off road in my 200 series vs. previous toyotas

[ggroot30]

I have owned several Toyota trucks over the past decade. Now that I have had an opportunity to take my landcruiser off-roading a couple of times, I thought I would jot down a few thoughts about how I thought in compared off-road wise with my previous trucks.
Past trucks include a ’93 pick-up xtra cab 5spd, a ’92 4runner 5spd with a detroit locker, an ’04 4runner, and my 2010 landcruiser.
The pick-up was pretty Spartan. I spend a lot of time at the beach, and it did great in the sand even without deflating the tires. Up in the mountains it seemed rather crude. Not a whole lot of wheel travel and I would get hung up quite a bit on uneven surfaces. Water fording was not that impressive, and actually resulted in the ultimate demise of the truck.
The ’92 4runner was equally crude, especially once I installed the Detroit locker (blew the rear-diff so I figured I’d try a locker). I was constantly surprised by how much the rear locker improved the off-roadability over the pick-up truck. Sand was never a problem, neither was deep snow. The locker helped a lot in the mountains and rocky landscapes. Power off-road was never an issue due to the low gearing, but on highway it was rather gutless. Water was also a problem for this truck, and deep water or even heavy rains would give engine problems. Blew the head gasket.
The ’04 4runner was much more refined, and the added power of the v8 was very welcome. The ATRAC system performed very well up in the mountains. The truck was very responsive and maneuverable off-road, plenty of power on tap, okay wheel travel and no problems getting hung up. Sand, mud, and snow were a problem though. The Yokohama Geolander’s improved performance significantly over stock tires, but wheel spin seemed to happen rather quick. The previous 4runner with the locker walked circles around the ’04 in the sand/snow – but otherwise this newer model was a fantastic truck.
The 200 series landcruiser is obviously much larger, but I am surprised how much more cumbersome it feels in the mountains – much less responsive than the 4runner. The stock tires are a serious issue, but the power and wheel travel are very impressive. It really seems to be able to keep its feet on the ground! It seems to perform better in the sand than the ’04 4runner, but not by much. The biggest improvement is on washboard roads, where it is just incredible. The comfort and feel off-road are very impressive, but the added size and lack of lockers make for an underwhelming comparison.
I will undoubtedly have more to say with more experience. Looking forward to it!

 

[patrickfinley]

Thanks for your feedback!

The first thing you need to do is get rid of those stock tires, they are pretty much worthless outside of mall cruising. Even then, don't go to the mall if it's raining or snowing. It's very confusing why Toyota puts such junky tires on such a pricey vehicle. They want the tire to be quiet and comfortable but they don't care about performance or longevity.

The 200LC is a very big vehicle compared to the 04 4Runner, it will feel cumbersome. I too went from a 4Runner to an LC and felt the very same way in the beginning.

Also, as a side note on your 4runner, Yoko Geolander's aren't really meant for snow. It's a harder rubber tire that isn't soft enough for snow and especially ice. That could at least explain some of your weak snow performance. This is from Consumer Reports:

"Yokohama is a Japanese company with a global presence. Its North America headquarters are in southern California. Targeting performance enthusiasts, Yokohama tires place emphasis on handling and dry and wet grip. Its tires reflect this focus, our testing shows. Generally, we find that Yokohama tires are a good choice for consumers who live where winter driving is not a factor."

CR's Take

A good choice if driving in wintry weather is not a high priority.

HighsExcellent dry braking and hydroplane resistance.

LowsRelatively poor grip on icy surfaces and fair rolling resistance and tread life.

 

[Nospell]

Nice comparison.

Ggroot30, did the rear locker in your past yotas make a big difference in the sand?

I'm tired of getting stuck in the sand but don't want to dig into the factory diff just yet?

Anyone with a rear locker in a 200 care to comment? Any pros and cons to share?

 

[ggroot30]

Nice comparison.

Ggroot30, did the rear locker in your past yotas make a big difference in the sand?

I'm tired of getting stuck in the sand but don't want to dig into the factory diff just yet?

In my experience it was a night and day difference. Going from 2wd to 4wd makes a huge difference in the sand, going from 4wd w/o locker to 4wd w/ locker is almost equal in terms of how much it increases ability in the sand. Once I got the locker in the truck I almost felt invincible in the sand.

