JDM Journeys
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Wow. Good to hear it did the job. I had 12 deer run across the road the other morning (possibly trying to get to your deer's funeral) and got to wondering how the ARB would've fared.
Builds Another Prado in Montana
- Thread starter AirheadNut
- Start date
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So, you need some recipes for deer stew now? Probably to be found in the ARB manual? 
Happy to hear driver and Cruiser are well.
Happy to hear driver and Cruiser are well.
- Thread starter
- #403
Luckily it wasn't a very high speed hit, I was going pretty slow already due to the slick roads and blowing snow. I was probably doing about 30mph after slowing as much as possible before impact.
- Thread starter
- #404
My handbrake quite working suddenly in one of the cold snaps we had a month or so ago; I pulled it and it wouldn't release. When I pushed down on the handle it would just spring back up again. Assuming a frozen cable on the rear axle, I crawled underneath and made sure the brakes weren't engaged. I finally got around to checking into it this afternoon.
Rather than being a stuck cable, I discovered that the cable had come out of its track on the handbrake mechanism in the cab; it must have jumped out when I tried to push the handle back down. After fighting with it through the little opening in the handbrake boot I pulled the center console and unbolted the lever mechanism from the floor. It took some effort to get the cable threaded back into its track and up through the little bracket on the lever, but it is all back in place now and works again!
The amount of crud and old pet hair under the console was a bit shocking, I didn't have a vacuum handy to clean it up so I'll just have to remove the console again. I also need to replace the equalizer bracket on the rear axle, its mounting bolt broke off when I did the rear caster correction and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. Once that's done I should be able to properly adjust the cable and brake shoes and have a trustworthy parking brake again.
Rather than being a stuck cable, I discovered that the cable had come out of its track on the handbrake mechanism in the cab; it must have jumped out when I tried to push the handle back down. After fighting with it through the little opening in the handbrake boot I pulled the center console and unbolted the lever mechanism from the floor. It took some effort to get the cable threaded back into its track and up through the little bracket on the lever, but it is all back in place now and works again!
The amount of crud and old pet hair under the console was a bit shocking, I didn't have a vacuum handy to clean it up so I'll just have to remove the console again. I also need to replace the equalizer bracket on the rear axle, its mounting bolt broke off when I did the rear caster correction and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. Once that's done I should be able to properly adjust the cable and brake shoes and have a trustworthy parking brake again.
- Thread starter
- #405
Soft evening light and a clean cruiser; good time to grab some photos.
is this where you were trying to go but hit a gate? Some of the old claims up there got bought up a few years ago to make another reality tv show about mining.
- Thread starter
- #407
That's the place! We had explored a couple of mines there a few years back before there was any activity in the area, unfortunately there were a couple that we didn't have time to get into then. There were some pretty extensive underground workings there at one point, including an 8000' haulage level. It looks like the same outfit that purchased those claims is buying up others in the area too.
There's so much up there. That's one of my favourite Mtn range for sure
. Are you still going to university in Bozeman? If your still around we should meetup one of these days. Need to take a closer look at your "ALH"J78. I have a ahu jetta that needs a clutch and instead of replacing it.. might as well do the sensible thing and swap it into something
. Are you still going to university in Bozeman? If your still around we should meetup one of these days. Need to take a closer look at your "ALH"J78. I have a ahu jetta that needs a clutch and instead of replacing it.. might as well do the sensible thing and swap it into something
- Thread starter
- #410
Yep, I'm still in Bozeman. I'd love to meet up some time, I've been itching to go wheeling somewhere too. I'd like to pick your brain on the tachometer swap you did too, I still haven't gotten mine working.There's so much up there. That's one of my favourite Mtn range for sure
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- #411
Took a spur of the moment drive up into the mountains yesterday. There wasn't as much snow as I expected, I got to about 7600' before I decided to turn around. Even at 12psi with chains on all four wheels I could only make it a couple of feet with each run before the tires started digging down. A diff lock would have been really nice!
Had a bit of fun flexing the suspension in some ruts on the way back down. This is with both front and rear sway bars installed, I have been thinking about setting up a makeshift articulation ramp to test the difference when the sway bars are taken off.
Had a bit of fun flexing the suspension in some ruts on the way back down. This is with both front and rear sway bars installed, I have been thinking about setting up a makeshift articulation ramp to test the difference when the sway bars are taken off.
