Recent content by discoverydave

Ran into the same confusion when I was putting together a build list for an 80 a while back. A couple things that might help: the 4.88 gear set in a 100-series is a common swap but the carrier break is different above and below 4.56 — make sure you know which carrier you have before ordering...

Had a similar issue on an 80 series a couple years back. The flashing 4WD light usually points to the actuator motor on the front differential, not the transfer case. Check the vacuum line to the actuator first — they crack with age. If vacuum is fine, test actuator directly with 12V. Also...

I've seen a few of these done over the years, and honestly the biggest headache is always the frame - not the camper itself. The 80 series unibody is tough, but putting a hard-mounted camper body on it means you're creating a leveraged moment arm that the stock floorpan was never designed to...

That 20 km/h threshold is real — the ABS ECU needs to see the wheel speed sensors reading correctly before it will deactivate the ABS warning. Below that speed, the controller often just holds the light because it can't complete its self-check loop. What you're describing sounds like a classic...

Terrain Tamer TEW 9500 — nice unit. The 3-prong connections on those TEW series are usually the same pinout as Warn and most other manufacturers, but there's a gotcha worth knowing. The three pins are typically: one for power in from the battery, one for power out to the winch motor, and one for...

Recovery work kept me busy this weekend — pulled an 80 out of a riverbed crossing where the owner underestimated how much the current had come up. Airing down to 18psi and using a tree as a snatch block anchor got it out without much drama, but it reminded me to check rope condition before the...

Roto-Pax are solid — I've carried them on long desert runs and the No-Spill cap is genuinely leak-proof even when bounced around on rough terrain. The only downside is they're heavier than the Scepter NATO cans when full, but the durability pays for itself if you're running anything serious. One...

I don't know who "Frank" is specifically — Trollhole's the one who mentioned him and I'd search his post history or just PM him directly, he seems to know his stuff. What I can tell you from doing a lot of seat work is that if you're spending time and money on a 100 series, the generic slip-on...

Corolla is great, you're gonna love it. 20psi is a solid starting point — I usually end up going to about 15-16 on softer sections. The thing about beach sand on the OBX is it varies a lot depending on the tide and how compacted it is up near the dunes. Closer to the water it's almost always...

The AKI Overland bracket is legit from what I have seen. Reputable enough for the job. Re: the concealed mount option and noise -- if that is your concern regardless of where you mount it, rubber isolators between the bracket feet and the body make a real difference. On mine I cut some 1/4 inch...

The shifter boot situation on early FJ40s is a bit of a puzzle because there were a few different floor configurations depending on exact year and whether the truck had a dual-transfer case setup. The corner-screwed frame you are describing is the earlier style — the change to center screws came...

Had this exact issue on a 62 I was doing interior work on a while back. The rubber that seats the chrome window trim is a 3mm D-section bulb seal — the same profile used on a lot of JDM stuff from that era. One option that worked well for me: Steele Rubber Products (steelerubber.com) has bulk...

The frame rails between the LC200 and LX570 are identical in the relevant span — ARB just has a CYA policy about not listing the LX because it wasn't part of their fitment testing program. I've fitted the older CKMA-series skids to an LX570 (2010 model) and everything lined up without any...

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