6” or 4” 35” or 37”

[fjlau]

I hope to make it clear that I am not only new to the forum but to the 80 series community as well. Just to preface, I have a 1997 fzj80 and am looking to get either a 4” lift or a 6” lift with either 35” tires or 37”tires. Which configuration would be best for all around off roading with the potential for more as I become more experienced? And with a taller lift what supporting modifications or parts are necessary to make it work best. I’ve been researching some lift kits and they seem to bring nearly everything needed for a 4 or 6 inch lift however I have noticed the need for some additional parts such as an extended drive shaft and steering arms. What are the consequences of not having some of these parts ? And what else might I need ? I am well aware of how expensive this can get however as I said I am planning for the future once the LC is as mechanically sound as I can get it. ( sorry for the long explanation just wanted to provide all the info I could to better explain my question)
Also: some pictures of what I’m working with, picked it up for $1000 with 300k miles

 

[gummycarbs]

40s. No lift:

Builds - Project Clifford 40" Tires 0" lift

Project Clifford, my 1997 triple locked 80 series. I knew from the get-go what I wanted. I have always had a soft spot for the rugged 80 series Land Cruiser’s. Take the dependable awesomeness of the 80 and combine that with the looks of the Jeep Skunkworks division lower 40 JK that first...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[mudgudgeon]

2" lift and 35"s.

Do some reading before you shell out a shít load of money on lift you don't need, and lift that brings a load of headaches.

A stock height 80 on 33"s will take care of more "all around offroading" than you'd think.

I've owned 4" lifted 80, and 2" lifted 105 series. Currently own a stock height 80 on original suspension and 33" X 12" wide tires.

2" lifted 105 put lots of bigger trucks to shame on some fairly serious wheeling.
Stock height 80 ( on sagging springs) gets off the beaten track for camping etc with confidence.

105 series, 2" lift, 35" MTZs. Lockers. Winch. Before I fitted sliders.

Wheeling with a crew all on 37" tires, and 6" + lift

 

[SpenserAK]

Do your baselining first, then get familiar with it in stock form. Start slow & honest. Take your time to go through the FAQ section & detailed topics as needed, and searching is your friend (googling keywords + “ih8mud” works better than the forum) - it’s incredible how well covered just about everything is.

At 300k and 26 years old, unless it’s been done already (unlikely for $1k), you’re looking at a grip of parts for all systems to be truly reliable, and thus worth building to go offroading - IMO. Even the best are not impervious to time or neglect (or rust).

A stock 80 may be more capable than you think, but it’s also nice how well they take a ~2.5” lift & 35s without needing a whole lot else. They’re not tacomas or 4runners. Once you start going past that range, you’re starting to look at all the other parts (arms, shafts, regear, brake upgrade, etc), without which you could have poor handling, premature wear on driveline, lacking power, etc - it depends. Regardless, I wouldn’t push it past 4”, IMO. Depending how you’re wheeling it, you may want bumpers, sliders & other armor which adds weight, furthering the need for those upgrades - and then there’s lockers (assuming it’s not triple locked for that price)

Do you have a budget?

You’ll find that most cruiser folks are not trying to build monster trucks, rather functional & reliable machines, which often keeps them modestly built (re: lift/tires), but well outfitted and thoroughly serviced.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

2.5” + 37s

 

[fjlau]

Thank you to everyone for the replies. Not much care in the budget, it’s not my daily more of a project. Hoping to spend around 9k between tires, possibly rims and suspension. Based on the info provided by you guys i will most likely get some better tires for the stock rims and drive it as is for a while until I feel it’s necessary to upgrade anything. On the very probable chance I do a lift I will most likely go with a 3” and 35”s. Any opinions on going about it in this way ?

 

[Heckraiser]

IMO, 6" lift is overkill for ANY application. 4" is more than what's needed to run 37" and 37's are more than what's needed to run most trails. As someone who's rolled their rig, my advice is to lift only as much as is needed to effectively clear your tires. 2-3" lift and 35's is a great combo that will let you tackle some of the hardest trails but still be functional for daily on-road use. You can also run 37's on a 2-3" lift with some careful planning and prep. If you're serious about getting off road, you'll want to think about skids and sliders as well as suspension, so don't blow the whole budget on suspension.

All that being said, I would echo some of the other comments. I know you're excited for your new truck, but take it slow and don't blow all your cash on upgrades yet. 1) your truck will have surprises and need actual maintenance that costs $$ 2) You don't really know what you need until you use the truck out in the wild and get a feel for what it's capable of 3) Hasty choices are more often than not poor choices. It will take a lot of time to research and let various ideas sink in.

