Builds Atnolan94 Land Crooser Build Thread

[atnolan94]

Now for the messy stuff! I had a bad clunking from my passenger front suspension and had a disticnt burning smell after highway driving. We believe my ball joints and inner tie rods could use replacement, however Connor mentioned that often the wheel bearings will wear and have a lot of play and can cause that odor. Upon jacking up the front, a wiggle of the front passenger wheel holding it at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock revealed that Connors suspicion was absolutely correct! Wow that hing had some play. We didn't have a rebuild kit to fully rebuild and repack the bearings, however we did at least tear into them to clean and re-torque the various fasteners in the assembly. On my drivers side the outer bearing was in great shape so we just greased it well and re-assembled the hub. The passenger bearings, as expected were pretty shot. Luckily Connor had an out bearing we could use to get me by until I can do a full rebuild. I still plan to do a full rebuild, but this will get me by until then. It is much better than when we started!

We did the heater T's. I know this has been covered a ton of times, so I won't go into too much detail. They had definitely been replaced before and luckily didn't break too badly upon removal. I took the liberty of flipping all the hose clamps so they could be undone from the top of the coolant lines as opposed to below for next time. I was a touch low on coolant, and we also noticed most of my coolant mixture was just distilled water, so we topped off with some Toyota coolant. You can see in the pic below that the old heater T's were in great shape, especially compared to some I have seen on these boards. Plus a guest appearance from our good friend for the day, Lone Star Beer....we finished quite a few of these!!

Connor was nice enough to throw in a fresh PCV valve and gasket as well. I greased the drive lines, and I'm very glad I did because it looked like no one had done it before. We swapped in anew air filter and cleaned the MAF.

We also flushed as many fluids as we could. All of our fluids were replaced with full synthetic AmsOil products. In all, we did both front and rear diffs, transfer case, engine oil (with Toyota filter), power steering, and transmission fluid. Needles to say the truck is running like a dream right now. It is running smoother with less odors, the steering is much more smooth, and the entire drive train is just happier.

More to come...

 

[atnolan94]

This morning we spent some time trying to detail the truck. I knew this truck had been in an accident or two, but unfortunately the body work done to repair it wasn't ideal. They sprayed the clear coat OVER the faded pinstripe below the windows. The adhesive leftover from a "Yokem Toyota" badge has also been cleared over as well. Nonetheless we spent some time cleaning up the paint that we could.

Throughout the two days on work breaks, we also used a heat gun and a plastic scraper to remove the 20-year old "wood" trim. Luckily, the black plastic underneath is immaculate. I fixed my saggy glove box, removed some black plastic pieces from the top of the liftgate that held a spoiler at one time or another, and dug out the 12" of antenna I had left so I could actually listen to the radio. My antenna was broken at somepoint, but we slid up the 12-ish inches I had remaining and put a rubber stopper on the top to keep it from falling all the way back in the hole. Not ideal but it will work until I get a full antenna.

 

[atnolan94]

It was a huge weekend of work, and this is just a totally different truck than I rolled off the lot 6 days ago. I am starting to envision my long term plan with this truck and I am so excited for the work ahead. Overall, I can say I am super happy with my purchase. The paint isn't perfect and will need some attention eventually, but mechanically it is rock solid and there is not a single spec of rust on the entire vehicle. I am so impressed with it and I think I got an incredible bargain.

I have some work ahead like dealing with the silicone residue, trim paint peel, and inner tie rods among other things. But these will all come with time.

Most importantly, a huge shout out to @DirtDawg for everything he did for me this weekend. I wouldn't have had the courage to dive head first into a nearly 20 year old Land Cruiser if it weren't for him. We are going to have some awesome times ahead in these rigs! Photo Cred goes to Dirt Dawg himself.

 

[atnolan94]

Been a busy work week. I have already put nearly 750 miles on the cruiser in 8 days! So far flawless, but I really need to make progress on my timing belt plan.

Big progress today, I finally got in and removed 90% of the adhesive left on my center console and window/lock switch panels from that nasty wood trim. I wish I had a better picture of how nasty that wood was, but I at least attached the one I have. But the interior looks spectacular now. On a side note, I am considering installing one of those eBay wood steering wheels for our early 100s, as mine is pretty worn. The dealer I bought it from I think literally shined the wheel like a shoe because I found residue of the brown substance that they use to bring the color back into the leather....odd, but I think it will wear very quickly and I will need to address it.

