Builds 2001 LX470 build LEGUSY (6 Viewers)

[Odyseuss]

The following weekend, some friends and I attended a trail leader training course given by Bill Burke of BB4WA and organized by Travis Hurley of Outer limits supply and Rising Sun TLCA Chapter. We decided to make a trip of it from the get go like we usually do, going for a few detours to see things along the way. This would be an awesome opportunity to shake down the new setup, visit with some real good people, and learn some tips from a seasoned pro.

The steering was responsive and the suspension was smooth and it handled noticeably different than before. The brakes were firm with great grip and just the right amount of pedal travel. We headed south and east of green river to explore an abandoned missile launch complex. We found Bunkers and several buildings surrounded by unusual items. There was a very nice view of the river at a nearby antenna tower. Then on we cruised towards Grand junction where we would all meet up.

Right as we pulled into town, we met up with the group for Saint Patrick's Day festivities. The next morning began with a meat free buffet breakfast. In a nearby conference room our group gathered for a very comprehensive presentation from Bill. It was the nuts and bolts set straight, explained from how it works to the “mechanical sympathy” of how it could be used. Then just before lunch, we left for an ORV area nearby to get into hands on instruction. We covered medical scenarios and driving skills. In Sequoia Alley, I drove through the bump steer lifting a tire pretty good a few times, while we focused on spotting the rear tires. It was nice to see several vintage military planes flying overhead throughout the day.

We enjoyed some good beer and outdoor food that night and another day on the trail. There was some more driving, and a ton of instruction on gear and how to use it, from kits and tools to recovery and casting. Bill has some good stories about his past experience and managed to keep the group interested and entertained. It was nice to see some of the cool trails and scenery from the grand Junction area. As we aired back up at the trailhead, we took our time parting ways.

On the way home, we had another detour in mind, as Bryan led us into the small town of Thompson springs where his mom used to live. He told us a bit about the the town and how he remembered it. We meandered along up the canyon, checking out the interesting things left behind. We analyzed the famous rock art panels and imagined our own interpretations. We discussed the many possibilities while driving further up towards the old Sego town ruins. We cruised up the canyon until we encountered deep snow. It was a ton of fun to drive that canyon and go some places that Bryan had never been. Then, on our way back, we ate some of the burritos that had cooked so conveniently in the 12v oven.

This trip was a valuable learning opportunity that we were able to share with some great folks while exploring some interesting distractions along the way. Overall the truck handled very well, it felt a bit softer which I liked particularly at lower speeds on street and off road. However, the softer feel seemed to transfer a bit more weight when turning at higher speeds and the precise steering made this more noticeable. I don't have AHC anymore, so the suspension does not adjust to differing circumstances. The handling wasn't really a problem, but I did notice that the VSC would start to alarm a few times in higher speed turns on dry pavement, and even more so on dirt roads than before. I figured that a zero point calibration was necessary.

Here is a link to some of the video content that Greg shot and I compiled. You can skip straight to 4:55 if you want to see my hundy lift a tire. The video shows some demonstrations of driving and spotting skills utilizing various traction and suspension systems.

 

[Odyseuss]

I recently finished a video from the trip to Alstrom point and more in southern Utah.



at 4:38 you can see slow motion of how the LR door hit.

 

[SmoothLC]

Nice video!

 

[Odyseuss]

I performed the zero point calibration to reset the yaw rate sensor, according to the service manual procedure. Then I got out for another test drive trip with the club, Wasatch Cruisers. I traveled several roads with lots of tight turns (including the Burr trail, Nottom road, Boulder mountain hwy, etc..) and the VSC would beep at me on a pretty regular basis. Every once in a while it would grab the brake and rarely it would brake more than once. I stopped along the way and performed another zero point with no difference in results. I'll admit, that I may like to drive a bit faster at times, but well in control. It's never been real unusual to get the VSC to activate on dirt when taking turns at speed, though it hasn't been common for the system to activate on dry pavement in the past. Overall there was a bit more sway and weight transfer in the turns than I would like, but nothing real excessive.

Regardless, it was a great trip.

