them, I'm not hear to convince either way however for my needs and intended uses its a need. If your interested in more of my thoughts on snorkels, please see an article I wrote in the past for for Tacoma Magazine.

Lighting: Both the interior factory lights as well as additional exterior auxiliary lighting would need to be improved and installed. Lights on the front bumper for added nighttime driving comfort as well as a manually switchable light for the rear of the vehicle that allows for use as a reverse light as well as a camp light.

Storage: This is one area I really feel like I nailed in the 100. The rear drawers, fridge slide and cubby panels have proven super versatile, secure and tidy. I had my packing down to a science; bins, bags and gear fit in exact spots and I could load or unload in a haste and all the while it served as a stellar sleeping platform. I've covered a bit more of my packing protocol here.

Winch: My travels often find me in some pretty remote locations, possibly in a group or possible solo with nothing but the wolves to keep me company. While we all hope for the best outcome to any situation, its naive to plan for anything but the worst. The winch would need to be matched for the demands and rated for the heavy rig.

Wheel/Fuel Carrier: A full-size spare was mandatory for this build. Between the full-time 4WD which can be damaged but mis-matched tires and the need for comfortable road manners when we are days away from home, there was no other option. This dictates the need for a rear bumper tire carrier which also gives the added benefit of increased ground clearance under the vehicle or the future option for an secondary fuel tank. Given the criteria in my build plan for a tire carrier, a jerry can holder was also mandated to add to the fuel range or carry water outside what will become a stuffed cab. and increased.

Communication & 12V Equipment: Both for personal uses out on the trial as well as this trucks service as a desert race chase, this vehicle needs a full communication suite consisting of a high output HAM unit (modded for use in the race circuit) and a CB radio for general trail duties on future trips. Our modern tech age dictates the need for addition 12V & USB outlets for charging phones, camp lights, GPS power, etc. These would be placed in strategic locations to allow use at the rear as well as by passengers inside the cab. With all the added electrical load as well as the potential for this vehicle to sit boondocked at a camp in the middle of nowhere for days, a dual battery system is included in my build plan. Dual batteries provide not only the added reserve capacity for electronics while the vehicle is not charging (not running) but also provide redundancy in the case of a battery failure and provide a needed second battery for welding with products such as the Ready Welder.

12V Fridge: I could go on and on about my needs for a fridge but I've summed up my thoughts here: RME: 12V Freezer-Fridges - Do they bring the heat?

This covers all the major components I planned to conquer within the scope of my "Phase 1". I'm literally planning to not have any other projects once phase 1 is complete. I'll use it for 6-12 months and if/when there are needs from there. Note: These are my build needs, yours may, could and should vary.

Next Up: The fun begins; Choosing & ordering the build components

Parts are starting to pile up!

 

[thefirstzukman]

If there is anyway I can swing it, I would love to come help with the build.......

 

[Gravy]

 

[Hickey]

I've wanted a refrigerated center console for years! It should be standard equipment on all vehicles.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Stage Two - Choosing & ordering the build components

OK, so in the introduction of my build thread I explained the build plan based on the intersection of my wants and needs. Balancing wants with actual needs can be a foggy proposition, with some items clear cut and others not so much. As I started brainstorming the 200 build, I spent a great deal of time pondering my 100 Series and my Tacoma build before that. While I've had other Toyota's before and after those two, they were my main go-to vehicles and I'd put thousands and thousands of miles on them on adventures. I made a list of the things I would want in the end-all build and then prioritized those items from top to bottom. I do feel it is important to point out that I do my best to choose parts not because I sell them, but rather I sell them because I choose them personally. At that you will note that many of the parts come from a select few manufactures, all high quality offerings with a solid reputation in the industry. This isn't to say these are the only best options, rather I'm hoping my selections will prove the best option for my build.

