Builds GCRad1's 1992 ADV80 LAND CRUISER

[FloridaFJ80]

Very practical!!!! Would love to see a more permanent solution when you get your custom mounting setup.!!! Great write up!! Thanks for the update!

 

[devildogcruiser25]

If you have time I would like to hear long term feedback on the falkens. I am seriously contemplating a set in 37" size.

 

[GCRad1]

Hello DevilDongCruiser25,

Thank you for your question!

I'm 24,319 miles into these tires. I have to rotate again this weekend!
I am at the 236,136 mile mark on the ADV80. The Falken Wild Peaks went on at mile marker 211,817 back on Sept 1, 2012: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/gcrad1s-1992-adv-fj80-land-cruiser.233037/page-12#post-7912341

The quicky-quick review, I love my Falken Wild Peaks! I was previously on the 31" Falken High Countries and they were great. I liked them enough to go with Falken again when I did all my mods to go up in elevation. I like these tires for their "dual sport" nature as my rig is a daily driver. While it is a daily driver the tires are aggressive enough for my outings. I'm not rock crawling or swamp crossing, but I do spend a fair amount in the desert.

While I am truly Falken bias, I am confident in the tires as I have seen in competition use first hand! The Falken Wild Peaks shod a many vehicles at King of the Hammers. Truth be told these consumer level tires have thick sidewall, so thick, they are on the level of Baja Projects competition-only tires. The Falken Wild Peak LT315/75R16 weights 77-pounds! I have plenty of rotational mass & momentum, but it is an 80-series.

These puppies are MEATY! I scrub curbs and roll over sidewalks with them while around town. I am very confident when rolling across non-trail rough rocky sections when exploring in and round Johnson Valley, while I do drive cautiously, the tires just creep along. I usually air down to somewhere between 15-20lbs depending on my load. My side walls show no major scares.

Maybe I'm not wheelin' hard enough... But I'm not trying to go hard. I just want to get out there and back!

On another note, I like the tires so much I have also installed at set of Wild Peaks on my
wife's Jeep Commander for the extra protection! While we are in Southern California, the freeways are rough always some type of debris on the road, so having some extra tire protection has paid off more than once on her vehicle. And while I travel quite a bit, this gives me a piece of mind knowing her vehicle has that extra protection where it is needed - at the tires!

 

[GCRad1]

Hey FloridaFJ80,

Check out Post #172 of my buddies Expo rig as he has the same sPod setup and I will be having him perform his metal shaping skills when I get time for a permeant solution. Sorry for the Jeep & forum jump folks, but its worth checking out: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/77201-98-Jeep-ZJ-quot-SHTFV-quot/page18

Very practical!!!! Would love to see a more permanent solution when you get your custom mounting setup.!!! Great write up!! Thanks for the update!

 

[GCRad1]

Something I neglected to show is how you can tie/lash items on the Front Runner roof rack. Front Runner makes these Tie Down Rings that can be moved anywhere in the cross member slots. You just twist and slide to the location needed to secure items down.

 

[GCRad1]

As you all know, we are always looking for things to do with our rigs when we are not able to get out of the house. Some things we have to build up the dead presidents pile to afford them. But some things are just an excuse to be outside and piddling with our rigs. Such as the case with OPERATION BLACKOUT

The area's I would address this day are the larger bolts that hold the bottom turn signal into the bumper, the bolts that attach the side bars onto the front bumper and the clamp that holds the vent roof on top of the snorkel.

I scotchbrite padded up the bolts and strap as good as I could or as good as my patience would allow. Then I poked some slots with a knife into some cardboard to put the bolts in for painting.

Then broke out the spray paint. Krylon has gone way down in value and ease of use! These silly direction nozzles are well - SILLY! And not in a good way silly. And you can NOT swap out the tips like you could before. But I have always used Krylon and or Rustolium. But, it was what was on the shelf in the garage...

OPERATION BLACKOUT - TASK COMPLETE!

I think at some point I will want to figure out how to flatten the gloss on the front bumper with either paint or a scotch brite pad but that will happen on another day. But all in all I am happy with the outcome.

Don't I look happy? Always happy when in Moab!

 

[FloridaFJ80]

Hey FloridaFJ80,

Check out Post #172 of my buddies Expo rig as he has the same sPod setup and I will be having him perform his metal shaping skills when I get time for a permeant solution. Sorry for the Jeep & forum jump folks, but its worth checking out: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/77201-98-Jeep-ZJ-quot-SHTFV-quot/page18

Awesome Thanks again. Your friend is a great fabricator, wish I had does skills. Would be cool to see how your turns out.. thanks again and great build!!

 

[GCRad1]

Just before my Moab trip, this little puppy was chosen to replace the current lights that were sitting on the bumper. This decision was made during King of the Hammers earlier in the year as myself and buddy did some A-B Testing between my lights and his Rigid E20" Combo light. Too bad I was embarrassed to take a photo that night as his Rigid was walking all over my little lights.