Secondly....this is HUGE for me. My only key I got with this truck was absolutely trashed. It is clearly aftermarket, which is not a problem for me, but it was missing the lock and unlock buttons, the case was cracked and scratched, and the physical key itself was slightly bent. Needless to say, it needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. I rolled the dice on an amazon key/fob blank. I had not gotten a straight answer on mud or other forums as to whether this would work or not. Some said you could program the lock/unlock/panic functions, but not the actual starting of the vehicle.... FWIW this key my truck came with is a master and the link I posted below will outline how to determine that if you do not know already.

Anyways, I had some free time tonight as my wife studied for her midterms (she's in occupational therapy graduate school), so i decided to play with the Amazon key I ordered and see if I could make any progress. Based on some instructions I decided to get the key cut first, as some instructions tell you to put the new key in the ON position. I grabbed the key and my original and headed to Lowes. The gentleman was not confident that his key machine could cut it, but he tried anyways and sure enough it read the old key and cut the new one just fine. He explained that they usually only charge people for their new keys and cut them for free and that he had no way to charge me. He just said "this one is on me." I love my local Lowe's and this is precisely why.

Once I got to the car I figured I could at lest turn the tumbler to make sure the key worked. To my surprise...it not only turned, it actually spun the starter and everything, however it wouldn't actually start the vehicle. I found that odd, every transponder key I have had wouldn't even let you turn the electronics on!

So I got home and found a great website with spectacular instructions. It is critical to note that the instructions for programming the Lock/unlock/panic functions are totally independent from the transponder instructions. Doing one WILL NOT complete the other. The links re below:

Transponder: Transponder Key Programming

Lock Functions: Remote Transponder Key Programming

It also explains very effectively the caps on how many master or valet keys you can have programmed to one vehicle. It conveniently gives instructions on how to erase all your masters but the one you use to erase them. I did not need to do this so I cannot vouch for it....nor can I vouch for the 03+ instructions.

Anyways, lucky for me IT WORKED! and I have a brand new, fully functional key. In fact, I am tempted to get another as my spare rather than this messed up one my truck came with. I can't compare it to an OEm key, because even my original key was not OEM, but it locks and unlocks the doors and I don't have to smash my fingers in it. I really hope this help others in this situation (at least us 98-02 guys), as I know most of us are in this situation having bought our rigs used with who knows how many owners. I will post the amazon link below. You can but 1 OR 2 keys. I went with 1 to be the guinea pig, but now wish I had gotten 2. I would suggest getting 2 as well because it makes the per-unit price much cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y2DYZQ3/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[atnolan94]

Got a lot of spring cleaning done on the cruiser. I took all the mats out and hit them with Tuff Stuff, scrubbed by hand with a coarse brush, then Shampooed them with the pet stain shampoo/vacuum things which sucked up all the residue from the Tuff Stuff. Back, middle row, and passenger front floor mats look great. Back row had the classic 15-year old Coca-Cola stain down the center where the 3rd row seats meet, and i got literally 99% of it up which is great.. The drivers one has a ton of wear where the driver's heel sits which is fine, but the gunk on this one is THICK. I will just hit it with more rounds as I have time. So far looks 10x better, and better than I could've expected for nearly 20 year old tan carpet. You can see in the pic below of the rear mat....the left side had been done and the right had not. Very clear difference!!

My passenger seat (along with my driver, but drivers seat is perfect) was "reupholstered" but I think the dealer treated it with something that just totally dried it out. I was at Autozone buying my normal regimen of Lexol Cleaner and Lexol Conditioner and found out something awesome. Not sure if its a new product, but certainly new to me, they make a "Rapid Restorer" now. You basically put copious amounts of it on the seat, let it sit for a few minutes, then circle back and wipe off the excess. So far it has done a tremendous job of softening the rock hard leather. I think a 2-3 week regimen of doing this process daily, then follow it with the cleaner and conditioner will go a long way. I will take my "before" pic tomorrow to see if there's a visual difference at the end.

I got my monstaliner chips and determined light quartz grey to be perfect for my rockers/trim.

Lastly, the "P, R, N, D, 2, L" have never lit up with my dash since I got this truck. Its always just dark and I rely on the cluster indicator. Ironically my "D" in the cluster is out, but it is the only bulb out so I can tell I'm in drive if none of the lights are on. For some reason, today i got in the car to pick up my parents from the airport (returning from 12 days in Italy) and boom! The gear indicators by the shifter were on....curious to see if I have them illuminated again tomorrow night. One of my buddies has an 80 and the same thing happened to him recently. Interesting. This happen to anyone else?