 

[Odyseuss]

So, back to the drawing board so to speak. I borrowed Techstream from a really nice friend, since mine is out of service. I performed a health check and found no new codes and all the values appeared to be within reasonable range. I tried the zero point calibration again with the same result. I replaced the rear sway bar bushings which were a bit worn but still in tact and again the same results. Then I replaced the rear upper control arm link bushings with the replacements from Slee. These were a bit more worn, particularly in the front bushings, but again still in tact. (here you can see the separation of the worst bushing under stress, which is hard to see when they are installed)

It was a fairly straight forward job, though my press had some difficulty driving the bushings out. So I heated the link ends with the torch rosebud until I could just start to smell the rubber burn and then I quenched the bushings with a bit of water. Yahtzee! the bushings pressed out and in smoothly.

This time, the next test drive yielded positive results in ride improvement, with noticeably less body roll. The VSC activation was now less sensitive, but I could still drive through turns on dry pavement and get activation without skid and still feeling well in control. At this point, I was/am very satisfied with the ride, handling, and performance. So really, to heck with the VSC. I don't need it and I don't want it. I'll agree that it seems like there is something wrong with the system even though there are no trouble codes. Maybe its a combination of the soft lifted suspension and driving style, but I don't have any motivation to try and fix something that I don't care for. During normal day to day driving the system isn't much of a problem, but I didn't build nor do I really use this vehicle for sustained "normal" daily driving. Even at its best, the VSC would still activate when rallying dirt roads and I didn't care much for that either. I've talked to other 100 owners that have also desired to have the VSC off enough to lock the center diff more often.

I decided to install a switch that would allow me to turn the VSC off. You can read about it here.
VSC OFF switch install.

I can turn it back on if I want and drive normally, but after several hundred miles on and off road, I prefer to just leave it off.

 

[Odyseuss]

Doug Thorley Headers.

A friend helped to convince me that we needed to get some headers installed sooner than later. We teamed up and did 2 sets of these and were pleased with the performance results.
Our friends @cruiseroutfit hooked us up with the Doug Thorley stainless shortie headers THY-561-SS-C 99-04 100series w/o air injection.
I obtained a couple other parts for the job including:
circle exhaust gaskets
new exhaust studs 90080-12008 and nuts 90080-17187
Motor mounts, Anchor B9050 or Toyota, based on availability
fender liner clips 53879-60010

There was a bit of a learning curve for various reasons and differences between the 2 trucks. I though it might help to mention a few things to consider for this process. The manifold removal was pretty straight forward with the removal of the down pipes, O2 Sensors wires, heat shields, and the flange nuts. Approx 70% of the old nuts came out with the exhaust studs from out of the head. So I installed new studs and new nuts to replace them. The passenger side manifold could be removed without moving the engine, though the drivers side manifold required a bit more clearance so we carefully raised the engine. At this point, it seemed necessary to inspect the motor mounts, though it was difficult to get a good look at them while they were still installed.

With the manifolds off, the motor mounts could easily be removed with minimal movement of the engine, by removing the bracket that connects the mount to the engine block. Then, further inspection revealed 3/4 mounts required replacement. Since this is a window of opportunity to replace the mounts, it is worth considering at the same time as the header replacement. The design of the mounts requires almost double the installed height of the part to remove them with the manifolds or headers installed. I say that because there is an alignment peg sticking out of one side of the mount and a stud sticking out the other side.

Here you can see where the driver side gasket was trimmed.

With the new mounts and studs in, we proceeded to install the header Bling. One of the gaskets needed to be trimmed to fit. The instructions mention this possibility. The O2 sensor wire routing was adjusted. Then it was just a matter of finding the right tools and angles to get the bolts tight. We followed the instructions and rechecked the bolts after a 20 min run time and cool down.
I found these tools to be particularly helpful in those hard to reach areas.

We didn't make any effort to measure the performance difference aside from a good test drive witch revealed a noticeable difference. Besides, the results are well documented in other threads. The sound seemed to be a bit lower in tone and a little louder. I didn't really mind it being a bit louder as it seemed to sound much better all around. I though that the noise might bother me, but I realized that it was worth the sacrifice for the performance. Besides, I anticipated that the noise might change again with further exhaust modification.

