First long range check list....? Whatcha all got? (1 Viewer)

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Bay Area Ca
Ok so I think I’ve built up ma grrrl (96 LX450) to the point where I think a trip to Death Valley may be in order. This will be the first long range trip for the family and I in her. I’ve done long trips with my v8 4runner but never the “new girl”. So I know what in general to bring, water, camping gear, fuel, recovery etc. but what I need to figure is what else should I get or check for the old 80?

So far I have....

Engine: When I first got her I had her compression tested and all good there. Previous owner had the head gasket changed and tuned. I had her tuned again just to be safe. I replaced the o2 sensors and parts of the EGR system. Cleaned the upper air manifold and all the inlets, etc.

Suspension: 3” OEM lift W J springs and long travel shocks. Caster correction and all that dropped stuff, etc... and 35s BFG KO2s.

Drive Train and gearing: she has been regeared to 4.88 as per the larger tires. Rebuilt the knuckles and had swapped the drive flanges. Also have a new custom front Tom Woods double cardan drive shaft.

She has some seeping at the rear main seal but has never put a drop down so I’m running 5-20 oil.

Armor... all the normal stuff.

ok so what else should I look at? Anything else I should make sure I check or double check? Taking both kids and dog and wife so I’m probably being a little paranoid here.... but what do y’all take for the longer trips as “just in case” or check and double check before heading out?

thanks y’all!
 
I put close to 5k on the odometer with 2 back-to-back trips going from upper New Hampshire to Joshua Tree, CA. Other than a total SNAFU with locking lug nuts (get rid of them if you haven't yet), my biggest issue was the snack and drink situation while driving.

But... folks here were great with suggesting the full range from "generally a good idea" to "damn, that's a few nuts short of a support vehicle." I tried to organize it a bit into a checklist [Google Doc Link].

Not sure what'd be 100-series specific or not but figured I pass it along just in case.
 
I put close to 5k on the odometer with 2 back-to-back trips going from upper New Hampshire to Joshua Tree, CA. Other than a total SNAFU with locking lug nuts (get rid of them if you haven't yet), my biggest issue was the snack and drink situation while driving.

But... folks here were great with suggesting the full range from "generally a good idea" to "damn, that's a few nuts short of a support vehicle." I tried to organize it a bit into a checklist [Google Doc Link].

Not sure what'd be 100-series specific or not but figured I pass it along just in case.
Brilliant and thank you!!
 
point it where you want to go and floor it
 
Be sure the cooling system is up to snuff. Carry spare relays: efi, fuel pump and circuit opening and spare fusible links. Those items will stop you in your tracks

An assortment of hardware, a jump start pack/jumper cables, drive flange, some sort of epoxy that you might be able to temporarily repair the radiator with .. I carry a lot of spare stuff but that’s because I’m out there alone most of the time. You might consider packing a spare starter because with an auto trans bump starts are not an option.

Lots of baselining and preventive maintenance is the big factor in reliability. Be critical of all rubber and plastic parts especially those under the hood where heat accelerates the aging process, this includes the motor mounts.

Before every off road trip I torque check axle, chassis, and driveline fasteners. Of great importance are the hub studs and steering arm studs.
 
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Ok so I think I’ve built up ma grrrl (96 LX450) to the point where I think a trip to Death Valley may be in order. This will be the first long range trip for the family and I in her. I’ve done long trips with my v8 4runner but never the “new girl”. So I know what in general to bring, water, camping gear, fuel, recovery etc. but what I need to figure is what else should I get or check for the old 80?

So far I have....

Engine: When I first got her I had her compression tested and all good there. Previous owner had the head gasket changed and tuned. I had her tuned again just to be safe. I replaced the o2 sensors and parts of the EGR system. Cleaned the upper air manifold and all the inlets, etc.

Suspension: 3” OEM lift W J springs and long travel shocks. Caster correction and all that dropped stuff, etc... and 35s BFG KO2s.

Drive Train and gearing: she has been regeared to 4.88 as per the larger tires. Rebuilt the knuckles and had swapped the drive flanges. Also have a new custom front Tom Woods double cardan drive shaft.

