Builds 1995 HZJ77 wagon build - Japan sourced (50 Viewers)

[Pip Bernadotte]

NOAS Uwharrie pt 3

And right here is where I dinged my quarter panel the year before...

This is why you have tire stick out~ ^_^

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

NOAS Uwharrie Pt 4

Lemme just tuck this mirror back for you

Love how this family came up in their BONE STOCK Willy's jeep and passed everyone on the front side of Daniel, the hardest trail in the park

And ended the day with a 3.5 gallon vat of chili ^_^

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

November 2023

Got some Light Force long distance HID spots. Was originally told they were 24v compatible... That was apparently untrue... So I had to wire my favorite thing in: a 24-12V step down converter.

So now I have regular lights (even with upgraded Hella bulbs, they're a bit dim...)
Baja Design OnX6 12,000 lumen light bar for spread
Light Force distance spots (they're supposed to be 1lux of light at 1300 yds)

I like the look, and LOVE the amount of light and the ability to see better in all conditions (except fog... but we'll see about that one day... )

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

November 2023

Well, I had a true test of my DIY trailer hitch. Dad and I were on a "drive" with his and mom's British Car Club here in Columbia. It was the first test drive after he thought he had the supercharger he's spent 3 years custom fitting to it finally dialed in.

Turns out, it was not quite dialed in enough... It started to backfire, which blew out the cork gaskets he had used on the homemade blow off valves... so then it was leaking pressure AND fuel down the side of the manifold... So... Our drive ended there.

Thankfully one of his friends volunteered to drive us back to Columbia. Its upon reaching home and getting my HZJ77 that things start to get interesting.
We went to a friend's house to borrow his trailer. Sadly he was out of town on a cruise in Mexico. Double sadly, he had tongue locked his trailer so we couldn't just borrow it (he's a good guy, he wouldn't have minded if we did)

We know he usually keeps the side door of his garage open, and the keys are often on his work bench. What we didn't know was that he had recently had a new security system installed in his house AND his garage... Interestingly he still hadn't locked his garage side door...

We entered the garage and looked to find the key but couldn't find anything, when there's a knock at the door and his neighbor pops in and asks what we're up to. We explain, and he says "yeah, he probably wouldn't mind, but your presence has alerted me because I'm his emergency contact for the new alarm, and the police are on the way"..... Half an hour later, after we'd explained what was going on to the police, and dad's friend had been called on his cruise ship in Mexico... and kindly explained that we were alright to be there... and he then told us where the key ACTUALLY was... we were off!

Another thing we quickly discovered was that because the trailer was made for hauling little MGs with a not-large tow vehicle, it had a 7-pin connector for trailer brakes. I only had a 4 pin regular utility trailer connector...

So: adapt & over come!

I went to Home Depot and bought a 7-pin connector that had a 4-pin plug in as a make shift adapter (If it works, it's not stupid)

It was about this time that I learned how useful having a brake controller is for your vehicle. The HZJ77 is rated to tow 750kg (1650 lbs) . This was a little bit more than that...
9

Thankfully it was getting pretty late, and the Brits usually take the back roads (because their cars weren't made for modern highways) so there wasn't much traffic and we took it easy getting back home. I'm pretty impressed by the 129 hp 210 ftlbs of the 1HZ. It pulled that old MG like an absolute (aged and asthmatic) champ. But I definitely wished it had a bit more power. I also wished I had a brake controller, but that's something I can fix a bit easier.

Long story, but the DIY hitch worked flawlessly

 

[Nad Aitch]

Also decided to destroy the powder coat on my bumper a second time and mod the "hoop" to be able to mount a Baja Designs OnX6 light bar.
View attachment 3688971
I started by cutting some 1/4 steel plate into tabs and drilled them for some M8 bolts. Decided I like the look of the light bar BELOW the top of the hoop better (because then it wouldn't block the nice shiney TOYOTA emblem on my grill )
View attachment 3688972

Slapped some paint on it, and think it turned out really clean~

View attachment 3688978

Really curious what your thoughts are on this one. I'm contemplating doing the exact same thing on my 4x4labs bumper. I could probably squeeze squadrons or LP4s on there, but I really like the compact look of the 10" bar under the hoop. New to aux lights so I don't really fully understand the tradeoffs. This looks cool tho!

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Really curious what your thoughts are on this one. I'm contemplating doing the exact same thing on my 4x4labs bumper. I could probably squeeze squadrons or LP4s on there, but I really like the compact look of the 10" bar under the hoop. New to aux lights so I don't really fully understand the tradeoffs. This looks cool tho!

I absolutely love it! It has 12,000 lumens, so it's like an additional 6 headlights. Functionally, it's like walking into a room with a flashlight vs turning the light switch on the wall on.

