Builds 40 Guy Builds a 100 Series

[REZARF]

My head unit allows for GPS, so running the wire and antenna was necessary for it to work right. I considered mounting mine up high on the roof near the A-Pillar but it seemed like a lot of extra work just to have the antenna gain a little more signal. Mounting it outside also increased the chances of it getting knocked around and more exposure to ice, snow, rain, and sun here in Colorado. So I did a little research and decided to dash mount it.

Pretty straight forward, I ran the antenna cable and the Microphone wire from the rear of the head unit over to the drivers kick panel. Then I brought both wires up to the base of the A-pillar. I then ran the mic up to the corner while I ran the GPS antenna across the dash.

In the first pic you can see the mic in the upper left corner of the shot, people seem to be hearing me fine, but the 100 is quiet compared to the 40!

Then I just zip tied the wire to some sort of drain tube (Sunroof maybe?)

I then proceeded to use my Costco card to neatly tuck the GPS antenna into the gap between the dash and windshield. I used a small square of Velcro to hold the antenna in place. We will see if the sun melts the adhesive and if it moves but so far so good.

 

[REZARF]

Next up is getting some Communication in the Cruiser. I was looking into another CB setup like I have in the 40, with a Cobra 75 hand unit. However, after really looking into the costs and realizing lots of my friends are running HAM radio in our local club Rising Sun, I started looking at the costs for installing a HAM. The costs weren't that different so I took the plunge and dove in with both feet. I just gotta pass my test and get my ticket but I am getting 90%+ on my practice exams online so that should be no biggie.

I've been kicking the idea around for a while but I had a friend put a used dual band radio up for sale a Kenwood TM-G707e with a seperation kit that allows me to run the radio in the back or under a seat and put the "face plate" where every I choose... I jumped on it.

Here is what I am starting with and the components I chose for the install...

• Kenwood TM-g707
• Kenwood seperation kit DFK-3C
• Diamond K-400SNMO Hatch Mount
• Diamond Teflon Micro Coax cable
• Comet SBB-5 with NMO mount
• Mic Holder
• NMO Weather Cap
• External Speaker
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[wngrog]

Ham geeks......

Isnt the 100 great?

 

[REZARF]

I was really impressed with the Diamond mount. It went on easy and is rock solid. Routing the cable was pretty easy too.

First up I needed to see how high I could get the antenna without interfering with roof when the hatch is open. I also wanted the antenna to be able to fold over and be attached to the wind deflector on the rear hatch. I started a little lower than I ended up, I'll run it there until I find a need to move it.

Positioned it where I wanted, I ended about 3" higher than this. Once the base is in position you have to rebuild the mount and set the initial angle of mount. The mount has two pivot points which allow an amazing amount of angle adjustment.

A view of the mounting system, 4 set screws on a bare stainless or aluminum strip. The underside of the exterior surfaces is rubberized and protects the paint. You can see where the paint is left off of the mount to create good grounding surfaces. This mount was the second most expensive part of the entire system behind the radio, but I am impressed with the quality.

Once the base is secured, the second part of the mount bolts up with a couple of custom bits that really lock the position of antenna. Brass and Stainless steel, stainless hardware... mmmm, I love quality parts! The mount came with a preattached Teflon coax cable that is super thin and flexible. It comes with a micro connector for passing it through grommets and panels and then attaches to a N59 connector to attach to the radio.

Routing the cable is easy with a little care taken to make sure the cable doesn't kink in any way and it can move freely with the operation of the hatch. I chose to follow the upper hatch, then zip tie it to the factory wire grommet and finally poke through at the body side of the Cruiser to minimize any water intrusion down the road. I'll add a drop of silicon once I get everything in its final spot.

 

[REZARF]

A few more pics of how and where I routed the cable...

I loosely tied a bunch of zip ties to run the cable where I want it. After I checked all the clearances I cleaned them up.

