So, I just bought my latest 4x4, a 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser series 150, VX trim, with factory rear locking differential, multi-terrain select (MTS), and crawl control (CC).
As this is a European spec Toyota, and most of the readers here are American, I’ll provide some relevant details:
* Engine: 2.8L 1GD-FTV (diesel) with 174 HP (130 kW). Overall, I’m pleased with the engine performance, and the power seems adequate, thus far—I’m not driving a sports car. The low-end torque is excellent, especially with the gearing. However, what I have in the vehicle came from the factory about 6 months after first production of what was then a newly-designed engine, so I’m a little nervous about any early-stage manufacturing defects.
* Transmission: 6-speed automatic (AC60F). The shifting is very smooth. First gear has a ratio of 3.6:1, which gives an overall crawl ratio of 36:1 in low range. Given the performance, I’d be hard pressed to find any situation where I would miss the capabilities of a manual transmission. Steep slippery downhill descent, it would appear, should be handled by the crawl control, but I have yet to test that situation.
* Transfer case: The center differential is Torsen, lockable in both low and high range. I believe the low range ratio is 2.566:1, and selection is done electronically. You can keep the center differential unlocked in low range, if you wish (e.g., for trailer maneuvering on pavement).
* Diff lock: The rear differential has an electronically-actuated diff lock. This is not very common in Europe. Only around 5% of the LC 150s I saw advertised had the diff lock. The front diff is open. However, my understanding is that the diff lock should work in combination with the crawl control (and possibly MTS) for front-wheel brake-controlled wheel-spin locking, but I have yet to verify this.
Modifications
I haven’t yet made any modifications, although I did upgrade the tires to BFG all-terrain T/A KO3 265/65R18, which is one inch larger than stock. This is on the stock suspension, and I still have about a half inch (1 cm) of clearance at full (or near-full) steering lock. I haven’t experienced any rubbing, although I have yet to take the new tires offroad.
These tires represent a good compromise between offroad and on-road performance, given that most of the time will be spent on paved surfaces.
Future modifications
My plan for future modifications is to keep them discrete but capable, an approach which I took with my previous Land Cruiser:
* Winch: I have a powerful Warn VR EVO 12 winch, removed from my previous 4x4, which I’m hoping to fit into some kind of hidden winch mount. It has remote control, so ideal mounting of the control box is not critical. (And I might also install winch interior LED lighting, as I did on my previous 4x4.)
* Lift: The plan is to install a suspension lift of around 2 to 3 inches (50 to 70 cm), at some point. The priority is on quality and reliability over performance.
* Tires: After the lift, I’m thinking of getting a second set of rims (17 inch, rather than the stock 18 inch) and installing larger mud tires, so I have something that is better performing in mud for off-road excursions, that can easily be swapped out.
* Air: I have an ARB dual air compressor, which I removed from my previous 4x4. My plan is to install that in the cabin (likely, underneath the seat), once I install appropriate in-cabin high-current wiring. This is really nice for quickly airing back up, after airing down, and reduces the temptation to cover difficult terrain in fully-inflated tires.
* High-current wiring: I plan to install wiring to bring around 120A to 150A capability into the cabin. This is for an A/C inverter, air compressor, lighting, and anything else I might think of in the future.
* Lighting: I plan to install rooftop offroad lights facing front and back, via magnets, so they can be easily removed. I already have the lights, which I removed from my previous 4x4, so I just need to install the wiring.
* Batteries: The Land Cruiser already comes with a dual-battery setup. They are permanently hooked in parallel. I haven’t decided what I might do with that, whether I should install some kind of battery isolation, or possibly even a third battery.
* Relocate towing electrical: The towing electrical connector is located in a spot where it can easily be damaged when offroading. I need to relocate that and perhaps upgrade it to 13-pin wiring.
* Rock sliders: I’ve already dented one of my running boards. It would be good to install some rock sliders, at some point, although I’m not sure how I’ll keep that “discrete.”
* Skid plate / bash plate: Not sure what to get. For now, I’ll stick with the OEM plate and see how much damage it receives.
* Diff breather extensions: Front and rear diff breather extensions. Not sure if I’ll need something in the center.
