Lots of QUESTIONS from a new '04 LC Owner

[soberman001]

Friends
I have added a 2004 LC to my driveway to compliment my 1995 LC which will soon be for sale. Because I am new to the 2004's I wanted to ask a few questions to see if all the bright people here can speed my path to a few goals.

1. I wanted a strong 1pc or 3pc Brush Gaurd but can't seem to get one in under 5 weeks. Does anyone know a good place to get a WAAG, Go-Rhino, Manik or some other brand that fits well, looks good and is strong? I am looking for quality and speed over price so I have avoided ebay specials. I live in Ft. Lauderdale FL if there is a local shop.

2. My JBL stereo does not have a button near the tape player for "SATellite". Does that mean I cannot get the Toyota OEM XM radio interface that plugs in behind the dash? Do I have to get something generic from Best-Buy and hook it up? I wanted a nice clean, integrated look and not another face plate.

3. I am going to be selling my OEM Chrome 18" rims for something sportier. The have newer Dualer tires on them. What is a fair market price not including shipping?

Thanks for all the help guys/gals.

Have a great day!!!

 

[e9999]

Welcome!

well, the sort of brush guard you seem to be leaning toward, would not likely fit our general consensus for strong and high-quality. You'll hear about "damage multiplier" a lot here, and that was coined with the add-on brushguard in mind... I'll let others elaborate.

 

[WES1977]

have you looked at www.sleeoffroad.com before for bumpers?

XM radio, I ripped an aftermarket one out of mine. It was connected behead the unit but you probably have a diffrent one than I do.

 

[macneill]

Welcome! I second TJM or ARB for a real bumper. Slee carries both of those.

 

[SWUtah]

Friends
I have added a 2004 LC to my driveway to compliment my 1995 LC which will soon be for sale. Because I am new to the 2004's I wanted to ask a few questions to see if all the bright people here can speed my path to a few goals.

1. I wanted a strong 1pc or 3pc Brush Gaurd but can't seem to get one in under 5 weeks. Does anyone know a good place to get a WAAG, Go-Rhino, Manik or some other brand that fits well, looks good and is strong? I am looking for quality and speed over price so I have avoided ebay specials. I live in Ft. Lauderdale FL if there is a local shop.

2. My JBL stereo does not have a button near the tape player for "SATellite". Does that mean I cannot get the Toyota OEM XM radio interface that plugs in behind the dash? Do I have to get something generic from Best-Buy and hook it up? I wanted a nice clean, integrated look and not another face plate.

3. I am going to be selling my OEM Chrome 18" rims for something sportier. The have newer Dualer tires on them. What is a fair market price not including shipping?

Thanks for all the help guys/gals.

Have a great day!!!

Welcome and congrats on the new ride. From reading your post, I conclude you are after a certain "look" versus an off road bumper? The reason is because of your examples of bumper guards and the fact you are changing out the OEM 18" wheels for something "sportier", meaning some 20/22/24's??? The reason I mention this is that your ride would look kind of stupid with a heavy duty off road bumper, while you are riding on some ganster 22" street tires. Kind of like dressing in hiking gear and wearing dress shoes. What I am getting at is it would help us advise you if we had a better understanding of what function/look you were after?

 

[dclee]

What I am getting at is it would help us advise you if we had a better understanding of what function/look you were after?

x2

What is your intended use for the vehicle? Most of the people on here have more than mall cruising in mind, so their equipment choices reflect that. Weak "brush guards" ala Manik, WAAG, Westin, etc. are looked at in a, how shall I say, negative way...

 

[e9999]

OK, may be I should clarify so you don't get the wrong idea.

Folks here are "down" on lightweight brush guards not because of look or the notion that you should fit a certain profile to fit in with the site, but simply -and that's why guys here call these lightweight brushguards "damage multipliers"- because the lightweight construction and poor support means that if you hit them, it's likely that it will fold into the grille or hood etc and make a minor hit a costly repair, that would not normally have happened with the OEM bumper alone.