 

[Ramathorn15]

Dude, excellent job with that video. Editing isn't easy and that was fantastic! Pink panties at the end was like icing on the cake @nnnnnate

 

[Odyseuss]

Dude, excellent job with that video. Editing isn't easy and that was fantastic! Pink panties at the end was like icing on the cake @nnnnnate

Thanks. Here is the latest one from the Cruise Moab Overnight Trail Run with Wasatch Cruisers.

 

[Odyseuss]

With the headers installed, I couldn't help but notice that the Y-pipe that connects both banks prior to the muffler looked very restrictive.
Here is what it looks like on a stock pipe.

Looking down the short section, you can see the restriction where the pipes are welded together.

I looked at the Doug Thorley cat back exhaust kit and noticed that it uses a dual inlet muffler instead of joining the pipes together. I also consulted a local exhaust expert that recommended running a dual inlet muffler. I compared the cost and evaluated the rest of my piping. The only other issues that I had was related to the clearance of my tailpipe as it had been smashed a bit by some contact on the trail. I was satisfied with the stock piping as it routed over the rear axle. Since the pipe was in good shape without any clearance issues, I decided to have the muffler replaced and modify the mangled tip. This saved me some money and produced the result that I was looking for. I did not use any methods to measure the performance improvement beyond driving the vehicle. It seems like there is a bit more power though not nearly as noticeable as the improvement of switching to headers. I feel better knowing that I've removed that restriction. The exhaust sound is again lower in tone and probably a bit louder overall. It still isn't very loud and I prefer the lower tone especially if it performs better.

 

[Odyseuss]

When I first selected a bumper for this build, a lot of factors weighed in. I wanted something clean looking that would offer decent protection/lifting points and clearance while housing a winch and mounting lights, antennas, fittings etc. I didn't feel the need for a bar, and I wanted to save some weight if possible without too much strength sacrifice. I wanted to keep a reasonable budget, but also wanted something that was tried and true bolt on so that I didn't have to start from scratch. I was willing to modify something in order to get what I wanted though. It had just so happened that I was very interested in the ARB Sahara when I came across a great deal on one and that helped seal the deal. I think that I understand the design of this bumper given its crush rate and air bag compatibility. I understand that the bumper is designed to crush and absorb energy in order to lessen the impact on vehicle occupants. Like some sort of crash safety fuse, I would rather replace it than more valuable contents and parts.

Now, after a couple years of use, it continues to do the job, though I see a few areas that it could improve. The first issue is that this bumper has a bit too much flex for my liking. At the outer end of the bumper, the wing structure can flex enough to hit the fender and spring back. For this reason, I try to keep a generous gap between the bumper and the body(About 1"). The combination bar does not have as much flex with the bar. However, due to the mounting design, the bumper can move on impact in the large square mounting holes. I've seen this happen on other rigs with the combination bar as well. When this has happened, I could loosen the mounting bolts and shift the bumper back and tighten it back down. However, after a few more good bumps, the bumper could move again and it has. So I decided to drill some mounting bolt holes that are the same size as the bolts to prevent the bumper from moving. I was able to achieve this by access though the light housing hole. This appears to be much more complicated on combination bars or those without the large light housing holes. After drilling the holes, I found the right hardware to secure the mounting alignment. Now the main mounting of the bumper is much more secure and the flex at the edges is less of a concern.

Here you can see the painted location of the hole to be drilled, and the design of the square holes that allow for adjustment.

Here is with the new bolt installed

 

[SS100]

So simple and yet so ingenious!! (at lest it didn't occur to me )
I chose the Sahara pretty much for the same reasons you did. Although it could definitely use a better approach angle the fact that it moves really bothers me, so I was about to put a short weld between the two pieces of the bumper to address the issue.
I figured I could aways grind down a (short) weld in case in case the bumper it got badly beaten/bent and I needed to replace it, but your solution is definitely more friendly with the original design's safety factor. I'll be doing the same. Thank for posting!

