Nighthawk: 80 guy builds a 100

[Blue Phoenix]

Greasing Front Spindle Bearing

I read all the threads relating to this topic like a good Mudder and finally decided to give the Slee Spindle Bearing Grease Tool a try. My first impression after getting the greaser in the mail - What an impressive hunk of metal. Even if it hadn't worked so well it would still have made for a beautiful paper weight.

Like every Cruiserhead should feel about their front bearings, I had wondered since I bought the rig what the front bearings looked like. To me you can tell if someone "took care of the rig" after a quick glance at the front bearings.

They looked good. PO reported changing out the front CV shafts about 10k miles prior to my purchase of the vehicle. Spindles were a little dry, but all in all it was a fairly quick job. The only hangup was the same issue I had read about in getting the outer shaft back out far enough to get the snap ring on.

All in all much easier/ less messy than messing around with the 80's front end.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

COLORADO TRIP

It's already been a couple of months but the Colorado trip won't soon be forgotten.

San Juan Huts is definitely a trip that should be be on every mountain bikers bucket list.
- 5 days from Purgatory Mountain Resort to Paradox, CO
- Riding consisted of ~150 miles of riding through varied terrain mostly on back roads with some gnarly descents and several 11% plus grades
- ~ 12000 feet total elevation gain according to my Garmin

The last 2 days the fires north of us really started settling in and by the last day my lungs were burning. All in all a great trip.

Just a couple of non-truck specific pics here.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Had time for a couple of days of trail-riding while we were there. FIL is not into off-roading so I tried catering to him. Had lofty hopes of tackling Imogene and even the Alpine Loop but no dice.

Went to Telluride one day via Ophir and spent a long day on Stony Pass and Kite Lake instead. I have seen a lot of good reviews about Stony and Kite and TBH I think I'll leave it off the list for next trip.

Additionally had a pucker moment at the top of Stony Pass - I let my brother in law drive and we stopped at the top. Like a good bro he shut off the truck. When we went to leave I turned the ignition - click click click.

The engine was turning over fine and really trying to get going but it just wouldn't start. Knowing I had limited shots at this, and never having run into this issue again, I tried to collect myself. I had read of incidents with fuel pumps not working, overpressured gas tanks etc.

Thankfully a sage soul happened to be coming up the other side and quickly had a brilliant idea - turn the ignition and let the fuel pump prime for a bit. BAM! Engine cranked right up and we were on our way. BTW if you're wondering how much a tow would cost from the top of Stony Pass down, it's $325/hr because I asked.

Anyways, I never had this issue with my 80 in the 4 years we lived there and we ran high elevations as well. I'm not yet sure if this is something I should think more about. Anyone have any comments?

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Trailer Brake Controller

I am now the proud owner of a proper camp trailer. Thanks to @barefoot for the purchase. I originally didn't think I would need a brake controller but knowing that the majority of places we'll be traveling will either be mountainous or very hilly I thought it best to go ahead.

It seemed that RedArc was the trusted source for brake controllers so I went with the TowPro Elite model.

Mounting required some head-scratching. One thing that keeps bugging me is the 100 doesn't seem to have the mounting options I had in the 80. Yes I know, I keep comparing but I cannot help it and in the end it is what it is. In any case I chose the area right in front of the seat-heaters. Nothing ever sits there and it's easy to adjust on the fly. It was pretty straight-forward to install and I plugged it into the only thing I found under the dash that it would fit into TBH.

The unit actually works great in auto-mode, I never felt it was over or under braking. Another satisfied customer.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

More pics of Brake controller

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Trailer

I'll be posting more of the trailer along with mods and maintenance but I figured I needed at least one here.

The trailer supposedly weighs ~ 1500 pounds, I have no idea but it will get weighed eventually.

I know someone will ask, I was curious as well, truck towed very well. We were in the Blue Ridge Mtns which have plenty of grades around 7% and of course I would have to downshift going up, but I found I could actually accelerate as well going uphill which was nice as well. It never felt sluggish and I know my 80 would have made me regret the decision to buy the trailer.

 

[jno]

Trailer

I'll be posting more of the trailer along with mods and maintenance but I figured I needed at least one here.

The trailer supposedly weighs ~ 1500 pounds, I have no idea but it will get weighed eventually.

I know someone will ask, I was curious as well, truck towed very well. We were in the Blue Ridge Mtns which have plenty of grades around 7% and of course I would have to downshift going up, but I found I could actually accelerate as well going uphill which was nice as well. It never felt sluggish and I know my 80 would have made me regret the decision to buy the trailer.

View attachment 2462589

View attachment 2462590

what kind of trailer is that? Looks great!

 

[Jram100]

Great looking cruiser! A humble recommendation I might make: the JD icon lift is a great option, but I opted for the light racing uca’s w camber adjust. Theyre the only ones built for the 100 with that feature.

