look great!
Builds Ikarus' HDJ81 Aussie-Style Build (5 Viewers)
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The headlights look great!
Im curious and it is a bit of a noob question from someone that done zero research
Would those fit an LX450? Or it would still be the whole swapping grille deal?
Im curious and it is a bit of a noob question from someone that done zero research
Would those fit an LX450? Or it would still be the whole swapping grille deal?
- Thread starter
- #663
Yes with this setup I do. I’m not sure if that would be the case with US 80 wiring. My stock headlights had one bulb that was fog lights and the other bulb was a dual filament high/low H4.
Yes I believe you have to swap the grille to a Toyota grille. Other than that it should fit fine
Love the new lights man. Roughly how much does all of that set you back? I have all the parts to D2S retrofit a set of Depos. Just parts alone is not cheap if you’re using Osram bulbs for low and high beams. But the light output should be well worth it.
- Thread starter
- #665
That's what I was going to originally do. I actually have two sets of Depos, one had a broken tab in shipping and they wouldn't refund me, just gave me a discount on the next set. I need to list them for sale
Really depends on if you want pristine new OEM quads and parts (if you can find them). All new I'd say this setup is around $2K, but used you could probably get it for way cheaper like sub $1K if you can find the right stuff on eBay Australia.
I figured this wasn't a cheap setup. I see why few do this conversion. These 30 year old vehicles require so much other maintenance work that a headlight swap is probably at the very end of anyone's "to do" list.
- Thread starter
- #667
Yup I’ve been driving by candlelight for a couple years.. finally got around to it. Still need lockers!
- Thread starter
- #669
For the first time in my life I am ashamed to say that I bought lightbars before lockers. haha
I got the idea from this thread:
forum.ih8mud.com
to add 6" Black Oak LED fog lights to the ARB turn signal location - with a twist. Since I had the multi bulb JDM lights with an H4 on the outer and an H3C fog light on the inner, I wanted to use my factory wiring and switch.
In my research I found that the stock fog bulbs were 55W H3C halogens:
Using the Amps - Watts formula, (55w x2 bulbs / 12 volt system) we get a total of 9.17 amps on the stock fog light system. Also the fog circuit has a 15A fuse.
The LED lights I wanted to use are 30w with a 2.4A draw each - so with 2 fog lights we get a total of 4.8A - much less than the stock halogen setup.
They had a good sale going on so I pulled the trigger on two of these:
www.blackoakled.com
First impressions are that they're built well, use quality wiring, deutsch connectors etc, and seem to have a good reputation. I would have bought Baja but they didn't make anything in this size.
My first step was to make sure that the wiring worked out. I cut off the stock fog connector and spliced in the new plug, checking polarity first.
(preloaded the loom and 2x heat shrinks)
And it worked no problem. Cycled through the different light arrangements and confirmed the fogs will work by themselves, with lows, and with brights. I assumed the OEM setup would only let it work with lows but it's nice to have the bright option for offroading and the "fogs only" for when we get heavy fog/blizzards up here where I live.
I think if I leave them at the same angle of the ARB bumper that will give them a little bit of a ditch light effect. Could be nice when offroad. Haven't decided yet if I'll try to angle them forward a little more.
The LEDs put out a good amount of light. This is just one bar with the garage lights off:
Cleaned up the harness and finished up with some heat shrink. Next step is deciding how to mount the lights in the bumper.
Also I have a couple trips coming up and realized I haven't touched a radio in years. Just been doing solo trips apparently. I can't even find my old CB.
Talking to my buddies and deciding which way to go for comms we settled on GMRS. I didn't know much about it so I watched quite a few videos on it. Seems like a nice happy medium between Ham, CB and FRS. Just have to pay a fee, no test, and it has a decent amount of power without all the ham tech and baggage. Pick a channel and go.
Still waiting on the radio but I got an antenna and folding mount from Alamosa. This is the medium 6dbi version. Appreciate the great customer service from @Pskhaat
I got the idea from this thread:
Arb bumper replacement indicator lights
What are my options when replacing broken indicator lights in an ARB front bumper? Mine are totally corroded, and cracked lenses. Not sure I want to pay $130 for ARB replacements. Interesting, even as corroded as they are, they still work. Thank you,
forum.ih8mud.com
to add 6" Black Oak LED fog lights to the ARB turn signal location - with a twist. Since I had the multi bulb JDM lights with an H4 on the outer and an H3C fog light on the inner, I wanted to use my factory wiring and switch.
