Builds indycole's 2016 200 Series Build and Retrospective

[wiseinvestor]

Indycole, I just wanted to thank you for sharing your LC journey on here. I don't normally read entire 40 page threads! Your on board water was what landed me here and is what I personally think about most. I found it interesting how you built up the truck and then scaled back the truck. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to share.

 

[indycole]

Indycole, I just wanted to thank you for sharing your LC journey on here. I don't normally read entire 40 page threads! Your on board water was what landed me here and is what I personally think about most. I found it interesting how you built up the truck and then scaled back the truck. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to share.

Ah, that's so nice! You're welcome

Onboard water is an interesting topic as there are so many tradeoffs among designs. I'm still tweaking my setup a bit but overall it was a fun, complex project.

 

[linuxgod]

Thoughts on potential causes:

• Botched CV Axle Install => I really, really doubt Toyota messed up an axle swap that was done under warranty. We all thought the CV replacement would completely address the issue and from what I could observe have no concerns here.
• Wheel Bearings => seems unlikely, but I'm going to inspect what I can as part of looking at the dust shields, brakes, calipers again
• U-Joints => Again, seems unlikely since they've been inspected a couple times, but I'll take a closer look.
• Front Diff => The problem may be here. Perhaps the damaged CV damaged the diff? Maybe the diff caused the problem to begin with? I'll see what I learn by removing the front propeller shaft.
• UCAs / Suspension => It would be pretty strange for the problem to be here as the problem only arises with the transfer case locked. That said, I'm going to do some more careful parking lot testing with the center diff open to see if I can pick up any noises at all.
• Transfer Case => Let's see what's up with the front diff first.

Anything else worth looking into?

I'm not an expert but a few thoughts in my limited experience:

• Ball joint loose? If they popped the ball joints off the spindle to get the CV out it's possible either the puller dislocated something or didn't retighten the castle nut correctly. I know bad balljoints can make popping sounds, but I can't tell through my laptop speakers if your sound is the same.
• CV axle nut torqued correctly? It gets torqued to ~150 ft/lbs, then backed off, then re-torqued to ~250 ft/lbs.
• If the CV isn't torqued right it can cause wear issues with the front bearings and spindle. Ask me how I know.
• Are your shocks contacting the front coilover springs somewhere? Maybe something with the UCA angle?
• Loose coilover nuts at the top? A very small amount of movement will make a lot of noise as the suspension shifts

I would think if you put the truck in neutral and on a lift and spin the wheels if it's a front diff issue you'd possibly find it that way, unless it's only an issue under drivetrain load.

 

[use2bn83]

There’s a shield of sorts on the inner side of the fuel tank that I’ve seen get bent out and contact the rear DS and sounds a lot like the metallic groan you’re experiencing.

 

[indycole]

Goodbye shampoo, hello gear oil.

 

[indycole]

Just wanted to follow up on the post above...

We had planned on visiting some of our typical haunts along Highway 1 en route to some Central Coast wine regions but didn't get much further than Santa Cruz. For the past few weeks I've been using chassis ears to narrow down the scope of problems related to the various noises I've observed. On the bright-side, the noises all seem to be related to the front diff so now there's something more specific to look into. Unfortunately, while removing the chassis ears I noticed a small leak on the inbound side of the passenger side CV (if you recall, the driver side was replaced by Toyota quite recently). I'm pretty sure the leak is coming from the diff so either something significant is wrong inside the diff or at a minimum some kind of seal needs repaired/replaced.

So, a backcountry adventure was not in the cards for the long weekend. We let the truck cool down at Wilder Ranch and I decided to check the diff oil... sure enough the front diff was noticeably low. I grabbed some gear oil from the spares kit but then had no idea how to get the oil into the diff. I was about to use a Hydroflask straw and an hour of baby-birding it into the diff but decided to repurpose the shampoo bottle for the task which worked pretty well.

We made the most of it by camping at Butano State Park in Pescadero, which is actually one of the best campgrounds we've ever visited. Beautiful, low-key, spacious, and less than an hour from home, lol.

