How much "abuse" is too much?

[120mm]

There's far too much Prius hate on these boards already. They're fantastically engineered machines built in Japan by Mr. T's finest. Mine has 304,000 miles and counting on the original battery and second set of brake pads. They may be the nerdy little cousin of an 80 series but they're still family.

Tell them to buy a JK Wrangler, they're a vehicle worth hating.

Prius hate is like Mac Hate. Some Prius drivers are insufferable dicks, just like some Mac users are insufferable dicks. For whatever reason, both products (which are otherwise excellent) attract the kinds of folks who would belong to the Spanish Inquisition, if they were alive back then.

 

[Tugarin]

In my younger days, my guys "killed" three tanks by splitting them down weld lines in collisions. So, yeah. All vehicles can sustain frame damage.

Well, two out three 80s I know have welded (repaired) cracks. Mine being used as DD and long ranger for work have these repairs constantly. Without collision or any accident frame of 80s fall apart on rough roads. there is no exclusion for 90s, 100s, 105s, 120s, 150 or 200 - they all have problems with frames. Probably on your side of World you use them for fun. But when you use it for work usually they are just as any other trucks, just little bit more reliable and will not leave you stranded out in nowhere.

I am not the hater I love main, it is fun to drive very reliable, easy to DIY. But still my annual business trips go over 50-60KKMs and annual maintenance cost goes up to $6-7 Ks not including fuel and regular oil change.

 

[LS1FJ40]

There's far too much Prius hate on these boards already. They're fantastically engineered machines built in Japan by Mr. T's finest. Mine has 304,000 miles and counting on the original battery and second set of brake pads. They may be the nerdy little cousin of an 80 series but they're still family.

Tell them to buy a JK Wrangler, they're a vehicle worth hating.

Yes. Great vehicles. Lousy off road vehicles.

 

[120mm]

Well, two out three 80s I know have welded (repaired) cracks. Mine being used as DD and long ranger for work have these repairs constantly. Without collision or any accident frame of 80s fall apart on rough roads. there is no exclusion for 90s, 100s, 105s, 120s, 150 or 200 - they all have problems with frames. Probably on your side of World you use them for fun. But when you use it for work usually they are just as any other trucks, just little bit more reliable and will not leave you stranded out in nowhere.

I am not the hater I love main, it is fun to drive very reliable, easy to DIY. But still my annual business trips go over 50-60KKMs and annual maintenance cost goes up to $6-7 Ks not including fuel and regular oil change.

Your side of the world is also my side of the world. The 80 I drive now is just a commuter, but I've used LCs for work and agree with you.

 

[Whileemptyheadsdream]

Prius hate is like Mac Hate. Some Prius drivers are insufferable dicks, just like some Mac users are insufferable dicks. For whatever reason, both products (which are otherwise excellent) attract the kinds of folks who would belong to the Spanish Inquisition, if they were alive back then.

You may be right, but It was the roman catholic Inquisition, In Spain. May 31 1492 all Jews must convert to roman catholic or die.

 

[Pin_Head]

Prius hate is like Mac Hate. Some Prius drivers are insufferable dicks, just like some Mac users are insufferable dicks. For whatever reason, both products (which are otherwise excellent) attract the kinds of folks who would belong to the Spanish Inquisition, if they were alive back then.

Prius hate?

Smug alert!

 

[AaronM33]

Yes. Great vehicles. Lousy off road vehicles.

Agreed. Actually it has pretty lousy on-road traction too. Will NOT spin a tire, even on dry gravel. It just stops in its tracks to avoid damaging expensive hybrid things. That's my biggest gripe about the car.

Back to OP's topic: 80 series are extremely well built. They're not a TJ, not an XJ, not a Chevy/ Dodge/ Ford pickup. These are all built by committees with the bean counters calling the shots. They're designed for US highways and to get through the first 3 years 36,000 miles. I have personal experience as a previous Jeep owner and professional auto tech. I've seen underneath them all and nothing built here compares.

