New Shocks or Lifting...

[FirstToy]

Am I thinking correctly? (Meaning correctly along the correct path of wants, issues that arise from those wants, and then possible solutions?)

The suspension should be one of the first things- but the very first thing is to get seat time on trails w/ your truck in stock form. see what you and it can do, assess your needs based on your usage, then go from there.

DANG I wish I lived closer to your location...don't you want to move your shop to SoCal?

This is the one area that Slee is just braindead on. Ideally, he should be setup in Socal!

 

[007-FJC]

FirstToys actually right. Only time you should mod your truck is when you reach a maximum point on something. For example, your truck wheels sooo damn good, but the only thing wrong is the bumper scrapes everthing. Front bumper mod. So your wheeling for a few more months and then you reach another maximum point, your tires aren't good enough for the trails, you upgrade with the biggest and best treaded tires your LandCruiser can stuff. Then you hit the trails some more, you finally get tired of your running boards getting caught up. Theres a lazy way of removing them. Look for the biggest boulder and let it scrape it all off

 

[dtt255]

FirstToys actually right. Only time you should mod your truck is when you reach a maximum point on something. For example, your truck wheels sooo damn good, but the only thing wrong is the bumper s****es everthing. Front bumper mod. So your wheeling for a few more months and then you reach another maximum point, your tires aren't good enough for the trails, you upgrade with the biggest and best treaded tires your LandCruiser can stuff. Then you hit the trails some more, you finally get tired of your running boards getting caught up. Theres a lazy way of removing them. Look for the biggest boulder and let it s****e it all off

That makes sense. I agree with both of you. My biggest issue was the fuel tank weight. That is why I was asking about the shocks and springs.

I was actually thinking like FirstToys when I realized that what I wanted was to be able to go from Indio (where I actually live) to Joshua Tree through the back trails.

My worry being that with a tank I only get 250 miles on (freeway driving) I don't want to worry about running out of gas!

So like you both suggested, use it, then figure out what I need/want to change. I guess I chose the 'need' that creates alot more issues also

 

[sleeoffroad]

The reason I am asking about the lifting and shocks is because of the extra weight of the bumpers and/or fuel tank.

So if I find a local (SoCal) shop to fabricate some bumpers for me, and even a gas tank, would I not be hard pressed for a solution to not let the whole truck drop like a rock?

You are correct, it will be a domino effect. Right now I think bumpers is going to be your stumbling block. It is not going to be easy due to the integrated design of the factory bumpers.

DANG I wish I lived closer to your location...don't you want to move your shop to SoCal?

Based on the number of customers in Socal we should, however that means I have to move all the people as well. Not sure if they will all move.

 

[calamaridog]

Based on the number of customers in Socal we should, however that means I have to move all the people as well. Not sure if they will all move.

I hope you are kidding. Socal mostly sucks.

 

[dtt255]

I hope you are kidding. Socal mostly sucks.

Hey now....don't burst my bubble!

 

[justimaginejack]

Slee, you buy stuff from Australia, is it possible to just buy the replacement Part for the Oz Gas tank and get it installed here?, would you also be able to find out if the springs are a different part number for those gas OZ models with the second tank???
If it is assembled in Japan, I wold imagine it would be cheaper to just source from Japan???
Has any body tried to get a Dealer to let them special order this stuff???

 

[twstrchasr]

Man dt, you need to slow down and take a deep breath. Are you getting ready to take a trek down the Amazon next week or what? You have to understand that you have a brand new to the mkt vehicle and, unless you want to be a guinea pig, give the aftermarket some time to get their products developed for retail. I can't imagine buying a new $70+K vehicle and ripping into it the way you seem to be heading. I understand your enthusiasm but as complicated as vehicles are today you really need to be careful what you do because what you might do to one system could/can have effects on multiple others. It's not like working on an FJ40 bro. I contacted ARB this morning and they said that their bull bars, etc should be ready by March, maybe sooner. Let the experts do their job and you will be the benefactor of their efforts !! I might be getting a new 200 as well, that's why I called ARB this morning so I could get some sort of timeframe for their new products....Enjoy your state of the art rig !!

 

[sleeoffroad]

Slee, you buy stuff from Australia, is it possible to just buy the replacement Part for the Oz Gas tank and get it installed here?, would you also be able to find out if the springs are a different part number for those gas OZ models with the second tank???
If it is assembled in Japan, I wold imagine it would be cheaper to just source from Japan???
Has any body tried to get a Dealer to let them special order this stuff???

What vehicle are you talking about? Anything is possible to buy, the question is what is the market for it.

 

[Jim_Chow]

Based on the number of customers in Socal we should, however that means I have to move all the people as well. Not sure if they will all move.

With a median home price of nearly $700K, I doubt there will be many takers unless you offer $200K pay raises! I moved out of So. CA (grew up in OC, lived 6 yrs in San Diego when it was liveable back in the 80's, lived in LA for 3 yrs [also lived in Seattle, Upstate NY, Japan)...best decision I've ever made. Good place to visit/shop/eat, but living there is a different story unless you bought a house 20 yrs ago.

Back on topic, as Slee says, don't expect to find anything for the new LC/LX for at least a year, and that will only be whatever is made in Australia (terrible exchange rates now due to the weak dollar, everything costs 1/3 more). Look at it this way. Other than the products Slee offers, there's nothing else really made in this country for the 100 series that's not a custom one-off, and the 100 has been out for 10 years!

You could also check w/ Man-a-fre in Simi Valley. I bought my ARB and Kaymar rear bumpers from them for two vehicles along w/ a OME suspension for one, and they install (albeit their labor is pricey). There's a LC specialist shop in the San Fernando Valley (forgot the name), but they do stuff like engine swaps, restoration, etc.

 

[dclee]

Don't know if you care, but just be aware that almost anything you do is probably going to void parts or all of your new vehicle warranty. Especially if you start messing with the fuel system. But I know what you're going through, I waited three years for the warranty to go out on our '04 before starting the serious modding. It was agonizing! That's one reason I sold the factory auxiliary fuel tank I had sourced, I was going to have to cut into the EGR system to mount it and it also would have failed a visual inspection for smog. I was bummed for weeks...

 

[dtt255]

Don't know if you care, but just be aware that almost anything you do is probably going to void parts or all of your new vehicle warranty. Especially if you start messing with the fuel system. But I know what you're going through, I waited three years for the warranty to go out on our '04 before starting the serious modding. It was agonizing! That's one reason I sold the factory auxiliary fuel tank I had sourced, I was going to have to cut into the EGR system to mount it and it also would have failed a visual inspection for smog. I was bummed for weeks...

Yeah that point has been brought up a few times in some discussions.

I am at a point where getting a new tank would create so many other issues where there are currently no solutions for, that I may have to skip that for now.

Thanks for the advice!