Build Abu Dhabi 80 Series: Build Thread

[mdandashly]

The deserts in the area are not salty IIRC. Esp when not near the ocean.

 

[Honger]

I'm not up on all the overseas badging on the 80 series. I know that we don't get the Full Time 4wd badging, but all North American-spec 80s are full time 4wd...which makes me suspect that the H4 button may simply be a center diff lock switch on a full time system. That's a very common mod here -- lots on the forum here if you search.

Great pictures! Looks like you have a fun family that enjoys the LC as much as you
The pictures of the dunes are awesome, would love to run around there in my 80. I am surprised out how hard packed the sand is in all the pictures. Very shallow tracks left by the truck and footprints. Is that just because of the rain, or is it pretty firm like that in most places?
As far as the green button goes, I too suspect it is a CDL or center diff lock button. Likely you have what we all have which is an AWD vehicle. It would not technically be in 4wd until you locked the center differential so in essence the 4H makes sense at least until you shift the transfer case into low
Looking at the terrain, it doesn't seem you would need much other than maybe a small lift to avoid some high centering on a dune and or a winch with a pull pal. What mods are you seeing there?

Yeah, once Beno made the point about no locking hubs I started to figure it was probably, really, just a CDL.

Was there ever a front axle disconnect system like was found on some US spec 4Runners? They were part time 4wd without manual hubs.

My T100 had no locking hubs originally (probably like your 4Runner) and it had part-time 4WD via Toyotas Automatic Disconnecting Differential (ADD). I had initially just assumed I had something like that. But now that I think about it there isn't any kind of apparatus on the front axle that would function as an ADD. Not even sure it can work with a solid axle differential. Next time I'm out in the desert I'll be "testing" to see if I have AWD when the H4 button isn't pushed.

 

[Honger]

Great pictures! So you can walk on the sand barefoot and not burn your feet?

During the winter, yes. It gets cool enough during the evenings out there in the winter that I put shoes and socks back on. The top layer of sand loses heat so fast that it actually makes your feet really cold at night.

During the summer, or even in late spring and early fall, it'll burn your feet, no question.

nice 80 ..

Curious about ..

1. how much raise your rpm the throttle cable .?

Not much... only about 1000-1500 rpm. I'm actually giving you that from memory, it's actually busted right now and I need to get it repaired.

2. how salty it's that desert .. I mean you need to be worried about rust like beach salt .?

Depends what part of the UAE you go play in. Along the beaches and first 60 kilometers inland the sand can be quite salty. Out in Liwa the sand has a VERY low salt content. Between all the big dunes in Liwa are giant dry lake beds that actually have salt crystals, but the sand itself doesn't have an appreciable amount. I know this because at work we spec the red sand (what the suppliers here call sweet sand) for certain types of project work due to it's negligible salt content.

I lived in Dubai for a year a while back. Miss the standard console fridge and the aux tank.

Confused about the snorkel though. The country gets 1-3 days of rain per year and everything stays pretty dry.

As for the dunes, I miss them. They are surprisingly firm in most areas that don't see a lot of traffic.

The deserts in the area are not salty IIRC. Esp when not near the ocean.

Yeah... the snorkel. I justify it as part of the long term prep of the vehicle to go take a trek into Africa at some point. Really, I was ordering a bunch of parts and just threw the snorkel parts in to the order to see what the pricing would be. They gave me a 40% discount on the overall order so I just left the snorkel in the parts order. Had the same shop who did my suspension bushings also do the snorkel install. (It pains me to let others work on my vehicles, but I just don't have the space here to do the work).

The sand in the Liwa pictures above is all deceptively hard packed. Both of the two trips I took this year lined up literally the day after a uncommonly heavy rain storm rolled through. The second time I went I was about to dig about 12-16 inches deep and the sand was still hard packed wet. We were able to drive further into the Empty Quarter, in a shorter period of time, than I've ever previously made it.

Normally, during the heat of the day out there the sand is like sugar... you have to air down and keep your speed up consistently. There are plenty of bowls that you could lose your vehicle in. There are plenty of steep ridges that you can high-center on. It's all about picking your lines and committing to them. After 5 years of living here I've gotten quite confident driving out there. When we first got here I got stuck a lot more, on easier areas, because I drove too gingerly.

