KZJ78W Questions from a Newb (6 Viewers)

[BTV]

G'day folks.
So I just won an auction on a 95 Prado SX Wide after many many failed attempts. I'll save you the time of asking why I didn't go with the 4.2... I couldn't afford it.
Knowing that when it gets to Canada, at minimum I'll have to put new rubber on it as it doesn't meet the three dot system we have here.
Since I'm going to have to put new rubber on it right away, should I look at putting a slight lift on it and avoid having to re-rubber afterwards?
I probably won't be doing any serious off roading or crazy crawling, mostly heading up to a few remote ski resorts here on Vancouver Island, and getting off the beaten path to get some salmon on the fly. Can the 3.0 handle 33's without losing too much power?
On top of the off road practicality of the lift, I do love the look of the SX wide's with slightly bigger rubber and a bit higher off the ground.
Recommendations on rubber size, all knowing brethren?
Ohh, and feel free to throw any other tidbits my way.
Mucho appreciate-o.

 

[FJ40 that green thing]

15X7 ET-20 (Same thing as offset.) is what I mentioned earlier in this thread and do have this specific size on my own HZJ77. It is a very common JDM size for the 77 series.

I didn't like these wheels at first but they have grown on me now. www.garanincorp.com wants way too much for theirs though IMHO.

Agreed, do you run spacers? they sit just a bit too far in for my tastes with the wide fenders. I think perfect without. What do you think the meaning of JJ-20 is vs ET-20? www.garanincorp.com has a sweet leather wrapped steering wheel I wouldn't mind, also expensive. this is just oddball stuff he is trying to sell but I can appreciate it. Garanin Corp-PARTS - http://www.garanincorp.com/parts-for-sale#/land-cruiser-70-series-custom-leather-oem-steering-wheel-plug-play-439

 

[FJ40 that green thing]

@BTV Here is the same rig with a freshly installed Ironman Foam Cell lift. Tires are too small now, will be ordering those soon. To be fair, like anything when you lift it, it feels a little more squirrelly at high speeds. Dobinsons lift comes with castor correction bushings and swaybar extensions but they are backordered till this summer in the US. That could help some. You can purchase those components seperately which is what I plan to do. I am also hoping wider, properly sized tires help it feel a bit more stable. I needed a lift asap and couldn't wait for Dobs so I went with this one.

Foam Cell 2" Suspension Lift Kit Suited For Toyota 70/73/78 Series Land Cruiser Prado 2

Ironman 4x4 America offers off-road parts, accessories, and equipment for the off-roading enthusiast. Check out our website for more information.

ironman4x4america.com

 

[FJ73Texas]

The "JJ" pertains to the flange type.

The -20 is the offset and has nothing to do with "JJ".

 

[BTV]

@BTV Congrats! that is the exact same vehicle I just picked up a couple months ago from a JDM dealer in California. I think you will really like this cruiser, quite a bit more powerful than I expected so it is fun to drive. What mileage and if you don't mind, what did you pay for it? Some thoughts from my perspective, having just obtained the same in stock form from Japan. Your suspension is likely going to be shot due to age and use. I only had 3/4" to 1" of travel before hitting bump stops so it was kind of comical and I knew right away suspension had to be #1 priority. OME, Ironman, Dobinsons are all options. I went with Ironman foamcell due to cost and availability. I'm happy with the lift, it fixed the factory sag and gave me 2-3 more inches lift which ended up netting more like a 5" lift from the way it sat before. If you want to keep those wheels and do the lift, 33x10.5 would be an excellent choice for tires. If you are thinking 33 x 12.5 you probably want to consider wider wheels as 8" is the recommended minimum wheel width with 12.5" tires. There are not that many aftermarket wheel options for this rig due to the negative offset required to get your wheels to stick out more into the wheel arch with the wide flares in addition to the hub bore required for your locking hubs. You could run the spidertrax 1.5" spacers with your stock wheels and it would poke those wheels out a little more and look awesome. I have seen others do FJcruiser 17"x 7.5" steel wheels with 285 70 R17 tires for a similar profile but different wheel style (this is what I am doing), or I believe aftermarket wheels by Vision are available in 16"x8" or 17"x8" sizes with a -6 offset, that is about it that I know of for wheel options. I'll just put this Maltec 70 series here for inspiration.

View attachment 2928736

Yup, that's the dream right there!
22,000$ Canadian, shipped, cleared customs taxes etc in. I spent A LOT of time looking at these things and worked with what I think was a very good broker. He and his guy on the ground were very happy with the rig and the price. Hopefully I didn't get hosed. How about you?
224,000 km, timing belt changed at 195,000, no rust on the body or underneath at all.
They say it runs great. 3.5 interior and exterior.
Who really knows though... the thing might not even exist. haha
Likely to order a 2-3 inch lift, (brand unknown), 33 inch k02's, snorkel for extra cooling, some potential crossings and vanity, EGT guage, and stereo all before it arrives as the supply chain is slow right now.
I want to drive the thing and get a feel for it before I decide on extra cooling elements and more mods.
Thoughts?