Many folks here (although less on the 100 forum) will also put on heavy duty bull bar because of potential damage when wheeling or to hold a winch.

So, it's not just a "macho" attitude thing, hopefully...

 

[dclee]

So, it's not just a "macho" attitude thing, hopefully...

Sure it is. We're all compensating. Oh wait, maybe that's just me...

 

[e9999]

Sure it is. We're all compensating. Oh wait, maybe that's just me...

yup, it is, but the telling part of course is that you needed a full Mog rather than just a 2" lift....

 

[soberman001]

x2

What is your intended use for the vehicle? Most of the people on here have more than mall cruising in mind, so their equipment choices reflect that. Weak "brush guards" ala Manik, WAAG, Westin, etc. are looked at in a, how shall I say, negative way...

Thanks for the questions and I totally understand the purest mindset on heavy duty bumpers vs grill gaurds. So, let me give you an idea of what the use and visual I am going for on my newer LC.

Basically, I think the 2004 truck is a bit soccer-mom like in its OEM form. My 95 LC is a bit more agressive/sportier looking and came equiped with a grill gaurd and I put some PIAA lights on it. Looked nice and took thousands of miles of trail and off road punishment through Baja and the US Southwest.. Even my dog is from Baja (Mexican stray).!

So.. my 2004 LC is mainly an on-road vehicle but is too plain and the chrome rims are too bling. Eventually I will take it trail driving in the everglades or off road in KY near by buddies ranch but nothing as agressive as what you guys do. I thought a brush guard would keep light sticks and branches from damaging the vehicle and it would serve as a great place to mount some high-power lights. And I want a more agressive look on the truck. But, I can't see me driving around with a full H-Duty bumper and winch. So, I am open to suggestions but I would like something that covered the lights and front/lower lip of the hood.

For the wheels, I am thinking a mild off-road rim and beefy tires. I am not planning on lifting the vehicle anytime soon so I can't go too big but something that is a good balance between a road and trail tire. Solid, agressive, but not noisy for daily use.

In summary, I am looking for occasional off-road use and a much sportier look for the truck. Don't like the soccer-mom look and am NOT getting 24" spinner wheels. Not my style.

What do you gents think?

 

[jditom]

Here is my vote for tires in 275/65/18.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Dueler+A%2FT+Revo

Great on and offroad performance. Used by many with 80 and 100 series.

I just picked up a set of used OEM 18 wheels on e-bay since I like to have 2 sets for winter tires.

The only bush guard I had came on my 80 and I gave it away. I personaly do not think it protects anything. If your are going through thick bushes you will get pin striped no matter what you do.

I would mount a TJM or ARB for the killer look and light mounting. The price difference is not that much but the fit, finish and protection is so far better than a bull bar. On the 100 if you mount a non winch bumper it adds a little weight to your front end which you can easily correct by turning the torsion bar nuts.

BTW, nice color!

 

[moooooooo]

well in the land of kangaroos and where i go for offroading fun i get deers from escaped deer farms and 'roos and wallabies...you need protection. I have an ARB deluxe winch bar and other people have TJMs.

kangaroos aren't that smart. They will hop out in front of you instead of bounding away and if you see them then you slow down and expect the worst. The two deers that i missed at the back of Lake Mountain (Victoria, Australia) had better instincts and got off the road when i hit the brakes and they heard my ABS slowing me down - i'm assuming as i'm not a deer expert.

Decide what you are going to do with your 'cruiser, and where you are going to go and find out about the wildlife and then make your decision on what you might want to protect your car.

If all you are going to do is city mileage then you might not need an aftermarket bar. But if you do travel regularly where there is wildlife then get one. I've seen an LC100 after hitting 'roo with an ARB bar (i'm guessing it stands for Aussie Roo Bars!!) and there was minimal damage. The airbags didnt deploy, but i also know that they will deploy depending on the circumstances you are in.

