Build 200 Take Two... Our Second 200 Series - Build Thread

[TimCFJ40]

Hi All Longtime listener and repeat offender back with a fresh start...
We bought our first 200 series 8 years ago as a 2008 with 200k miles on it. It replaced our 100 series with 327k miles. It had a mild build (Bumper, winch, Bilstein 6112s, etc) and we took it on many epic family adventures over the last 8 years. The 200 series platform has been almost perfect for us. Here are a few highlights from the past 8 years.

Now, with our 08 approaching 300k miles, we started contemplating what we would buy to replace it if we needed to. We have had to do very little work on this one, with the biggest issue being a replacement AC Compressor last month. This got us looking at options... Tundra, 250 Series, another 200, etc. None of the options really appealed to us other than another 200 so I started a soft search for a suitable replacement with no real immediate need. The parameters I set were: $50k max budget, under 100k miles, 2016+. Then this guy popped up meeting all the criteria a few hours away (except a small haggle above $50k).

I jumped right on it, went to see it, and then purchased through AutoTrader's Private Seller Exchange (which was really easy, recommend). She's been well taken care of, and the previous owner was stoked to hear our plans to give her a good cruiser life! I was surprised how much tighter this one is, but I guess 200k less miles is not nothing.

Specs:
2016, MGM on Terra interior, 94k miles, stock except for 285/65K02s. everything works and feels like new. A few small scuffs and dings, but nothing we won't do worse in the first year.

Plans:
-Swap over Rock Warriors (probably with new tires soon), Metaltech Sliders, Budbuilt Skids, Drawer/Bin System, and roof rack from the old girl.
-Install Rival front bumper (they're on super sale right now) with new winch
-Small lift/Suspension Upgrade. Thinking 6112s with OME 2721 rear springs like the last cruiser. It just worked.
-Keep the party going like the last one and take this one to 300k miles!

Will post some pics as I get the new one set up and out in the wild. We're super stoked!

 

[open country]

Congrats on the rig and sounds like a great deal for the condition and mileage. Fan of the "mild build" philosophy. Haven't been planning a front bumper for mine any time soon but I am also tempted by the Rival bumper sale going on.

 

[rexington14]

Congrats! Any plans for the old one?

 

[TimCFJ40]

Congrats! Any plans for the old one?

I'll get things swapped over and get it cleaned up in the next month or so and then put her up for sale.
I'm tempted to hang on to her, but the driveway is getting kind of tight.

 

[TimCFJ40]

Some progress and some weirdness…
Lined the two up to start swapping stuff over.

First I moved the Yakima Racks and the cargo bin/drawer system over. Then I started to pull the factory skids, grill, and bumper off the new Cruiser. That’s when stuff got weird…

I crawled all under the new cruiser before purchase and everything looked clean, stock, and unmolested. No evidence of any body or suspension work at all. I pulled the splash guard off on the front passenger side and found this…

The KDSS bar wasn’t connected to the swaybar on the driver’s side! I first suspected the worst like frozen KDSS shutter valves or something but the shutters opened freely and I was able to drop one side of the stabilizer bar from the frame and get it all lined up and put back together.

I texted the previous owner and he had no idea how this happened and I believe him based on the records I’ve found. Nothing on the records or carfax has any note about suspension work major enough to disconnect the KDSS system.

Remarkably, the truck handled great even with the KDSS disconnected. No weird clunks or swaying. It seems to still have hydraulic pressure, so fingers crossed nothing was damaged by running it disconnected for at least 40k miles. Reconnected it has a slight KDSS lean but no worse than any other 200 I’ve seen.

With the KDSS reconnected, I finished preparing for the Rival front bumper that’s coming Wednesday.

Can’t wait to get the new bumper on and to take a drive it check the KDSS!

 

[TimCFJ40]

Reposting here for build completeness. The absolute most useful mod in our old cruiser was my poor man’s drawer system. Part of what solidified another 200 series for us was this setup. None of the other options had the depth nor the height in the cargo area for this to quite work

Details here:
Poor Man’s Drawer System
Once the third row was out, this goes in in a few minutes, max.

 

[TimCFJ40]

The Rival 4x4 bumper was delivered yesterday and I got it fitted last night and into this morning.