Best advice for any new 80 owner: go out and get a real water temperature gauge or scangauge. Especially at that mileage, you're going to want to keep an eye on things and the factory temp gauge is basically a "too late, you've overheated" idiot light. Sorry for straying from the topic

:edit: congrats! $1000 is a steal that truck will definitely need some $$$ baselining

 

[Marco Lau]

Wheel it stock and then move up to 35s or 37s whichever you prefer. 37s wiil require a bit more supporting suspension mod and regearing, etc.

 

[on the rocks]

Nice fond for $1000! but for that much there is probably a reason and you forgot the important pics, under the 80 and the engine bay!
Like a few others mentioned get to know it and spend that money on a baseline unless you off-road with other that can tow you home. Get it out and figure out what you want. IMO 35's are the sweet spot for the 80 but I don't regret 37's one bit. You go 37's plan on a shiat ton more money getting it right. You can almost throw 35's on with little to no effort and take baby steps to make the lift complete, especially if not a daily driver.
Beware though, there is no one lift "KIT" to get you to 4" or 6". It's going to take a lot of research and different sources to COMPLETE the lift. 2.5"-4" seems to be the sweet spot and there will be very few people here that would suggest a 6" lift.

 

[davidp14]

For a thousand bucks you should take it out and drive it like you stole it...cause you did!!

Congrats. On a nice find at a great price. Seriously though as others suggested, wheel it as is first and get a feel for how it rides, what kind of wheeling you want to do and where you can improve it.
Regardless 6" is too much for most applications in this platform. 4 is probably still too much and 3 is the sweet spot. Anything past 3 and you'll have to do some serious mods to get it to behave on the road.
I have 35s and a 3" lift and the truck will do more than I could ever want.
That being said 37s look perfect in an 80.

Good luck with your build. Definitely let us know what you decide

 

[fjlau]

Definitely seeing the 300k miles but as I drive it more and more every day I am adressing those issues. Currently in the process of ordering parts to rebuild the front knuckles and taking care of the rust under the truck( mostly surface rust) and hopefully not too much else pops up.

 

[fjlau]

Again thanks to everyone for the solid advice and and showing some patience with me on this new venture of mine . I will definitely be posting here again with what I decide and hopefully receive some feedback from you guys.

 

[Broski]

Great find !
I don’t see anything Alarming under there.
Go with the 2 1/2 inch lift you’re most likely get three or more inches.
If it’s a toy go right to 37s

 

[FMC80]

I disagree.
Go 37s. Who gives a **** how it drives in stock form? Don't lift it 6 inches. I did a slinky 4" lift. I think it looks great. It is a little tall but armor will take care of that.
I do agree with baselining it and making sure the cruiser is reliable. But do it your way. If budget is not a factor, go crazy. You will need a s*** load more money, time, and patience to fit 37s than 35s. I went 33s because of a tire shortage. I still feel like a pussy for it. I will be buying 37s next time around.

 

[mudgudgeon]

I disagree.
Go 37s. Who gives a f*** how it drives in stock form? Don't lift it 6 inches. I did a slinky 4" lift. I think it looks great. It is a little tall but armor will take care of that.
I do agree with baselining it and making sure the cruiser is reliable. But do it your way. If budget is not a factor, go crazy. You will need a s*** load more money, time, and patience to fit 37s than 35s. I went 33s because of a tire shortage. I still feel like a pussy for it. I will be buying 37s next time around.

33s!! Pussy!

Go crazy? Sure, go all out. But do it with educated decisions and a feel for how the truck already works.

There's loads of threads on here from people who've thrown a lift kit at a truck, then the issues start, and the parts canon comes out, the wallet takes a beating, the truck is off the road and in the shop, and the enjoyment of driving it is diminished.

Plenty of 1st time lifters remorse

 

[COYS]

Regardless 6" is too much for most applications in this platform. 4 is probably still too much and 3 is the sweet spot. Anything past 3 and you'll have to do some serious mods to get it to behave on the road.
I have 35s and a 3" lift and the truck will do more than I could ever want.
That being said 37s look perfect in an 80.

Wut this guy of towering intellect said.

I went from 33s to 35s to 37s while keeping the same OME medium springs at 2.25" of lift.

I don't wheel. I don't go camping. I overland via YouTube. I prefer to use my spare time traveling across an ocean clutching airline ticket and passport. On weekends, I'm either breaking a sweat or enjoying the nightlife into the wee hours of the morning. Unequivocally, my 80 is an indulgent, LA jungle crawler.

Said 80 is dialed in to my delight. 37s. 4.88 gears. Delta 4 arms. BP-51s. HD sway bars front and rear. Drop brackets. Landtank double cardan prop shaft. It's a thing of vintage automotive beauty with modern day comforts.

The fact that the 80 can swallow 37s with such relative ease as compared to the snooze inducing IFS lemmings called 4Runners, Tacomas and luxury Lexus Cruisers is a major bonus that I'm taking full advantage of.

Look, ma, factory side steps and no armor no care!

