Builds Layonnn's 100 series build (1 Viewer)

[Layonnn]

2001 Toyota Land Cruiser UZJ100 (River Rock Green Mica)

Found the truck in Austell, GA. Had a local FJ Cruiser pal go give it a look over and test drive for me. Booked my ticket and flew on up the day after my birthday, August 5th, 2011. Everything looked great, drove it home and it ran like a champ.


Tires and axles:

• 315/75r16 Goodyear MTRs on OEM 16" wheels
• ARB air lockers front and rear (ARB high output compressor)
• Nitro 4.88 gears

Suspension:

• OME torsion bars and 860 rear springs
• Radflo 2.5" emulsions shocks
• Hardline Fabrication Services rear upper and lower links
• 80 series extended rear sway bar links
• Bump-It Offroad differential drop bracket
• Custom frame link mount armor

Armor:

• ARB front bumper (03+)
• BIOR rear bumper with tire carrier and can carrier
• BIOR engine skid
• White Knuckle Offroad rock rails
• Rear lower shock armor
• Spressofab V.2 recovery brackets

Electrical:

• Diehard Platinum primary battery and Yellow Top Optima auxiliary battery
• Titan 12K winch with synthetic line
• Rigid Industries 30" LED light bar
• ARB fog lights
• CREE LED reverse lights
• George's LED dome lights
• 5000K DDM HID low beams
• JVC 840 headunit
• Cobra 75 CB

Engine:

• Doug Thorley ceramic coated headers
• Safari Snorkel
• DT catback (ordered)

Two previous build threads, both sold.

2007 FJ Cruiser:
Layonnn's Voodoo Build - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum

1997 Land Cruiser (FZJ80)
Layonnn's Locked FZJ-80 - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum

A lot of folks have asked why i switched from the 80, so here it goes.
I was looking to get new tires, 35" MTRs to be exact. If i was going to go to that size, i'd need to regear to 4.88s, if i was going to regear and have to pull the axles, i need to repack and replace the bearings, WHILE i am doing that, i might as well replaced the rotors and bads, and the rear calipers look like they could use some replacing sometime in the near future, so might as well get to that too. All of this in total, would still have left me with a truck that i wouldn't feel comfortable towing more than ~3K lbs or so with IMO from having towed light loads with it. So, later on, when i finally have enough money saved to get a boat that weighed closed to 5Klbs, i'd have to get a second vehicle just to tow it with.
This towing issue coupled with the price of new 35s, regearing, repacking bearings, new brakes, was going to be a lot of money as well.


On the drive home from Georgia:

Day1:
295/75/r16 BFG All Terrains installed.
Remove running boards.
Remove sun roof wind visor.
Pressure wash and scrub floor mats, vacuum.
Grease the 6 zerks on the drive train.
Un-plug blown subwoofer (need to get speaker to replace, as it sounded great before it blew )
Get new Rain-X rear wiper, fix "saggy wiper syndrome"

Running boards on.

Running boards off.

And my co-pilot, Roux. She comes with me offroading and camping everytime i go.

 

[Layonnn]

Just ordered up the following today 8.17.11:
Rad-Flo 2.5" for front
ARB bumper 03+
OME torsion bars and rear coils
Bump it offroad diff drop kit
And Safari Snorkel

White Knuckle Offroad rock rails were ordered a few days ago. They are being built right now, takes about 2-3 weeks?

Also, removed hood bug deflector and cleaned/reconditioned all leather seats.

I haven't figured out what rear shocks i want to run, but i am leaning towards OME L shocks.
Though i am unsure if i can order them with the proper bushings and washers to work on the 100 series. Shotts, help me out

Here are some before and after pics from the bumper and OME install:

Parts laid out

Tear down, in retrospect, removing the grill was not necessary

Done!

OME before and after:
Before

After

Saturday night we spent up at my dad's shop. I installed my diff drop and rear lower shock armor, Hodges installed his snorkel.

Bump it offroad diff drop

Getting started and getting everything ready

Taped up and using step-drill bit

Notice the blurry arm? The is one of the many times the holesaw will jerk your arm violently, haha.

Me using the dremel on the holes to debur

Installing my diff drop

 

[Layonnn]

reserved for build 2

 

[Manhattan]

Damn it. You made me feel like a slacker when I had my FJC. And now here you are with a 100 doing it again!

You're off to a HELLUVA start! Definitely subscribed!

 

[spressomon]

Why don't you want the same shock type front and rear?

 

[Griffin]

clean ride, looking great.

Which rainex wiper is that? The Repel, Weatherbeater or Latitude?

 

[Gottagetone]

Nice job Layton, wouldn't expect anything less and look forward to watching the progression and wheeling with ya.

 

[Layonnn]

Damn it. You made me feel like a slacker when I had my FJC. And now here you are with a 100 doing it again!

You're off to a HELLUVA start! Definitely subscribed!