There are different sizes of kangaroos - a "big red" would probably trigger the airbags.

So far my 'cruiser of death has killed 3 snakes, 2 birds and a rabbit in 22 months. None intentionally, all regrettable (except the rabbit - introduced pest) and i've avoided about 7 kangaroos, 4 wallabies and 2 deers (both were huge stags).
cheers
peter

 

[SWUtah]

Keep me wallabie down bloke, keep me wallabie down

 

[moooooooo]

lol

 

[soberman001]

Here is my vote for tires in 275/65/18.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Dueler+A%2FT+Revo

Great on and offroad performance. Used by many with 80 and 100 series.

I just picked up a set of used OEM 18 wheels on e-bay since I like to have 2 sets for winter tires.

The only bush guard I had came on my 80 and I gave it away. I personaly do not think it protects anything. If your are going through thick bushes you will get pin striped no matter what you do.

I would mount a TJM or ARB for the killer look and light mounting. The price difference is not that much but the fit, finish and protection is so far better than a bull bar. On the 100 if you mount a non winch bumper it adds a little weight to your front end which you can easily correct by turning the torsion bar nut

Do you happen to know what the largest tire you can get on a 18" rim with a stock LC100 without running into clearance problems with the fenders?

 

[Travis351]

Sleeoffroad.com has powdercoated 16" wheels pretty cheap that can fit 33's without rubbing. That wheel/tire combo and a TJM or ARB is what I would do. Let me know if you want a couple more trucks with you on your trip to the Everglades. I have a few friends in the Keys that have expressed some interest in a trip to Big Cypress. Some of us even have the permits already.

 

[soberman001]

Sleeoffroad.com has powdercoated 16" wheels pretty cheap that can fit 33's without rubbing. That wheel/tire combo and a TJM or ARB is what I would do. Let me know if you want a couple more trucks with you on your trip to the Everglades. I have a few friends in the Keys that have expressed some interest in a trip to Big Cypress. Some of us even have the permits already.

If I decided to keep the stock rims, what is the largest tire I can fit?

Also, do you know a decent 4x4 shop down here?

 

[e9999]

Thanks for the questions and I totally understand the purest mindset on heavy duty bumpers vs grill gaurds. So, let me give you an idea of what the use and visual I am going for on my newer LC.

Basically, I think the 2004 truck is a bit soccer-mom like in its OEM form. My 95 LC is a bit more agressive/sportier looking and came equiped with a grill gaurd and I put some PIAA lights on it. Looked nice and took thousands of miles of trail and off road punishment through Baja and the US Southwest.. Even my dog is from Baja (Mexican stray).!

So.. my 2004 LC is mainly an on-road vehicle but is too plain and the chrome rims are too bling. Eventually I will take it trail driving in the everglades or off road in KY near by buddies ranch but nothing as agressive as what you guys do. I thought a brush guard would keep light sticks and branches from damaging the vehicle and it would serve as a great place to mount some high-power lights. And I want a more agressive look on the truck. But, I can't see me driving around with a full H-Duty bumper and winch. So, I am open to suggestions but I would like something that covered the lights and front/lower lip of the hood.

For the wheels, I am thinking a mild off-road rim and beefy tires. I am not planning on lifting the vehicle anytime soon so I can't go too big but something that is a good balance between a road and trail tire. Solid, agressive, but not noisy for daily use.

In summary, I am looking for occasional off-road use and a much sportier look for the truck. Don't like the soccer-mom look and am NOT getting 24" spinner wheels. Not my style.

What do you gents think?

if you go through bushes serious enough that they would damage the paint on the front, you'll scrape the sides worse, won't make that much difference...
Yes, some sort of brushguard would allow you to mount lights, but you could rig some sort of bracket too.
With a brush guard you still are at risk of *seriously* damaging something if you have even a small hit (think hitting the front while parking or somebody backing into you).