Local Help

[rockstate45]

Hey guys, I've kind of introduced myself in a few areas of the forum and actually met a few members here.

My name is Jack, bought a '97 LX with 143700 miles on it. I want to learn about the vehicle the correct way. I can turn a wrench but need to learn the "feel" of things and the proper way to do things. I've read a lot, but don't have a ton of hands on experience with these things and there are just some questions the internet can't answer. In other words, I need to gain some confidence in order to tackle these projects.

With that said, I'm planning on ordering an OME lift sometime this week or next and was wondering if anybody had a few hours to donate to give me some direction and advice while I turn a wrench on this thing. Of course, I'll bring the beer/lunch for your time.

As a shameless plea, would anybody mind donating some time for a guy trying to learn?

 

[toyotology]

Normally I'd extend a hand but I am booked solid for about a month with customers projects. If you wait til sept I could help out.. Unless someone else is willing to help out. You'll be happy with ome!

 

[2fpower]

Hey Jack, 46 days to SMORR, so I am not taking on anything else right now.

80 series lifts are pretty straightforward.

I do have a solution for you..... I find that a few drinks is more than enough to give you confidence....

How are you doing castor correction?

If you get in a bind post up a pic and the question, and I am more than willing to blab on about something..

 

[CREACHR]

Where are you? OME kits are pretty easy depending on size you are going.
I too have an LX, I went with a 3 inch and the heavy springs.

 

[rockstate45]

Normally I'd extend a hand but I am booked solid for about a month with customers projects. If you wait til sept I could help out.. Unless someone else is willing to help out. You'll be happy with ome!

Thank you for extending your help! I might take you up on it, if not for the OME, but just general learning about these things. I will be doing some PM on this thing like plugs and probably the PHH... all things I just gotta do.

Hey Jack, 46 days to SMORR, so I am not taking on anything else right now.

80 series lifts are pretty straightforward.

I do have a solution for you..... I find that a few drinks is more than enough to give you confidence....

How are you doing castor correction?

If you get in a bind post up a pic and the question, and I am more than willing to blab on about something..

Is SMORR the event here locally about 200 miles away? I would like to join in that but not sure if I can get my friends to buy in on the price plus I might be starting a new job just before that if I get it.

A few brews always helps turning a wrench. It's a hell of a confidence booster and really helps with the worry haha. To decide between Boulevard and Coors is a tough'n.

Caster correction? Honestly, not sure. I would like to source that one out as I don't have the proper tools to do it (but I haven't read ENOUGH about it to cover all my bases on answering that question). I've got a nice "starter" type socket set with a few things that I've filled in from my Tundra. That thing is an '07 so it doesn't get worked on much. I appreciate your help though on the CC. Again, not sure if that's something I'd tackle myself.

Where are you? OME kits are pretty easy depending on size you are going.
I too have an LX, I went with a 3 inch and the heavy springs.

I'm in the Leawood area but don't mind driving 20-30 minutes to meet someone if they would like to donate the time. Are you local to me? I'd like to see another LX with the 850 coils before I pull the trigger. I emailed Slee on shipping info so timing is coming down to a wire!

-rockstate

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

it normally takes longer to jack an 80 in the air than to do a lift.. the castor correction can be a pain tho depending on what type you use.. I darn near broke my nose putting a front arm back on once.. Don't lie under them when bolting them back into position.

 

[2fpower]

Do the research on castor correction. Keep this in mind though. I have an extra set of lower arms, so if you want to do the press in castor correction, you could take my arms, clean them up and paint them, press in the correction things and then return your set to me when you are done.

Personally, I like the press in better than the brackets.

k

 

[CREACHR]

If going 3 inch, a lot don't bother with the castor correction. I didn't. Mud Tech section is your best friend. Look at the top under "Stickies" and "FAQ". You will find just about any and all PM questions and answers there for your 80 series.

 

[rockstate45]

You guys are awesome!