* DPF (Diesel particle filter) burn switch install, if this is possible, and also some kind of burn indicator LED, if I can figure this out (or if some kit is available).
Modifications NOT planned
* Front diff lock: Given that that rear diff lock should work in combination with the crawl control (still to be tested), I’m figuring there isn’t much of a need for a front locker. I don’t plan to do any major rock crawling (which is not very popular in Europe). And the percentage of terrain situations where a rear locker plus CC is not adequate, but at the same time a winch would not be needed if there was a front locker, that percentage is small. At least that’s my assessment, at the present time. I figure the winch (with appropriate additional gear) should be able to provide sufficient recovery and uphill coverage for those occasionally difficult situations.
* Body lift: This not common in Europe, and might be a bit too extreme on a 150 series. There are also legal issues to contend with.
* Roof rack: I don’t plan to add a permanent roof rack. The plan instead is to use the existing roof rails, in combination with a modular system, to enable roof rack configurations for particular situations, whenever needed.
* Front / rear bumpers: The off-roading I do is not sufficiently extreme where I think I might need proper steel bumpers. My driving style is to go slow, where possible, to minimize damage. That said, I’m hoping whatever winch mount I find will have appropriate mounting and lift points, and that I can find something to adapt the towing setup to provide at least a mounting point, and possibly a lift point, in the back.
* Snorkel: I see these around occasionally. But I don’t quite understand why people have them. At least where I live, I haven’t spotted any deep driver crossings or sandy desert environments. And I don’t plan to take an expensive LC150, with all its electronics, into a river deep enough that a snorkel would be required.
Previous 4x4
My previous 4x4 was a 2001 Land Cruiser 90 series, with rear locking differential. Modifications included a 2 to 3 inch suspension lift (Old Man Emu), Warn winch on a heavy-duty hidden winch mount, BFG all-terrain T/A KO2 tires (of the same diameter as above), diff drop, diff breathers, ARB dual air compressor (no tank), 120A electrical into cabin, and rooftop offroad lights, front and back.
BlueRockEU
As this is a European spec Toyota, and most of the readers here are American, I’ll provide some relevant details:
* Engine: 2.8L 1GD-FTV (diesel) with 174 HP (130 kW). Overall, I’m pleased with the engine performance, and the power seems adequate, thus far—I’m not driving a sports car. The low-end torque is excellent, especially with the gearing. However, what I have in the vehicle came from the factory about 6 months after first production of what was then a newly-designed engine, so I’m a little nervous about any early-stage manufacturing defects.
* Transmission: 6-speed automatic (AC60F). The shifting is very smooth. First gear has a ratio of 3.6:1, which gives an overall crawl ratio of 36:1 in low range. Given the performance, I’d be hard pressed to find any situation where I would miss the capabilities of a manual transmission. Steep slippery downhill descent, it would appear, should be handled by the crawl control, but I have yet to test that situation.
* Transfer case: The center differential is Torsen, lockable in both low and high range. I believe the low range ratio is 2.566:1, and selection is done electronically. You can keep the center differential unlocked in low range, if you wish (e.g., for trailer maneuvering on pavement).
* Diff lock: The rear differential has an electronically-actuated diff lock. This is not very common in Europe. Only around 5% of the LC 150s I saw advertised had the diff lock. The front diff is open. However, my understanding is that the diff lock should work in combination with the crawl control (and possibly MTS) for front-wheel brake-controlled wheel-spin locking, but I have yet to verify this.
Modifications
I haven’t yet made any modifications, although I did upgrade the tires to BFG all-terrain T/A KO3 265/65R18, which is one inch larger than stock. This is on the stock suspension, and I still have about a half inch (1 cm) of clearance at full (or near-full) steering lock. I haven’t experienced any rubbing, although I have yet to take the new tires offroad.
These tires represent a good compromise between offroad and on-road performance, given that most of the time will be spent on paved surfaces.