Alternatively you have a vehicle like the TLC that was designed for rugged roads, impassable stretches of muck and comfortable highway travel as well. You get a boxed frame, you get actual front hubs with substance, you get locking diffs, you get suspension components that are adequately sized and you get driveshafts that actually bolt on (imagine that! Google Jeep SYE).

Many popular and necessary mods in the modern Jeep world (for instance) simply bring them up to a similar design as we already have. Mods to remove inverted Y steering, mods to get rid of unit bearing hubs, and to replace slip yokes on transfer cases. And these are needed to run 32s or 33s off-road, which we can fit in our trucks with little to no modification.

My point is the standard of off-road ruggedness is much different in the US market where blonde-girls-on-the-beach marketing, not real-world use, sells vehicles. The line between use/abuse correlates to this standard and 80 series especially are clearly ahead.

Take your friends with you when you go out with your club. If that doesn't impress them let us know and I'll have Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición look into it.

 

[AaronM33]

Prius hate?

Smug alert!

LOL "global laming"

 

[Dave 2000]

Today's vehicles are 'designed' to collapse, for the love of occupant safety. Even the faithful old Land Rovers of the past have become 'unitary construction' to allow for 'progressive collapsing of the body components in a controlled manor'. To give you a factual idea how LR see the Discovery 3 for example. From the workshop manual, 'It is necessary to strip, clean and adjust the electric handbrake mechanism EVERY 50 OFF ROAD MILES'! WTF?

So there you have it, the 80 handbrake is pretty much rubbish but you can wheel the arse off it, frame fractures (panhard rod/steering box) were not known on 5 year old models, just those that have rusted after 15 plus years in poor conditions. I look at what some guys have done with their rigs when wheeling, and confess I probably have only done about 70% of that but the chassis is 'built' and at 21 years old mine is still as solid as a rock, alas the upper body (wheel arch/sill) have started to rust.

Last year we scrapped a Jeep Cherokee for the 'cash for clunkers' here in Spain, the V8 purred, it drove absolutely beautiful except a pull to the right, where the control arm from the front axle to the under body was bolted it was buckled, and this was done by the rough track that the guy used up to his house every day!

Buy your friends an X BOX and tell them it is safer to stay at home, never seen a sofa suffer much damage from the 'special effects vibrations'.

regards

Dave

 

[mingles]

Not a Series 80, but this is an interesting demonstration at how much a Toyota truck can take:



If you haven't seen it, watch all 3 parts.

My mechanic is a 40 year guy, who routinely turns away business. He doesn't like my 80, and in fact, despite an Encyclopedic knowledge of vehicles, really doesn't know Landcruisers at all. So sometimes experience doesn't count.

That is a classic. The revival after rolling around in the surf never ceases to amaze me .

 

[MDarius]

Well, two out three 80s I know have welded (repaired) cracks. Mine being used as DD and long ranger for work have these repairs constantly. Without collision or any accident frame of 80s fall apart on rough roads. there is no exclusion for 90s, 100s, 105s, 120s, 150 or 200 - they all have problems with frames. Probably on your side of World you use them for fun. But when you use it for work usually they are just as any other trucks, just little bit more reliable and will not leave you stranded out in nowhere.

I am not the hater I love main, it is fun to drive very reliable, easy to DIY. But still my annual business trips go over 50-60KKMs and annual maintenance cost goes up to $6-7 Ks not including fuel and regular oil change.

@Tugarin, are you in the oil fields?

What kind of "commute" are you doing where 2:3 trucks are seeing serious wear issues?

 

[120mm]

@Tugarin, are you in the oil fields?

What kind of "commute" are you doing where 2:3 trucks are seeing serious wear issues?

He's in Kazakhstan, last time I checked.

Think "very few real roads" and those that do exist are in s*** shape.

 

[bloc]

Have posted this before elsewhere. 1.5Roll, stopped by a large boulder into the cowl. yes, the boulder didn't impact the frame.. but despite the roll and recovery the alignment didn't change one iota. It drove exactly as before.. only a lot more bugs in your teeth. Hell, all 4 doors still worked, and after taking a sledge to the D pillar to make room for it, the hatch even worked.