They still provide all of the clearance improvements, but help the 100 track like a stock vehicle at highway speeds. Plus tire wear is more normal and w the icon shocks my truck absolutely RIPS on dirts roads.

 

[HWY14South]

Trailer Brake Controller

I am now the proud owner of a proper camp trailer. Thanks to @barefoot for the purchase. I originally didn't think I would need a brake controller but knowing that the majority of places we'll be traveling will either be mountainous or very hilly I thought it best to go ahead.

It seemed that RedArc was the trusted source for brake controllers so I went with the TowPro Elite model.

Mounting required some head-scratching. One thing that keeps bugging me is the 100 doesn't seem to have the mounting options I had in the 80. Yes I know, I keep comparing but I cannot help it and in the end it is what it is. In any case I chose the area right in front of the seat-heaters. Nothing ever sits there and it's easy to adjust on the fly. It was pretty straight-forward to install and I plugged it into the only thing I found under the dash that it would fit into TBH.

The unit actually works great in auto-mode, I never felt it was over or under braking. Another satisfied customer.

View attachment 2462581

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Sooooooo. YOU ended up with that trailer! I’m actually glad you got it for 2 reasons. First it looks like you will put it to good use and second I don’t have to explain the purchase to the wifey....yet. Cheers bro.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

New Speakers - Again

I wasn't ever satisfied with the Alpines after I got them - the music sounded thin, flat, no bass, and I thought I had blown one of the speakers. (More on the later)

I looked on the board as per usual and it seemed that Infinity Kappas were the way to go.

Only pic I took since I documented the previous install earlier in the thread:

This time around I realized why the Alpines probably sounded so bad:
1. I most likely wired them incorrectly the first time. This time around I wasn't in a hurry and noticed that most of the wires were different colored. Looking online I figured out that (duh) vehicles have their own wiring layout, so I followed one from a pic on an install on another Toyota.
2. the connectors I used didn't fit perfectly the first time around and one of the speakers was just completely unplugged (speaker NOT blown).

In any case, I don't actually have a good measure of how the Alpines were I guess, but I feel confident the new speakers are wired perfectly.
I mean they sound GREAT. Nice deep sound, decent base, rich through all kinds of music. Additionally I feel like the 4 Ohm impedance of the Alpine truly wasn't a good fit for the truck. These are 2.5 Ohm impedance I think and it acts much more closely volume-wise to the OEM speakers.

All in all, highly recommended - lets just hope I don't actually blow these as well.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

LIFT TIME - Icon Stage 2/ Slee Install.


So after months of research and looking at how I used my previous rigs compared to how this one will be used I decided on the Stage 2 lift for a couple of reasons:

1. In both the 80 and Tundra, the Icons (Stage 1) were great on any surface UNLADEN. Once I began adding the weight of camping and even highway traveling cross-country, the ride would become wallowy - most notably in the rear.
2. Although this truck won't see the gnarly side of trails, it's still a trail truck so-to-speak in the sense that most of my off-pavement forays will be in this truck. I wanted the most articulation I could squeeze out of the front and the Icon's from what I've read, coupled with a UCA do the trick the best.
3. I travel a lot of washboard roads, especially in trips to Michigan and out West. Again, Although my previous Icons were generally great shocks, I could feel myself reaching their limits with corrugated, uneven, and washboard roads.

I had OME rear springs on the 80, have always wanted a pair of @sleeoffroad rear springs to avoid the stinkbug and added their Diff-drop kit for good measure. Lastly I got new extended sway bar links from @TRAIL TAILOR for good measure.

Install starts this weekend... pretty stoked about getting drenched in AHC fluid.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Slee Diff Drop


Installed tonight, took things slow so it took about 1.5 hour.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Icon Stage 2 Lift

Complete List:

Icon Stage 2 Front and Rear Shock (New OEM shocks in the rear for now while waiting for rears to be built)
OME Torsion Bars
Slee Rear Springs
Slee Diff Drop
Trail Tailor Sway Bar extensions Front and Rear
Ironman LCA Reinforcement Brackets
Trail Tailor Rear Shock Guards



Install went much slower than anticipated in my garage ... between chasing dogs and trying to control bees Spring is in full effect.

After watching pretty much every video I could find on the tubes, I'll admit I was a little nervous tackling the AHC removal and lift install myself. I don't consider myself an amateur mechanic at this point and I'm no expert either, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who at least approached the job with some hesitance.

