Gonna have alittle Spare Cash, what to do to Cruiser..?

[crappyone]

Well I think I may end up having $500-750 to spend this year on Cruiser. Getting some new Tires, but that's a must. I figured I'd take the money that I was gonna put in for wheels and use it for something else for Cruiser. So I need your guys' help. I have a '91 Stock Cruiser. I'm getting Tires and windows tinted (for kids). So does anything come to mind that I can do to my Truck for around $500-750? Thanks for help Cruiserheads

 

[Jammin]

ahhh ... hmmmm ... an Ih8mud sticker?

 

[Cruiserhead05]

I vote for a rear locker or a lift or just keep saving for both

 

[landtank]

springs if not already done. Even if you don't want a lift the OME low lift heavy springs will really help with the ride and handling.

What are your plans for the truck and what do you do with it now?

 

[crappyone]

Well truck is mainly used On Road use. But I DO plan on getting an OME lift sometime. Wasn't sure if I should do that now. Wasn't sure if I had enough. I saw some OME lifts that were a bit more expensive with LTR's. What are LTR's? And would I need those for mainly road driving with alittle or so Offroad? Thanks

 

[Trapper]

I agree with Landtank. Since you're already going to purchase tires, new spings and shocks we be the next upgrade. If you like how it currently handles and plan on wheeling the truck, a good set of sliders would be a nice addition. This would save you some money down the road. If you have any scheduled maintenance issues such as axles, brakes, etc, that would also be a wise use of the money. It all depends on your intended use for the truck.

 

[Trapper]

LTR's have a separate resevoir. As described by the ARB/OME website are: "Our elite shock absorbers developed to cater for exceptional requirements such as heavy towing and high speed travel over dirt roads. LTRs employ an independent canister that allows more oil to pass through the shock, while separating it from the gas. As such, LTRs dissipate heat more effectively, and are therefore better suited to extreme conditions where regular shocks are prone to fade."

If this is a description of your driving style/conditions, then yes you may need them. Otherwise, the regular nitrocharger shocks are just fine. They will be 1000% better than what you are riding on now.

 

[landtank]

Right now I would suggest that you sit down and think hard on what you might want to do with the truck down the road. Doing both the tires and lift right now with an eye on future use or mods would be a good thing. Not just offroading but maybe towing a trailer.

Regardless of which OME spring set you choose your truck will drive and handle so much better.

This is how I started my mods. Trying to fit them in the budget which ment as needed for the most part but also looking down the road.

 

[flintknapper]

Unless you have pressing maintenance/mechanical issues then the amount you cited would go a long way toward upgrading your sound system. Especially the speakers, but a new single din unit for sure.
That amount won't take you too far mechanically, but a smart shopper could do pretty good on the electronics.

 

[lovetoski]

OK, so I'm going to sound like some boring old fart (though I do fart alot...). The single most important "upgrade" is to "invest" in PM. No matter what suspension lift you have, no matter what tires you have, you won't go far with a broken cruiser. Make sure it's reliable (read the FAQ) then fix anything that might break (read the FAQ).

If that's all covered, then call Slee and get the OME suspension.

 

[MoJ]

crappyone-

Since you mentioned in another post that you have 7 inch wide wheels, I'm gonna assume you have a 1991 or 92 LC? If that's correct, keep in mind that you have a 3FE engine and when taking lovetoski's advice above all of the info in the FAQ may not apply to you specifically. I would agree with lovetoski, if you haven't had some basic things done, like a coolant flush for example, you might consider spending your coin on PM. You might consider taking it to a reputable mechanic and having them give it a look. Outside of the PM, look into OME suspensions. You likely don't need the LTR's, just go with OME coils and nitrocharger shocks and you should be able to get pretty close to the amount you're wanting to spend.
BTW- what's your first name, hate referring to you as "crappyone".

Jason

 

[reffug]

BTW- what's your first name, hate referring to you as "crappyone".

