New To FJ62s (1 Viewer)

[tschuszl]

I just bought my first Land Cruiser, an all stock 1989 FJ62 (170k miles) with the hopes of using it as a learning experience. I am a novice when it comes to 4x4's and basically working on cars in general, however I have been doing a ton of research.

I plan to take this rig on overland camping trips every now and then. So I wanted to get more detail about upgrades and the order in which to do them. (I tried looking at existing threads but they were to specific to the posters vehicle)

Here is a list of the major things I plan to do, with some detailed questions. Let me know if I should be doing these things in a different order!

1.General Service Inspection
Should this be done at a Land Cruiser specific garage? Or will any shop do?

2.OME Suspension Lift
How do you choose the appropriate amount of lift? Was thinking 2" but not sure?

3. New Tires & Wheels
Was thinking 32s because 33s seem a bit too large.

4. Re-Gearing??
Ive heard you must do this after a lift and tire install...but I don't really know what it involves?

5. Diff Lockers
Are both front and rear recommended? Or is just rear acceptable? When should this be done?

6.Water Proofing
I live in Portland OR, so I want to protect this rig from rain/rust as much as possible. Are there any good products out there? Luckily I have a garage.

Any other must do upgrades? Thanks!

 

[ReelBigFisch]

1) I would take it to Toyota of Gladstone (near you) and pay for a used vehicle safety inspection. Peace of mind for you.

2,3,4&5) get yourself a mild lift and tires and wheels that fit it. 32-33" (or metric equivalent) are a nice size and should not require new, lower gearing for the majority of driving.

Toyota built a pretty good rig and unless you're headed where you need extreme traction, I'd probably wait on those lockers.

Waterproofing: i recommend you simply ensure all factory seals (doors, windows, etc.) are in good condition and if not, replace with OEM Toyota.

Fisch
Salem,OR

 

[slacker24-7]

I'm with big fisch I'd forget about the lockers for a while, my 60 has a auburn LSD in the rear and it always amazes me where it will go. It did great without anything.. Save the locker money and put it in a good winch/bumper. If you have a garage your confident with that should be ok for the basics such as driveline, brakes, steering etc condition. 33's with a ome lift work great for me but you may be fine with 31-32's . Main thing is get it reliable and where you can trust it for those trips.. Before doing a lot of mods , drive it some and see what you feel you need,

 

[lechnito]

Welcome to mud and congrats on the new FJ62, fellow Portlander!

You'll definitely get a more thorough and relevant inspection from one of the local Toyota dealerships or specialty shops. Toyota of Gladstone is probably the best dealership in the area. As for local specialty shops, the good people at Land Cruiser NW, Willamette Blvd, and Land Cruiser Specialties are all experts in these vehicles.

I just did my suspension this year and am very happy with the results of the Old Man Emu medium/heavy springs. The new springs transformed my FJ62 from being a "tall wagon" into a "proper SUV". With any OME lift kit, you're looking at no more than 2 - 3" of lift depending on how flat your current springs are.

After doing my suspension, I moved from 31" to 33" tires. To me, 33" tires look more appropriate on the rig and I'm happy with the extra ground clearance. I don't think 32" is a very commonly sold tire size any longer...

When people talk about re-gearing, they're talking about the ring and pinion gears located in your front and rear differentials. The factory ratio in your FJ62 is 4.11, meaning that every time your wheel makes 1 revolution, your drive shaft needs to turn 4.11 times. By increasing the tire diameter without also increasing the gear ratio in your axles, your engine must work harder to deliver mechanical torque to the wheels. This really isn't noticeable until you try to climb a hill at highway speeds.

Your truck is already very capable in most 4x4 situations. Locking diffs (especially rear) will give your tires traction even if one side of your vehicle isn't touching the ground. If you do decide to re-gear and money isn't a limiting factor, then upgrading to locking diffs would be a good investment.

Apart from door and window gaskets, most leaks are caused by wear in the drip rail channel. Some of us in the Portland Metro Cruiser Clubhouse have started the operation for repairing this. One other thing, water tends to collect in the rear quarter panel next to the fuel panel. If you hear sloshing from the back of the vehicle when you are accelerating or stopping, it's probably not your fuel tank. Have you noticed any leaks inside the cabin yet?

 

[Devils Paw 80]

If you have a garage your confident with that should be ok for the basics such as driveline, brakes, steering etc condition.. Before doing a lot of mods , drive it some and see what you feel you need,

#1 is about it. You don't need any of those mods for your plans. Maybe a knuckle rebuild or brakes will be in order, but #1 should tell you. Stock suspension with maybe new bushings and shocks should suffice. Seems to me that PNW isn't a bad place for rust, as I've seen many old Toyota trucks from there in very good shape. What you need to avoid is salted winter roads.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Full tune up first, including new spark wires, distributor cap, rotor, plugs.

Set valve lash<<<<usually neglected by past owners.

Fully inspect/replace brakes and brake rubber lines

New Tie rod ends

Knuckle rebuild

Drain and replace transmission fluid-lots of subtleties here, read up, no "flushes" at the shop.

Baseline all fluids

Inspect the gutter seal-it's usually cracking and bad, will eventually rust.

Replace the oil plug above #5 cylinder. This is super important. Read up, and do it or have it done. Read up, lots of sudden failures in FJ62s including mine. It's a truck killer/time bomb.


Then start worrying about what else to do. You can go on many adventures bone stock.

I recommend you live with it for a year before you start to modify it. Daily driving it will show you all the flaws. That's what you need to know before you take it to remote places.



