Builds mcgaskins' 2016 build thread - Ruby (1 Viewer)

[mooneywa]

Loved the truck with the 34s. Admittedly, glad you’re going back.

 

[AZCRSR]

Did you use any type of special drill bit when you drilled into the crossbars?

I mounted the Maxtrax on the roof with their universal mounting pin set. I drilled through the factory cross bars because I don’t really have a need for an aftermarket roof rack, and if I’m being honest I’m not a fan of them due to wind noise. I’m the most sensitive person I know to any creaks, rattles, squeaks, squeals, etc. and I have not found a silent rack yet other than OEM. Oh and I also have a full OEM rack in the crawlspace if I jack this one up. Fortunately it turned out just fine and clears the garage door at home by roughly half an inch I’ll add some small locks onto the pins and get some rubber caps for the bottom of the exposed bolts. Very pleased with how low profile it is, and best of all it’s totally silent even with the sunroof open.

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[mcgaskins]

Did you use any type of special drill bit when you drilled into the crossbars?

I just used a decent step bit and put a thin piece of wood between the bottom of the rack and the roof (microfiber cloth in between) to keep it from causing any damage to the roof. Just set a Maxtrax down for a template, marked, drilled and moved on to the next hole and was done in about 10-15 mins.

 

[JohnJB]

Did you use any type of special drill bit when you drilled into the crossbars?

As someone who recently copied this idea and has no special drill bits in my possession, no. I just used 3 or 4 bits of progressive sizing. This should be obvious but I'm an idiot, lay a blanket, plastic sheet, or large MF cloth on the roof before drilling. I did not and then went to wash vehicle thinking water would easily clear the shavings off the roof; I was wrong.

 

[mcgaskins]

Today the 285/75/18 were swapped for new 285/70/18 Ridge Grapplers. I took a few pics and measurements of the truck with new 35s and new 34s to see just how much clearance was gained/lost and to see how different the truck looks overall. I am very happy with the decision to go back down to the original size because it just simply functions better. No rubbing, noticeably better braking, acceleration and handling and the 34s only give up a tiny bit of clearance. I've had just about every size of tire out there on one truck or another from 29" to 37", and I will admit the real gains come from going from a 33 to a 37. Very little real world advantage is gained by going from 34 to 35, but on the 200 you introduce a whole bunch of issues that require compromises somewhere. That's just the bottom line - it's totally doable, but it doesn't really make the truck better.

Here are some comparison shots:

35s (285/75/18)

34s (285/70/18)

35s

34s (this is the most obvious view where you can see the difference in size)

35s garage clearance

34s garage clearance

35s

34s

35s

34s

35s

34s

And the most important one. The rubbing on the sway bar with 35s disallowed the wheel to turn to full lock, and 1.25 turns to the right the rubbing would literally bring the truck to a halt.

It looks like the 34s rub, but if it does it's imperceptible inside the truck. This is at full lock which is a pretty uncommon situation, and I wheeled with this setup in Moab (the Bora 0.75" spacers did the trick) with no issues whatsoever.

 

[JohnJB]

Really looking forward to the re-gear and ARBs.

 

[mcgaskins]

Really looking forward to the re-gear and ARBs.

No way! Definitely not needed with the 8 speed. Considering there were 3 trucks in our convoy this day, and the other trucks were locked front and rear on 35s and 37s and both struggled with this obstacle and didn't make it in one attempt (all same line) I'd say MTS is often better than lockers...especially when you need traction and you need to steer.

 

[JohnJB]

No way! Definitely not needed with the 8 speed, but you already know that

Excuse me?! I didn’t see you doing any burnouts in that video. If you’re not lighting all 4 up, you need gears. Or a 6.2 swap

 

[TonyP]

Swapping 6.2s in land cruisers is lame.........

 

[JohnJB]

Swapping 6.2s in land cruisers is lame.........

I ain’t talking about no truck motor. I’m referring to something with a blower on it
I don’t play with Chebbie motors.

 

[TonyP]

I ain’t talking about no truck motor. I’m referring to something with a blower on it
I don’t play with Chebbie motors.

Nor do I. Mine is from a caddy

 

[JohnJB]

Nor do I. Mine is from a caddy

Touché. I am looking forward to your new toy, should be sweet!

 

[mcgaskins]

Just an FYI in case anyone is looking for a stock front bumper for a 16+ complete with crash bar, fog lights, etc. shoot me a PM. The Rhino bumper fully replaced the stock one (no cutting like other bumpers), so I have a replacement ready to go.

 

[Stuckinthe80s]

Today the 285/75/18 were swapped for new 285/70/18 Ridge Grapplers. I took a few pics and measurements of the truck with new 35s and new 34s to see just how much clearance was gained/lost and to see how different the truck looks overall. I am very happy with the decision to go back down to the original size because it just simply functions better. No rubbing, noticeably better braking, acceleration and handling and the 34s only give up a tiny bit of clearance. I've had just about every size of tire out there on one truck or another from 29" to 37", and I will admit the real gains come from going from a 33 to a 37. Very little real world advantage is gained by going from 34 to 35, but on the 200 you introduce a whole bunch of issues that require compromises somewhere. That's just the bottom line - it's totally doable, but it doesn't really make the truck better.