The downside of course to the locker that I got was that it was a very crude detroit locker which was always engaged. I really wish that Toyota had put a factory locker in the LC.

That said, if you are constantly getting stuck in the sand, lowering your tire pressure to about 12 to 14 psi can make a huge difference. Instead of digging into the sand you are able to kind of float on top.

If you do get a locker, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[Nospell]

I'm Sold. The locker is moving to the top of the Xmas list.

 

[ggroot30]

Thanks for your feedback!

The first thing you need to do is get rid of those stock tires, they are pretty much worthless outside of mall cruising. Even then, don't go to the mall if it's raining or snowing.

Also, as a side note on your 4runner, Yoko Geolander's aren't really meant for snow. It's a harder rubber tire that isn't soft enough for snow and especially ice. That could at least explain some of your weak snow performance. This is from Consumer Reports:

"Yokohama is a Japanese company with a global presence. Its North America headquarters are in southern California. Targeting performance enthusiasts, Yokohama tires place emphasis on handling and dry and wet grip. Its tires reflect this focus, our testing shows. Generally, we find that Yokohama tires are a good choice for consumers who live where winter driving is not a factor."

CR's Take

A good choice if driving in wintry weather is not a high priority.

HighsExcellent dry braking and hydroplane resistance.

LowsRelatively poor grip on icy surfaces and fair rolling resistance and tread life.

You seem to have a good deal of knowledge on tires. Any that you would recommend for a 200 series that spends 99% of the time on-road, but still manage to perform well off-road? i did like the geolanders, and don't spend a whole lot of time in the wintery stuff. another consideration is that i tow a 7000 lb travel trailer from time to time.

 

[JBHorne]

Nitto TerraGrapplers.

 

[arbetrader]

I was just lurking on this thread, and thought id post as i just came from a set of geolanders. I really did not like them as they were very poor in ice and snow comparatively to my duratracs, or many other mainstream AT tires. They were however good in the wet, and very quiet on the road. My need for snow and ice traction superseded my dry performance requirement so I swapped them out early.

 

[Kuwait]

well i own a 200, and it got a factory rear diff lock, which is amazing, the only thing thats bothers me is that i cant engage the diff lock unless im in the low range gear

 

[ironhippy]

well i own a 200, and it got a factory rear diff lock, which is amazing, the only thing thats bothers me is that i cant engage the diff lock unless im in the low range gear

I'm lurking from another section, but I know in the 80 series and tacoma/4runner (and I'm sure others) you can perform a simple mod and override that restriction. It involves splicing/grounding a wire, so I suspect a similar mod is available for the 200 series. However since non of the US/North American 200 series have lockers, I don't know if there is a write up on this site.

If you search around though you can probably find instructions on the internet somewhere.

 

[TroutRunner]

It's called the Pin7 mod for the 80's.

 

[aknoxclark]

well i own a 200, and it got a factory rear diff lock, which is amazing, the only thing thats bothers me is that i cant engage the diff lock unless im in the low range gear

Can one order a factory rear diff lock for an LC 200 in the US? That would be the best bet would it not vs. ARB, Detroit, other?

 

[MScruiser]

What you want is an Eaton E-locker.

I know a lot of guys on the Oceana forums have them.

I've never seen anybody with them in the U.S. though (personally), but I know they have got to be out there. Last time I checked, Eaton was not making them in the US, so you would have to by through an Aussie distributor. The E-locker would be the closest thing to a factory locker. Some will say that they are not as robust as the ARB, and that may be true, but that would be the trade off of not having a compressor, or air hoses, which is frankly fairly old and outdated technology.

 

[Desert Nomad]

What you want is an Eaton E-locker.

I know a lot of guys on the Oceana forums have them.

I've never seen anybody with them in the U.S. though (personally), but I know they have got to be out there. Last time I checked, Eaton was not making them in the US, so you would have to by through an Aussie distributor. The E-locker would be the closest thing to a factory locker. Some will say that they are not as robust as the ARB, and that may be true, but that would be the trade off of not having a compressor, or air hoses, which is frankly fairly old and outdated technology.

Locally all that was available to me aftermarket was air lockers, i went out and ordered an "aussie lokka" same as a detroit and it's a night and day difference. In the sands.