2fpower, I might take you up on that... that would certainly help me out a lot. Is the CC kit something you do when you're installing the lift or do is it a major pain in the ass to do afterward?

Creachr, I like your style on that one. Seems similar to a set of UCAs for an IFS truck. I didn't do a UCA on my Tundra with the OME 612 coil and it barely eats tires (no need for a $600-1000 part).

There's a pic of the two next to each other.

-rockstate

 

[StucknKS]

You can do the CC later if you decide you want it done. I didn't do mine at first but did have noticeable steering improvement once I got around to doing it.

As far as putting on the lift, start reading through the instructions on Slee's site and start putting putting PB Blaster on all the bolts you are going to be removing. I put Blaster on for about a week everyday before I started putting on my lift. Only had one bolt that was a PITA until it broke.

I will help if I am around but I am getting ready to do some traveling for work, kids start school, blah blah blah. Either way call me and I can at least give some advice if you get stuck.

Other thing is to make sure you have the right tools to get the job done. Good floor jack, heavy duty jack stands. Air impact is nice but I am sure it can be done without it. Definitely want to have a good breaker bar.

Sent from my SPH-P600 using IH8MUD

 

[Metal Spice]

To decide between Boulevard and Coors is a tough 'n.

-rockstate

Ha ha ha, no it isn't. I can safely say they last time I saw a Coors was in Ireland in 2008. Their young folks think it's cool. Round these here parts, Boulevard is king.

 

[rockstate45]

Ha ha ha, no it isn't. I can safely say they last time I saw a Coors was in Ireland in 2008. Their young folks think it's cool. Round these here parts, Boulevard is king.

Boulevard is a damn good beer that's for sure! I'm okay with providing that haha.

Mike, man it was good meeting you the other day. Thanks for extending your help. I might take ya up on it when you get some time, just for company and a pinch situation haha.

Also, where did you buy your duratracs? I priced them at $991 or so OTD and that's more than I was planning on.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[StucknKS]

I bought mine from discount tire direct off of eBay. Free shipping. They have them for $870 right now. When I bought mine they were $930 with a $100 rebate.

http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?nav=item.view&id=190874641028

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

Having driven both with and without castor correction and given you live in ks where there is a lot of hot air blowing around. I'd do the correction.. Mine wandered a bit without.. didn't stop me from taking it to moab without it installed but after I installed it once could really tell a difference. \
I'd take Kelly up on his offer. Getting the old bushing out is easiest by drilling a ton of holes in the old bushing, press out the rubber part, sawsall the "sleeve" then hit it with a chisel.. It'll tap out the OD ring of the old bushing.. My press just laughed at that frozen bushing.. Course that was probalby 15 years ago? I have learned a bit about wrenching since then.

 

[rockstate45]

Mike, I called the goodyear shop and they are discontinuing the Duratrac in that size.... have you heard of that? I thought it was a little bit "crazy" and couldn't confirm it with another Goodyear store. However, they will do the MTR for about $1030 out the door which is a good price for those. They have a buyer for the KM2 at that price.


Erik, I think I'm going to do the correction after reading your post. It doesn't seem like as much of a PITA as doing a UCA or something like that. Although, I will likely pay someone to do it or ask if one of y'all would want to walk me through it. I just don't have the tools to do it.

The lift and bumper will be ordered next week sometime. My little brother is in Denver now so he's just going to bring it back for me. That means I should be working on one or the other on Sunday.

Where did y'all learn how to wrench on these things?

-rockstate

 

[StucknKS]

I would get the km2's over the mtr's. That opinion is not from my own experience but from my dad's. He has the mtr's on his Rubicon and can't stand them. Loud and squirrelly is how he describes them. Granted the ride characteristics of a Rubicon and 80 are obviously different. He also is not having very good luck with longevity. My brother on the other hand had the km2's on his wrangler and loves them. I would have bought the km2's if I could have picked then up for the same money I have in the Duratracs.

