First car, lx450!

[BucketEighty]

When you baseline the suspension system, are you planning to keep the vehicle at stock ride height? If so, suspension system maintenance is inspect bushings and replace as needed, and replace the shock absorbers with your choice of stock-length shocks.

80 series suspension works great and is highly versatile at stock ride height, from city driving to highway speed emergency maneuvers, to cruising through the desert at 25mph, to mild technical four-wheeling in rocks and ruts, the systems works adequately for all of it. Predictable, versatile, and safe.

 

[banjo1981]

Nice work so far. Seems you’re getting pretty comfortable with the 80 series platform.

Stock shocks and springs provide a nice smooth ride. I added 30mm spacers to the springs and I am very happy. But there are tons of options out there, just didn’t want to mess with LSPV or caster angles.

 

[tug123]

When you baseline the suspension system, are you planning to keep the vehicle at stock ride height? If so, suspension system maintenance is inspect bushings and replace as needed, and replace the shock absorbers with your choice of stock-length shocks.

80 series suspension works great and is highly versatile at stock ride height, from city driving to highway speed emergency maneuvers, to cruising through the desert at 25mph, to mild technical four-wheeling in rocks and ruts, the systems works adequately for all of it. Predictable, versatile, and safe.

Stock for now. My opinion is, until I run into limitations of the stock suspension and/or understand why I want to lift it, I'll keep stock. I have zero experience going on trails (but hope to get into it), my main purpose is the national forest here + my (very) rough winters. I'm honestly stunned driving this around at the handling and comfortability of the ride, we used to have a '01 Sequoia but that is nothing compared to my 80. Stock is pretty amazing. Much appreciated on baselining tips, other thing I need to do is clean off the grease from the knuckles/wheel hub, check/swap diff fluids, and make sure knuckle grease is solid.

Nice work so far. Seems you’re getting pretty comfortable with the 80 series platform.

Stock shocks and springs provide a nice smooth ride. I added 30mm spacers to the springs and I am very happy. But there are tons of options out there, just didn’t want to mess with LSPV or caster angles.

Feels like it! Mud has been absolutely invaluable to me, 4 months ago I had never worked on a car but now I'm feeling fairly comfortable with maintaining my 80. Wild to actually drive it, stunned at how well/smoothly it drives. I definitely agree, I'm leaning towards stock until I have a serious need to do otherwise. The only immediate reason I could imagine is larger winter tires to go through the mountain passes (i.e. Jackson) in the dead of winter without any concern, but I think there may be more effective ways to mitigate that.

 

[tug123]

Oh is there anything I ought to baseline on my lockers (factory triple locked)? I still haven't even tested them, on my todo list, but not sure if locking differentials should have some specific preventative maintenance.

 

[CharlieS]

It can't hurt to change the diff gear oil. Make sure you exercise the diff actuators regularly, especially with factory lockers. The actuators can gum up from lack of use.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Oh is there anything I ought to baseline on my lockers (factory triple locked)? I still haven't even tested them, on my todo list, but not sure if locking differentials should have some specific preventative maintenance.

Test them first.
Find a gravel lot, put it in low range, turn the knob, and drive in a slow circle or figure 8.

If they are functioning, they'll lock

 

[banjo1981]

Oh is there anything I ought to baseline on my lockers (factory triple locked)? I still haven't even tested them, on my todo list, but not sure if locking differentials should have some specific preventative maintenance.

Like the others have said, use them every once in a while on a dirt or gravel road just to ensure they engage and disengage quickly.

 

[BucketEighty]

I wouldn’t recommend larger tires for winter driving, stock size is plenty tall for snowy roads even when the plows haven’t kept up. Do you plan to run dedicated winter tires? I run 16”x7” steel wheels with 235/85R16 winter tires in the winter because they are narrower and work better on snowy and icy roads.

Larger tire sizes are wider and aren’t as good for snowy and icy on-road driving. Wider provides flotation for snowy off road driving but you need to go REALLY big on tire size if snow wheeling is your thing and then the truck won’t be suited for daily snowy road driving duties.

 

[tug123]

I wouldn’t recommend larger tires for winter driving, stock size is plenty tall for snowy roads even when the plows haven’t kept up. Do you plan to run dedicated winter tires? I run 16”x7” steel wheels with 235/85R16 winter tires in the winter because they are narrower and work better on snowy and icy roads.

