Any feel there LC is too big, bulky or tippy?? Buying one and need some encouragement

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T

tunerdude

20 Year 15 Year 10 Year
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Aug 11, 2005
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Hey all. I have been lurking on this board for a while now. I am now in a position where I can afford and need one. Im really intersted in the 80-series, and was planning on doing the 2.5 inch ome lift.
I will be moving back to Colorado and using it go snowboarding/mountain biking up in the Colorado rockies every weekend as well as doing some active offroading. I really like how well the 80's perform both on and off the road. However, I just drove one the other day, along with a SAS 1st gen xterra ::drool:: and the the LC seemed really big. The guy who had it said he loved it, but it was big for the trails. He had deep scratches and tree scratches going down both sides.

So here is my question: Has the been a situation where your 80-series has seemed to big or bulky for a trail? But the 80-series I drove was lifted with the OME 2.5 and it just seemed rather...iffy, it just seemed like on steep climbs I was going to flip over backwards.

Any advice would be very appreciated.

BTW: When snowboarding, I will sleep inside my LC over the course of a few nights due to lack of funds to get a motel. I already have a -10 degree bag and propane heater.

I was also looking at the xterra and 97-02 4runners. I want the LC for sheer offroad abiltity.
 
An 80 with a 2.5 inch lift is not tippy in any way by most any standards (for an SUV...it is all relative).

As far as size for the trails, sure, there are trails the 80 will scrape on that an Exterra won't. But the Exterra is only 3 inches narrower than an 80. 3"! How many times will you notice that off-road? You will notice the superior off-road attributes of the 80 every time your tires hit dirt.

If you plan to sleep inside, the 80 will be your most comfortable option, I believe (although I am only 5' 9" and can manage to sleep in the back of a GMC Jimmy).

Of course, I am biased. But the truth is, I could have bought any vehicle I wanted, and I chose an 80 (twice :) ). I really think they are unbeatable for someone who truly off-roads and need moderate but not need extreme cargo space. They are also one of the few vehicles I feel are worth buying past 100,000 miles. They are built to be serviced and run many miles.
 
tippy no, my 80 can take a steeper angle than I can brave,

Bulky not really but in tight trails a Suzuki Samurai or any other compact SWB vehicle is going to be easier to maneuver than a wagon. Width is one part, a short wheel base gives more maneuverability and protects its rockers better, and also the 80 does have a large rear overhang like all wagons

It is a compromise, if you want the internal space of a wagon you have to deal with what that does to the external dimensions.

Compared to an extera there is no useable size difference and a lot of ability lost, get the 80.
 
tunerdude said:
BTW: When snowboarding, I will sleep inside my LC over the course of a few nights due to lack of funds to get a motel. I already have a -10 degree bag and propane heater.
Click to expand...

Be very careful with that propane heater in an enclosed space. You may go to sleep and never wake up. Unless it is a vented heater (I highly doubt it), it will use the same oxygen you are breathing and create carbon monoxide, the odorless gas that you won't realize is there until after you pass out and die. If you absolutely have to use one in an emergency, you have to make sure to crack the windows, but even then it could be a risky proposition.
 
Thanks for all the comments. Yeah, the propane heater heater needs to be vented. I should say that I wont use it all night. I will use it for about 5 mins before I go to bed to warm everything up and about 10 minutes before I get out of bed in the mourning. It will make 0 degree mournings feel a little better. Actually I was hoping to find a 12v heater, but I am not sure if anyone makes one and even so, how well it works. Anyway, thanks alot for the replies, it give me that much more confidence to go ahead and make my purchase....finally.
 
Yes, the 80 will feel like you're driving a bus on the trail (depends on what you're used to). It's great for fitting a lot of gear or a family, but for difficult rock crawling I like a much smaller rig (I flat tow a built sammi for the exciting trails).

I know some will say you can build up the 80 for any trail. Yes, but at what expense and sacrifice? For me it was cheaper and better to keep the 80 closer to stock and build a cheap little SWB rig as a trail beater.
 