Thanks Manhattan. Always thought you had a very nicely modded FJC, especially with the silver steel wheels! Your 100 series is looking just as great as well, love the dark red color.

Why don't you want the same shock type front and rear?

I do want them for the rear, i am still undecided.
The Radflos for the rear would be more than twice as much ( i think) as the OME L's. I have always felt that the dampening in the front was a lot more critical than the dampening in the rear. My semi plan right now though, is to install the OME t-bars and rear coils, and radflos up front.
If they are all that impressive, than i might go with the 2.5s in the rear too. If i am not that impressed, probably OME L's.

clean ride, looking great.
Which rainex wiper is that? The Repel, Weatherbeater or Latitude?

Thanks,
It's the Latitude. IMO, don't get them. They don't seem to fit the curvature of the rear glass very well and the top two inches or so doesn't wipe well.
My front windshield has them as well and they do a pretty bad job.
I will probably give the high end Bosch ones a try when it starts to rain a little more down here.

Nice job Layton, wouldn't expect anything less and look forward to watching the progression and wheeling with ya.

Thanks Matt!
Wheeltoberfest wil be fun!!!

Did you order those Kelly Safaris yet? I am really starting to like that tires tread pattern (kind of a little more aggressive AT tire) and haven't seen a bad review of them yet. And at a great price.
What kind of mileage have people been getting out of them?

 

[Gottagetone]

Search on here for Safari TSR and you will see some of the best reviews you can find anywhere.

I am on the hunt for a set and will let you know how it goes. I put the FJ on autotrader.com and sold it in a day, pending funds, so that frees up the cash to pay off the LC, get some MT sliders and a set of tires. The FJ is headed to Europe!

 

[dfrelich]

Your Phone

You plan to remove this?

Seriously. Looks good. I'm under 6/32 of the tire tread. I might go for BFG.

 

[OGBeno]

Nice work Layton...

So I assume you won't be buying parts from us for awhile...

 

[smm3]

Looks so much better! Keep up the good work!

 

[RobRed]

I have an extra one if he wants to mount one on the other side

You plan to remove this?

Seriously. Looks good. I'm under 6/32 of the tire tread. I might go for BFG.

 

[warpdriv]

That my favorite color! I'm going to watch this build. You need to change your avatar.

 

[euclid]

Subscribed, looks great. Funny, I bought mine on my birthday too....

 

[Layonnn]

Search on here for Safari TSR and you will see some of the best reviews you can find anywhere.

I am on the hunt for a set and will let you know how it goes. I put the FJ on autotrader.com and sold it in a day, pending funds, so that frees up the cash to pay off the LC, get some MT sliders and a set of tires. The FJ is headed to Europe!

It certainly does. You had that thing at a steal of a price even with the miles on it. Someone (apparently in Europe?) got a heck of a deal.

You plan to remove this?
Seriously. Looks good. I'm under 6/32 of the tire tread. I might go for BFG.

Have people noticed a difference after removing it? I can only assume some engineers spent a LOTTTTT of time putting that there. Though, a simple test of running with and without should suffice.
And yes i had over 50K miles on my last set of BFG ATs and they still had a goooooood bit of tread left on them, partly what convinced me to go with them again. The main downfall of this tire is mud though, which sucks living in LA.

Nice work Layton...
So I assume you won't be buying parts from us for awhile...

Thanks Beno!!! Thanks for all your help with parts and any questions I've had. Finally got all that adjusting the timing stuff sorted out. Made much more sense once i saw it in front of me, haha.
And as soon as anything starts giving me trouble i will be ringing you up!

That my favorite color! I'm going to watch this build. You need to change your avatar.

Thanks, and yes i do. Though i'll probably put my dog up as my avatar, haha.

Subscribed, looks great. Funny, I bought mine on my birthday too....

Thanks euclid.
This, however, was the day after my birthday. I went wakeboarding for the 10th year in a row all day on my birthday. I have been wakeboarding since i was 10 (28 now) and plan to keep up this tradition til i can no longer ride.

Hopfully the bumper and OME t-bars and rear coils will be here Tuesday or Wednesday. We are having an FJ Cruiser meet and greet and mod day at my dads business/shop this coming Sunday, so i might try to get one of these installed before and do the other one that Sunday. Pics will follow for each.

 

[Anthony.L]

It's the Latitude. IMO, don't get them. They don't seem to fit the curvature of the rear glass very well and the top two inches or so doesn't wipe well.

I've yet to find a rear wiper that gets the top two inches.

 

[stevopike]

what was the lead time on the radflos?

 

[Layonnn]

what was the lead time on the radflos?

Not sure. Metal Tech has some in stock.

ARB bumper went on today, pics later.
30" LED bar came in mail today also.

 

[Supra88]

I'm getting ready to pick up an ARB combo bar - where did you pick yours up at?