In my research I found that the stock fog bulbs were 55W H3C halogens:
Using the Amps - Watts formula, (55w x2 bulbs / 12 volt system) we get a total of 9.17 amps on the stock fog light system. Also the fog circuit has a 15A fuse.
The LED lights I wanted to use are 30w with a 2.4A draw each - so with 2 fog lights we get a total of 4.8A - much less than the stock halogen setup.
They had a good sale going on so I pulled the trigger on two of these:
6 Inch Yellow Fog Light Lens Single Row: Black Oak LED Pro Series 3.0
Taking your off-roading to a whole new level! With our 6 Inch Yellow Lens Fog Light Single Row, it has ENDLESS application options. Since it is so compact yet powerful, it is perfect for bumpers, winches, brush-guards, roof racks, and even auto grilles. The 6 Inch Yellow Lens Single Row is...
www.blackoakled.com
First impressions are that they're built well, use quality wiring, deutsch connectors etc, and seem to have a good reputation. I would have bought Baja but they didn't make anything in this size.
My first step was to make sure that the wiring worked out. I cut off the stock fog connector and spliced in the new plug, checking polarity first.
(preloaded the loom and 2x heat shrinks)
And it worked no problem. Cycled through the different light arrangements and confirmed the fogs will work by themselves, with lows, and with brights. I assumed the OEM setup would only let it work with lows but it's nice to have the bright option for offroading and the "fogs only" for when we get heavy fog/blizzards up here where I live.
I think if I leave them at the same angle of the ARB bumper that will give them a little bit of a ditch light effect. Could be nice when offroad. Haven't decided yet if I'll try to angle them forward a little more.
The LEDs put out a good amount of light. This is just one bar with the garage lights off:
Cleaned up the harness and finished up with some heat shrink. Next step is deciding how to mount the lights in the bumper.
Also I have a couple trips coming up and realized I haven't touched a radio in years. Just been doing solo trips apparently. I can't even find my old CB.
Talking to my buddies and deciding which way to go for comms we settled on GMRS. I didn't know much about it so I watched quite a few videos on it. Seems like a nice happy medium between Ham, CB and FRS. Just have to pay a fee, no test, and it has a decent amount of power without all the ham tech and baggage. Pick a channel and go.
Still waiting on the radio but I got an antenna and folding mount from Alamosa. This is the medium 6dbi version. Appreciate the great customer service from @Pskhaat
Last edited:
Looks great Max!For the first time in my life I am ashamed to say that I bought lightbars before lockers. haha
I got the idea from this thread:
Arb bumper replacement indicator lights
What are my options when replacing broken indicator lights in an ARB front bumper? Mine are totally corroded, and cracked lenses. Not sure I want to pay $130 for ARB replacements. Interesting, even as corroded as they are, they still work. Thank you,
to add 6" Black Oak LED fog lights to the ARB turn signal location - with a twist. Since I had the multi bulb JDM lights with an H4 on the outer and an H3C fog light on the inner, I wanted to use my factory wiring and switch.
In my research I found that the stock fog bulbs were 55W H3C halogens:
Using the Amps - Watts formula, (55w x2 bulbs / 12 volt system) we get a total of 9.17 amps on the stock fog light system. Also the fog circuit has a 15A fuse.
The LED lights I wanted to use are 30w with a 2.4A draw each - so with 2 fog lights we get a total of 4.8A - much less than the stock halogen setup.
They had a good sale going on so I pulled the trigger on two of these:
6 Inch Yellow Fog Light Lens Single Row: Black Oak LED Pro Series 3.0
Taking your off-roading to a whole new level! With our 6 Inch Yellow Lens Fog Light Single Row, it has ENDLESS application options. Since it is so compact yet powerful, it is perfect for bumpers, winches, brush-guards, roof racks, and even auto grilles. The 6 Inch Yellow Lens Single Row is...
First impressions are that they're built well, use quality wiring, deutsch connectors etc, and seem to have a good reputation. I would have bought Baja but they didn't make anything in this size.
My first step was to make sure that the wiring worked out. I cut off the stock fog connector and spliced in the new plug, checking polarity first.