 

[lazarus18]

This morning we spent some time trying to detail the truck. I knew this truck had been in an accident or two, but unfortunately the body work done to repair it wasn't ideal. They sprayed the clear coat OVER the faded pinstripe below the windows. The adhesive leftover from a "Yokem Toyota" badge has also been cleared over as well. Nonetheless we spent some time cleaning up the paint that we could.

Throughout the two days on work breaks, we also used a heat gun and a plastic scraper to remove the 20-year old "wood" trim. Luckily, the black plastic underneath is immaculate. I fixed my saggy glove box, removed some black plastic pieces from the top of the liftgate that held a spoiler at one time or another, and dug out the 12" of antenna I had left so I could actually listen to the radio. My antenna was broken at somepoint, but we slid up the 12-ish inches I had remaining and put a rubber stopper on the top to keep it from falling all the way back in the hole. Not ideal but it will work until I get a full antenna.

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How did you fix the glove compartment... mine is sagging...

 

[atnolan94]

How did you fix the glove compartment... mine is sagging...

I was missing the lower right bolt that holds the trim piece to the metal frame behind the dash. My latch is actually sagging a bit because it is screwed into a plastic backing. I actually plan to just glue the s**t out of it make it lay flush to the glove box itself. Once you inspect and take it apart you will see what I am talking about. I also had to trim that plastic piece to allow the actual latch to sit more nicely. My latch/handle doesn't really match in color so may be out of a newer 100...but not sure on that.

 

[atnolan94]

Lots of new things coming for the Crooser!

I ordered one of those eBay wood steering wheels to replace mine that is pretty beat up. I wanted an LX originally for the wood interior, but I also didn't want to mess with AHC, based on some feedback on these boards this wheel should make me a happy camper. I have an affinity for wood wheels....I just love the way they feel.

I am also compiling parts for some engine "freshening up." First I ordered the Aisin timing belt/water pump kit, also cam and crank seals, fan bracket, and a few other goodies I will be ordering for the front end job. Its a big job but @DirtDawg and I are very "excited" to tackle it in the coming weeks. The truck needs a new rear heater bypass to replace mine, which is leaking where the tube is pressed into the actual cast part of the bypass. It got bad enough that today I had a little puddle of coolant under the truck dripping from the bell housing and skid plate. I ordered some new gaskets for that and probably should do the starter while I have the manifold out. I hope to do this myself this weekend. Looks like a time consuming job but not necessarily a super challenging one.

Lastly, I picked up some graphite wheel paint with a really nice metal flake to it with some flat clear coat to freshen up my stock wheels. The weather is supposed to be great this weekend so I am thinking about putting the truck on stands for the top end motor work and working on the wheel paint as I take breaks. That will allow adequate drying time for everything between coats with the wheels off of the vehicle. Plus the truck will be down anyways so might as well do the wheels at that time. Not 100% sure I will be able to work on the paint this weekend due to weather and time, but I will report back. My biggest issue is that I will have to pull the balancing weights off the wheels to paint them properly, which means I will need to time it well enough to get to a shop and have them balanced. We will see, even if they don't get done this weekend they will be done eventually!

 

[lazarus18]

Lots of new things coming for the Crooser!

I ordered one of those eBay wood steering wheels to replace mine that is pretty beat up. I wanted an LX originally for the wood interior, but I also didn't want to mess with AHC, based on some feedback on these boards this wheel should make me a happy camper. I have an affinity for wood wheels....I just love the way they feel.

I am also compiling parts for some engine "freshening up." First I ordered the Aisin timing belt/water pump kit, also cam and crank seals, fan bracket, and a few other goodies I will be ordering for the front end job. Its a big job but @DirtDawg and I are very "excited" to tackle it in the coming weeks. The truck needs a new rear heater bypass to replace mine, which is leaking where the tube is pressed into the actual cast part of the bypass. It got bad enough that today I had a little puddle of coolant under the truck dripping from the bell housing and skid plate. I ordered some new gaskets for that and probably should do the starter while I have the manifold out. I hope to do this myself this weekend. Looks like a time consuming job but not necessarily a super challenging one.

