Events/Trails I am WHEELING the 2008 Land Cruiser today!

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

My ACTION photos of wheeling the 2008 Land Cruiser

Yep, I am at lunch break in Montana for the 2008 Land Cruiser drive session! Have done two, five mile loops before lunch (all off-road) and can report it kicks ass!! Some cool new electronic goodies that work very well, etc etc. I will try and post photos later today, because while everyone else is going to Yellowstone, I am going to do the offroad sections again!

Edit: scroll down for the pics!

 

[uzj100]

Saweet! Pictures please.

 

[twstrchasr]

Wow !! Kick ass !! Make sure and post pics and your impressions. Please give an honest opinion on how the thing looks in person....

 

[uzj100]

I think it looks alot better once you check out the pictures on the toyota press site.

 

[FirstToy]

Shotts just wet himself

 

[tntoyota]

Shotts just wet himself

 

[barrypt5]

I think many of us just wet ourselves

barrypt5

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

Back from afternoon runs

Ok, back from second round of dirt runs. I truly hate to say it but photos will have to wait 24 hours as I will not be able to downsize the pics here on this hotel computer. But I WILL post action shots tomorrow in the p.m.

Apologies for info everyone already knows. Here we go.

Initial thoughts: the crawl feature is really quite amazing. Many including myself will say it takes away from "true wheeling". What this system is, is a button that you activate in forward OR reverse. There are three speed settings, 1, 2 and a little over 3mph. The truck then drives itself! No gas, no brakes, it's like cruise control in low range. It's a trip, man! Works very very well. It's loud though. At the "1" setting, the front end is grunting and moaning and making weird noises, that's for sure. 1 setting versus the 3 setting, these are not gears, so you won't get up a slope in 1 better than 3. I tried that, and it's worse because one gets less power than 2 or 3. The settings are speed only, not a lower or higher gear. And it is definitely slower than L4, lowest gear, so going down steep slopes will really be under control.

Really quite remarkable going UP. That's where it shines--no gas, no brake, it drives itself up things!

Where they absolutely should have put this is on the FJ Cruiser since so many people wheel those compared to who will wheel the 08 Cruiser.

Hydraulic stabilizer system is trick and seems to work well too. You can't really feel or hear it working, but the truck definitely stays stable.

Low range is good. This is a full time AWD truck with tiptronic style or normal shifting. There is only H4 and L4. L4 in lowest gear is decent.

Looks--whatever, I could go either way.

 

[macneill]

ttiuwop.

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

Almost forgot, the crawl feature works in reverse! Trippy having a truck drive itself backward up a hill.

Speaking of hills, it has Hill Ascent Control that works extremely well. The course put us on a ski slope and we stopped half way up, nice and steep. Then let off the brake. It lurched slightly then caught itself--the truck does not roll back for 1 second. Then it kind of lurched slightly again downhill just a hair and caught itself. Pretty cool. I suppose a manual tranny would benefit more, but hey!

We asked about diesel and other drivetrains and they were ambiguous. No real answer.

Engine is the 5.7L from the new Tundra.

Cubby between driver/passenger can be ordered as an actual cooler for drinks.

Photos tomorrow, I know, TTIWWP.

Cheers,

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

Argh I know! I promise to post some action pics, not the usual stock photos from Toyota!

 

[jamesg]

I am curious about approach and departure angles, as well as the breakover. That front bumper....way too low; get rid of it

 

[twstrchasr]

Hurry up with those pictures !!!!

 

[uzj100]

I am ready for pictures!!!! Attempting to hold my horses!!!

 

[anthonycds]

Today's the day! Where are those PICS?!?

 

[ginericLC]

http://www.toyota.com/landcruiser/specs.html

It is on Toyota's website now.

Semi Floating rear axle

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

PICS!

Here you are! Toyota flew me out to Montana to drive the new Land Cruiser and here are some action pics from Big Sky!

To add to earlier rundown, the rear departure is bad and we scraped the hell out of the bumper. Also, the sliders were made by TLC just for the 2008 intro and are NOT available items from Toyota.

Torsion bars are gone and it's coilover/double A-arms up front.

Toyota says total front articulation is now 700mm. Rear travel is 9.45 inches. Front travel is 9.05 inches.

45 degree max climb angle.
43 degree side slope angle.
27.58" water fording.
Approach: 30
Departure: 20
Breakover: 21
8.9 inches of ground clearance.

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

and more

here are more

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

and more!

oh yeah

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

a couple more

love that off-camber