 

[BTV]

@BTV Here is the same rig with a freshly installed Ironman Foam Cell lift. Tires are too small now, will be ordering those soon. To be fair, like anything when you lift it, it feels a little more squirrelly at high speeds. Dobinsons lift comes with castor correction bushings and swaybar extensions but they are backordered till this summer in the US. That could help some. You can purchase those components seperately which is what I plan to do. I am also hoping wider, properly sized tires help it feel a bit more stable. I needed a lift asap and couldn't wait for Dobs so I went with this one.

Foam Cell 2" Suspension Lift Kit Suited For Toyota 70/73/78 Series Land Cruiser Prado 2

Ironman 4x4 America offers off-road parts, accessories, and equipment for the off-roading enthusiast. Check out our website for more information.

ironman4x4america.com

View attachment 2928769

Yeah, that's exactly the lift look I'm looking for, with bigger rubber which yours will have on it soon.
I feel lucky seeing you go through this with an identical rig, as it gives me a very good idea of what to hope for.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[Maccuscharlie]

That is a fantastic looking setup! Nicely built without going full steroid. Super clean.
Love those wheels on there.
I'm leaning towards a 2-3 inch lift, and 285/295's (33's), still debating between 10.5-12.5. I do like a wider looking stance on these rigs, especially with the wider fenders.
Where did you source your lift from? Any complaints with quality or price, and would you lean another way knowing what you know now?
Mucho Thank you-o.

I love my 32x11.5’s because they’re thick enough that they have a nice beefy stance, which makes them seem taller than they are. And I have no complaints on the Ironman suspension. Feels amazing on the road, honestly the best feeling solid front axle vehicle I’ve driven. And has some nice flex off-road but not too crazy.

 

[Maccuscharlie]

I love the look of your rig! The wheels and color matched wheel arches are fantastic, and the sombrero grille emblem looks great.

Thank you man. Love your rig as well!

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Holy smokes, that is a beauty!
From the glimpse I can see, they do look like the same wheel.
Do you have a side profile pic so I can admire it from the side?
How big of a lift did you throw in there?
And that bumper setup... sweet Jesus...

P.M. sent

 

[FJ40 that green thing]

The "JJ" pertains to the flange type.

The -20 is the offset and has nothing to do with "JJ".

Yup, that's the dream right there!
22,000$ Canadian, shipped, cleared customs taxes etc in. I spent A LOT of time looking at these things and worked with what I think was a very good broker. He and his guy on the ground were very happy with the rig and the price. Hopefully I didn't get hosed. How about you?
224,000 km, timing belt changed at 195,000, no rust on the body or underneath at all.
They say it runs great. 3.5 interior and exterior.
Who really knows though... the thing might not even exist. haha
Likely to order a 2-3 inch lift, (brand unknown), 33 inch k02's, snorkel for extra cooling, some potential crossings and vanity, EGT guage, and stereo all before it arrives as the supply chain is slow right now.
I want to drive the thing and get a feel for it before I decide on extra cooling elements and more mods.
Thoughts?

I know prices are going up on these , mine has 212km and I paid $17k USD in December 2021

 

[FJ73Texas]

I know prices are going up on these , mine has 212km and I paid $17k USD in December 2021

That is a more reasonable price honestly. Stateside they seem to be selling for a lot more.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

G'day folks.
So I just won an auction on a 95 Prado SX Wide after many many failed attempts. I'll save you the time of asking why I didn't go with the 4.2... I couldn't afford it.
Knowing that when it gets to Canada, at minimum I'll have to put new rubber on it as it doesn't meet the three dot system we have here.
Since I'm going to have to put new rubber on it right away, should I look at putting a slight lift on it and avoid having to re-rubber afterwards?
I probably won't be doing any serious off roading or crazy crawling, mostly heading up to a few remote ski resorts here on Vancouver Island, and getting off the beaten path to get some salmon on the fly. Can the 3.0 handle 33's without losing too much power?
On top of the off road practicality of the lift, I do love the look of the SX wide's with slightly bigger rubber and a bit higher off the ground.
Recommendations on rubber size, all knowing brethren?
Ohh, and feel free to throw any other tidbits my way.
Mucho appreciate-o.