 

[Odyseuss]

Its always nice to hear when some of of this info is useful to others. This seems like an easy mod that can help keep these great bumpers solid. You will need bolts that are just the right length so they don't hit against the inner bracket. It was a bit of a tight fit getting a wrench in there, though a pry bar seemed to work fine to keep the nut from turning.

 

[Odyseuss]

I have a lot of catching up to do on this thread. I've been pretty busy putting this rig to good use and working on a few other projects. We found quite a bit of late season snow while exploring, rescuing snowmobiles, and getting stuck a bit too.

So I put the kids to work cleaning things up.

I used the recovery gear and the winch a bit to get free and made some changes to the winch. I moved the solenoid box up a bit for more clearance. I switched from a hawse fairlead over to a roller. I had learned that roller fairleads could be used with a synthetic line to reduce friction on the rope. I happened to have one in great condition sitting around so I decided to try it out. I noticed that the roller fairlead was definitely heavier. I have also been doing a fair amount of work with kydex a thermo plastic so I decided to form a fairlead isolator to keep the rollers quiet and help hold the hook in place. It does the job well.

 

[Odyseuss]

So to catch up a bit more, we made it out to HIH7 and had a great time at that event. I posted a bit in that trip report thread so Ill just link it here for reference.

7th Annual 100s in the Hills Trip Report

I've been pulling an AT Chaser trailer around a bit more for some trips with the family and lots of extras. Its been a great setup as far as capacity and maneuverability. The combo handles well and is really easy to work with. I had been doing a fair amount of work on the trailer, but that's really another project. If I don't need the trailer, then of course I'd rather not pull it, but its so light and agile that its not an issue to bring along. It will go 90* without jack knifing, but yet somehow, I still managed to twist the lock and roll hitch so that's been upgraded to a max coupler.

 

[Odyseuss]

I was doing some routine maintenance and misc repairs, and I addressed some annoying issues. I have a couple 12v ports installed behind the center console. The bezel that they are mounted in didn't attach firmly enough to the center console. I have some plugs that fit snug in the ports and when I unplugged them, the whole bezel and both ports would pop out leaving only the wires to connect them. I installed a brace to grab a larger area of the console back and screw in place to keep the ports from coming loose. I made another one for a friend with kydex instead of steel and it works great too.

Next up, was the blown sub. Somehow, my 10" sub had blown and the sound was so horrible that I turned the sub off for a trip until I got around to changing it out. I was using a Rockford Fosgate P3SD shallow mount sub to get some good bass out of little space. It had a solid grill over it (so nothing punctured the speaker) and was rated for 500W which was the max that my amp should have been able to push through it. Either way, this thing was wasted in just over a year of use. I upgraded to a Pioneer 10" 1200w shallow mount sub that is proving itself to be a literal sonic BOOM. It required a bit larger diameter to be cut in the box, but actually requires less mounting height and very little air space.

 

[Odyseuss]

I also replaced another set of hood struts as they had been less reliable lately. Over time, I've learned not to trust the hood struts too much. So I often use a Lisle 44870 lift support clamp. It works great at holding the hood up when you dont want to trust the lift supports, or when you want to adjust how high the hood rests. I'm sure you can imagine when that might be, but I dont like to chance the hood falling down on me, when I'm a way from a project, charging a battery, when a big gust of wind comes by, or when the struts decide to give up.

We also recently made it out to the Cruiser Outfitters Customer Appreciation BBQ and Cruiserfest at the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum.

 

[Odyseuss]

Shower can.

When we were camping recently, I set up my shower to wash off the kids only to find that the pump wasn't working. I found a replacement pump kit on amazon for less than $20, that very closely resembled the failed unit. However, since the first one wasn't quite up to the task, I decided not to go that same route again. Instead, I decided to redesign my shower kit. I referred to @Ramathorn15 s Helton shower thread here.
100 series helton hot water install
for some good ideas, since I was already using some similar components. I wanted the ability to control the temperature with one knob (and avoid possible burns). I still wanted to use the shower at the front bumper so I wouldn't be making a wet mess back by the rear of my truck. I already have access to a water can on the rear bumper for culinary needs and washing hands (and that's enough mess). I didn't want to permanently mount the water pump under the hood in the rough environs of my engine compartment. Space is already valuable and limited there, and I wanted to protect the shower unit a bit more. The pump got mounted to a thick piece of plastic that slides firmly onto the ammo can. This makes it all easy to remove while still holding it well in place.