I made a tiny slit in the factory grommet and forced the micro connector through, it sealed up well after the connector went through and I bet I have retained much of the waterproof factor of the connector. Time will tell

I pulled the cable through the grommet and into the interior and ran it behind the rear most interior panel over to the passenger side where I plan on mounting the main body of the radio.

Once I had the cable routed I just needed to check the clearance and make sure that I wasn't getting any binding and or kinking. Following the factory wire proved smart, no binding of any sort.

 

[REZARF]

The size difference between the two connectors, the small one screws into the larger one. It's pretty slick.

This is where I have my coax for now I'll end up running it down to the pocket where the radio brain will live.

I plan on mounting the radio here, I am going to add ventilation to the door and most likely an auxiliary fan to move some air over the radio to dissipate the heat generated.

 

[REZARF]

The Comet SBB-5NMO has a great reputation and online reviews. I will likely run a Comet SBB-1 on the trail due to its ability to get knocked around by tree's and overhanging trail obstacles. The SBB-5 does however fold over to get it out of the way for obvious hazzards like parking garages etc.

 

[REZARF]

Okay so the original coax cable got severed by the rear hatch when the cable holders (the little white squares) failed. The wire moved and it got chopped. So I had to return the cable and the guys at Ham Radio Outlet were great and replaced the damaged part no questions asked.

Out came the drill to do this right. I ended up drilling a hole into the lift gate, and running the coax cable through the factory grommet between the lift gate and rear of the 100. This is 100% better arrangement and the coax hasn't moved a millimeter since.

I had to open the hole up to about 1/2" to get the coax cable terminal through... deburred the edges with a file then I painted the edge, and used a grommet with silicone to seal it up.

I use a zip tie as a wire snake. Simply tie your wire onto the end of the zip tie and that will give you something strong and stiff enough to thread the wire through grommets and gaps that are hard to access. It is just like using a thread and needle. Here I am running the zip tie through the lift gate grommet along the factory wires.

And it comes out cleanly on the other side, then tug and WHOA LA! your wire comes through with ease.

Here is the finished product pre silicone sealant. It has been perfect so far, time will tell if this is the last time I need to address this or not.

 

[REZARF]

Wiring the HAM radio was a little involved. Basically, I created all the wires needed to run the HAM from the rear of the 100. This involved running:

Fused Power and Negative wire to the radio brain. (10ga was used)
Power pole connections at both ends.
Breaching the firewall, thanks Toyota!
External speaker wire to the dash
External Mic Cat5 cable to the center console
Seperation Kit for the Kenwood Control

I also added:
Rear LED Lights power cable
Backup Camera RCA and Power cable.

This took what seemed like forever. Running wires to where they are all hidden, tidy, rattle free and safe takes a lot of time. I joked with my wife saying I've never worked so hard to have all my work remain invisible.

Here is where I ran my power wire through the firewall... thank you Toyota for the over sized accessible grommet!

I decided to give the Anderson Power Poles a try for the 100 series. So far they are outstanding and easy to work with. I assume they will hold up well. If you have the installation tool they are a snap to install. I also ran all my power wire in nylon braid to keep it looking factory under the hood.

I used Nylon braid and shrink wrap under the hood to make it look as factory as possible.

 

[REZARF]

I bundled all the wires I needed and popped off the trim I needed in the rear cargo area and along the door sills to stuff the wires under the carpet and sill plates. There are a lot of little things to remove to do this right but nothing is hard about it.

Now, if you aren't running a separation kit then you don't have to do all of this, just wire it up where you can reach the controls and you're on the air, but I liked the idea of keeping the cockpit as clean as possible and this helps me do that. Here are the wires still needing to be added and the panel removed in the rear to hide the cables and wires.

I mounted my face plate to the ashtray as it made for easy wiring, easy to operate position and I can fiddle with it while resting my hand on the shifter giving me a bit of stability while on the road or trail.

I hard mounted the bracket to the separation kit, but I used this 3M product for the bracket to the ashtray. It is amazing stuff and actually "snaps" when you seat the two surfaces together. I am impressed with its holding power and there is no "bounce" when mounted. Time will tell if it is a truly permanent solution but so far so good.