We took this as an opportunity to knock off a couple small projects with the trailer and thus deployed the trusty Hilleberg Keron 4 GT ground tent... a Hilleberg black label is notably overkill for summer camping in a campground It takes a bit longer to set up than something like an Oztent but is my favorite ground tent ever, by far, for it's general usability, quality, and flexibility.

The truck alone attracts attention from the neighbors let alone when attached to the trailer...

Getting the morning fire started but the dog decided she wanted back into the tent to sleep some more... too bad

Playing Jenga with the fire pit

I'm hoping to get the front end issues sorted out soon because we have a bunch of weekend trips coming up. There's not really too much in the works in terms of truck mods but I do have a few tweaks to make to the trailer setup on the electrical side.

I also just posted a new classifieds thread that's worth checking out if you're in the market for onboard water gear, UCAs, skids, or aux lights from Baja Designs — For Sale - BD Lights, Joolca Heater, SPC UCAs, Water Tanks, 200 Series Skid Plates, and Eezi Awn Load Bars — SF Bay Area.

 

[indycole]

The diff oil leak was due to a ripped seal between the CV and the diff on the passenger side. Got that patched up under warranty at the dealer. I don't recall any particular drama that would have obviously damaged the seal so I have some mild concerns that something is amiss within the carrier. Ah well. The subtle popping noise is still present so I'll get back to tracking that down.

Heading over the hill for a quick overnight camp in Butano.

 

[Markuson]

Heading over the hill for a quick overnight camp in Butano.

Man, if you’re already heading “over the hill?” I must have one foot in the grave...

 

[linuxgod]

The diff oil leak was due to a ripped seal between the CV and the diff on the passenger side. Got that patched up under warranty at the dealer. I don't recall any particular drama that would have obviously damaged the seal so I have some mild concerns that something is amiss within the carrier. Ah well. The subtle popping noise is still present so I'll get back to tracking that down.

Heading over the hill for a quick overnight camp in Butano.

The CV install instructions in the FSM are pretty specific about how you slide the CV into the diff, so I actually wouldn't be surprised if a mechanic accidentally tore it.

 

[indycole]

Aside from weekend camping here and there, we haven't been on any adventures recently due to a combination of work, remodeling at our house, and sorting out a handful of issues with the truck. I'm hoping that's about to change now that we're entering desert camping season through the late fall and winter.

Also, the truck is fixed. I've been chasing down a couple noises — a popping/clicking noise which appeared to be coming from the front end as well as a loud whistling — pretty much since August. Debugging was especially frustrating since quite a bit of maintenance work was done on the truck prior to LCDC so there were many variables to isolate. Further, a local dealer damaged the driver CV, the passenger CV seal, and potentially the passenger CV.

The popping noise was ultimately resolved through replacing the passenger CV (which must've been damaged in the same way the driver side was). The whistling noise was fixed by replacing the front and rear rotors though it's worth noting the problem was actually on the rear. The part of the rotor that the parking brake grasps was warped. Weird, eh? I'm back on OEM rotors and pads but may put the Terrain Tamer brakes on when they're back in stock.

I also finished a few small modifications.

160W Overland Solar panel on the roof rack. This charges the aux system. Obviously, a flat roof mount doesn't yield very good efficiency but it's still doing a great job keeping the aux battery topped off. Additionally, this theoretically takes a bit of strain off the charging system.

I put the solar on the roof partially to free up some current to charge the trailer as I've been struggling to keep the trailer's battery charged with just a solar blanket and the small amount of power coming from the trailer harness.

I ran 2 gauge wire with circuit breakers in the engine bay and near the 175A Anderson connection shown below. The breakers are rated for 40A since I just need 20A to drive the new Redarc BCDC (20a version) in the trailer.

My stainless Budbuilt skids will be here soon so I took the opportunity to remove the ARB skids this weekend. Just figured I'd post a couple photos to showcase what they look like after 3.5 years of use. Not too bad! They do look a little rougher up close but they certainly did the job for a while.