I already had to dig out a shower head and some hoses, so I figured that if I could make it all fit in one compact kit then it should be pretty simple to get it out and hook it up. Here's what I ended up with.

There is an inlet hose from the water source, through a strainer into a small 5lpm rv pump. Then the pressure goes through a T fitting to the mixing valve and the cold inlet of the Helton heat exchanger. Hot water comes back out from the heat exchanger and into the mixing valve, and then to the Shower head. Its pretty easy to connect the 3 hoses and plug the power into a 12v port. I'll probably add a 12v receptacle near the front end at some point for simplicity. At this point though I don't have to pop the hood. I actually routed the waterproof switch up to the shower head for complete control. It all fits in the 50 cal ammo can that fits perfect in my ARB drawers.

I left myself a reminder to purge air out of the system, cause I dont want to have any issues with water freezing in the shower kit or the vehicle plumbing. So, I have to get the hose out for the air compressor too, maybe I'll develop a more convenient method for that at some point. If I want to use the water out of the 5 gallon can on my bumper, I can run a hose from the bumper to the inlet. Its easier than moving the water can, and the hose stores easily in the spare tire.

 

[Odyseuss]

Went for a drive up near skyline drive and covered about 100 miles of dirt and mud before the weather and hunting traffic moves in.

First night camping in the new Kodiak Canvas 10x14 tent.

These 285/75/16 tires stuff in tight. They rub the inner fender well a bit under full compression. Maybe spacers would help that, but then would they still fit in the outer fender edge? The rubbing isn't much of an issue, but I'll need to reapply some wheel well liner at some point.

 

[Odyseuss]

A few weeks ago, we made a trip up to a family cabin for the night. It was snowing pretty heavy and the in laws Subaru couldn't make it through the snow. Then it snowed all night and we had about 12" when we were ready to leave the next day. The ladies were a bit concerned about whether we could get out alright. I tried to reassure them, but in the end, we just packed everyone and their gear in the 100 so I could show them it wasn't an issue. Its some of those moments that bring a bit more appreciation for these capable vehicles. Its nice to be able to get around without messing with the other snow machines.

The following weekend, I made it up American Fork Canyon to camp with Wasatch Cruisers. The next day, we participated in the annual National Public Lands Day service project with a group from Expedition Utah.

 

[Odyseuss]

My friend and I decided to take our 100's on a trip through south eastern Utah. It turned out to be a father and son trip as we both brought our sons along for the adventure.
Feel free to check out the video and stay tuned for some more details from the trip.

We explored some ancient ruins and vast scenic landscapes while moving along to the main attraction the Hole in the rock trail, a historic pioneer route over remote and rugged terrain. We made a last stop for fuel and drove the 70 miles out and back from HWY276 along the eastern portion of the trail. The total trip took 5 days with around 9 hours in the truck each day. We covered about 20 miles a day over the most difficult sections with a persistent roll of the deflated tires over slick rock, and the occasional stop to spot the line.

The suspension flexed through its range repeatedly, as the miles added up. I thought that this truck had received a good once over pre trip inspection, but was still a bit apprehensive for what could go wrong this far from modern services. As we climbed up onto grey mesa I was excited to see the challenge continue further and further. Once atop the mesa, the view was a welcome reward and encouragement for more progress.

After moving past the Great Bend, and not enough time to stop, we made some progress to more excitement and anticipation. This trail keeps handing out obstacles that are unique, and challenging. After a long day on the trail, we kept a lookout for a spot to stop and I encountered an issue with my rear suspension. I had noticed some excessive movement and realized that one of my rear upper link bolts had worked loose and completely fallen out. We found a good spot to setup and unwind for the evening while contemplating the repair.