The previous chariots I based my build plans off of:

2004 Tacoma

2000 UZJ100

ARB Front & Rear Bumpers - While there are a few neat 200 Series bumper options on the market, I'm a fan of the function and form of the ARB units. ARB offers two models for the front of the LC200, the Sahara bar with the optional chrome upper tube and the standard combo "commercial" bar with the full upper hoop arrangement typical of the standard ARB look we are all accustomed to. I chose the traditional commercial model bull bar /winch bar (ARB# 3415110) preferring the upper hood protection and ability to run the the ARB Side Rails. The newer ARB bumper applications all come with the option to run their fog light kit (6821201) in place of the factory fogs that get left behind with the stock bumper. ARB rear bumpers are offered in a modular approach, you start with the base ARB LC200 Rear Bumper (ARB# 5615010) and have the option to add a left or right tire carrier, left or right jerry can carrier, or if carriers are not fitted you run a cover panel. I chose to run the spare tire carrier (ARB Part# 5700212) on the right and the jerry can holder (ARB Part# 5700221) on the left. The ARB rear bumper features double shear swings, gas strut assisted openers and safety lock-outs in the open positions. The bumper has an integrated Class III hitch and tail lights and turn signals to accompany the stock lights which are partially obstructed by the spare tire. In addition to the bumper and the carriers the ARB Park Sensor Fit Kit (5715010) and ARB Mud Flaps (2 x 3500370) were selected to flush out the install.

ARB Side Rails & Step/Sliders - I'm a growing fan of side rails (bars connecting the sliders to the bumper), I can count dozens of times they have saved fenders and while they add some certain "bulk" to a vehicle, I'm willing to sacrifice the tidy look for a bit of extra protection. Much like the 100 Series this replaces, this rig will likely never see a trail like Moab's Pritchet Canyon or the famous Rubicon thus the minor loss of clearance from a heavy duty front bumper and side rails is a non-issue for me. With that in mind, I chose the the ARB Step/Slider (ARB Part# 4415020) which allow use of the ARB Side Rails (ARB Part# 4415050) which tie the sliders to the front bumper. These are compatible with the KDSS suspension and a clean fit, if they hold up as decently as the step/rail combo on my 100, I'll be content.

Warn Winch - My experiences in the shop but more importantly out on the remote trail have always left me with nothing but respect for the Warn product line. Understand anything can fail but its my experience that you see fewer failures with the Warn product line and if/when they do fail, you have their rock-solid warranty to get your winch back rolling (pun intended) again. I've personally had a couple of winch failures over the years, both winches were very heavily taxed and neither left me stranded. Warn took care of me in both cases in under a week. For the past few years we've been using a fair number of ComeUp winches in the shop, particularly on 24V application JDM diesel Land Cruisers (such as our Project LXXIV) and the ComeUp's have been a great offering. I mulled over some ComeUp options and while there were a few I'm sure would have been a great fit, I leaned back towards the Warn based on the the local warranty service offering. So which Warn? I'm a proponent of choosing a winch that is at least 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle. Given a roughly 6,000 lb dry weight I was looking for at least a 9,000 lb winch. On the Death Star 100 Series build I decided to try out their VR10000 with standard wire rope. It was my first personal foray with their VR series and I must say I've been extremely pleased. The winch on the 100 has been used for many recovery's over the past 3 years and it hasn't left me wanting (some winch use examples in our UCE3 trip). Warn recently released the the VR10000-S, the same stalwart VR10000 chassis but with a Warn synthetic rope. It offers a remote solenoid which is needed for the installation in a 'feet-forward' ARB and its housing dimensions don't require any spacers or modifications to the bumper itself. Now I'm really going out on a limb with the synthetic... I just simply haven't been a big fan of synthetic but maybe I wasn't giving it a fair shot? I was recently teaching a recovery/winching class at CruiserFest and the question came up, Synthetic or Wire Rope? I relayed my experiences and the odd failures I've seen with synthetics over the years and the fact the wire rope just works. There are added precautions and safety measures and it can kink and fray thus requiring replacement but it's worked for so many for so many years. The debate was on and I had to concede a few major facts, 1. synthetic rope design has improved drastically over the past 10 years and 2. I was watching other peoples synthetic rope fail, I don't know what brand it was, how it was cared for and what other damage it may have had from previous uses. Fair enough, I would give it a tray and the Warn VR10000-S was selected. As a side note the weight savings will be welcomed, I'm not going for a "lightweight" build on a 200, it just can't be done given my needs BUT I can save weight where possible.