Overall install was about as expected, with some challenges getting it in place and mounted solo. Getting the bumper in place with the trim gasket in place was really difficult, so I removed the gasket and re-installed after all four bolts on each side were loosely in place.

I think it looks good and a bit lower profile than the TJM T13 on the old truck. Most of the pics I could find are either color matched or significantly more built than this one so I was pleasantly surprised at how it looked on a fairly stock truck.

I’ll swap the skids over this afternoon and then tomorrow we’ll take off for a weekend camping and paddling in the new ride!

 

[TimCFJ40]

Great weekend camping, paddling and adventuring with the family.

Everything felt familiar and worked well. We missed the Rock Rails and lower offset wheels/spacers for climbing up to access the rack.
Also, the rear suspension was pretty sagged with our load of people and gear. I was considering trying to keep the suspension stock, but this trip confirmed that we'll want to upgrade springs/shocks to get back where the old 200 was.

I'm 100% certain on OME 2721 rear springs, going back and forth between Bilstein 6112 like the previous rig or trying the OME MT64. Availability for the MT64 seems to be spotty so far but improving. I'll be moving the sliders and RWs over first while I ponder the suspension setup....

 

[TimCFJ40]

Another great weekend getaway with the family in the Smokies. Camped in Cades Cove, then went home via Parson's Branch to the Tail of the Dragon.
I taught the kids how to properly approach all of the photographers.

Making decisions on suspension now, as I have a free weekend to install in October. First choice is OME MT64, but availability seems spotty as to whether I could get it in time. Behind that I'm leaning Dobinsons IMS or Bilstein 6112 like our last 200. We'll see what I can lock in this week. I am confident any of these will handle the moderate weight of our setup better than stock.

 

[TimCFJ40]

I called up Cruiser Outfitters, and they were able to get ahold of the MT64 setup I was looking for with no problems. Only the Rear shocks had to be drop shipped from ARB, but I had it all in hand in less that a week. Thanks to Jason on @cruiseroutfit 's team for getting everything shipped out quickly. Now I have to patiently wait until the weekend after next to get the time to install.

I thought the Bilstein 6112s were beefy, but man these things are huge!

It's looking like a neighbor wants to buy the 2008 and keep the MetalTech sliders, so if that happens, I'll be on the hunt for new sliders.... TBD on which ones.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I called up Cruiser Outfitters, and they were able to get ahold of the MT64 setup I was looking for with no problems. Only the Rear shocks had to be drop shipped from ARB, but I had it all in hand in less that a week. Thanks to Jason on @cruiseroutfit 's team for getting everything shipped out quickly. Now I have to patiently wait until the weekend after next to get the time to install.
View attachment 4001149
I thought the Bilstein 6112s were beefy, but man these things are huge!
View attachment 4001148
It's looking like a neighbor wants to buy the 2008 and keep the MetalTech sliders, so if that happens, I'll be on the hunt for new sliders.... TBD on which ones.

Right on! I'm excited to hear how you like it.

We have more of those rear shocks en route to us from ARB so we'll have full kits again shortly.

 

[TimCFJ40]

This weekend I finally got the OME MT64 kit installed. For future reference these are the parts I installed:

Front:
OME MT64 Front Struts with 4010 Springs (Set 2 clips from the top, this is the Steel Bull Bar, no winch setting, which I figured was closest to Aluminum bar and winch with synthetic line)
OME Upper Control Arms
One new Toyota CV half shaft (my oops, see below)
Rear:
OME MT64 Shocks
OME 2721 Rear Springs
OME 10mm Trim Packers both sides (I loved the 2721s on my last 200, but I was afraid they might be a little short if the MT64s gave more lift than my 6112s did)
DRKDSS Bolt on KDSS Correction Kit

The only real challenge was self inflicted, as I overextended one of the CVs and dropped at least one ball out of the cage inside the boot. In the interest of speed, I ordered a new CV from Olathe Toyota to drop in and I'll fix this one as a spare when I get some more free time. Once again, these struts/shocks are huge, and look great!

While I was at it, I repainted the Rock Warriors Bronze including the center caps, and installed new TVD Vinyl Labels in the centers. I didn't really like the Rock Warrior Gray with the MGM, and my center caps were getting pretty bad looking. I'm not sure on the Bronze yet, but it's growing on me.