Lastly, I picked up some graphite wheel paint with a really nice metal flake to it with some flat clear coat to freshen up my stock wheels. The weather is supposed to be great this weekend so I am thinking about putting the truck on stands for the top end motor work and working on the wheel paint as I take breaks. That will allow adequate drying time for everything between coats with the wheels off of the vehicle. Plus the truck will be down anyways so might as well do the wheels at that time. Not 100% sure I will be able to work on the paint this weekend due to weather and time, but I will report back. My biggest issue is that I will have to pull the balancing weights off the wheels to paint them properly, which means I will need to time it well enough to get to a shop and have them balanced. We will see, even if they don't get done this weekend they will be done eventually!

Looking to do my wheels as well and want the "gun metal" or whatever grey it is but I dont want mine to be super shiny.... I wonder if the flat clear coat is what I need to look into. Cant wait to see pics!

 

[atnolan94]

Yep i'm definitely not sure how this will turn out with a flat clear. There's still a part of me that is considering returning and going straight black...but I think I will tough it out and see how they come out!

 

[lazarus18]

Yep i'm definitely not sure how this will turn out with a flat clear. There's still a part of me that is considering returning and going straight black...but I think I will tough it out and see how they come out!

Also meant to ask you how you took your fake wood look lol off.... Ive heard you heat your car up and get it real hot in the summer time and it starts to peel off after awhile. Since its not summer I assume you used a different approach?

 

[atnolan94]

Also meant to ask you how you took your fake wood look lol off.... Ive heard you heat your car up and get it real hot in the summer time and it starts to peel off after awhile. Since its not summer I assume you used a different approach?

Harbor freight heat gun and plastic scrapers, look like drywall scrapers but black plastic. Got everything at Harbor freight. But DO NOT use goof off to remove the excess adhesive. I tried that and now I'm replacing all sorts of buttons that had their writing worn off!

 

[atnolan94]

I broke down and got the cheapo hood struts from amazon, a little weary of trusting wooden boards. Hopefully I get at least a year out of them.

Also just ordered some mud flap eliminators from @LandCruiserPhil which I am very excited about since my mudflaps are destroyed!

 

[atnolan94]

WOW! My eBay steering wheel made some serious progress today, its out for delivery!! This thing was in Taiwan n Tuesday...that's what I call quick shipping. Looks like I have an unexpected project tonight. From everything I've read it looks like an easy install. Just need to unhook the battery first so I don't blow out the airbag on accident haha

On that note if anyone needs a brown steering wheel I'm your man! Mine was re-dyed I believe so it has a little chipping underneath the dye but overall is probably 6-7 out of 10. No tears on it at all. Will throw it in the classifieds as well once I confirm all is well with the new wheel. (its the one the one for the tan LC interior, but I think it will match the LX tan interior as well)

EDIT: Oh and my LCP mudflap eliminators are already being delivered tomorrow. Great customer service.

 

[lazarus18]

WOW! My eBay steering wheel made some serious progress today, its out for delivery!! This thing was in Taiwan n Tuesday...that's what I call quick shipping. Looks like I have an unexpected project tonight. From everything I've read it looks like an easy install. Just need to unhook the battery first so I don't blow out the airbag on accident haha

On that note if anyone needs a brown steering wheel I'm your man! Mine was re-dyed I believe so it has a little chipping underneath the dye but overall is probably 6-7 out of 10. No tears on it at all. Will throw it in the classifieds as well once I confirm all is well with the new wheel. (its the one the one for the tan LC interior, but I think it will match the LX tan interior as well)

EDIT: Oh and my LCP mudflap eliminators are already being delivered tomorrow. Great customer service.

Really want the mudflap elmiminators although looking at buying some cheap material and doing it myself...... on the other hand they dont cost much and I dont have to drive to get material lol. You look into the Trekbox tailgate cover yet? They look sweet and functional I think... looks like your build is coming along nicely. Post pic of steering wheel once done as I am sure you will, I did they wheelcover route that you stitch on and its nice but interested to see yours.

 

[atnolan94]

Really want the mudflap elmiminators although looking at buying some cheap material and doing it myself...... on the other hand they dont cost much and I dont have to drive to get material lol. You look into the Trekbox tailgate cover yet? They look sweet and functional I think... looks like your build is coming along nicely. Post pic of steering wheel once done as I am sure you will, I did they wheelcover route that you stitch on and its nice but interested to see yours.