 

[Honger]

Great pictures! Looks like you have a fun family that enjoys the LC as much as you

Didn't want to leave this uncommented. My wife and I have always enjoyed camping and we fully intend to make sure the boys do to. It's been a whole lotta fun so far. The youngest, first time out in the desert, would not let us put him down in the sand. He freaked out as soon as his feet first touched it and started crying. We just sat him down and let him cry... that only lasted about a minute. 5 minutes later he was running around screaming with glee. The oldest had been out several times before going camping officially this winter. Now he asks to go camping in the desert a few times a week.

Since I was going on about the desert after a rainstorm I figured I'd throw in one more photo. Seeing all the washouts and other erosion all I can think about is trying to get out there again next year DURING a rainstorm... it's gotta be amazing.

 

[mdandashly]

Didn't want to leave this uncommented. My wife and I have always enjoyed camping and we fully intend to make sure the boys do to. It's been a whole lotta fun so far. The youngest, first time out in the desert, would not let us put him down in the sand. He freaked out as soon as his feet first touched it and started crying. We just sat him down and let him cry... that only lasted about a minute. 5 minutes later he was running around screaming with glee. The oldest had been out several times before going camping officially this winter. Now he asks to go camping in the desert a few times a week.

Since I was going on about the desert after a rainstorm I figured I'd throw in one more photo. Seeing all the washouts and other erosion all I can think about is trying to get out there again next year DURING a rainstorm... it's gotta be amazing.

Be careful!! As I'm sure you know, in the UAE, when it rains it pours. I remember in high school people swimming to their cars in the parking lot once a year.

 

[Tapage]

Depends what part of the UAE you go play in. Along the beaches and first 60 kilometers inland the sand can be quite salty. Out in Liwa the sand has a VERY low salt content.

so you don't need to wash rest of salt of your truck . .. or be worried about it rust ..?

 

[mdandashly]

so you don't need to wash rest of salt of your truck . .. or be worried about it rust ..?

I mean, you should wash your truck after wheeling anyways. Salt or no salt having a bunch if gunk on your truck will cause rust/corrosion/damage.

 

[TrickyT]

...The sand in the Liwa pictures above is all deceptively hard packed. Both of the two trips I took this year lined up literally the day after a uncommonly heavy rain storm rolled through. The second time I went I was about to dig about 12-16 inches deep and the sand was still hard packed wet. We were able to drive further into the Empty Quarter, in a shorter period of time, than I've ever previously made it.

Normally, during the heat of the day out there the sand is like sugar... you have to air down and keep your speed up consistently. There are plenty of bowls that you could lose your vehicle in. There are plenty of steep ridges that you can high-center on. It's all about picking your lines and committing to them. After 5 years of living here I've gotten quite confident driving out there. When we first got here I got stuck a lot more, on easier areas, because I drove too gingerly.

Can you say a little more about driving in this environment. I mean, I know what to do when I'm picking lines over rocks but I haven't the foggiest idea about how to pick lines through miles of sand. Do you carry sand ladders in case you've chosen a line poorly?

 

[jdayment]

I lived in Dubai for a year a while back. Miss the standard console fridge and the aux tank.

Confused about the snorkel though. The country gets 1-3 days of rain per year and everything stays pretty dry.

As for the dunes, I miss them. They are surprisingly firm in most areas that don't see a lot of traffic.

Water isn't the only reason for a snorkel it moves your intake away from the tire well if you do a lot of desert driving you suck in a lot of fine sand which isnt all caught by your filter if you don't have a snorkel I lived in Mali for 2 years and the majority of the vehicles that are sold direct from manufacturers there come with a snorkel because of the Sahara sands

 

[mdandashly]

Water isn't the only reason for a snorkel it moves your intake away from the tire well if you do a lot of desert driving you suck in a lot of fine sand which isnt all caught by your filter if you don't have a snorkel I lived in Mali for 2 years and the majority of the vehicles that are sold direct from manufacturers there come with a snorkel because of the Sahara sands

Wow, I did not think of that. I ways find tons of sand in my air filter. Makes sense that elevating it would help cut down on that.

 

[cruisermate]

Dude you guys had all this Very Nice Diesel Import like Patrols and Cruisers that we cannot have here in the US and before I move Here in the State I've seen a lot of this back Home Unfortunately I can't bring here with me due to the government restriction so sad , but those factory tire cover are so cool any way if I can get those from there ?

 

[mussy]

Water isn't the only reason for a snorkel it moves your intake away from the tire well if you do a lot of desert driving you suck in a lot of fine sand which isnt all caught by your filter if you don't have a snorkel I lived in Mali for 2 years and the majority of the vehicles that are sold direct from manufacturers there come with a snorkel because of the Sahara sands

This ^^^^^ is exactly correct . You can also add a cyclone filter head which you can empty daily or as needed.