- Thread starter
- #412
Had a bit of an oops in the mountains today:
Luckily there was a huge tree straight ahead, so winching out was fairly quick.
Had a good time exploring some places I hadn't been before and enjoying the spring weather (21ºF, wind, occasional snow flurries
).
Luckily there was a huge tree straight ahead, so winching out was fairly quick.
Had a good time exploring some places I hadn't been before and enjoying the spring weather (21ºF, wind, occasional snow flurries
).
I have to agree with you! TRUE 4x4 with chains and the land cruiser turns into a veritable TANK. I can recall pushing through 3 feet of snow and no troubles getting stuck! That said however, in my experience if you DO get stuck with diff locks you are REALLY stuck, and the winch becomes a life saver.
I am amazed at the similar topography in your photos to the region I live in. The pictures could literally be from around here too!! Nice pics!
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- #414
I've had really good results with tire chains in light fluffy snow, but this heavy, slushy spring snow just provides too much resistance and opposite corners tend to dig down. It has been interesting having to re-learn snow wheeling with the Prado, my previous experience was all with my built G-Wagen and triple locked HDJ81. I have to be really careful how far I push into snowy terrain since I am almost always wheeling solo.
@Rigster I had the same reaction the first time I visited your part of BC, I totally didn't expect to see sagebrush and cactus in Southern BC!
@Rigster I had the same reaction the first time I visited your part of BC, I totally didn't expect to see sagebrush and cactus in Southern BC!
- Thread starter
- #415
Winter just doesn’t quite want to give up. Got about 3” overall, but it looks like further east there’s a lot more.
- Thread starter
- #416
Looks like we got off lightly here in Bozeman. A snow level monitoring site in the mountains near where I was on Sunday is reporting 45" of accumulation during the last 48hrs. I don't think I'll be going back there for a while!
- Thread starter
- #417
Took a jaunt to Yellowstone National Park yesterday afternoon, the Prado ran beautifully the whole way but I think the rear driveshaft is starting to vibrate again. I can just feel it under light load between 70-100km/h. One of the u-joints is still original, so I am hoping that is all it needs.
The Park is just starting to open up for the summer, a few of the roads are still waiting to be cleared and opened. Between the cold temperatures, wind and occasional snow there wasn't a lot of traffic, but the sun did make a showing toward evening.
The Park is just starting to open up for the summer, a few of the roads are still waiting to be cleared and opened. Between the cold temperatures, wind and occasional snow there wasn't a lot of traffic, but the sun did make a showing toward evening.
- Thread starter
- #418
Filled up after my trip to Yellowstone and was pleasantly surprised by the mileage I got (to put it mildly ). This was a little over half a tank with speeds between 70-100km/h for most of it.
Corrected for the approximate 3% speedometer error that’s around 28.5mpg or 8.25L/100km!
). This was a little over half a tank with speeds between 70-100km/h for most of it.Corrected for the approximate 3% speedometer error that’s around 28.5mpg or 8.25L/100km!
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- Thread starter
- #419
Took another trip to Yellowstone last weekend with my brother @SnowVersion and his family. The lighting wasn't great for photography but we got to see a couple of geysers erupt and some buffalo, a bear, wolf, marmot and a pair of Sandhill Cranes.
Did around 450km overall with speeds of 80-100km/h on the way there, 60-75km/h through the Park and 110-120km/h on the way back with a good tailwind. I filled up today and was shocked to see a corrected average fuel economy of 29mpg or 8.1L/100km! I now have fresh incentive to take a slower pace on the highway, my goal is now to break the 30mpg mark.
Did around 450km overall with speeds of 80-100km/h on the way there, 60-75km/h through the Park and 110-120km/h on the way back with a good tailwind. I filled up today and was shocked to see a corrected average fuel economy of 29mpg or 8.1L/100km! I now have fresh incentive to take a slower pace on the highway, my goal is now to break the 30mpg mark.
- Thread starter
- #420
Got the chance to strap the Prado to a dyno through the local LandCruiser club today. I’m very happy with the results I got, it was better than expected. Maximum power and torque both came in at around 2600-2700 rpm, it made 136hp and 269ft-lbs. Not bad for a little 1.9L engine!