Either way I think all 3 tire choices are good. Just depends on user preference and what one is willing to live with to get the function or look they want.

I learned wrenching on vehicles from my dad growing up in the country. Back then if a vehicle broke down it was easier to fix it at home versus getting it towed 20 miles to town. Even when we moved to town my dad still continued to work on his own vehicles since he knew how to fix them. Couldn't justify spending the money on them.

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

I learned by reading the manual like a text book. Nobody will talk to you when u sit down on a plane with a landcruiser service manual and a highlighter

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using IH8MUD

 

[ASI H8]

Mike, I called the goodyear shop and they are discontinuing the Duratrac in that size.... have you heard of that? I thought it was a little bit "crazy" and couldn't confirm it with another Goodyear store. However, they will do the MTR for about $1030 out the door which is a good price for those. They have a buyer for the KM2 at that price.



Where did y'all learn how to wrench on these things?

-rockstate

My next set of skins will come from https://www.treadwright.com/ .
I know of a few who use them around here. Take a look.

Where did I learn to wrench? That's kinda hard to say. I guess I got the bug to tinker from my old man. Me? I'm still learning, But not knowing hasn't stopped me. Jump in. You'll do fine.

 

[rockstate45]

I would get the km2's over the mtr's. That opinion is not from my own experience but from my dad's. He has the mtr's on his Rubicon and can't stand them. Loud and squirrelly is how he describes them. Granted the ride characteristics of a Rubicon and 80 are obviously different. He also is not having very good luck with longevity. My brother on the other hand had the km2's on his wrangler and loves them. I would have bought the km2's if I could have picked then up for the same money I have in the Duratracs.

Either way I think all 3 tire choices are good. Just depends on user preference and what one is willing to live with to get the function or look they want.

I learned wrenching on vehicles from my dad growing up in the country. Back then if a vehicle broke down it was easier to fix it at home versus getting it towed 20 miles to town. Even when we moved to town my dad still continued to work on his own vehicles since he knew how to fix them. Couldn't justify spending the money on them.

That's good to hear a unbiased review on a set of tires and seems to be pretty consistent from what I know about the tires and what I've read on the internet. My boss had a set on the shop Dodge and I loved the KM2s on that thing, even though the 5.2 is an underpowdered dog haha.

I'm with ya on that. A lot of kids growing up today don't have the option of learning things things - like myself. You going to teach your sons the basics when they get older?

I learned by reading the manual like a text book. Nobody will talk to you when u sit down on a plane with a landcruiser service manual and a highlighter

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using IH8MUD

haha that's awesome. I'm glad I'm not the only kind of guy that soaks things up like a sponge... Time to download one of those suckers. So have you been an FJ40 kinda guy since the plane and highlighter days?

My next set of skins will come from https://www.treadwright.com/ .
I know of a few who use them around here. Take a look.

Where did I learn to wrench? That's kinda hard to say. I guess I got the bug to tinker from my old man. Me? I'm still learning, But not knowing hasn't stopped me. Jump in. You'll do fine.

Thanks for the support, man. Those treadwrights look sweet. There's a set that looks identical to the MTR on there. Although, I've been hesitant on buying a retread because while semis run retreads, they don't on their steering axle so if they lose a tire, they don't lose control. Now, dedicated trail rig? Hell yea.

Have you purchased a set of those before?





Also, placing the order for the 850/860 coils this week. My little brother will hand deliver from Slee by Saturday and I will have a coming to Land Cruiser meeting on Sunday with a buddy of mine. If y'all get bored, there will be beer and some good company.

-rockstate

 

[rockstate45]

Well guys, bought the 850/860 combo package today. It should be here Friday, at which point I'll throw it on Sunday.

I started spraying PB Blaster on everything tonight and will continue to hit those bolts (hopefully) twice a day. I'll for sure get the rear lower shock bolts twice to free 'em up.

Anybody have any tips on those guys?

-rockstate