Safari Snorkel - These guys put the recreational vehicle snorkel on the radar of 4x4 users around the globe, many knock-off companies have popped up on the market the last few years with reverse engineered snorkel bodies often using inferior plastics and sub-par hardware, I have no problem paying more for a product from a company with an actual engineering department that doesn't just copy the snorkel rather they innovate and have a vested interest in our economy and community. Enough on that rant. While Toyota offers an OEM snorkel application for the 200 in markets such as Australia and Russia, it simply isn't available here in the US. I had the option to import the factory snorkel for this build but after looking at them firsthand, I prefer the fit/finish of the Safari SS87HF. The Toyota offering is a great product and I wouldn't hesitate to run it but the Safari Snorkel offering is a little tighter to the body and designed as an aftermarket install rather than an OE fitment. It provides a true water tight fitment with clean lines and a snug mount against the fender of the 200. For the time being I'll leave the standard Safari Snorkel air ram, I don't envision running in enough dusty conditions to warrant a pre-cleaner but it's always an option.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Oooh baby, these are works of art.

Old Man Emu (OME) Suspension - Ride quality, load capacity and vehicle height would all need to be adjusted with this build. I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on OME equipped Toyota's on 5 continents, I'm sold at this point. Other satisfactory options exist but for my planned uses the Old Man Emu setup is truly the best of breed in terms of performance, longevity and reliability. I was 100% resolved on installing the tried and true Nitrocharger Sport struts and shocks along with the OME coils appropriate for my planned weights. But, there is a new kid on the block... BP-51. I had heard long told rumors of OME's R&D on a new performance suspension, replacing their LTR systems that were around when I first started selling Land Cruiser parts in the late 90's. Finally at the 2014 SEMA show last fall, I was able to see a BP-51 prototype and discuss the product line with the engineer behind them. The BP-51 gets its name in two parts, BP for the bypass design of the shock and 51 for the 51mm bore on the shock internals. The fronts strut/coil assembly are fully adjustable height and both front and rear feature a remote mounted reservoir for additional oil capacity. You can get a full download on the details of the BP-51 lineup here. They are still very new on the market and with anything new you take the risk of it failing to meet expectations or just flat out not working but I'm up for some testing and with customers already inquiring about them... I had better get some experience with them. For the front I went with the BP5190003L & BP5190003R assembled struts (include coil) along with the KDSS specific VM80010003 fitting kit which consists of mounting brackets for the remote reservoirs. For the rear I went with 2 x BP5160003 shocks and the matching VM80010005 fit kit, again consisting of mounting brackets for the shock reservoirs. I chose rear 1" lift coils, whereas the front is a 2.5" lift, this will level the vehicle substantially. Along with the new shocks/coils I'm planning the use of the Light Racing (SPC) Upper Control arms (SUS25465). I'm a big fan of their sealed ball joint and their use allows 4 degrees of additional camber adjustment and 2 degrees of camber adjustment, thus even with a tall front end you can get your alignment specs withing tolerance and have a beefier high travel ball joint. We've been installing these on customer trucks for many years and have been completely satisfied with their longevity.

Helton Hot Water System - This is truly a case of finding a product I used personally to be so above par that I later became their US distributor. The Helton shower products use a hard mounted heat exchanger to 'borrow' heat from your engines cooling system to in turn heat fresh water. The magic happens inside of their 100% copper tube-in-shell heat exchangerwhich is one of the most rugged and efficient options on the market. For my system I chose the Helton Hot Water (Helton Part# HW1) Heat Exchanger. I've used this same exchanger in several other personal builds including the 100 Series and its proven a fabulous component. The Helton will be mounted somewhere on the firewall using the rubber insulated clamps (Part# HELCLAMP) and plumbed in line with the 100's heater control system. Fresh water hookups will be mounted at the front bumper utilizing the Helton supplied bumper kit, thus allowing shower operation without having to even open the hood.