All Wrapped up:

After the first trip around the block it was clear that the alignment was WAY off. I did a quick tape measure check on Toe and it was Toed out almost 1.5" from front to back. I dialed this in to about .125" Toed in, and it felt much better, so I took her for a longer test route with some dirt for good measure.

I did about 20 miles, speeds up to about 65, and about a mile of dirt/fist sized gravel and I am impressed so far!
Not quite as stiff as the 6112s were on my 08, but plenty firm and controlled. Not quite as supple as stock, but surprisingly close considering the added height and firmer more controlled ride. I've also had the standard OME Nitro Charger setup on a Tacoma and a 100 series, and I'll say at least initially the OME64 is seeming like it'll be much better and worth the extra dough.

Also, the rear axle came right into center with the DRKDSS bracket, that was something that always bothered me about my last setup, but I never got around to it. Time will tell, but the DRKDSS seems like a winner.


I was dumb and didn't measure before and after, but I'd guess I got about 2" up front and 2.5" out back Will report with more thoughts after we get a few trips under our belts. I'm going to take it this week on a work trip to stretch her legs, and then once everything is settled it'll be time for tires and a real non-tape measure alignment.

 

[TimCFJ40]

Next up, new Tire Day!
The Firestone Destination XTs had been good, but one of the was flat a few days before Christmas. It took a soap bubble test to find the issue, but there was a small split leaking on one sidewall. Since the matched spare also had some (maybe) superficial sidewall damage, it was time to get new tires. They were at ~40% tread at 50k miles, but I was ready to try something new. They served us well and we beat them pretty hard.

I had decided I wanted to try the Cooper Stronghold ATs this time and really wanted to bump up to a slightly larger size, so I ordered the 295/70R17 Strongholds from Discount Tire and set an appointment for the 26th, since my oldest boy and I were planning a trip leaving the 27th. With an 8am appointment, I was out the door with 5 new tires and a fresh alignment by 9:30am.

I then loaded the canoe for our trip and got back to packing.

By 10am on the 28th, the tires had 1000 miles on them and we were ready to put the canoe in the Everglades.

It doesn't take a Land Cruiser to get here, but it doesn't hurt.

Initial review on the Coopers is that they look great. Tire noise is only a little more than the BFG K02s and Firestone Destination XTs. They sing a bit on concrete interstate, but most tires do in my experience. Ride was definitely not stiff, and well controlled. No rain, snow, or dirt to speak of on this trip, so we'll have to save further tire reviews for later.

I also got my Gen2 Metaltech sliders in before Christmas, and got them back from our powder coater, so those will go on shortly. After that, she'll be pretty much done for our purposes and this thread will devolve into pretty shots in cool places.

 

[TimCFJ40]

This week I was able to get my MetalTech 4x4 Gen 2 Rockers installed. I had the Gen1 on our 2008, so I figured I would talk a few observations about the differences. For those that have seen the prior MetalTech4x4 Rockers, there are a few changes:
- Main Body is made from rectangle tube instead of formed like Gen 1, These feel heavier duty, although I never hurt the Gen1. It is also nice because the back side of the Gen1 could hold dirt and mud inside.
- No more nutserts! I did have an issue with spinning the nutserts on one leg of my Gen 1s so this is mostly positive to me. I don't entirely love the stick nuts, will elaborate below.
- MetalTech REALLY pushes getting these shipped uncoated. I was able to get them powdercoated textured black locally for $150 cash and they look great.
- The mounting feels more substantial than the Gen 1.

I need to clean them up, I made smudgy dusty handprints on them installing, and it's been below freezing since, so I haven't been able to wash them.
Here are some pics installed and from the installation:
Passenger's Side

Driver's Side

Main Mounting from below: Through Bolted with Grade 8 Hardware

Now the one beef, the stick nuts! Three stick nut handles shown sticking out of the inside of the frame below.

