How much "abuse" is too much?

[Heckraiser]

Land cruisers have a very overbuilt frame. Your friends have probably seen too many jeeps and fords in their shops. I don't think theres any amont of suspension cycling that will damage a toyota frame.

There is a video out there somewhere of me knocking over a dead tree for firewood with the mini truck in my avatar. Frame was fine, 80's vintage smittybilt tube bumper was not. Nothing a tow strap, an apple tree and reverse gear couldn't fix :edit: come to think of it, I also tugged a bunch of 4" fence posts out of concrete with that truck too. No damage that I could see/feel

 

[slow95z]

We pulled a little stump over the weekend with my truck, they can take a bunch of abuse.

 

[baldilocks]

I've never heard this sort of question raised amongst off-roaders. If someone told me I was an idiot for running my truck,of any kind, over some rough terrain I would have to ask him if he was currently wearing his nutsack. Yeah we break stuff and then we fix it because that's what this is all about. No offense to the OP but this is quite possibly the weirdest discussion I've seen in tech. Sort of like saying "you should not slide into second base because you might skin your knee". I suggest staying away from those who drank the cool aide of vaginazation.

 

[landtoy80]

No one in my way. I was driving so slow as brakes suck with that much weight. I bet now with the LSPV and ABS removed it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[LS1FJ40]

Tell them to buy a Prius.

Wheel it. If it breaks, fix it. I would venture to say you will never wheel it as hard as some of the lunatics in here.

 

[MDarius]

No offense taken. I've abused mine ok, more than I would have / could have the Cherokee I owned. When my trusted master mechanic friend with 20 years of experience throws it out there, followed by 2 or 3 other guys who I respect as knowing more about vehicles than I do, all say the same thing within a week or two it makes me wonder.

I don't mind fixing things when they break. There's a curve of diminishing value though where my skill set is exceeded by the work required to fix what breaks. I think that's the real answer. What am I willing and able to fix? That's where stupid needs to stop.

 

[landtoy80]

I think the 80 is "stupid-proof". I have done lots of "stupid" things and the 80 just eats it up and asks for more.

 

[LS1FJ40]

Like was said before, they probably aren't used to the structural integrity of an 80. Few vehicles on manufcatured on this level. The MB G wagon, Nissan Petrol.

Jeeps are not. Blazers are not. They are probably used to those. My lifelong family mechanic was a die hard Mopar guy. He talked s*** about my 80 when I was a kid. Said he wouldn't let a "rice burner" in his garage. I kept talking so much s*** that he eventually had me pull it in and put it up in the air. He looked at it and said "it is well built".

 

[MDarius]

I've never heard this sort of question raised amongst off-roaders. If someone told me I was an idiot for running my truck,of any kind, over some rough terrain I would have to ask him if he was currently wearing his nutsack. Yeah we break stuff and then we fix it because that's what this is all about. No offense to the OP but this is quite possibly the weirdest discussion I've seen in tech. Sort of like saying "you should not slide into second base because you might skin your knee". I suggest staying away from those who drank the cool aide of vaginazation.

I also think there's a difference between wheeling the crap out of the weekend war machine and the family's primary truckster. Break it and fix it is great when your wife doesn't need it to get to the mall or the commute. Again, there's the curve.

 

[richardlillard1]

I think you'll be okay.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

90 percent of the vehicles mechanics fix on a regular basis would be destroyed if you treated then like most of us treat our cruisers. Based on the vehicles they work on the majority of the time I am not surprised that a mechanic friend would tell you that was bad for your cruiser.

 

[george_tlc]

Yeah, these are 4wds with a fully boxed chassis, not some unibody pos...

cheers,
george.

 

[Tools R Us]

Yeah, these are 4wds with a fully boxed chassis, not some unibody pos...

cheers,
george.

^^^ This.

Drive the rig into a washout like in your first pic, on relatively level ground, where you can rock it back and forth, so all of the weight is on the opposing wheels. Open close all of the doors, they will open the same as sitting at the mall. Check body gaps, not likely to find any difference.

Now try the same with your average cherocar, the doors are likely to drag, stick, or if softened up by wheeling, will be stuck, can't be opened. Now check body gaps, likely to way off from body flex. This is not uncommon among some "wheelers" and likely what is being referred to. Have spotted rigs into twisted up places, told the driver to get out and check it out, only to have them say, can't until on flat ground, or have to climb out the window. Doesn't happen on Land Cruisers, even with tons of wheeling miles.

 

[SmokingRocks]

Sort of like saying "you should not slide into second base because you might skin your knee".

I usually slide face first into second base

 

[maxamillion2345]

^^^ This.

Drive the rig into a washout like in your first pic, on relatively level ground, where you can rock it back and forth, so all of the weight is on the opposing wheels. Open close all of the doors, they will open the same as sitting at the mall. Check body gaps, not likely to find any difference.

Now try the same with your average cherocar, the doors are likely to drag, stick, or if softened up by wheeling, will be stuck, can't be opened. Now check body gaps, likely to way off from body flex. This is not uncommon among some "wheelers" and likely what is being referred to. Have spotted rigs into twisted up places, told the driver to get out and check it out, only to have them say, can't until on flat ground, or have to climb out the window. Doesn't happen on Land Cruisers, even with tons of wheeling miles.

100% this but most which do twist enough to not open doors will be fine once on flat ground, not likely to cause permanent deformation

 

[lockd80]

Just after purchasing my 80 I went down a very nasty trail that only the built rock crawlers were going up. Tore off all the flairs, banged up three out of four corners and one door sill, jumped and jammed it hard enough to change the alignment twice. When I took it to the body shop to be fixed I suggested that they check and see if the frame was damaged. The Guy behind the counter just looked out the window at my 80 and said "nope". When I asked how he knew He just said "it aint got near enough damage to have bent that frame." He continued to inform me that only a major collision would damage "that frame" and even if it was bent their frame machine was not sufficient to straighten it and I would have to take it to a shop that works on commercial trucks. I had him check anyway and it was straight as a pin.

 

[Tugarin]

80s are not invincible as people like to say. Cracks on the frame, torn off body cushions are common. Frame once in three months should be inspected at the points on front steering, point where front panhard rod attached to the frame and etc. Under the driver and front passenger body cushions are prone to fail, causing body to frame direct contact and breakage of the frame cushion brackets.

I have compared Nissan Y60 frame with 80's - Y60's frame is way more rigid and I think that's where the problem is. 80s flexes more and do not actually brake when Y60 is prone to have more cracks.

It is just a vehicle which needs less maintenance than others at the same harsh environment exploitation, therefore it still needs it.

 

[AaronM33]

Tell them to buy a Prius.

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.

 

[120mm]

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.

 

[120mm]

80s are not invincible as people like to say. Cracks on the frame, torn off body cushions are common. Frame once in three months should be inspected at the points on front steering, point where front panhard rod attached to the frame and etc. Under the driver and front passenger body cushions are prone to fail, causing body to frame direct contact and breakage of the frame cushion brackets.

I have compared Nissan Y60 frame with 80's - Y60's frame is way more rigid and I think that's where the problem is. 80s flexes more and do not actually brake when Y60 is prone to have more cracks.

It is just a vehicle which needs less maintenance than others at the same harsh environment exploitation, therefore it still needs it.

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.