She has some seeping at the rear main seal but has never put a drop down so I’m running 5-20 oil.

Armor... all the normal stuff.

ok so what else should I look at? Anything else I should make sure I check or double check? Taking both kids and dog and wife so I’m probably being a little paranoid here.... but what do y’all take for the longer trips as “just in case” or check and double check before heading out?

thanks y’all!
So, when you planning on heading to DV ?
 
Not sure been throwing the idea around with a few folks...
We would like to know, even though I was just there 2 weeks ago. It's awesome 😎

Engine knock sensor 1 or 2 I forget which one it is...the wire at the sensor gets brittle and can break off (somewhat common) up in tahoe on a trip, It caused a really nasty idle and little loss of power. I fixed it on the side of the road but it would have been easier at home then in the snow with my girl and limited cell signal to look it up...

Sounds like you've done a lot of maintenance, give er a good look over, maybe turn it into your daily driver for the week before you leave to just get anything else sorted out and gain some confidence.

Have a radio vhf/uhf, there's not much cell signal out there.
 
Check your nuts.

Seriously, whenever you’re working on your cruiser, take 3 precious minutes and check to be certain that your knuckle nuts are tight. And obviously make sure you still have 4 studs attached on each.

Then do all the other items that we’ll suggest 👍
 
Be sure the cooling system is up to snuff. Carry spare relays: efi, fuel pump and circuit opening and spare fusible links. Those items will stop you in your tracks

An assortment of hardware, a jump start pack/jumper cables, drive flange, some sort of epoxy that you might be able to temporarily repair the radiator with ..

^^^^^

These two items for sure. Should always be onboard IMO.
 
This is my list before a long trip:

Oil change if needed
Check quality and top off fluids:
- Oil
- Transmission fluid
- Brake fluid
- Coolant
- Windshield fluid
- Power steering fluid
Check tire pressure, including spare, inspect tires for cracking
Check turn signal, brake, and headlight functionality
Check air filter visual quality
Look for leaks underneath you don't already know about
Check battery voltage and alternator performance with a multimeter
Check brake thickness and visual quality of rotors
Torque lug nuts
Check trunnion nut torque
Check birfield joint grease level
Grease driveshaft and u-joint zerks
 
Yeah, a little obvious lube maintenance. 2nd battery or a way to jump start if needed. Obvious stuff like more food/water than you need for the time you 'plan' to be there. Some kind of comm gear if heading off the beaten path. A heap of common sense, i.e. if something looks sketchy then why risk it if in one vehicle.

I have a 40+ year patrol in oz (albeit diesel and too dumb for it to worry about an ecu etc :) ), andI have no issues heading out into remote desert areas, and remote means 100's of miles from the nearest town. Extra common sense in the toolbox is the most important thing to take...

cheers,
george.
 
This is my list before a long trip:

Oil change if needed
Check quality and top off fluids:
- Oil
- Transmission fluid
- Brake fluid
- Coolant
- Windshield fluid
- Power steering fluid
Check tire pressure, including spare, inspect tires for cracking
Check turn signal, brake, and headlight functionality
Check air filter visual quality
Look for leaks underneath you don't already know about
Check battery voltage and alternator performance with a multimeter
Check brake thickness and visual quality of rotors
Torque lug nuts
Check trunnion nut torque
Check birfield joint grease level
Grease driveshaft and u-joint zerks
That’s a good pre and post trip vehicle checklist. I remember running into you in Saline Valley too a few years back.
I’ll add to the vehicle checklist:

Rear lower shock bolt torque 45# (especially with aftermarket shocks)
Roof Rack to gutter tight and secure (if applicable)
RTT/awning/large gear to Rack secure and tight (if applicable)
Winch test run check (if applicable)
Batteries mounted and tight in their carrier
Battery terminals secure
Once over on accessory wiring and function of each circuit

Have fun in DV!
 
If you ask yourself, I wonder if I should pullover for gas, the answer will always be yes.

Getting used to the range and gas gauge will take time. I’d also recommend plugging in an OBD reader to monitor temps. I like @baldilocks recommendation on extra relays. I had an AC relay go bad on an old 4Runner. That SUCKED.
 

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