As for the mud flap eliminators, I like that I was able to support a mud member/General TLC community member who is willing to provide these niche products. Plus cheap price, fast shipping, and they're galvanized, and having a silver truck I plan to just leave them raw. Literally I ordered them yesterday AM, Phil had a shipping label made w/in minutes, and they'll be on my doorstep tomorrow. I will report back with my impressions once installed. based on reviews I will assume that I will be very happy with them and recommend them to you.

I haven't looked into any storage systems yet. Still have some base lining to get thru including timing belt, water pump, starter, etc, and rear heater bypass fix. Also need to do my rack bushings, tie rods, ball joints, etc. I'm really really forcing myself to do all this first then go to the fun stuff! Then it will be time for Bumpers (TJM T17, 4x4 labs, or Dissent), sliders (BIO or WKOR), and possibly a rack 99% for looks, but may be good to have a few times a year lol.

The steering wheel was my one splurge, however! I love wood wheels, always have, I just love how they feel in your palm so I am very excited for it. I will report back with steering wheel pics. may have to wait til daylight tomorrow to get good ones but they'll definitely get posted.

 

[lazarus18]

As for the mud flap eliminators, I like that I was able to support a mud member/General TLC community member who is willing to provide these niche products. Plus cheap price, fast shipping, and they're galvanized, and having a silver truck I plan to just leave them raw. Literally I ordered them yesterday AM, Phil had a shipping label made w/in minutes, and they'll be on my doorstep tomorrow. I will report back with my impressions once installed. based on reviews I will assume that I will be very happy with them and recommend them to you.

I haven't looked into any storage systems yet. Still have some base lining to get thru including timing belt, water pump, starter, etc, and rear heater bypass fix. Also need to do my rack bushings, tie rods, ball joints, etc. I'm really really forcing myself to do all this first then go to the fun stuff! Then it will be time for Bumpers (TJM T17, 4x4 labs, or Dissent), sliders (BIO or WKOR), and possibly a rack 99% for looks, but may be good to have a few times a year lol.

The steering wheel was my one splurge, however! I love wood wheels, always have, I just love how they feel in your palm so I am very excited for it. I will report back with steering wheel pics. may have to wait til daylight tomorrow to get good ones but they'll definitely get posted.

Agreed as far as the MUD vendor support goes.

I would for sure look into @beno for steering rack stuff and if not for some reason you can find what you need at camelback with good pricing. Just my opinion!

 

[Biga27110]

I need a steering rack and tie rod ends for an 05 lx470 @beno i couldnt pm you for some reason.

 

[lazarus18]

I need a steering rack and tie rod ends for an 05 lx470 @beno i couldnt pm you for some reason.

Should be able to send an email through his link on his page under info I believe.

 

[atnolan94]

Lots of small projects done today.

Got my mudflap eliminators from @LandCruiserPhil yesterday and they are PERFECT! Amazing product. Thanks for the idea Phil I will post in your classified thread as well with a quick review. nothing but positives literally no complaints.

Removed my tinted sunroof visor and luckily had no paint damage underneath and all the dirt wiped right off.

I added some of those big grid LED lights off amazon in my domes. They come with a universal dome light adapter and some adhesive backing tho stick them up in the dome housings (middle and cargo). The light isn't blue, its more of a stark white which I really enjoy. I wouldn't be happy with a really blue light. These things are BRIGHT I'm pretty happy, but I will wait a few nights to give a final verdict.

Lastly, I made the little jumper to replace the ACC relay, which allows 12v power even with the ignition off to the power plug in center stack, the one in the console, and the one in the cargo area. This will allow me to run lights or charge my phone with the vehicle not actually running. The cigarette lighter is NOT included in this loop, but mine is broken anyways so no big deal! Easy mod but something that make me super happy. I kept the relay in my glove box just in case my little jumper gets damaged or stops working.

I was planning to paint my wheels and do my rear heater bypass/starter job, but woke up to a puddle of oil under my wife's Tiguan...spent too much time this AM dealing with that. That has been major headache over the past 2 weeks....the car dumped all 4.7 quarts last Saturday because of a bad drain plug that kwik Kar didn't replace while doing an oil change...I got lazy and paid them to do it...that did NOT go well.

We are about {this} close to selling her Tiguan for about $15k and putting her in a GX470. Then we will have a Cruiser and a "fancy Prado" in the family