Yes, I have posted elsewhere asking about a bent axle housing.. it was like that before this roll.

The frame/drivetrain/suspension lives on though.. and drives great.

 

[Tools R Us]

Well, two out three 80s I know have welded (repaired) cracks. Mine being used as DD and long ranger for work have these repairs constantly. Without collision or any accident frame of 80s fall apart on rough roads. there is no exclusion for 90s, 100s, 105s, 120s, 150 or 200 - they all have problems with frames. Probably on your side of World you use them for fun. But when you use it for work usually they are just as any other trucks, just little bit more reliable and will not leave you stranded out in nowhere.

I am not the hater I love main, it is fun to drive very reliable, easy to DIY. But still my annual business trips go over 50-60KKMs and annual maintenance cost goes up to $6-7 Ks not including fuel and regular oil change.

Agree, having experience in off road racing, anything can be broken. Mine has been cracked/welded at the panhard, several that we work on/wheel with have needed welding. But we do work for the Forest Service, are out often, most times heavily loaded.

Constant hard, commercial type use will take it's toll, but that isn't the subject of this thread? The OP's mechanic claimed the frame was going to be bent from relatively casual wheeling, not going to happen.

 

[Tools R Us]

... frame fractures (panhard rod/steering box) were not known on 5 year old models, just those that have rusted after 15 plus years in poor conditions. ...

The ones we see have nothing to do with rust, desert rigs, just constant, heavy use.

 

[richardlillard1]

Agree, having experience in off road racing, anything can be broken. Mine has been cracked/welded at the panhard, several that we work on/wheel with have needed welding. But we do work for the Forest Service, are out often, most times heavily loaded.

Constant hard, commercial type use will take it's toll, but that isn't the subject of this thread? The OP's mechanic claimed the frame was going to be bent from relatively casual wheeling, not going to happen.

That reminds me, my panhard mount is cracked.

 

[MDarius]

Agree, having experience in off road racing, anything can be broken. Mine has been cracked/welded at the panhard, several that we work on/wheel with have needed welding. But we do work for the Forest Service, are out often, most times heavily loaded.

Constant hard, commercial type use will take it's toll, but that isn't the subject of this thread? The OP's mechanic claimed the frame was going to be bent from relatively casual wheeling, not going to happen.

It kind of is the subject. My example was just an example. My real question is, what does it take, or what should be avoided?

Jackassing across washboard roads at 5OMPH? Basic flexing as demonstrated? Or is it just doing this kind of thing relentlessly?

 

[Dave 2000]

The ones we see have nothing to do with rust, desert rigs, just constant, heavy use.

I have to concede this to your long term experience 'Tools', I have only seen one type of fracture on an 80 that was NOT due to rust, this was around the B and C pillars at the bottom where the glass ends. Long hours and miles 'dune bashing' in Morocco with heavy roof racks, despite the massive amount of flexing on undulations you meet in the desert, and various recoveries through mud bogs, I have never seen anything broken/twisted on the frame but, again my experience with the amount of vehicles that do this on a regular basis is only over the last 3 - 4 years, might see it yet?

regards

Dave

 

[surfpig]

I usually slide face first into second base

Not "THAT" second base...

 

[Tools R Us]

It kind of is the subject. My example was just an example. My real question is, what does it take, or what should be avoided?

Jackassing across washboard roads at 5OMPH? Basic flexing as demonstrated? Or is it just doing this kind of thing relentlessly?

My first rules is; keep at least two tires on the ground, they don't fly well, too heavy, often doesn't end well. I sometimes like the high speed dirt road/sand wash stuff, but doesn't take much of a screw up to break the first rule and long term is hard on the rig. Most low speed stuff, crawling, wheel lifting (posing), twisting it up, doesn't appear to have significant frame/body integrity effect.

Most of what we see is from long term, constant hard use. They are heavy enough, more weight = higher chance and sooner possibility of wear/fatigue.