I too chose the Rigid E20" Combo as its the best of both worlds between a spot and flood light projection pattern. This single Rigid E20" LED light is the single best light for my needs. I don't need a giant 50" going across the roof, but this little 20" works great for night time driving across either desert or mountain dirt roads.

Im not driving at warp speed like I use to. My rally setup was comprised of two spots and two floods. The spots were in the center and floods on the outside and tilted outward for a wide and long output of light. Part of why I went with the Combo Version of the Rigid E20" as it is available in Flood, Spot or Combo.

Back to the ADV80:

This is the area that the Rigid E20" Combo will go as it measures perfectly for this location!
Sorry roundies, such the traditional shape, its been nice knowing you.

We get every set to install and the wiring is a snap as I already have the sPod system in place!

Some people like having master chiefs as friends, luckily I have a master fabricator friend!

We make use of the stock Rigid Light Bar tabs that are supplied in the box and give them a permanent home...

Using the Rigid Universal mounts, they where cut to shape to fit onto the TJM T15 bumpers crossbar.

Then the crossbar is sanded as we are about to weld the modified Rigid tabs onto the cross bar. Notice the slot in the top of this mount? We did this so we can take the light off if ever needed.

A little spot...

With tabs spotted, the work is double checked and then my buddy proceeds with tigging the rest of the way.

Mr. ScottyG doing his technical work! He is not for hire as those days are over and he has a desk job.
He does this type of work whenever we can bribe him.

You will notice that I have placed some optional Rigid yellow covers over the LED bar. While there is a full-time yellow version of the Rigid E20", I opted for the covers so I would have options. Also, I have gained some front grill - radiator surface area back as the big round lights took up most of that space. I see this is a double major score with the Rigid E20" - MORE LIGHT - MORE AIR!

The Rigid Industries E-Series was the first manufactured projected LED light bar on the market. Since its introduction in 2006, the E-Series light bar has set the standard in the industry through continuing advances in technology and superior engineering. The E-Series light bar is designed to project light at extreme distances while consuming very little power.

Features:

• Patented Hybrid Optics
• Spot / Flood Combo
• 50,000+ Hr LED Lifespan
• Instant On / Off - No Warm Up
• RoHS Compliant
• Over / Under Voltage Protection
• Extruded Aluminum Housing
• Durable Polycarbonate Lens
• Integrated Thermal Managament
• GORE® Pressure Equalizing Vent
• Designed, Engineered, &
  Assembled in the USA

Specifications:

• Watts: 110
• Amp Draw: 7.97
• LED's: 40
• Raw Lumens: 9200
• Lux @ 10m: 2620
• Beam Distance: 1024 m
• Peak Beam Intensity: 262000 cd

More info about the Rigid E20" Combo as well as other Rigid lights, visit their website:
http://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/120312

 

[GCRad1]

I did attempt to do somewhat of a comparative test between the round lights and the Rigid E20" Combo LED light...

When I had the round lights on the rig I shot the following images:

The above image is comprised of only the ADV80's driving lights on low-beam.

The above image is comprised of only the ADV80's driving lights on hi-beam.

The above image is comprised of the ADV80's driving lights on hi-beam and the TJM Round lights.

Here is a shot of the lights in action - round - bright, yep.


/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


On a different night and this is where my test is not so very scientific as it could have been...
You will notice in the previous images I was shooting from inside the rig through the windshield and on wet ground.

And then in true non-scientific form...

The above image is of ambiant light only - no driving lights. And shot from outside the rig, not through the windshield. And on dry ground, not wet as in the previous images. Also, this image and the following images look brighter overall. Sorry gang!

The above image is comprised of only the ADV80's driving lights on low-beam.

The above image is comprised of the ADV80's driving lights on low-beam and the Rigid E20" Combo with yellow lens covers.
Now I need to get out onto some dirt road and do some long throw images, but I will not be remounting the round lights for comparison.
Hope you enjoyed this not so scientific report. This message has been brought to you by TMRm'zine-BustTheScientifical-GCRad1.

 

[lt1fire]

pretty cool looking there

 

[GCRad1]

FOUND PHOTOS! A while back before taking off on my Moab trip I wanted to see if I could relieve some heat from the engine compartment. I've seen some cool threads on venting, but I've not had the time needed to do all the work needed to install vents. Plus the money needed, I would rather put into things I need vs want. So, I've seen this little technique on some street rods and thought I would give it a try. It may look a little weird at first, but its not a fashion statement, its for function. I just wished I had a 1HDT turbo diesel motor under the hood.

To get the hood kicked up in the back, all I did was add a longer bolt with washers stacked in.
The above photo shows the stock hood latch bolt on the left and longer replacement bolt on the right.

I made two stacks of washers as I was not sure if I wanted to go with three washers or four. I went with three washers both front and back.

Another angle. I think it works OK but I think I will come back and add four washers as I noticed the hood barely clears the rubber seal at the back of the hood. The rubber seal expands up when the hood is lifted and didn't realize how much it expands up. I didn't shoot more detailed photos as I was just trying to get this done before my trips but I can come back and shoot these went I take time to bump the hood up higher.