 

[1shot1kill]

nice pics! Thanks for posting!

 

[Honger]

Be careful!! As I'm sure you know, in the UAE, when it rains it pours. I remember in high school people swimming to their cars in the parking lot once a year.

Oh yeah, I know. If there's a threat of rain we always camp high.

so you don't need to wash rest of salt of your truck . .. or be worried about it rust ..?

I mean, you should wash your truck after wheeling anyways. Salt or no salt having a bunch if gunk on your truck will cause rust/corrosion/damage.

I keep the truck washed and clean. Believe it or not, most people wash their cars here multiple times a week. Every night as the air cools and it stays humid, the warm cars form condensation. The air is full of dust and that settles in with the condensation and what happens just after a day or two is that your car is covered with a nice dried-mud film. I get a full wash including undercarriage a few times a year. I've also got an anti-rust undercoating.

Can you say a little more about driving in this environment. I mean, I know what to do when I'm picking lines over rocks but I haven't the foggiest idea about how to pick lines through miles of sand. Do you carry sand ladders in case you've chosen a line poorly?

I wish I could give you a clear list of tips for driving in the sand, but to be honest it's mostly just experience and intuition. It's really hard and daunting at first...
"Does this dune ridge I'm approaching have a drop-off on the other side or a smooth transition?"
"Is that side-slope too steep for me to drive across?"
"Is this sand firm enough for me to stop and get going again?"
Etc.

But as I've continued to go out driving and camping I've gotten a good feel for it. I rarely have to stop to look over a ridge anymore. I think what I do is that I look further ahead than during normal driving. I pick my lines much further out. When I have a view of a series of dunes/ridges ahead I pick my line well in advance. At any given moment I'm driving a path I picked out quite awhile back.

If I had to give some practical advice it'd be as follows:
1. Speed and momentum are your friends... and this truth becomes more applicable the looser the sand is.
2. Study how the dunes are formed in terms of windward/leeward geometry. For example, the windward faces of dunes are always gentler and flatter. If you are driving up the leeward side you can confidently expect a smooth surface over the ridge.
3. Know your vehicle. Center of Gravity, side-slope ability, burst-of-power ability, weight, etc.
4. Keep recovery gear handy.
5. Bring a friend.

Don't have sand ladders and have never seen them here. I just have a strap and shackles handy. Most sticks just require a quick yank or a concerted push. Though in looser sand conditions we've had to do some good digging. =)

 

[Honger]

Water isn't the only reason for a snorkel it moves your intake away from the tire well if you do a lot of desert driving you suck in a lot of fine sand which isnt all caught by your filter if you don't have a snorkel I lived in Mali for 2 years and the majority of the vehicles that are sold direct from manufacturers there come with a snorkel because of the Sahara sands

Wow, I did not think of that. I ways find tons of sand in my air filter. Makes sense that elevating it would help cut down on that.

This ^^^^^ is exactly correct . You can also add a cyclone filter head which you can empty daily or as needed.

The dust is one reason I added the snorkel... a potential African trek is another... but mostly cause I got a great price on the parts and it's a fun mod for the truck.

 

[Honger]

A little fun from this past weekend...

 

[Honger]

Have been doing a few things here and there…

Got sick of my seatbelt issues and just sucked it up and went with the blue belts. They are a dream in spite of the color mismatch.

I finally ditched the brush guard…

…which allowed me to polish up the front lenses after 17 years of being sandblasted while driving (right side of the lense is polished, the other is still dull)…

…and polished up the whole front grill area while installing some Depo's.

Looks so much better!

 

[Golgo13]

I lived in Dubai for a year a while back. Miss the standard console fridge and the aux tank.

Confused about the snorkel though. The country gets 1-3 days of rain per year and everything stays pretty dry.

As for the dunes, I miss them. They are surprisingly firm in most areas that don't see a lot of traffic.

A snorkel is actually more for pulling in clean air from up high and less about being submerged. That is why they are so common in desert areas... Imagine riding in a convoy on dry, dusty ground. All the air below the roof is usually full of dirt and sand.

 

[Delancy]

Out of curiosity, do the rear seat headrests match the front?

 

[Honger]

Out of curiosity, do the rear seat headrests match the front?

Yes. They match the the third row seat headrests as well.