That being said, it's definitely more of a "flood" so it's really good for 50-150ish yards. Past that, I have the Light force lights on the sides that will go to 1300 yards.

As far as fit goes, I love how it squeezes in between the hoop and the winch that I have since installed (I'll post more pictures later, just been trying to catch up on my posts in order )
It squeezing in there let's me make the most of my front end space without having to have lights here there and everywhere.

 

[Nad Aitch]

What pattern did you get?
I'm thinking "driving/combo" is probably the way to go. Btw is that bumpside Ford yours too? That's my other project truck, haha

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

What pattern did you get?
I'm thinking "driving/combo" is probably the way to go. Btw is that bumpside Ford yours too? That's my other project truck, haha

I got the combo lights for added spread on the corners.

That was my neighbors truck. He just swapped it for a Dodge Dart because the guy who did the engine put the wrong heads on it... And he just wanted to wash his hands of it after trying to figure out what flaws wrong with it for 3 months to no avail

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

November 2023
Next up: Spring lift!
The previous owner had installed a shackle lift on the cruiser to help it fit the 285/75R16 tires. It's done decently well as long as I've owned it, but the springs are now... well... FLAT AS A BOARD.

So, after finding a place ( Desert Rat Offroad ) that was willing to help me find the correct springs and shackles for my Cruiser, and order them for me, and then put up with me calling every two weeks from the beginning of September through the middle of November (and into January) to see if they had any updates on when they'd arrive. (Many many thanks go out to the guys at Desert Rat. They got to the point that they could tell it was me just by hearing my voice when they picked up the phone. - No worries though, I was always pleasant and just shot the s*** with them for a bit. It's not their fault ARB has a VERY weird distribution system...)

I finally got to install the front springs and shackles on the Cruiser! (and as usual, it's never that simple... I had to heat up one of the spring pin bushings with a torch and hammer it out with a baby-sledge to get it to actually let go...)

Front springs don't look so flat when it's on the lift... but the were pretty darned flat. The rear were worse though... sometimes looked nearly inverted...

The shackle lift the previous owner had installed. Not terrible, but not great either.

Hmmm... parking brake bushings on the rear could use a refresh...

After a bit of cursing, torching, and hammering, I finally got the springs in place. (after the paint dried on the chassis where I had to torch things)

I ended up gifting my old springs to a friends dad who does a lot of blacksmithing. I hope he's making some cool things with that much Japanese spring steel ^_^

ARB Numbers:
CS007F Heavy Duty 2" lift front springs
OMESB1 front bushings
OME U51 Ubolts
OME GS2 Shackles

CS057R Medium Duty 2" lift rear springs
OMESB16 rear bushings
OME U59B Ubolts
OME GS1 Shackles

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Front Springs continued

So, just out of curiosity (and to see how much bang for my buck I was getting) I measured from the chassis rail to the ground at the bumper before and after I installed the springs. It was 54cm before the springs, and 59cm which comes to a full 2 inches of lift, even over the 2" shackle lift... See what I mean when I said my springs were flat??

Somewhat annoyingly, but in no way the fault of the guys at Desert Rat, I still hadn't received my rear springs... So I had to live with a little bit of a "Carolina Squat" until the rear finally came in. (thankfully I'm A. in one of the Carolinas, and B. the laws outlawing the squat hadn't gone into effect yet )
Not toooooo noticeable unless you really look at the tire to wheel arch clearance

Also around that time, the ODO clicked over to 300,000 kms! definitely a happy/sad moment cause I love my cruiser and somewhat try to keep the miles off of it for longevity.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

January 2024

Had to remake my accessory relay/fuse box. I've come a LONG way in electrical knowledge & ability since I did the first one... (and have better tools for crimping) The project that prompted this was learning that I had to use a 24-12 stepdown converter with my Lightforce lights. In trying to wire them together, I accidentally pulled one of the connectors out of the back of the box... and found that some of my old crimps... weren't the best...

I also decided to refresh the paint on my grille. I had painted it when I was in Japan after modifying it to fit with the updated front signal housings, but that paint had finally started to fade...

So I stripped it pretty close to bear metal, and then used a decent gloss black as a base coat (2-3 coats) then taped off the grille and chromed the rest of it with Rustoleum bright metallic chrome. Not as good as getting the grill actually chrome plated, but I don't know anywhere that can do that for me around here. X_x

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

February 2024

My rear springs FINALLY arrived!! ^_^

Thankfully nothing too exciting happened while doing the rear springs. Just had to fab a brake balancer extension for the rear axle because the ARB kit was still on backorder... (and it's just a block that moves the balancing arm 2" anyways... so a 2" piece of square tube to increase the arm height fit the bill pretty well)

While I had the Cruiser up on the lift to do the rear springs, I decided it was time to rebuild my front axle as well. Thanks Cruiser Outfitters for your rebuild kit!

