Builds Project Fauxverlander 200 Series Land Cruiser Build Thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter cruiseroutfit
- Start date
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May have missed this but How many miles on it?
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
Like others have said, I can't wait to se what you guys do.
This is gonna be great.
Glad to see someone stateside really proving the 200-series. Locals here slap the dune tires on them and take them out in the sand all day long... Only to hop right back on the highway and cruise. They are well proven here.
Glad to see someone stateside really proving the 200-series. Locals here slap the dune tires on them and take them out in the sand all day long... Only to hop right back on the highway and cruise. They are well proven here.
Very interested, a 200 is in the future for our stable, adding of course to the 40, 80, & 100
- Thread starter
- #26
Approx. 95k
treerootCO
Where are my keys?!
Subscribed
What about lockers for the beast?
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
Any plans for a body lift like the Baja truck?
- Thread starter
- #30
Planning ARB Air Locker(s) at some point.
The body-lift on the race 200 was mandated by the 37" tires and massive up travel. Mine is going to be a far more modest suspension and I don't plan to do this as much
(Photo credit Adam Tolman aka BoxRocket)
Markuson
SILVER Star
Planning ARB Air Locker(s) at some point.
The body-lift on the race 200 was mandated by the 37" tires and massive up travel. Mine is going to be a far more modest suspension and I don't plan to do this as much
View attachment 1161359
(Photo credit Adam Tolman aka BoxRocket)
Gaaaaahhhhh!!! That looks FUUUUUN!!!
Planning ARB Air Locker(s) at some point.
The body-lift on the race 200 was mandated by the 37" tires and massive up travel. Mine is going to be a far more modest suspension and I don't plan to do this as much
View attachment 1161359
(Photo credit Adam Tolman aka BoxRocket)
How are these roof lights mounted?! I want to do this! Haha
- Thread starter
- #33
They are mounted on tabs right to the internal roll cage. When you take a windshield out of the equation you can get creative with mounting
They are mounted on tabs right to the internal roll cage. When you take a windshield out of the equation you can get creative with mounting
Hahahaha [emoji106] I just need to commit to the racecar lifestyle....
TLC Norway
woodwelder
Looks like a interesting build.
Question... How does the crawl control fare when say a rear locker is fitted and engaged?
Can you use crawl control, then flick in rear locker, and the crawl control still manages the front?
Our do you have to tamper with the electrics to disable the CC when engaging locker?
P
Sent from my A0001
Question... How does the crawl control fare when say a rear locker is fitted and engaged?
Can you use crawl control, then flick in rear locker, and the crawl control still manages the front?
Our do you have to tamper with the electrics to disable the CC when engaging locker?
P
Sent from my A0001
Nice, the man had a way with words. I will be watching this build with interest.
- Thread starter
- #37
Yes, Crawl control is just looking for variances in wheel speed. With a locker engaged you have no variance so it won't apply brake to those wheels.
Phares
Mostly Useless
I'm so excited....I just can't hide it! You know you know you know you want to. You want to...
Sub'd
Sub'd
- Thread starter
- #39
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.
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
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.
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
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