View attachment 2926208

View attachment 2926209

@BTV , congratulations, looks like a dream!! Which importer did you use? Where on VI are you? There is a group of us here if you're interested in meeting other local cruiser owners: CA.BC- Vancouver Island Cruisers - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/ca-bc-vancouver-island-cruisers.104/

 

[BTV]

@BTV , congratulations, looks like a dream!! Which importer did you use? Where on VI are you? There is a group of us here if you're interested in meeting other local cruiser owners: CA.BC- Vancouver Island Cruisers - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/ca-bc-vancouver-island-cruisers.104/

Hey!
Nice to hear from you. I used B-Bro, guy named Brian. Had a good experience, assuming the truck is in the shape they say it's in.
I live on Bear Mountain, in Langford.
I just checked out the group... lots of action on there! I'll have to spend a bit of time and read up on lots topics that you guys have likely already covered like where to get parts like a lift kit, snorkel etc.
Thanks for reaching out!

 

[Roastchestnuts]

I know prices are going up on these , mine has 212km and I paid $17k USD in December 2021

I payed the same price around the same as you (December 2021). Right at 17,000$ Mine had 220Km when I bought it.

 

[FJ40 that green thing]

Yup, that's the dream right there!
22,000$ Canadian, shipped, cleared customs taxes etc in. I spent A LOT of time looking at these things and worked with what I think was a very good broker. He and his guy on the ground were very happy with the rig and the price. Hopefully I didn't get hosed. How about you?
224,000 km, timing belt changed at 195,000, no rust on the body or underneath at all.
They say it runs great. 3.5 interior and exterior.
Who really knows though... the thing might not even exist. haha
Likely to order a 2-3 inch lift, (brand unknown), 33 inch k02's, snorkel for extra cooling, some potential crossings and vanity, EGT guage, and stereo all before it arrives as the supply chain is slow right now.
I want to drive the thing and get a feel for it before I decide on extra cooling elements and more mods.
Thoughts?

Yes, you have a good plan. I've ordered a 2.75" downpipe from Kaiapoi and plan for a snorkel install. I have installed a Dobinsons front bumper for winch mount and front end protection. Lift is a no brainer, getting the right wheel/tire combo nailed down is on my short list. I am sure you will love the thing, get a build thread started as soon as you get it, love to see your progress as well.

 

[FJBen]

The "JJ" pertains to the flange type.

The -20 is the offset and has nothing to do with "JJ".

Sorry to hijack, but these are 16x6, but what are the other numbers?

 

[FJ73Texas]

The order of markings on that wheel is different than what I am used to. Is that an US spec wheel? It don't include DOT as US spec wheels usually do.

Anyways, here is my guess based off your picture: Not 100% sure what the "4.0" is for in this case but if that is the offset, then your BS will be 3.6"?

 

[BTV]

First, congratulations on the purchase and welcome to the madness! The KZJ78 is a great choice. With respect to your tire/lift question, are you planning on getting new wheels also, or just tires? Those look to me like the 15x7 version of that rim rather than the 16x6, which may limit your tire options somewhat. 33x10.5R15 would be a great choice and should just fit with no rubbing. You could also go with a 33x12.5, but the wider tires will eat more power and reduce your fuel economy. A mild lift isn't a bad idea especially if the suspension is still all original, since you'd probably be replacing shocks soon anyway. Old Man Emu, Dobinsons and Ironman all make lift kits for those.

I just heard back from the broker, and they are the 15 inch version of the rim. To be honest, I'm kind of struggling finding 33's that will go on that wheel for some reason...

 

[FJ73Texas]

I just heard back from the broker, and they are the 15 inch version of the rim. To be honest, I'm kind of struggling finding 33's that will go on that wheel for some reason...

I stand corrected. Sorry for thinking that they are 16X6, ET0 rims. I always loved the General Grabber tire in 33x10.5R15 but they are really difficult to get.

 

[epaul]

Dobinsons's 2.5" lift and 33x10.5r15 is absolutely perfect on my truck. In the future, if I find wheels that suit me with around a -27 offset, I'll go with the 12.5 wide tire. There are absolutely no power problems with my tire size, but I've done a few mods to keep my EGTs down. I can cruise at 80mph with no problems. My 4.3 gear ratio is perfect with my tires too, 80mph is about 3000 rpms.

 

[BTV]

Dobinsons's 2.5" lift and 33x10.5r15 is absolutely perfect on my truck. In the future, if I find wheels that suit me with around a -27 offset, I'll go with the 12.5 wide tire. There are absolutely no power problems with my tire size, but I've done a few mods to keep my EGTs down. I can cruise at 80mph with no problems. My 4.3 gear ratio is perfect with my tires too, 80mph is about 3000 rpms.

View attachment 2937247

Looks absolutely fantastic.
Who makes the tire? Will they mount on a 15x7 wheel?
What mods? Custom intercooler, or did you go with the larger exhaust etc...