I have an '89 3.0 V6 SAS 4Runner with dual ARB's and have mainly used it for rock crawling. I love the fact that I can take the shell off. My locked 80 is very capable offroad and yes, it feels bigger on the trails but I LOVE it in the snow. Full time 4WD is super stable in snow and one of the reasons why I purchased it. I drive to UT, CO, CA, and AZ to snowboard and have driven through major snow storms and snow covered rural backroads in confidence. I test drove Rubicons and Sequoia's before choosing the 80 and IMO, its size is just right. With a wife and 2 kids, my 4Rnr is cramp and the Sequoia is HUGE. The 80 seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I've been considering selling my 4Rnr to deck out my 80....we'll see.

check out this pic of my 4Rnr...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/58093459/1058093584028774797YEmgTa

the 80 before the lift...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/58092058/1059499803028774797eatijk#

WET
 
Love the 80. I echo everyone else that chimed in here.

On the propane, my dad was using a propane heater in the back of his Ford Pickup with a shell...even with everything closed it's better vented than an 80 with the windows cracked. Something went wrong with the heater...it was new...and it blew up. He crawled through one of the side windows. He lost part of his nose and is badly scarred in a lot of places you don't want scars. Think twice before running the propane heater inside.
 
80's are not really rock crawlers but for a good all around expedition moderate wheeler they rock!
I just got back from a trip. Dallas to SW CO, drove there, wheeled the trails for 4 days and then drove back, all with a truck full of camping gear, a brother and an 8 year old in airconditioned comfort. Try that in an X or a 40.
Get the 80 you wont be disappointed.
*OME heavies/315 AT's/ARB bumper and siderails*
 
compairing an 80 to a xterra is like compairing a harley davidon to a honda shadow. get an 80 and you'll thank yourself. big. mmmm, kinda. under powered, depends. but soild axles and lockers from the factory and enough room to live in, oh yeah, and its a freggin yota! nough said.:flipoff2:
 
I have 2 80's and two 4 runners. The 4runner is a great ruck and probably a lot like the xterra in size, at least the 99 4runner. It wheel sgreat and is fun to drive. BUT, I just love driving the 80 (LX450). It's stable and fun to drive and I prefer it over even my wifes 06 4runner. It's not tippy and more stable than others.

What trails are you concerned about, the risingsun4wd club has run most of the trails around here and we also venture to Moab every year.

Here are a few 80 action shots. I'd like to see an xterra do some of these

Mark from Metaltech at Moab
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The Crack at Moab
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Me on wipeout hill
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Little Boss (Teresa) driving
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NorcalDoug on Hells Gate (One of my fav's)
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Enough Moab. How about Colorado trails

Chinamans Gulch
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Spring Creek, Yankee Hill, Kingston Peak, Jenny Creek, Argentine, etc. etc.

Teh hard core rock places like Carnage Canyon is about the only place I don't take it. But I would take it before an Xterra

Hope that helps. Checkout the local club when you move back. Go on runs with other folks that will hail you and your truck home if there is a problem, priceless!
 
The 80 is extremly stable on the trails. A leaf spring truck will lean and feel scary in a place where an 80 will stay stable as a rock while the suspension flexes.

The reason I wheel my leaf sprung 55, other than it's the coolest truck ever built?

It's narrower by about 6-8 inches. It fits much better on midwest tree lined trails. The 80 is a whale on the trail.



It's also, by far, the best LC ever built. Therefore, by logical extention, the best all around 4x4 ever built.
 
..........."Dad, how much of a person could you chop off without them dying?" - My 7 year-old while pondering sword fights.............

Lucy: I hope you have shown your son the fight of the Black Knight in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

Michael
 
MH_Stevens said:
..........."Dad, how much of a person could you chop off without them dying?" - My 7 year-old while pondering sword fights.............

Lucy: I hope you have shown your son the fight of the Black Knight in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

Michael
Click to expand...

What does this have to do with anything?????
 
tunerdude said:
So here is my question: Has the been a situation where your 80-series has seemed to big or bulky for a trail?
Click to expand...

Yup. It will depend where you wheel and what type of rigs you go with.

On a recent trip, I had to have a chat with the trail leader who was using a chainsaw to clear downed trees from the trail. I had to remind him that my HDJ81 with 35x12.50R15 was a couple inches wider than his HZJ75 on skinnies.

Sometimes, it sucks to be fat... I get a lot more pin striping on local trails than the other locals.

Another surprise for me was the 40 acres of ground hidden from view when I crest a hill; maybe I need a booster seat.

G'luck, -Steve
 
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