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THE NEW TRUCK
The new to us 200 is a very clean 2013 silver on black combo that had 2 owners prior to me. The Land Cruiser was originally purchased in Illinois where it spent the first 3 years of its life, and the I owner I purchased it from had owned it for 3.5 years. No accidents, immaculate interior, the only rust is common on 90% of all 200s, and amazing service history from the dealer. Interestingly, I noticed in Aprl 2019 it went in for a "simple procedure" at the dealer to get some strut spacers installed. The techs for whatever reason couldn't get the KDSS to budge, so they ended up removing and replacing the whole pump! In a remarkable stroke of luck for me, I noticed they replaced it with the NEW style KDSS with bolt heads instead of the allen key style bolts. The dealer then had an issue with the cam bolts, so they also replaced both lower control arms and all associated hardware (20+ parts yikes!). The prior owner added the spacers to install the Tundra TRD Pro BBS wheels and some Cooper AT3 tires which were on it when I purchased it. This ended up being a very expensive trip to the dealer!
In December 2019 around 95k miles, the prior owner brought it in for another service and had the front and rear brakes done as well as a new radiator. I felt very lucky to stubmle across an excellent color combo, clean Carfax, well maintained 200 with a ton of expensive new parts not even 5 minutes from our house. Here it is as I picked it up.
This night when I was removing the running boards and installing the Maxtrax, the sun hit the silver paint just right and made me think of pallidium:
@mcgaskins
Very entertaining and informative thread at the same time
Quick question. In this photograph does the vehicle have a lift or on stock suspension?
If stock, any rubbing for daily usage?
Appreciate the follow up. Appears that the 285/75/17 is offered in C and E. Sounds like rubbing on stock suspension without lift was managed with minor trimming??Thank you! Actually both the 285/70/18 and 285/75/17 Ridge Grapplers are load range E and they are for all intents and purposes the same size - even the sidewall is printed with "34x11.50" on both tires as seen below. I always go with E tires including on the LX because I want the strongest tire possible for these heavy vehicles, and I personally really prefer the way they ride. I can't detect a discernible noise increase below about 50 mph, and I the noise above those speeds is totally acceptable. I will say the 16 was quieter than the 13 and 14 due to extra noise insulation, and even at highway speeds in the 16 I didn't hear any additional noise. The LX was quietest of all and there was zero noise difference with the 275/65/20 KO2s on it.
I was also in the background during the filming of the TFL video feeding them lines when they didn't know what something was or left something out! 
I just realized we're already on post 30, and the only mod I've shown on Palladium is wheels and tires! See, I told you in the first line of the build thread this would be a long rambling storyWhile this next mod isn't exactly like the other hard parts added, I personally think it's critical for any vehicle (just like excellent tires) and is one of the first things I add to everything I own that goes off road - Maxtrax. If you watched my vehicle packing video, you will know I do NOT mean knockoffs like the $100 ones from certain Amazon sellers, Smittybilt, etc., but I only suggest the real deal "expensive" $300/pair Maxtrax. The reason I put expensive in quotes is that Maxtrax are among my favorite category of goods - they never really lose value, even if they seem expensive at first. If you pay $300 for a pair of Maxtrax and throw them on your roof for 2 years and never use them, you can sell them for $280 to a guy in your local club or most any forum or craigslist. People trust quality names, and the very best products are always in demand and retain their value. Because of supply chain disruptions from covid combined with skyrocketing demand for adventure related travel, the resale value on quality 4x4 goods and vehicles has never been higher. It literally costs you more in the long run to buy inexpensive goods that either don't do the job well or have no resale value later on. The only reason I have been able to own many interesting and sometimes expensive things is that I've been able to purchase high quality goods at a great price that don't lose value or even increase in value over time. My philosophy with basically every vehicle, but especially this one, is to be efficient with my money. That does not mean buying cheap things - often it's just the opposite.
I mounted the 4 Maxtrax on the factory roof rack with the pins they sell by simply drilling into the OEM aluminum cross bars with a quality step bit. Now I realize most people think they need a "real roof rack" to mount stuff like Maxtrax, shovels, hi lifts, etc., but the reality is the factory rack is already incredibly strong, light, and aerodynamic with high quality aluminum cross bars that won't rust. I don't see the point in ditching that setup for something usually significantly heavier, often made of metal which can rust if not well coated, and less aerodynamic for $1k or more. There are a few cases in which a full rack is nice, but other than those rare cases I simply don't see the value. I don't want to offend anyone of course, but I think the majority of expo style roof racks are for aesthetics not for practicality. I have had a few racks over the years, but I had a Front Runner on my 14 LC which drove me absolutely crazy from the day I bought the truck until I sold it. I'm sensitive to noise, and the rack caused whistling at some speeds, strange whooping noises at other speeds, and I could almost always feel the drag from it at highway speeds. The original owner had it mounted upside down for some reason to mount a RTT, so I figured by flipping it around my issues would be solved. Not only did I almost die by accidentally pulling myself up by yanking on the rack up out of habit when it had already been fully unbolted, but I scratched the crap out of the roof in the process. After eventually getting the rack situated in the "proper" position, the noise was just as bad maybe even worse with a crazy warbling pressure with the sunroof open. I was ready to just remove it entirely until I added a large camping table on top, and it somehow solved the issue of the disturbance of the air moving through the rack. But I don't need a table except for about 10 days a year, so I was stuck with a rack I didn't need and a table I needed even less stuck up there all the time for the sake of looking #expoAF. I'm not knocking people who buy them and use them, but I personally see little value in expensive racks or at least the ones I've tried. Not going to lie though, the new ARB Base rack does look pretty sweet and may solve the noise buffeting issues, and I know many people have owned Gamiviti racks with zero complaints too.
See - somehow I turned telling you that I drilled 4 holes into my roof rack to add Maxtrax into a nearly 800 word rant. If you've read this far and you're annoyed, I'm afraid to tell you it's your own fault.
Place masking tape over the rack to help the bit not move around:
Put a piece of wood or something under the cross bar so you don't drill a periscope or antenna hole in your roof:
I like to do the outside front and rear pins, then put the Maxtrax in place and mark with a sharpie for the remaining holes.
One thing I like the factory rack and cross bars is that you are unlikely to find any rack that mounts the Maxtrax lower. As you can see, it's low and tight against the roof, and the cost for this is $50 from your fav retailer.
Why does this matter?
. Excited to see your build in action. Now is a great time to explore the outdoors and glad you have so much of that in your Colorado backyard.
Welcome back Matt. I was hoping you would be