Future modifications
My plan for future modifications is to keep them discrete but capable, an approach which I took with my previous Land Cruiser:
* Winch: I have a powerful Warn VR EVO 12 winch, removed from my previous 4x4, which I’m hoping to fit into some kind of hidden winch mount. It has remote control, so ideal mounting of the control box is not critical. (And I might also install winch interior LED lighting, as I did on my previous 4x4.)
* Lift: The plan is to install a suspension lift of around 2 to 3 inches (50 to 70 cm), at some point. The priority is on quality and reliability over performance.
* Tires: After the lift, I’m thinking of getting a second set of rims (17 inch, rather than the stock 18 inch) and installing larger mud tires, so I have something that is better performing in mud for off-road excursions, that can easily be swapped out.
* Air: I have an ARB dual air compressor, which I removed from my previous 4x4. My plan is to install that in the cabin (likely, underneath the seat), once I install appropriate in-cabin high-current wiring. This is really nice for quickly airing back up, after airing down, and reduces the temptation to cover difficult terrain in fully-inflated tires.
* High-current wiring: I plan to install wiring to bring around 120A to 150A capability into the cabin. This is for an A/C inverter, air compressor, lighting, and anything else I might think of in the future.
* Lighting: I plan to install rooftop offroad lights facing front and back, via magnets, so they can be easily removed. I already have the lights, which I removed from my previous 4x4, so I just need to install the wiring.
* Batteries: The Land Cruiser already comes with a dual-battery setup. They are permanently hooked in parallel. I haven’t decided what I might do with that, whether I should install some kind of battery isolation, or possibly even a third battery.
* Relocate towing electrical: The towing electrical connector is located in a spot where it can easily be damaged when offroading. I need to relocate that and perhaps upgrade it to 13-pin wiring.
* Rock sliders: I’ve already dented one of my running boards. It would be good to install some rock sliders, at some point, although I’m not sure how I’ll keep that “discrete.”
* Skid plate / bash plate: Not sure what to get. For now, I’ll stick with the OEM plate and see how much damage it receives.
* Diff breather extensions: Front and rear diff breather extensions. Not sure if I’ll need something in the center.
* DPF (Diesel particle filter) burn switch install, if this is possible, and also some kind of burn indicator LED, if I can figure this out (or if some kit is available).
Modifications NOT planned
* Front diff lock: Given that that rear diff lock should work in combination with the crawl control (still to be tested), I’m figuring there isn’t much of a need for a front locker. I don’t plan to do any major rock crawling (which is not very popular in Europe). And the percentage of terrain situations where a rear locker plus CC is not adequate, but at the same time a winch would not be needed if there was a front locker, that percentage is small. At least that’s my assessment, at the present time. I figure the winch (with appropriate additional gear) should be able to provide sufficient recovery and uphill coverage for those occasionally difficult situations.
* Body lift: This not common in Europe, and might be a bit too extreme on a 150 series. There are also legal issues to contend with.
* Roof rack: I don’t plan to add a permanent roof rack. The plan instead is to use the existing roof rails, in combination with a modular system, to enable roof rack configurations for particular situations, whenever needed.
* Front / rear bumpers: The off-roading I do is not sufficiently extreme where I think I might need proper steel bumpers. My driving style is to go slow, where possible, to minimize damage. That said, I’m hoping whatever winch mount I find will have appropriate mounting and lift points, and that I can find something to adapt the towing setup to provide at least a mounting point, and possibly a lift point, in the back.
* Snorkel: I see these around occasionally. But I don’t quite understand why people have them. At least where I live, I haven’t spotted any deep driver crossings or sandy desert environments. And I don’t plan to take an expensive LC150, with all its electronics, into a river deep enough that a snorkel would be required.
Previous 4x4
My previous 4x4 was a 2001 Land Cruiser 90 series, with rear locking differential. Modifications included a 2 to 3 inch suspension lift (Old Man Emu), Warn winch on a heavy-duty hidden winch mount, BFG all-terrain T/A KO2 tires (of the same diameter as above), diff drop, diff breathers, ARB dual air compressor (no tank), 120A electrical into cabin, and rooftop offroad lights, front and back.
BlueRockEU
That said, the snorkel is the exact opposite of discrete. All my non-4x4 friends would start asking what it is. What is it for? What does it do? Huh?