 

[Katsuo70]

Welcome to Mud and the 80 series community. Congrats on scoring a heck of a deal on that rig. I'm also a newbie, so I'm not going to try to give you expert advice, but I can tell you what I've learned in the six months or so since I acquired my 80 series.

Mine came "built" - with a 5" lift already on it, and all the supporting mods that most people would recommend. (Radius Arm drop brackets, Extended brake lines, swaybar drop brackets, Double Cardan Driveshafts, etc.) There are many ways to do a proper lift, and if you want to get into more detail about the required and recommended parts I would suggest looking at what is listed on certain retailer's websites for a "complete" 2.5"-3.0" Lift Kit. Here's an example, but not necessarily saying this is the way to go - just look at the options they list and you'll get an idea of what all people normally add when lifting an 80: Dobinsons 0-3" IMS Lift Kit for Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series - Exit Offroad - https://exitoffroad.com/product/dobinsons-0-3-5-ims-lift-kit-for-toyota-land-cruiser-80-series/

One thing you'll probably find is that one man's 2.5" lift kit may in reality, end up being a 3.0, 3.5, or even higher lift - especially if the rig is light. For that reason, I don't know that you necessarily need to look at 4" or higher lifts. I think you get more lift than advertised with a lot of the kits out there.

I know that was true in my case. My rig came with Old Man Emu "J" Springs (2850J front, 2863J rear), which are known to provide somewhat more lift than advertised, as well as 2" coil spring spacers up front and 1" spacers in the rear. It rode like a drunken polar bear balancing on an ice ball. Consequently, one of the first things I did was lower the vehicle a little by removing the spacers. After removing the spacers, I would say I am sitting at somewhere between a 3.5" and 4" lift right now. That's still a pretty good amount of lift, and I only have 35" tires, so they do look a little small. But I've done some moderate to mildly challenging trails, and it did just fine on the 35's. So I can concur with those who say that 35's are likely to be more than adequate for most general trail use. There are some trails with fairly large rocks and drop offs in my area, so a little more clearance would be nice - but not a must have. I am thinking about going up to 37's, since my rig is basically all set up for it. The fender flares have been removed, and the fenders have been trimmed. But even with all that's been done to make it possible to run 37's, I believe there could still be more that would be worthwhile - such as making sure the braking system is up to par, and replacing bushings, etc.

I'll also put in a recommendation for considering some gearing changes if your goal is to wheel your 80. Either the low range transfer case gears or swapping in shorter (numerically higher) differential gears would be a good idea. I have 4.88 diff gears. It seems to help get the rig moving a little better from a dead stop on the street, and i don't mind turning a little higher RPM on the highway. I have other rigs with shorter gearing, so I'm used to it. But I'd actually like to do the low range transfer case gears and underdrive gears as well.

Hope that helps.

 

[ajordan1975]

I'm very happy w/ my 6" lift and 37's. she feels stable and happy on the rocks.

 

[Azca]

These guys have it right. I will echo some of what is said and add my 2 cents. Before I do, one thing to think about is how long you intend to own this?

As cruiserdan reminded me a long time ago, you have a top of the line luxury vehicle. It does not know it is 25 years old and all the parts are priced as if it is a new Land Cruiser, this vehicle is not for bargain hunters.

So understand what you are getting into. What, in many cases on other vehicles, is considered inexpensive parts will set you back big time for a cruiser. To baseline the vehicle the best thing you can do to start is clean the bejesus out of the engine compartment and undercarriage. Steam clean it, don't mess around with half measures. After doing this, you will be able to identify the location of oil leaks that must be addressed. Besides, working on a clean vehicle is so much nicer!

If you wrench on it yourself (and you should), you will be looking at an easy $1k if no major repairs. This includes all fluids, filters hoses and belts. Do not neglect any coolant hose at this age. Replace them all including the ones going to the rear heater, pesky heater hose, PCV hose etc. I would also remove the radiator and replace it unless you can see it has been replaced somewhat recently.

Can't really see the knuckles, are they dry? Check to see grease level inside. Search on knuckle rebuilds.

Look for OTRAMM videos on youtube. Great resource.

Monitor oil consumption. At this age, it will burn some oil and is considered normal. Better yet, send the oil into Blackstone to have it tested.

Finally, what do you want to do with it? Hard core wheeling, overlanding? I have spoken to several mudders who have lifts over 4" and they regret it. 35s and a 2 1/2" OME lift and springs will get you in fairly cheaply.

As other have said, read. There is a mind boggling amount of information on this site. Drive and read awhile before doing anything but the baselining.

 

[BILT4ME]

Again thanks to everyone for the solid advice and and showing some patience with me on this new venture of mine . I will definitely be posting here again with what I decide and hopefully receive some feedback from you guys.

Who does the wrenching on your truck?

You or do you pay someone else?