Jason

Well you could always just shorten it up to crap

 

[landtank]

I never thought of maintenance as an upgrade. I can't imagine anyone spending money on non-essentials when the truck needs basic work done to it.

 

[Junk]

Crapper - itemize all the maint that has been postponed, is overdue or would be a good idea. Figure out how much $ and time that will cost, then go from there.

 

[crappyone]

Cool thanks guys. I think I will get it checked out. BTW, sorry to sound like an idiot again....but what's PM? Well I just got Cruiser back from mechanic acouple months ago. So I didn't really wanna spend more money on mechanic. Plus my Mechanic(s) hardly ever see a LC come into their shop, it took them awhile just to find 1 broken wire. So I'm not sure if they'd know what to do with it. But then again I don't know.
So do I just get a tune up for it? Or are there specific things I need to look for and do?But yeah I have no idea what would need to be done. I'm soooo Automobile ignorant. I know nothing, so trying to learn now.
And MoJ, for the OME shocks (just in case I can do), The only parts I'd need are the Coils and Nitrocharger Shocks? I wouldn't need to get a Kit? Also Any of these flushings and whanot...Could I do them myself? Well Thanks for help.
My name's Terry, but I really don't Mind Crappyone, Crappy, Crap, Piece of Crap, whatever. I've been using this name for AWHILE now, so I'm used to and ok with being Crappy.

 

[reffug]

Yo crap

PM = preventive maintenance. You will find that most of us on this board are a little bit neurotic when it comes to maintenance for our cruisers. If your shop never see's cruisers probably not a good idea to get work done there. Post up where you are located and probably someone on the board can recommend a good shop if there is one in your area. Although most of us neurotic bastards like to do this sort of mundance stuff ourselves as it gives us a good excuse to be the garage tinkering, and in my case having a couple of cold 's. Without getting nagged IYKWIM.

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

I would put that money back into your pocket and spend about a month reading about all of the maintenance that you need to do...sounds like some good tools and service manual would be wise in your case.....(You did acknowledge ignorance.....just don't accept that forever, make yourself more capable to handle things on your own!)

Just resist the urge to go for bling (which I apologize, sounds like you are wanting looks over function) UNTIL you have covered ALL of the problem areas....Start small, do some tune-ups and things, and with a lot of research and time doing PM your confidence level working on the truck will rise.....Recalling your prvious posts, money is an issue, and this is a daily driver......concentrate on making sure it will not sit for months again should be your only goal at this point IMO...

The best investment you can make is time reading the hundreds of threads that will enable you to make your Cruiser more reliable....This will take hundreds of hours, but won't cost you a cent.

 

[crappyone]

Yeah I have a Haynes manual on way. Should be here Tomorrow. I do want to learn and do all this myself and I will at any chance. I plan on doing everything myself to Cruiser. That's why I'm here I guess. We did a tune up last year when I got truck but I'm sure it's due for another. I was only going to go bling..lol...because I wasn't sure if cruiser needed anything. All fluid levels are great. Nothing seems to leak. All fluids have been changed on regular basis, from what friend said. He said Fluids were all clean. When I took it into shop although they don't work/see many cruiser's they said mine looked in great shape and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. That's why it took so long for them to find 1 broken wire. So I figured it was in good shape. I don't really have ANY problems with it. Sounds great except for alittle rattling when stopped at stoplight or something.
So I planned on doing something to looks of truck. But I agree with you guys that I should make sure truck is running up to par first. And that's what I plan to do. I've been geeking out waiting for my First Repair manual. So since I should do this stuff myself. Can any of you recommend a few tools I'll need or should get or anything. I don't have crap. Thanks Again

 

[flintknapper]

Sounds like you're a maintenance candidate to me.

Also, you could change your name to CaCa Uno.

 

[Beowulf]

Terry,

The Haynes is no substitute for the Factory Service Manual (FSM) from Toyota. If you get into any wiring you will also want the Electronic Wiring Diagram (EWD) for your 80.

What year is yours?

-B-