(preloaded the loom and 2x heat shrinks)
And it worked no problem. Cycled through the different light arrangements and confirmed the fogs will work by themselves, with lows, and with brights. I assumed the OEM setup would only let it work with lows but it's nice to have the bright option for offroading and the "fogs only" for when we get heavy fog/blizzards up here where I live.
I think if I leave them at the same angle of the ARB bumper that will give them a little bit of a ditch light effect. Could be nice when offroad. Haven't decided yet if I'll try to angle them forward a little more.
The LEDs put out a good amount of light. This is just one bar with the garage lights off:
Cleaned up the harness and finished up with some heat shrink. Next step is deciding how to mount the lights in the bumper.
Also I have a couple trips coming up and realized I haven't touched a radio in years. Just been doing solo trips apparently. I can't even find my old CB.
Talking to my buddies and deciding which way to go for comms we settled on GMRS. I didn't know much about it so I watched quite a few videos on it. Seems like a nice happy medium between Ham, CB and FRS. Just have to pay a fee, no test, and it has a decent amount of power without all the ham tech and baggage. Pick a channel and go.
Still waiting on the radio but I got an antenna and folding mount from Alamosa. This is the medium 6dbi version. Appreciate the great customer service from @Pskhaat
It's looking good! I've been meaning to switch to those Alamosa antennas. They seem much nicer than the Midland.
prwillard2
SILVER Star
Lookin good! What is the point of the folding antenna mount? Not throwing stones, just curious as I'm looking to add an antenna here soon as well.For the first time in my life I am ashamed to say that I bought lightbars before lockers. haha
I got the idea from this thread:
Arb bumper replacement indicator lights
What are my options when replacing broken indicator lights in an ARB front bumper? Mine are totally corroded, and cracked lenses. Not sure I want to pay $130 for ARB replacements. Interesting, even as corroded as they are, they still work. Thank you,
to add 6" Black Oak LED fog lights to the ARB turn signal location - with a twist. Since I had the multi bulb JDM lights with an H4 on the outer and an H3C fog light on the inner, I wanted to use my factory wiring and switch.
In my research I found that the stock fog bulbs were 55W H3C halogens:
Using the Amps - Watts formula, (55w x2 bulbs / 12 volt system) we get a total of 9.17 amps on the stock fog light system. Also the fog circuit has a 15A fuse.
The LED lights I wanted to use are 30w with a 2.4A draw each - so with 2 fog lights we get a total of 4.8A - much less than the stock halogen setup.
They had a good sale going on so I pulled the trigger on two of these:
6 Inch Yellow Fog Light Lens Single Row: Black Oak LED Pro Series 3.0
Taking your off-roading to a whole new level! With our 6 Inch Yellow Lens Fog Light Single Row, it has ENDLESS application options. Since it is so compact yet powerful, it is perfect for bumpers, winches, brush-guards, roof racks, and even auto grilles. The 6 Inch Yellow Lens Single Row is...
First impressions are that they're built well, use quality wiring, deutsch connectors etc, and seem to have a good reputation. I would have bought Baja but they didn't make anything in this size.
My first step was to make sure that the wiring worked out. I cut off the stock fog connector and spliced in the new plug, checking polarity first.
(preloaded the loom and 2x heat shrinks)
And it worked no problem. Cycled through the different light arrangements and confirmed the fogs will work by themselves, with lows, and with brights. I assumed the OEM setup would only let it work with lows but it's nice to have the bright option for offroading and the "fogs only" for when we get heavy fog/blizzards up here where I live.
I think if I leave them at the same angle of the ARB bumper that will give them a little bit of a ditch light effect. Could be nice when offroad. Haven't decided yet if I'll try to angle them forward a little more.
The LEDs put out a good amount of light. This is just one bar with the garage lights off:
Cleaned up the harness and finished up with some heat shrink. Next step is deciding how to mount the lights in the bumper.
Also I have a couple trips coming up and realized I haven't touched a radio in years. Just been doing solo trips apparently. I can't even find my old CB.
Talking to my buddies and deciding which way to go for comms we settled on GMRS. I didn't know much about it so I watched quite a few videos on it. Seems like a nice happy medium between Ham, CB and FRS. Just have to pay a fee, no test, and it has a decent amount of power without all the ham tech and baggage. Pick a channel and go.