Hardware kit as delivered showing what a "Stick Nut" is

Now the install. If you watch MetalTech 4x4's install video, you'll see installation on an earlier 200. Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEBSfQKNr6Y
On the later model 200s, several of the pre threaded holes they use on the video are simply round through holes. The two front most holes are really a pain to thread the stick nuts to because the frame has a mid wall in this area, so it's hard to get the nuts right where you want them. This added ~30min per side. Overall, the install isn't hard, but on a newer 200 without the threaded holes I would count on taking ~1.5 to 2 hours per side. I'm pretty handy, and usually can beat the book time on this sort of stuff, but these did take some extra time over MT's 1.5 hours total.
Once installed, my one beef is the stick nut handles remaining sticking out of the frame. Metaltech recommends you leave the handles sticking out, in case you need to remove the sliders. This makes sense, and is probably fine, but the stick nuts just don't look that clean sticking out of the frame. I'm sure I could bend them to look different, but whatever you do, you will have the handles sticking out of the windows in your frame. MOST of them are on the inside of the frame rails, but a few do stick out to the outside. You have to stick your head up under the truck to see them.

Overall, I like the design of the sliders, install is annoying but not really difficult. They look great from above, make a great step, and should be plenty strong for trail use. I do trust the through bolted frame more than I trust the nutserts of the prior generation.

With the sliders installed, the new 200 is pretty much ready to do anything the old one did. Looking forward to some more adventures!

 

[open country]

Nice work. I installed ARB step sliders on my 2016, and to boot I bought them used with most of the stick nuts missing (was miserable). You could certainly trim those down quite a bit while still leaving a small bit to grab if you ever remove.

 

[TimCFJ40]

A couple of interior usability mods:
1) Hamilton Motors Car Play unit: This is a nice unit and seems well thought out. It's easy to use and seems to work well. A note on the install, at least for our recently purchased kit, is that not all of the wires and connections shown in the install video are the same now. It seems like everything works, but a few example differences I noticed:
- The secondary speaker shown in the video isn't included, but I haven't found anything lacking from a functionality standpoint
-The HDMI port shown for the rear screens doesn't exist on our unit, but we removed the rear screens so probably not an issue for us
-I recall a few other connections that were a little different, but I hooked up everything I could and it all worked. Install time sub 1 hour.

2) Loncky Steering wheel cover: Our wheel was peeling like every other 2016+, so I ordered the Loncky cover. It turned out OK, some of the spokes were tough to get covered just right, and I didn't remove the wheel, which might have helped because visibility of the backside was tough with the wheel in place. I had grand designs of somehow using this cover and cutting it up to leave the wood exposed, but I lost motivation and just installed as is. I did not use the doublesided tape provided, and it doesn't really move around. Maybe I'll re-do it one day. Install time ~1.5 hours. I re-stitched the first section I did because I learned some things through the process.

 

[TimCFJ40]

Our 11 year old and I took the new Cruiser on her first trip out west. Radar Cruise is a great improvement for wide open expanses of Kansas. MT64 is more controlled and comfortable on low speed "baby head" type trails than the Bilstein 6112s. Seat coolers help alleviate swamp ass. Overall, very happy with the new Cruiser.

 

[Blackwater]

Tim what brand of hitch swing away do you have? Looking at one for our 1up rack as well.. you pretty happy with it? Appreciate it.
Truck is looking great!

 

[TimCFJ40]

Tim what brand of hitch swing away do you have? Looking at one for our 1up rack as well.. you pretty happy with it? Appreciate it.
Truck is looking great!

Hello @Blackwater! I'm just getting back from a trip out west and seeing this. It's a RigD rambleswing. It's been very good, going on 2 years and three trips across the country and stout. I did a writeup here. RigD Rambleswing - 200 Series Swing Away Review - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/rigd-rambleswing-200-series-swing-away-review.1331605/#post-16138326

 

[TimCFJ40]

A few more action shots from our second week around CB. Pearl Pass was amazing, with a bit more challenge. Only damage was a small scrape on the rear corner under the bumper (I think every off-roaded 200 has one) a few scrapes on the rockers (that's what they are for) and a small crack in the passenger headlight. I think the Rival bumper might be just a hair too close on that side and it flexed into the light.

Since we had the space to store it, and knew the trail would be a bit rougher, we dropped the bike rack and rambleswing off for this run.

And a "tailgate party" shot... Patty Melts at 9,000 feet.