Larger tire sizes are wider and aren’t as good for snowy and icy on-road driving. Wider provides flotation for snowy off road driving but you need to go REALLY big on tire size if snow wheeling is your thing and then the truck won’t be suited for daily snowy road driving duties.

Yeah I was leaning towards stock for that anyways. I've been heavily considering dedicated tires, I think I probably will since it can get very rough here especially if I plan on long winter drives for skiing. I doubt I'll be adding 40's anytime soon haha, I need to do more research on snow tires (studded vs not) etc and figure out what I really want to get.

 

[tug123]

I'm still kind of convinced I have a vacuum leak, I found an older thread where @BILT4ME said to pull the oil cap while the engine running, if nothing changes you have a vacuum leak (engine should borderline die). Well, I have no change whatsoever. Means I definitely have a vacuum leak right? If so I'm pretty impressed at how well its operating with one, guess the upside is it should drive even better when I figure it out.

 

[BILT4ME]

I'm still kind of convinced I have a vacuum leak, I found an older thread where @BILT4ME said to pull the oil cap while the engine running, if nothing changes you have a vacuum leak (engine should borderline die). Well, I have no change whatsoever. Means I definitely have a vacuum leak right? If so I'm pretty impressed at how well its operating with one, guess the upside is it should drive even better when I figure it out.

Have you done the valve cover and spark plug tube seals?

 

[tug123]

Have you done the valve cover and spark plug tube seals?

Yep both, PCV valve too. I did snap one of the valve cover bolts so one isn't screwed in - maybe that?

 

[tug123]

Just ordered new valve cover bolts, I bet that's it. The snapped bolt is where the whistling is coming from (under TB), I'll try to get that bolt off this weekend by welding a nut and see if that resolves it.

EDIT: on second thought, welding a nut in that location seems very sketchy (especially with valve cover off). I may go a different route ha.

 

[doc_random]

Is the oil cap new? It looks to be, but the rubber seal under the cap can dry out. Mine had a vacuum leak there.

 

[tug123]

Is the oil cap new? It looks to be, but the rubber seal under the cap can dry out. Mine had a vacuum leak there.

No new oil cap, that's not a bad thing to replace too. I'll listen next time it's running to see if it's coming from there.

 

[Fj80oregon]

No new oil cap, that's not a bad thing to replace too. I'll listen next time it's running to see if it's coming from there.

You can replace the rubber gasket for a couple bucks instead of buying a whole new cap.

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[Fj80oregon]

Just ordered new valve cover bolts, I bet that's it. The snapped bolt is where the whistling is coming from (under TB), I'll try to get that bolt off this weekend by welding a nut and see if that resolves it.

EDIT: on second thought, welding a nut in that location seems very sketchy (especially with valve cover off). I may go a different route ha.

I would spray some penetrating oil on that broken bolt and see if you can use an easy out, that bolt is not a high torque bolt and is in aluminum so should be easy to extract. But we know how that goes!

 

[ZackR]

Back to tires - I recommend the Toyo AT3. Great all terrain that is snowflake rated. I run these year round on the cruiser and my truck.

We get a lot of snow and I've been impressed.

 

[tug123]

I would spray some penetrating oil on that broken bolt and see if you can use an easy out, that bolt is not a high torque bolt and is in aluminum so should be easy to extract. But we know how that goes!

Solid idea, will definitely try again. I spent hours with a pair of channel locks going at it a month ago, wouldn’t move. My latest idea is take a hacksaw to make an indent and try to back it out with a screwdriver. Don’t want to annihilate this screw too much with pliers.

Back to tires - I recommend the Toyo AT3. Great all terrain that is snowflake rated. I run these year round on the cruiser and my truck.

We get a lot of snow and I've been impressed.

I coulda sworn I saw you in saying you had KO2s in a thread from the past year or two. Leaning towards solid ATs though great recommendation, kinda feel like they’ve gotten plenty good enough to not need dedicated winter unless you’re in Siberia.

 

[ZackR]

Solid idea, will definitely try again. I spent hours with a pair of channel locks going at it a month ago, wouldn’t move. My latest idea is take a hacksaw to make an indent and try to back it out with a screwdriver. Don’t want to annihilate this screw too much with pliers.

I coulda sworn I saw you in saying you had KO2s in a thread from the past year or two. Leaning towards solid ATs though great recommendation, kinda feel like they’ve gotten plenty good enough to not need dedicated winter unless you’re in Siberia.

I ran KO2's for 60k miles on the cruiser and they were also really good tires. It seems like the Toyo AT3 has been better in the snow though. Can't go wrong either way.