Some comments on proposed mods:

OME is kind of the standard suspension lift and it's very good. Recommend the Heavy/Heavy vs the Medium/Heavy.
Source: Cruiseroutfitters

Tires-I'd stay with 31s max until you're really ready to get after it.

Gearing is VERY expensive. And the FJ62 autobox is very sensitive to the gearing/tire combo. Just be aware. Me personally, I'd put the gearing money toward an H55f swap, keep the 4.11 gears, and run 33s. But you're waiting a year, remember?
Source for H55f - @beno or Georg @orangefj45
Install: Georg at Valley Hybrids-worth the trip to Norcal

Lockers-You'll want a selectable, and with the rear semi-float axle, it basically limits you to ARBs. Nothing at all wrong with locking just the rear. Do things in stages and stop when you can go where you want.
Source:Cruiseroutfitters
Install: @gearinstalls.com


You didn't mention it, but if your going off road, even medium off road, a set of sliders is a smart investment. It will save you thousands in body work.

Enjoy. FJ62s are great trucks. I've had mine 9 years and it's served a variety of roles for me. The next one is diesel sled...maybe.

 

[fnpierce]

Best color...

This is what it will look like with 2-3" OME medium lift and 31" BFGs. I like 31 better than 33's personally:

 

[orangefj45]

Welcome to the club!

You'll be learning a lot about cruisers in a hurry.

If you have time, come down to Pismo beach on the weekend of Nov 9th for "TNS"; it's a big cruiser event. Lots of fun and very family oriented.
I, along with many other shop owners and die-hard cruiser enthusiasts, will be there.

If you need info, help or parts, feel free to call.

Georg @ Valley Hybrids & Cruiser Brothers

Shop 209-475-8808

 

[88Retired62]

Beautiful wagon fnpierce...for us "Grocery Getters" there is just something that shouts "Pristine" when viewing a minimally lifted (2-3") body with slightly larger (31-33") tires. The lines just flow unimpeded by aftermarket bolt-ons! This minimally invasive touch actually streamlines the original doudy ground hugging stance. It's a prime example of "form following function". At the risk of being tied and burned at the stake by my off-roading friends, the thought of the term "Estate Wagon" comes to mind. I guess the underlying bottom line approach, tschuszl, is keep it simple, mechanically perfect and roadworthy for those trips to the grocery store as well as the occasional camping trip. You're about to define a new meaning for the word "FUN"!

 

[SteveH]

Cruiserdrew is right on. Drive it for a year and fix all the deferred maintenance issues. Drive it off road - see where your limits are, and what you're comfortable with. The best money you spend will be spent getting familiar with your truck, and not necessarily modifying it. Post up a pix so we can see how it looks and sits now.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Here's an important one not mentioned yet: Drop your spare tire, lube the mechanism and make sure tire is serviceable. While you're down there, check out the condition of hard fuel lines coming from fuel pump bracket. #1 may overlook this.

 

[mattressking]

Welcome to the club!

You'll be learning a lot about cruisers in a hurry.

If you have time, come down to Pismo beach on the weekend of Nov 9th for "TNS"; it's a big cruiser event. Lots of fun and very family oriented.
I, along with many other shop owners and die-hard cruiser enthusiasts, will be there.

If you need info, help or parts, feel free to call.

Georg @ Valley Hybrids & Cruiser Brothers

Shop 209-475-8808

Might have to swing up for that.

 

[Hokierig]

Welcome to the club! I was in a very similar situation last year when I bought my first land cruiser (and '88 FJ62). My advice would be try to tackle all the problems yourself and don't get discouraged. Most any problem can be addressed with the help of the forum/local TLCA club. I was a mildly competent mechanic before buying this truck but things like the birfield rebuild and electrical system were always scary for me. After wrestling with some issues with my starter, alternator, braking system, electrical system, and other bits and pieces I feel confident that I can fix most things on the truck.

Have fun with it! I'd love to have my truck near to some of the great outdoors you have in Portland.

 

[BlackCat]

OME 2.5 with 33's, and ARB air lockers front and rear and 4.88's

My advice on lockers; since you're new to 4x4's and wheeling in general, take some time to learn how your rig does without them. Lockers are great, but you should learn what both you and your truck are capable of without them. Lockers can get you into situations someone with little to no experience has no business being in. After you're accustomed to things, then consider them.

 

[Kleatus]

Congrats! You've already got some great advice going.

As far as waterproofing, check out all the firewall grommets as some tend to crack over time, PO's tend to poke holes for extra wires, and the AC line grommet can get pulled out. These all can leak water into the cabin and make your floors damp (mold!). Check the body plugs in the front outer corners of floorboards (can do this from underneath). Check the drains on the rear quarter panels and doors, poke the debris out of them and vacuum them from inside. Check that nothing has been stuffed in there by PO's (old soggy ratchet straps for instance..).

The Portland climate is pretty kind to old cars, so long as water isn't pooling up places it shouldn't be. Clean any rust you might have off the undercarriage, paint it, and fluid film it if you'd like.

Others have already said it - but take
It slow with the mods and "off road" stuff. Find some local guys to go out with, a quick pull from someone will turn what would have been expensive nightmare alone into a cheap lesson.
Things that get you out of trouble are more important than things that get you into trouble! I personally think a winch and good recovery gear (and some experience using it) should come before Lifts, bigger tires, and lockers. This of course is second to getting it into good reliable mechanical shape while getting to know it.

Lots of great knowledge on here, and lots of folks who have been there done that with most any issue you can imagine and are willing to help.

 

[tschuszl]

Thanks everyone for you comments! This is all good stuff and super helpful!

So far she's running great, and it looks like I'm already running 31s. Heres a better picture of how it's currently sitting. I will keep you guys posted. Thanks again!