 

[KS-Ryan]

What cooling issues are you having that you need to do that?

 

[GCRad1]

None really other than this engine/transmission makes a lot of heat! Massive transmission, exhaust manifold next to firewall/floorboard and catalytics right under the floorboard really heats up the cabin after it runs for a while. The cooler I can get this puppy, the better especially when my A/C is not functioning! Sometimes you just want to try stuff...

 

[KS-Ryan]

I Dynamated the whole interior of mine and did a layer of Dynamat and Dynamat Extreme and it made a big difference in how hot the floorboard and transmission tunnel got. I know what you mean, though, about how hot everything gets on a long trip. I can't imagine driving without A/C though. What is wrong with yours?

 

[GCRad1]

80-Series Brake Pad Change Time!
The rig is sitting on jack stands and ready to slap some new pads in the stoppers!

This will be the first time I've actually changed the pads myself. I've usually had these done when my rig would be in for other service but this time I was getting ready to hit a big trip and needed to get them changed out.

Notice the wire-spring. It holds the pins in place that hold the brake pads.

You will push this portion of the spring-wire out in order to pull it out of the pins in order to push the pins out next.
I was
actually on the phone with Yotamasters and he gave me the quick-411 as I was about to do the traditional way of taking the large caliper bolt out and swing the whole caliper up out of the way. But not on the Land Cruiser, its SUPER EASY!

This is another view of the spring.

I used a tool to start to push the pin through the caliper outward. Also note the spring "T" plate as it provides tension on the pads. This will come out as well.

Bottom pin removed and here is the top pin removed. Now the pin is going to be your tool to help remove the brake pad.
Notice the spring "T" plate is removed as well.

Use your pin to wedge between the brake pad and the clipper and pry out the pad.

While the pad is pulled out half way, you can use the pad to push the pistons back in so the new thicker pad will fit back in.
Here is the view from the other side showing the pistons. The pad is pushing in the lower piston:

Now reverse the steps as you put the new pads in place.

New pads in place. Don't forget to put the spring "T" plate back in place as you add the pins.

Pins, spring "T" plate and spring are all back in place! Ready for stoppage!

 

[ppc]

It looks like you have a problem with frozen pistons in the backside of the caliper as the inner pad is significantly worn as compared to the outside. I would rebuild or replace the caliper. Those don't look like OEM either but that could be a difference between 91-92 and later models.

 

[Copenhagen1]

Nice write up on the brakes.

You might mention loosening the cap on the brake master cylinder before pressing the pistons back in to the calipers. It gives the fluid somewhere to go and makes it easier to do.

 

[GCRad1]

Not sure what is wrong with the A/C as it was not working when I bought the rig. I will get it sorted one day... One day I will seek out a really good A/C specialist.

What cooling issues are you having that you need to do that?

 

[GCRad1]

Hello Copenhagen1!
Thank you for pointing that out as I do that when I am changing pads to do as you say and make squeezing the pistons easier.
Also, thanks for stopping in and reading my post!

Nice write up on the brakes.

You might mention loosening the cap on the brake master cylinder before pressing the pistons back in to the calipers. It gives the fluid somewhere to go and makes it easier to do.

 

[GCRad1]

August 16, 2014 - Saturday : SoCal80's - 80's on Saddleback Day Trip.

I tagged along on this day run trip organized by The80sRock over in the ClubHouse section. Luckily for me DylanICON shot me a text message and gave me the heads up or I would have completely missed this putting!

Once I hit any dirt road I like to remove the load off of the ignition key and "more importantly" remove the jingle of keys so I can hear everything else that is squeaking and squawking in the ADV80. I make use of the EXOTAC FreeKey ring as I can easily use one hand to remove the ring from the key.

I love the Exotac FreeKey System as I can take my key ring off my key while driving! I hate the jingle of keys. The Exotac FreeKey is shaped in a way that allows you so squeeze and open the ring so you can easily slide a key off. This is the simplest cleanest solution I have found!

Entering Saddleback from the Silverado Canyon side.

The ADV80 striking a pose.

On Safari.

TLC - Toyota Landcruiser Chain

An 80 over here, and 80 over there... 80's everywhere!!!

Toyota convention on Saddleback.

The ADV80's FrontRunner Slimline II roof rack is able to support this heavy trail!

I have fun trailing along in the back with NLXTACY as my ADV80 is A/C'less so I was trailing off the rear far enough for "free air."
Chances are you have seen his rig and thread on Mud here, if not, hit the pink and it will link you to his profile.


I posted some more images in the Santiago Peak Run Thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/santiago-peak-run.812959/page-10#post-9329481

and more photos in another post here:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/santiago-peak-run.812959/page-10#post-9330273

View the whole thread from the start:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/santiago-peak-run.812959/

Thank you The80sRock for putting this trip together and THANK YOU DylanICON for inviting me along!!!