 

[cboyd]

I ran 2 gauge wire with circuit breakers in the engine bay and near the 175A Anderson connection shown below. The breakers are rated for 40A since I just need 20A to drive the new Redarc BCDC (20a version) in the trailer.

View attachment 2118935

hey Cole, this has been a fascinating read! I’ve gone back and read much of it since I found it. I found your thread when I was looking for some info on OBW upgrades, so thanks for documenting it... i have been toting with the idea of a custom tank like you’ve done. Ive been chasing mostly water and electrons for the last few years, and now this answers most of the questions I have had with water. I have a Helton shower on my 100 and I want to be able to carry the water for prep and occasional showers, while also being able to use off-board water for showers, etc. if available from a stream or jerry.

So I have 2 other questions for you:
1) On the Anderson connector above, where did you locate this? I see a company in Australia carries them, but they wont ship to the USA On the 2 times i’ve asked. I’m looking for 2 vehicle side connectors (one for each of my LCs) like you’ve done here and one trailer side. I am about to do pretty much the same project you’ve done on solar with a BCDC on my trailer.

2) regarding the 12 gal LRA aux tank - what size tire did you have when you ran that tank? I’d like to see if I can get that tank into my 200 with a 285/70/17 on RWs - most folks think I can, but curious if you were able stuff something large in there. I’m on the east coast, so only a few shops have experience with the LRAs, and none with the 12 gal Aux. if I can find some comfort on the ability to get that 33 in there with the tank, it’ll be my next mod on the 200.

 

[RET2]

hey Cole, this has been a fascinating read! I’ve gone back and read much of it since I found it. I found your thread when I was looking for some info on OBW upgrades, so thanks for documenting it... i have been toting with the idea of a custom tank like you’ve done. Ive been chasing mostly water and electrons for the last few years, and now this answers most of the questions I have had with water. I have a Helton shower on my 100 and I want to be able to carry the water for prep and occasional showers, while also being able to use off-board water for showers, etc. if available from a stream or jerry.

So I have 2 other questions for you:
1) On the Anderson connector above, where did you locate this? I see a company in Australia carries them, but they wont ship to the USA On the 2 times i’ve asked. I’m looking for 2 vehicle side connectors (one for each of my LCs) like you’ve done here and one trailer side. I am about to do pretty much the same project you’ve done on solar with a BCDC on my trailer.

2) regarding the 12 gal LRA aux tank - what size tire did you have when you ran that tank? I’d like to see if I can get that tank into my 200 with a 285/70/17 on RWs - most folks think I can, but curious if you were able stuff something large in there. I’m on the east coast, so only a few shops have experience with the LRAs, and none with the 12 gal Aux. if I can find some comfort on the ability to get that 33 in there with the tank, it’ll be my next mod on the 200.

Powerwerx is an Anderson supplier

 

[RobW0]

hey Cole, this has been a fascinating read! I’ve gone back and read much of it since I found it. I found your thread when I was looking for some info on OBW upgrades, so thanks for documenting it... i have been toting with the idea of a custom tank like you’ve done. Ive been chasing mostly water and electrons for the last few years, and now this answers most of the questions I have had with water. I have a Helton shower on my 100 and I want to be able to carry the water for prep and occasional showers, while also being able to use off-board water for showers, etc. if available from a stream or jerry.

So I have 2 other questions for you:
1) On the Anderson connector above, where did you locate this? I see a company in Australia carries them, but they wont ship to the USA On the 2 times i’ve asked. I’m looking for 2 vehicle side connectors (one for each of my LCs) like you’ve done here and one trailer side. I am about to do pretty much the same project you’ve done on solar with a BCDC on my trailer.