 

[REZARF]

Place Holder... Custom housing for HAM.

 

[REZARF]

Place Holder... Custom housing for Ham 2.

 

[REZARF]

I got another quick project done. I have had these shackle mounts hanging around for a while now. Nakman gave them to me back when I first got my 100. They are billet steel and are really beefy anchors for attaching recovery gear. Since I don't have any armor on the rig my choices for attaching a strap or cable are super limited. These allow me to have a solid mount for recovery on an otherwise stock Cruiser.

I painted them red so I could ask a noob to "attach this strap to the red thing under the bumper" we'll see how my plan pans out.

MMMMMMM.... Red!

Bolted up in the factory location.

This all you see hanging below the bumper. I have another attached in the front at the factory mount. Both allow quick access with a shackle for recovery. Thanks again Nakman!

 

[REZARF]

I also stopped by Slee a week or so ago... what a candy store for all things Cruiser! I talked with Ben and bought a few parts that I have been needing, a bushing kit for the steering rack (basically a rebuild kit) and a pair of 30mm rear coil spacers. Then I dove into adding 30mm of lift to the rear and adjusting the front T-Bars to match. I'm going to run this setup the rest of this season and see if I need to step up to the OME 2.5" lift and or 315's.

Here is some of the new goodies, also pictured is the bronze tint I picked up here.

To install the spacers, you only need to pull the rear springs. The key here is a big jack and flexing the axle enough to get the springs to come free from their spring perches. Both sides took about an hour and a half, the key is getting the rig up HIGH and then flexing the axle to full droop.

 

[REZARF]

The spacers have a groove that rests against the spring and just reverse the order and get the spring back up inside the frame.

Once you make sure the spacer didn't shift you can move forward with reinstalling the shocks and sway bar.

After my Snap-On ratchet, these might be the last two things I'd let go of for working on my Cruisers... PB is step one, Anti-Seize is step last... every time. I have used the anti-seize on every bolt I have touched on my 40 and it has already paid off hugely in the past 15 years of driving and working on it. FWIW, that is my original bottle... should last a lifetime.

Mmmmm... anti-rust frosting.

 

[REZARF]

Half way there... rear lifted 30mm and the front still rockin' stink bug rake.

I adjusted the torsion bars to bring the front end up. All in all, not a bad way to lift the 100 series for less than $50. I took it to the alignment shop today and had them adjust the front end to get it back into spec. Overall, I am happy with the stance and ride. I am heading wheeling this weekend and look forward to getting it on the trail to see how all works.

 

[Bear Lake Cruiser]

Half way there... rear lifted 30mm and the front still rockin' stink bug rake. View attachment 1110625

I adjusted the torsion bars to bring the front end up. All in all, not a bad way to lift the 100 series for less than $50. I took it to the alignment shop today and had them adjust the front end to get it back into spec. Overall, I am happy with the stance and ride. I am heading wheeling this weekend and look forward to getting it on the trail to see how all works.
View attachment 1110626

Subscribed. We have almost the same vehicles in our respective garages. My 40 and 60 are full of anti seize and my new to me 100 eventually will be too. Also river rock green

 

[LEX]

Looking good. I did the same lift for a time being except I used 20mm spacers. How many turns did you give the t-bars?

 

[cap80]

are these a one off or something one could purchase?

I got another quick project done. I have had these shackle mounts hanging around for a while now. Nakman gave them to me back when I first got my 100. They are billet steel and are really beefy anchors for attaching recovery gear. Since I don't have any armor on the rig my choices for attaching a strap or cable are super limited. These allow me to have a solid mount for recovery on an otherwise stock Cruiser.

 

[Ali FJ80]

looks very good, was also running 30mm spacers and torsions cranked with stock shocks and it rode really great till a bumper came along. Since then been pretty happy with Ironman foam cell shocks.