Still waiting on the radio but I got an antenna and folding mount from Alamosa. This is the medium 6dbi version. Appreciate the great customer service from @Pskhaat
- Thread starter
- #673
Mainly for garage clearance. The bay where I work on my cars is an 8' door and this antenna with no folding mount would have been right under 8' tall. The folding mount lets me lower it to the roofline or even lower if I want. Figure it'll be nice to have for parking garages with low clearance as well.
I'm not sure which is more aerodynamic on the freeway, straight up or folded - I'll have to see. But I imagine it'll just be living in the folded position unless I'm on the trail.
Also if you mount it on a roof rack you could fold the antenna completely flat which seems like a nice feature. Super low profile
- Thread starter
- #674
Pulled apart my dash to run the coax for my GMRS antenna.
While I was in there I realized it would be a good time to change the bulbs and replace the buttons in the HVAC assembly:
I thought the buttons were supposed to have a yellowish tint but I realized nah it was just smoked in:
Before -
After - also replaced my hazard switch with a red one I had in my parts bin. No reason other than I like the look
Now I should be able to actually see the lights in the day too. I think some of my old bulbs were burned out.
I'm using a Maxflate dash accessory mount for now. Will probably upgrade to Delta soon. Ran the coax through the mount - it can be pushed back in when not in use:
And then added a Ram mount for a handheld radio from Rugged Radios. I'm going to try this out with a handheld for a while before I commit to installing a mobile GMRS radio. Also not sure where to install it yet anyway.
While I was in there I realized it would be a good time to change the bulbs and replace the buttons in the HVAC assembly:
I thought the buttons were supposed to have a yellowish tint but I realized nah it was just smoked in:
Before -
After - also replaced my hazard switch with a red one I had in my parts bin. No reason other than I like the look
Now I should be able to actually see the lights in the day too. I think some of my old bulbs were burned out.
I'm using a Maxflate dash accessory mount for now. Will probably upgrade to Delta soon. Ran the coax through the mount - it can be pushed back in when not in use:
And then added a Ram mount for a handheld radio from Rugged Radios. I'm going to try this out with a handheld for a while before I commit to installing a mobile GMRS radio. Also not sure where to install it yet anyway.
- Thread starter
- #675
Added a set of Well Visors. I liked the idea of the OEM visors that were on the cruiser when I bought it, but they were in rough shape and a little too large in my opinion. These visors hit a nice happy medium. Happy with the look. Good fitment, easy installation. Covers up the messed up paint on the door from the OEM visors until I get around to repainting the cruiser.
I dig the antenna. Absolutely nothing wrong with a good handheld but the little Midland mxt115 fits perfectly in the ashtray.
- Thread starter
- #677
Good to know. I was planning on installing a Delta ashtray Switch Pro mount but maybe I’ll change it up
- Thread starter
- #678
Got some manual swap parts back from powder coat:
Finally got around to sway bars. Should have done this a while ago - before:
After, with @LandCruiserPhil rear swaybar links:
This is with the axle drooping a bit. When at the proper level, the swaybar brackets are just a little higher than the lower control arms.
You wouldn't believe that I actually have a clean rust free chassis. I have a love hate relationship with this woolwax, it's annoying to work underneath and I get covered in black grease. But I've never had a rusty or broken bolt and it seems to be keeping the salt off.. what do ya do. If I was rich I'd get it dry ice blasted every spring, how cool would that be
Also redid the front with new mounts, bushings, hardware, @Delta VS swaybar drop kit and a LandCruiserPhil swaybar disconnect kit.
Finally got around to sway bars. Should have done this a while ago - before:
After, with @LandCruiserPhil rear swaybar links:
This is with the axle drooping a bit. When at the proper level, the swaybar brackets are just a little higher than the lower control arms.
You wouldn't believe that I actually have a clean rust free chassis. I have a love hate relationship with this woolwax, it's annoying to work underneath and I get covered in black grease. But I've never had a rusty or broken bolt and it seems to be keeping the salt off.. what do ya do. If I was rich I'd get it dry ice blasted every spring, how cool would that be
Also redid the front with new mounts, bushings, hardware, @Delta VS swaybar drop kit and a LandCruiserPhil swaybar disconnect kit.