2) regarding the 12 gal LRA aux tank - what size tire did you have when you ran that tank? I’d like to see if I can get that tank into my 200 with a 285/70/17 on RWs - most folks think I can, but curious if you were able stuff something large in there. I’m on the east coast, so only a few shops have experience with the LRAs, and none with the 12 gal Aux. if I can find some comfort on the ability to get that 33 in there with the tank, it’ll be my next mod on the 200.

I have the 12.5 LRA with 285/70/17 and no problems with the spare. It will be a little lower than stock. I think the number is somewhere around 0.5 to 1.5 in. lower.

 

[indycole]

hey Cole, this has been a fascinating read! I’ve gone back and read much of it since I found it. I found your thread when I was looking for some info on OBW upgrades, so thanks for documenting it... i have been toting with the idea of a custom tank like you’ve done. Ive been chasing mostly water and electrons for the last few years, and now this answers most of the questions I have had with water. I have a Helton shower on my 100 and I want to be able to carry the water for prep and occasional showers, while also being able to use off-board water for showers, etc. if available from a stream or jerry.

So I have 2 other questions for you:
1) On the Anderson connector above, where did you locate this? I see a company in Australia carries them, but they wont ship to the USA On the 2 times i’ve asked. I’m looking for 2 vehicle side connectors (one for each of my LCs) like you’ve done here and one trailer side. I am about to do pretty much the same project you’ve done on solar with a BCDC on my trailer.

2) regarding the 12 gal LRA aux tank - what size tire did you have when you ran that tank? I’d like to see if I can get that tank into my 200 with a 285/70/17 on RWs - most folks think I can, but curious if you were able stuff something large in there. I’m on the east coast, so only a few shops have experience with the LRAs, and none with the 12 gal Aux. if I can find some comfort on the ability to get that 33 in there with the tank, it’ll be my next mod on the 200.

ANDERSON PLUG MOUNTING KIT 175A & 2 PLUGS MOUNT SYSTEM COVER DUST CAP EXTERNAL | eBay

2 x 175a Anderson Style Plugs. 175a Mounting Kit. 175a Mounting Kit, 2 Plugs. Mounting Kit for 175 amp Anderson Plugs, suits all types of 175 amp plugs. Anderson Plug Mounting Kit Options. A locking tap that goes on the plug being inserted prevents the plug from accidental removal or rattling out.

www.ebay.com

Here's the Anderson housing I'm using and have been happy with it so far. The photo above shows it on a crossbar that is part of the 24 gal tank mount. Wits End has some nice Anderson connector mounts but I wanted something enclosed.

I ran both 285/65r18 and 285/70r18 tires with the 12 gallon tank and both fit without issue. I don't think you could go much bigger than 285/70r18.

 

[codyaustin5]

Aside from weekend camping here and there, we haven't been on any adventures recently due to a combination of work, remodeling at our house, and sorting out a handful of issues with the truck. I'm hoping that's about to change now that we're entering desert camping season through the late fall and winter.

Also, the truck is fixed. I've been chasing down a couple noises — a popping/clicking noise which appeared to be coming from the front end as well as a loud whistling — pretty much since August. Debugging was especially frustrating since quite a bit of maintenance work was done on the truck prior to LCDC so there were many variables to isolate. Further, a local dealer damaged the driver CV, the passenger CV seal, and potentially the passenger CV.

The popping noise was ultimately resolved through replacing the passenger CV (which must've been damaged in the same way the driver side was). The whistling noise was fixed by replacing the front and rear rotors though it's worth noting the problem was actually on the rear. The part of the rotor that the parking brake grasps was warped. Weird, eh? I'm back on OEM rotors and pads but may put the Terrain Tamer brakes on when they're back in stock.

I also finished a few small modifications.

160W Overland Solar panel on the roof rack. This charges the aux system. Obviously, a flat roof mount doesn't yield very good efficiency but it's still doing a great job keeping the aux battery topped off. Additionally, this theoretically takes a bit of strain off the charging system.

View attachment 2118933

I put the solar on the roof partially to free up some current to charge the trailer as I've been struggling to keep the trailer's battery charged with just a solar blanket and the small amount of power coming from the trailer harness.