ARB Skids - The ARB 200 Series Under Vehicle Protection (UVP) skip plate system is relatively new offering. ARB's UVP systems have been a popular option for FJ Cruisers, Prado's and 4Runners but the 200 Series system (Part# 5415100) is the first Land Cruiser offering for the US market. The components are top notch, laser cut, press formed and direct mounts to existing holes on the frame. The kits consists of a front plate, oil pan skid and extends towards the rear to protect the transmission and t-case. The kit ties in very cleanly to the front ARB winch bar providing uniform protection front head to tail.

These have got to go!

Wheels & Tire: My needs and planned uses dictated a tire that would not only provide durability and adequate traction off-road, but fantastic road characteristics as well. I've had fantastic results with the BFG All-Terrains on previous vehicle including my 100 Series and I wasn't really even considering something else, particularly since BFG's released of the updated All-Terrain. If you've looked at any of the before pictures you've probably noticed the nasty 22" wheels the vehicle came with, they are not exactly subtle and they were almost enough for me to pass on this Cruiser. Getting rid of the dubs was high on the priority list and I started shopping immediately. I had a set of 18" and 20" Tundra wheels, a little better but not what I was looking for. I've always love the aesthetics of the TRD Rock Warrior 17" wheels (Toyota# PTR45-34120) and we've been running them on the Canguro 200 race truck with great results too. The only downside is the price but as I had to find something it isn't really much more than buying a set of the factory 18" 200 Series wheels. Updated lug nuts (Toyota part# PTR27-60110) are also requires with the TRD wheels. Now, what size tires? I really beat myself up on this. Reading build threads online, looking at local customer builds and pouring over BFG tire charts for the perfect tire size. Sadly I don't think I was able to find the perfect size but the 285/70R17 BFG AT KO2 All Terrain tire was close enough. I'd have preferred it to be 1/2" larger OD and perhaps 1/2" wider too.

Front Lights - I am in absolutely love with the LED Intensity's on my 100 Series and I didn't even research additional options. The 200's feature a major improvement in stock headlights, compared to the other Land Cruisers I've owned where upgraded bulbs and harnesses are their only saving grace. The stock headlights have a pretty wide pattern and provide uniform lighting, no major improvements needed there. Long distance performance can always be improved so I opted for 2 of the ARB Intensity LED's in the spot pattern (Part# AR32S). As I'll be using the stock fog lamp harness for the ARB fogs, the ARB harness (Part# 3500520) was also added to the list. The Intensity's will be switched with an OE switch on the dash, more on that later. I'm still up in the air on a roof rack and thus I've not spent much time thinking of lighting options for the rack but if/when the rack happens, I'll likely look into a flood pattern LED light bar that mounts tight to the rack.

Storage - There are some great rear drawer systems on the market, both off the shelf and custom offerings that are as creative and modular as one could imagine. I have had an excellent experience with the ARB Outback Solutions drawer system in my 100 Series in fact it has been one of my favorite overall modifications to the interior of the vehicle. My packing has never been more refined and that means I spend less time and effort packing and more time out on the trails (see some expanded thoughts on my packing here: Packing for a week on the trail - Overview). I did find the roller-drawer with a roller-floor less useful than I would have hoped, to the point I really never opened the roller floor to access the fridge. Thus for the 200 I plan on utilizing 2 of the standard Outback Solutions roller-drawers (RD1045). Along with the drawers, ARB offers a fitting kit specific to the 200 Series that covers the sides (200FK) and provides additional storage along the wheel wells for items you don't often need to access. In the 100 I've stored things like spare u-joints, fluids, belts, hoses and emergency food and water supplies. The plan is to us ARB's Fridge Tie-Down Kit (ARB Part# 10900010) in conjunction with the Outback Solutions Fridge Hold Down Kit (BRDFRKIT) and the ARB 12V Loom Kit (ARB Part# 10900011) to power the fridge.

Parts Acquisition

This was the easy parts, the painful part as you depart with money but the easy part in terms of picking up the phone and sending off a few emails. Soon I had this waiting for me

 

[Tonkaman]

Ooh I'm getting excited!

 

[sixstringsteve]

That's sweet. I wasn't aware that OME made struts with remote reservoirs, that's really cool.