Front electric locking hub. I still haven't had a problem with mine, and enjoy the ease of being lazy with a push-button... so I haven't replaced them yet.

And if I'm removing the hubs and axle shafts to rebuild the front axle, now's a perfect time to install an Eaton front e-locker... right? ^_^

After some problems with Torx bits stripping out. (yes, the BITS stripped, not the screws...) (Also, why did Toyota make the e-hub screws Torx !?!) I finally got the hubs and spindles off

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Feb 2024 continued - Front end rebuild and e-Locker install

Front brake rotors are a little bit thin, but still within spec. So I'll put off replacing them for now.

Mmmmmm delicious moly grease~

E-locker install time!

(Dad helping pull everything apart)

The front e-locker went in about as easily as the rear PowerTrax mechanical locker did. I'm glad I had experience with Darren/Gavin/Dylan who know how to do it, so I could set the backlash on this one. (and thankfully dad's friend chuck made a quick tool to tighten the bearing cage screws for bearing preload)

All in all, the most nerve wracking thing was drilling into the third member for the electrical connection... haha

Got the hub all cleaned out.

And regreased

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Front end rebuild pt 3

Hubs buttoned back up with new seals (Thanks again for the "everything needed" hub kit @cruiseroutfit )

Front member and locker in place and ready for the wiring to be finished.

Hubs back together! It only took me 3 tries (per side?) to get them just right so that the electronic hubs would work

Pro-tip - Follow ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS - then visualize it, then try it, and probably re-try it again (oh, and don't forget a pin to hold the brushes back when installing that section... otherwise they won't make a good electrical connection)

Everything back together, and the springs finished!

As with the front, I measured the rear from the bottom of the bumper to the floor.
537mm before springs, and 620mm after which comes to roughly 83mm or 3.5" of lift in the rear.

Since installation I have continued to measure the lift to see what they settle to. In July of 2024 they're currently at 615mm rear (so they've settled 5mm) and 590-570mm front (settled 20mm)

Also, Toyota suggests using GL5 for the differentials and transfer case. It works pretty well.
I've seen it said across several posts to NOT use GL5 in your transmission, and I found out the hard way that YES it will mess with your synchros...
So I have been using Redline MT90 since discovering that, and it has mostly fixed the slight grinding I was getting with the GL5.

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Front End Rebuild - Final

So after I installed the locker, and rebuild the front hubs, I still had to wire it. And, for anyone following along, that means: you guessed it - I had to tie in to a 24-12v stepdown converter

(The wiring harness that came with the Eaton E-Locker)

Thankfully I had recently added one for my Lightforce lights, so I already had one in the front engine bay area. So I tapped off of it, and wired it into the locker as well. (and ran all power through the Fuse/Relay box I rebuilt as well)

BUT this is the rats nest of fixes and work arounds that having to have so many different sources for power creates...

I also had to modify my switch panel on my dash, because the Eaton rocker switch isn't a standard sized rocker... Had to cut out the bottom of the aluminum slot that holds the rocker, and some of the plastic on my dash panel too...

The far left rocker is the red-headed locker stepchild of a switch...

Not the most aesthetically pleasing, but it works.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Damn, you waited since last year for the OME suspension?? How did that happen?

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Damn, you waited since last year for the OME suspension?? How did that happen?

Yeah, September till January... ARB's distribution is apparently fairly weird. (Either through Washington or Jacksonville, FL) and the CS057R springs just took forever to arrive...

I'd have bought a kit from y'all, but had already purchased some of the stuff in preparation and didn't want to double up.

Anyways, all's well that ends well. It's done and drives like a new car SOOOO much better handling both on and off road.

 

[JuanJ]

Also around that time, the ODO clicked over to 300,000 kms! definitely a happy/sad moment cause I love my cruiser and somewhat try to keep the miles off of it for longevity.

Hello,

At 300k km your truck is just broken in.

70 Series trucks are built to last.

My mechanic -who is also a cruiserhead- likes to say: "put miles on your Land Cruiser. It is worth the effort." It is sound advice if you ask me.





Juan

 

[Pip Bernadotte]

Hello,

At 300k km your truck is just broken in.

70 Series trucks are built to last.

My mechanic -who is also a cruiserhead- likes to say: "put miles on your Land Cruiser. It is worth the effort." It is sound advice if you ask me.





Juan

Oh, definitely
I actually plan on turboing it in the next month. It's definitely my baby, and definitely worth the work and cost

 

[JuanJ]

Oh, definitely
I actually plan on turboing it in the next month. It's definitely my baby, and definitely worth the work and cost

Hello,

Take the chance to include an intercooler and do not look back.

And once it is turbo/intercooled, remember to be careful with your right foot.





Juan