I ran 2 gauge wire with circuit breakers in the engine bay and near the 175A Anderson connection shown below. The breakers are rated for 40A since I just need 20A to drive the new Redarc BCDC (20a version) in the trailer.

View attachment 2118935

My stainless Budbuilt skids will be here soon so I took the opportunity to remove the ARB skids this weekend. Just figured I'd post a couple photos to showcase what they look like after 3.5 years of use. Not too bad! They do look a little rougher up close but they certainly did the job for a while.

View attachment 2118934

View attachment 2118932

The ARB skids will work for 99% of the folks out there... great upgrade and price.

 

[Romer]

Slee swill also be out soon and I will be replacing my ARB Skids with those. They designed for heat dissipation and I like the access door for changing oil filters

But you are right, ARB skids are great and I have saved the underside of my truck with them. I guess I am getting like Cole now, swapping out good parts for better or different parts

 

[DRCocaCola]

Slee swill also be out soon and I will be replacing my ARB Skids with those. They designed for heat dissipation and I like the access door for changing oil filters

But you are right, ARB skids are great and I have saved the underside of my truck with them. I guess I am getting like Cole now, swapping out good parts for better or different parts

I too suffer from shipfitters disease.

 

[indycole]

Finally, a build update! The last few months have been super busy with travel, family, and work stuff. Meanwhile, @Taco2Cruiser and the BudBuilt team finished up my skids and they were waiting for me after a 3-week marathon work trip.

The install was pretty straightforward though tedious due to working in a tandem parking spot with other vehicles on all sides of the truck. I put the front end on jack stands and then used a combination of smaller jack stands and a small floor jack to put the skids in place.

I installed the cross-member support first and then all the skids from transfer to front from rear to front (except the fuel tank skid). In hindsight, I'd recommend installing the engine skid first. I installed the fuel skid last. The work took me about 4 hours in total though I spread it out throughout the day. The fuel tank skid is aluminum whereas the others are stainless steel. Only the front skid is painted. All the skids, hardware, and brackets weigh a little north of 200 lbs.

I doubt this is a surprise to anyone given that these have been on the market for a couple years, but these are extremely well-made, high-quality skid plates. They should cost more than they do.

I'm very happy with the new skids and am looking forward to testing them. Unfortunately, that may be a while as work projects have me pretty busy through most of the winter (usually my favorite time to go wheeling in the desert).

 

[Markuson]

Finally, a build update! The last few months have been super busy with travel, family, and work stuff. Meanwhile, @Taco2Cruiser and the BudBuilt team finished up my skids and they were waiting for me after a 3-week marathon work trip.

The install was pretty straightforward though tedious due to working in a tandem parking spot with other vehicles on all sides of the truck. I put the front end on jack stands and then used a combination of smaller jack stands and a small floor jack to put the skids in place.

I installed the cross-member support first and then all the skids from transfer to front from rear to front (except the fuel tank skid). In hindsight, I'd recommend installing the engine skid first. I installed the fuel skid last. The work took me about 4 hours in total though I spread it out throughout the day. The fuel tank skid is aluminum whereas the others are stainless steel. Only the front skid is painted. All the skids, hardware, and brackets weigh a little north of 200 lbs.

I doubt this is a surprise to anyone given that these have been on the market for a couple years, but these are extremely well-made, high-quality skid plates. They should cost more than they do.

View attachment 2187604

View attachment 2187605

View attachment 2187608

View attachment 2187607

I'm very happy with the new skids and am looking forward to testing them. Unfortunately, that may be a while as work projects have me pretty busy through most of the winter (usually my favorite time to go wheeling in the desert).

View attachment 2187606

Nice!
Pretty impressive that you got er done in your tight parking garage space...
-Glad no bay area earthquakes hit whilst you were crammed under there. Congrats on a great and useful upgrade.

 

[RET2]

Welcome to the Bud Club ! Quite a feeling when you're finally done isn't it. Congrats.