- Thread starter
- #679
Next up is brakes. I redid the front rotors/pads and added stainless Slee lines when I did the knuckles about ~5K mi ago so I needed to finish the rest.
I want to do a big brake upgrade eventually but haven't decided which path to take. In the meantime I'll just refresh the stock setup.
Master cylinder was functioning fine but looking tired, cracked and yellow. I also wanted to try out the PDI brake booster, which they claim is a good upgrade - we'll see.
Trickiest part here is maneuvering the booster in and out of all the hard lines.
The PDI booster is as big as you can get with the room available. You can see my gaskets were cooked on the stock setup. OEM booster is functioning fine so I'll hang onto it for now.
The PDI booster comes with instructions on how to set up the lengths of both ends - matches up with the FSM instructions.
New MC vs old. As noted in this writeup by @DivByZero, Toyota left off a part in the EPC for late model 80s - the rubber boot that goes on the end of the MC:
forum.ih8mud.com
My old MC didn't have it either when I pulled it out
Got the new booster wrangled in under the hardlines only to realize that the rear lip hits a small ledge on the firewall. Used a dremel to give it some clearance and painted it.
Done. Still need to bleed everything. Fingers crossed the booster is a good upgrade
Just need to do the two rear calipers and rear stainless lines. New OEM calipers from @cruiseroutfit. My rear pads are wearing much more slowly than the fronts so I think I need to either delete the LSPV or at least get a bracket to adjust it properly for my lift height.
I want to do a big brake upgrade eventually but haven't decided which path to take. In the meantime I'll just refresh the stock setup.
Master cylinder was functioning fine but looking tired, cracked and yellow. I also wanted to try out the PDI brake booster, which they claim is a good upgrade - we'll see.
Trickiest part here is maneuvering the booster in and out of all the hard lines.
The PDI booster is as big as you can get with the room available. You can see my gaskets were cooked on the stock setup. OEM booster is functioning fine so I'll hang onto it for now.
The PDI booster comes with instructions on how to set up the lengths of both ends - matches up with the FSM instructions.
New MC vs old. As noted in this writeup by @DivByZero, Toyota left off a part in the EPC for late model 80s - the rubber boot that goes on the end of the MC:
Full HZJ80 brake system rebuild - booster to rotor
In this thread, I'm going to give a comprehensive summary of the full brake system rebuild I just did on my HZJ80. I'm going to walk through replacing the master cylinder, all the soft lines, front rotors, splitting and fully rebuilding the calipers, and replacing and calibrating the LSPV. Some...
forum.ih8mud.com
My old MC didn't have it either when I pulled it out
Got the new booster wrangled in under the hardlines only to realize that the rear lip hits a small ledge on the firewall. Used a dremel to give it some clearance and painted it.
Done. Still need to bleed everything. Fingers crossed the booster is a good upgrade
Just need to do the two rear calipers and rear stainless lines. New OEM calipers from @cruiseroutfit. My rear pads are wearing much more slowly than the fronts so I think I need to either delete the LSPV or at least get a bracket to adjust it properly for my lift height.
Last edited:
NeverFinis
SILVER Star
Next up is brakes. I redid the front rotors/pads and added stainless Slee lines when I did the knuckles about ~5K mi ago so I needed to finish the rest.
I want to do a big brake upgrade eventually but haven't decided which path to take. In the meantime I'll just refresh the stock setup.
Master cylinder was functioning fine but looking tired, cracked and yellow. I also wanted to try out the PDI brake booster, which they claim is a good upgrade - we'll see.
New MC vs old. As noted in this writeup by @DivByZero, Toyota left off a part in the EPC for late model 80s - the rubber boot that goes on the end of the MC:
Full HZJ80 brake system rebuild - booster to rotor
In this thread, I'm going to give a comprehensive summary of the full brake system rebuild I just did on my HZJ80. I'm going to walk through replacing the master cylinder, all the soft lines, front rotors, splitting and fully rebuilding the calipers, and replacing and calibrating the LSPV. Some...
My old MC didn't have it either when I pulled it out
I just replaced my M/C on my 1996 LX450. Neither the original, nor the replacement, have that rubber boot.
I am not sure what the purpose would be as there is a paper gasket in between the M/C and the booster. Perhaps Toyota deemed it was not necessary in later years. There is a drain channel on the booster that I used, which that rubber boot would interfere with.