After finishing the front (only took me six hours ), here are my thoughts:

- It ain't as bad as it looks. It honestly went way smoother than I thought it would, from draining the AHC system, removing the shocks, etc. Minimal mess as well. Time consuming yes, difficult no.
- Torsion bars had me scratching my head initially but after watching these three videos it became clear as mud
- Timmy the Toolman AHC Delete and Ironman Install
- Brady Adventures OME Install
- OTRAMM AHC Delete and OME Install
- The other thing I have found over the years is that proper tools make the job SOOO much easier
- IMPACT Wrench huge time saver
- Ratcheting wrenches (especially 22mm)
- Actual Pry bars (instead of screw drivers that I always broke before)
- High Clearance Jack stands and a real floor jack
- Mark everything you take off. If you're like me, you end up with a growing pile of bolts and pieces of truck that can easily get mixed up. I number everything now in like groups.

OK, I talk too much. I know you guys are pigs and just want pics so here you go.
Rear is still up in the air so final pics will have to wait.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

One question I would like to ask of those who have installed the Icons:

The diagram below shows the upper front shock assemblage. The instructions indicate that you should be able to get about 4-5 threads visible after tightening the top shock nut. I struggled with this.

I added preload by jacking up the control arm, tightened the nut until the bushings were bowing quite a bit and stopped. Most I feel like I could get comfortably was 3 threads, and it was TIGHT. The top jam nut is supposed to be flush with the shock stem once properly tightened and it's not quite there.

It may be a small thing but I don't want anything coming loose while I'm bombing down some sweet whoops. (not really)

Anyone else have this issue with the Icons? and yes I did make sure everything was centered properly as well prior to tightening.

Additionally, what have people been doing with the old lines from the AHC lift? Both the flexible and hard lines? Currently I just have the lines zip tied off but I'm not too fond of leaving it that way.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Lift Continued...


Halfway through installing the front (both TB installed, new UCA, New shock) I took measurements of the suspension droop while truck was off the ground.

Driver: 24.5 inches
Passenger: 23.5 inches

IIRC the stock measurement is about what I had prior to messing with anything. I've been impressed with pics that @LandCruiserPhil has posted of his AHC equipped LX showing full articulation, but this looks to give about an inch more of downward travel with the new setup. Of note I don't have the Front shock eye extensions that I believe he has on. In any case she won't be winning any articulation contests.

I haven't posted pics of the truck because I'm still driving around letting everything settle. So far it looks like the front has dropped ~ 1/2" in a few days.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

As a side note...

I installed OEM shocks on the rear while I am waiting on the Icons to be built.

For anyone wondering about installing just springs with stock shocks - the rear is BOUNCY. To the point where I took a second look under the truck to make sure everything was attached correctly. The Slee rear spring I imagine is just too much for the stock damping on the OEM spring, and the shocks are brand new.

It's probably mostly notable because the AHC was so cush/ soft in the back prior, and now I have a much stiffer spring. Good thing it's only temporary.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Currently front of the truck is only about 1/2” lower, will drop another 1/2 but I like it so far. I think the front is about an inch higher than it was previously.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

It's all starting to come together...

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Slee Sliders


Got around to mounting the sliders last week. After installing the lift this job was a solid . As everyone always mentions, impressive construction and attention to detail, especially with the packing, no wonder it costs so much to ship.

This did require me finishing the job of removing the globes and accumulator which then led down the rabbit hole and I ended up pulling all of the high pressure lines around the truck.

All in all what probably would have been a 45 min - 60 minute job turned into about 2 hours. I honestly feel like the weight of the sliders compared with all of the hardware from the AHC system was about the same.

I had MetalTech Sliders on the last truck and liked them. But through a freak accident my mother-in-laws foot got stuck between the inner and outer tubes and she fell onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. Worst of all she was holding my 2 year old niece and my MIL basically landed on top of her. After a visit to the ER everyone was OK but I swore I wouldn't buy another set.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Lighting Projects

I've had an itchy finger lately and I've been delving more into wiring with my trailer recently, replacing and adding lighting, changing up the charging system a bit and so on.

I've had my old Hella 4000 Rally lights sitting around in the garage since I got rid of the 80 and I figured why not try and mount them up the the front bumper?

A couple of things:
- I'll be adding an ARB bumper at some point so cutting up the front bumper on this one was something I was willing to tolerate.
- Obvious major difference in mounting to my stock 80 bumper vs the 100 is plastic. OK I can deal with that.
- Clearance. With the same lights I could clear the lights on the 80 no problem, not the case with the 100.

I looked on mud and found some cheapo light bracket mount for like $23 bucks or something.

When it arrived in the mail a few things were confirmed
- It did actually fit the license plate holes already on the bumper
- It was actually as flimsy as it looked online.
- with the lights mounted it gave me the clearance I needed for the lights.

I didn't take many pics of the install but basically I used some thick gauge (no idea what) 2in x 8in bare metal and bent it to mount under each light. The lights are HEAVY from from that standpoint it's pretty stable.

The bumper is a different story - still sorting out ways I can make a bracket that basically mounts to the metal piece behind the plastic bumper up to the back end of the light mounting bracket.

My wife thinks it looks retarded - she actually has started calling the truck Buck-ee and I can see why.