Here are some comparison shots:

35s (285/75/18)

34s (285/70/18)

35s

34s (this is the most obvious view where you can see the difference in size)

35s garage clearance

34s garage clearance

35s

34s

35s

34s

35s

34s

And the most important one. The rubbing on the sway bar with 35s disallowed the wheel to turn to full lock, and 1.25 turns to the right the rubbing would literally bring the truck to a halt.

It looks like the 34s rub, but if it does it's imperceptible inside the truck. This is at full lock which is a pretty uncommon situation, and I wheeled with this setup in Moab (the Bora 0.75" spacers did the trick) with no issues whatsoever.

I absolutely LOVE seeing scrape marks on sliders on trucks this expensive and nice looking. Of course I know you, but if I didn't and I saw this truck out in town, I'd be like "Niiiiice"

 

[mcgaskins]

All good things come to an end right? I've enjoyed this truck tremendously, but it was time for us to move on to something else that is more conducive for family camping. I bought a cool older Sprinter that was setup to literally live out of full time, and while we don't intend to do that (although I already did a 2,100 mile road trip living in it), it will be a lot of fun to use it to get outside more. That's the main reason for the switch - as much as I like wheeling and the 200 platform, I was spending more time researching, tinkering, and building than actually exploring and getting outside. All outdoor activity started to revolve around wheeling instead of hiking, biking, climbing, etc., and I realized I was only taking pics of trucks instead of people! Looking forward to a new type of adventure for now, but I would surprised if we *don't* end up with another Land Cruiser at some point. The new owner picked up Ruby yesterday, and I think it will be an awesome vehicle for him and his family to make memories in.

I appreciate the friendships forged via this forum and solidified through wheeling trips like Cruise Moab and LCDC and hope to keep in touch. Mud is a great resource and has created an avenue for people who appreciate the Land Cruiser to come together and share knowledge and create lasting bonds. Speaking of LCDC, I realized I didn't post any pics in this thread yet from this year's event. It was definitely the best LCDC event of the three I've attended, and I truly appreciate all the planning and effort that went into making it a success.

 

[Markuson]

All good things come to an end right? I've enjoyed this truck tremendously, but it was time for us to move on to something else that is more conducive for family camping. I bought a cool older Sprinter that was setup to literally live out of full time, and while we don't intend to do that (although I already did a 2,100 mile road trip living in it), it will be a lot of fun to use it to get outside more. That's the main reason for the switch - as much as I like wheeling and the 200 platform, I was spending more time researching, tinkering, and building than actually exploring and getting outside. All outdoor activity started to revolve around wheeling instead of hiking, biking, climbing, etc., and I realized I was only taking pics of trucks instead of people! Looking forward to a new type of adventure for now, but I would surprised if we *don't* end up with another Land Cruiser at some point. The new owner picked up Ruby yesterday, and I think it will be an awesome vehicle for him and his family to make memories in.

I appreciate the friendships forged via this forum and solidified through wheeling trips like Cruise Moab and LCDC and hope to keep in touch. Mud is a great resource and has created an avenue for people who appreciate the Land Cruiser to come together and share knowledge and create lasting bonds. Speaking of LCDC, I realized I didn't post any pics in this thread yet from this year's event. It was definitely the best LCDC event of the three I've attended, and I truly appreciate all the planning and effort that went into making it a success.

Wow!

 

[Sandroad]

That 3563rd post after 10+ years was a doozy. I hope the Sprinter forum is a good one too! Thanks for the first 3562 posts!

 

[codyaustin5]

All good things come to an end right? I've enjoyed this truck tremendously, but it was time for us to move on to something else that is more conducive for family camping. I bought a cool older Sprinter that was setup to literally live out of full time, and while we don't intend to do that (although I already did a 2,100 mile road trip living in it), it will be a lot of fun to use it to get outside more. That's the main reason for the switch - as much as I like wheeling and the 200 platform, I was spending more time researching, tinkering, and building than actually exploring and getting outside. All outdoor activity started to revolve around wheeling instead of hiking, biking, climbing, etc., and I realized I was only taking pics of trucks instead of people! Looking forward to a new type of adventure for now, but I would surprised if we *don't* end up with another Land Cruiser at some point. The new owner picked up Ruby yesterday, and I think it will be an awesome vehicle for him and his family to make memories in.

I appreciate the friendships forged via this forum and solidified through wheeling trips like Cruise Moab and LCDC and hope to keep in touch. Mud is a great resource and has created an avenue for people who appreciate the Land Cruiser to come together and share knowledge and create lasting bonds. Speaking of LCDC, I realized I didn't post any pics in this thread yet from this year's event. It was definitely the best LCDC event of the three I've attended, and I truly appreciate all the planning and effort that went into making it a success.

Well that came out of nowhere.... you should have sold me your bumper first!

 

[TonyP]

I was spending more time researching, tinkering, and building than actually exploring and getting outside. All outdoor activity started to revolve around wheeling instead of hiking, biking, climbing, etc., and I realized I was only taking pics of trucks instead of people!

I agree, that seems to be a pitfall of this hobby.
Slapping on an overnight pack, picking a trail, hiking up a mountain and watching the sky get dark is just about as good as it gets. No fancy rigs required.

 

[krice118]

Pics of the sprinter please!

You will be missed, you have contributed TONS to this forum and the 100 series forum.