Order of modifications (1 Viewer)

[mindcrash]

So starting to get ramped up for mods on my 21 LC and want to make a game plan on how to do which mod and when.

It would be easiest I’m sure to do it all at once but since I don’t want to wait to save up all the funds I plan to take a step-by-step approach as funds accrue.

First thing I’ve done (or had done) was a 12.5g LRA tank installed as we will be doing a lot of road trips and towing.

Second is sliders, and I’ve recently placed my order with Dissent.

Next I’m thinking either front bumper (Slee) or lift + tires.

Where I’m struggling is which to do first. Im leaning towards the bumpers, but If I get the bumper before the lift, will I be at risk of a reverse squat?

I’ve also read that if you get a lift you should not get heavier springs than currently needed. So if I go lift first then I’m assuming I’ll also need to replace the front springs again when I get the bumper right?

Clearly I’m clueless, please help.

 

[Willie G]

Personally, I'd be tempted to temporarily adjust my plans/destinations to match whatever mods I had currently done. Using that logic, I'd also wait until I was finished modifying before deciding how much lift I wanted/needed, in order to avoid having to redo something.

 

[dudemancool1904]

Are you on stock rubber? Honestly tires at a minimum should be your first modification.

 

[AZLX570]

Drive it first and tow with it stock. Then tires. And then go from there. Why bumpers specifically? They just add weight.

Also, if funds need to accrue, why even think of doing things all at once? Don't mean to pry, but, should funds really be an issue if you're thinking about throwing $5K-$10K+ into a 2021 Land Cruiser???

 

[mindcrash]

Are you on stock rubber? Honestly tires at a minimum should be your first modification.

Currently on KO2’s

 

[mindcrash]

Drive it first and tow with it stock. Then tires. And then go from there. Why bumpers specifically? They just add weight.

Also, if funds need to accrue, why even think of doing things all at once? Don't mean to pry, but, should funds really be an issue if you're thinking about throwing $5K-$10K+ into a 2021 Land Cruiser???

Haha well it’s not that funds are really an issue, but agreement with HQ is that I’ll pay for the mods with my bonuses, which come quarterly. So was thinking a quarterly upgrade, give or take.

 

[mindcrash]

Drive it first and tow with it stock. Then tires. And then go from there. Why bumpers specifically? They just add weight.

Also, if funds need to accrue, why even think of doing things all at once? Don't mean to pry, but, should funds really be an issue if you're thinking about throwing $5K-$10K+ into a 2021 Land Cruise

Drive it first and tow with it stock. Then tires. And then go from there. Why bumpers specifically? They just add weight.

Also, if funds need to accrue, why even think of doing things all at once? Don't mean to pry, but, should funds really be an issue if you're thinking about throwing $5K-$10K+ into a 2021 Land Cruiser???

Drive it first and tow with it stock. Then tires. And then go from there. Why bumpers specifically? They just add weight.

Also, if funds need to accrue, why even think of doing things all at once? Don't mean to pry, but, should funds really be an issue if you're thinking about throwing $5K-$10K+ into a 2021 Land Cruiser???

Bumpers mostly to improve approach angle. We’ve added some scratches to both front and rear and we intend to wheel it so seems to make sense no?

 

[AZLX570]

Pardon me then. If you're already scratching things up and such then you probably have an idea of what you need/want! I'd still keep tire choice/size as the base for your other mods. I'd probably spend the most time on researching that and how big you want to go. Whether or not you want to go with 33/34/35"+. And how they will look if you lift the vehicle a bit.

And make sure to keep HQ happy.

 

[tbisaacs]

"What should I mod first?" — let's discuss

With 200-series (particularly LX570) prices coming down, there have been a huge influx of new owners here (👋 WELCOME!) trying to figure out where to start. While I love a beastly build just as much as much as the rest of you - I also admire some of the more restrained, carefully built rigs that...

forum.ih8mud.com

You haven’t said anything about what terrain you have access to, how you’ll use it, your level of experience etc. Don’t just throw parts at it.

 

[mindcrash]

"What should I mod first?" — let's discuss

With 200-series (particularly LX570) prices coming down, there have been a huge influx of new owners here (👋 WELCOME!) trying to figure out where to start. While I love a beastly build just as much as much as the rest of you - I also admire some of the more restrained, carefully built rigs that...

forum.ih8mud.com

You haven’t said anything about what terrain you have access to, how you’ll use it, your level of experience etc. Don’t just throw parts at it.

Thank you - this looks like a thread I was looking for before I posted.

As for my use, that’s a great point. Daily driver for me, we tow a little 17’ Airstream (previous owner was kind enough to install airbags) and at least this year I don’t think I’ll be wheeling much if at all due to the projects going on. Next year hope to get her on trails more consistently as my wife and I both enjoy off-roading. We only had the 200 for two days when we took it to a Toyota event at MERUS in Palo Duro Canyon. We are currently in DFW but are from Denver and are in the process of buying a second home there so will be back there a lot, especially this year as the property we are buying needs a bit of rehab, and eventually moving back permanently in probably 5 years. This is my 4th LC and plan to drive her until the wheels fall off. Hope that adds a little color.

 

[TomEf]

Bumpers mostly to improve approach angle. We’ve added some scratches to both front and rear and we intend to wheel it so seems to make sense no?

You may gain some approach angle with a front bumper, but none of the rear bumpers help much. Mostly it just means they'll rust when you scrape the paint off them and don't touch it up.

My policy is just let em scrape. Once they won't hold on anymore, I'll drop the gajillion dollars on a fancy bumper. This picture was from 2023, it's more scraped now and no closer to falling off.

 

[CT3]

I feel obligated to tell you I have a fully built 2015 with literally almost every conceivable modification and a 2020 with next to nothing done to it… and that isn’t a coincidence. I bet there are a lot of other folks here like me that learned by going overboard on a build and then deliberating dialed it back on the next one.

I would not put bumpers on unless you absolutely had to. Your use case does not sound like bumpers are required by any means.

The aux tank and sliders are smart. I think those are great choices. If it were me, the next thing I would add is an air compressor, either hard mounted under the hood (my preference) or a portable unit that you keep in the car during/for any adventures. Having properly inflated tires for towing or deflated tires for offroading makes a significant difference in safety. If you can’t fill your tires back up, you’re less likely to properly deflate them to begin with in my experience.

If I were you I would then determine how many days you’ll actually be offroad. In doing that exercise, be honest about your actual use case. In the end if you say “I’ll be on fire roads <5 days per year…” then you likely don’t need to build a rock crawler, unless you really enjoy the investment and increased complexity of all things, especially maintenance, going forward. If you can make it work with the factory suspension, I would hold onto the OEM stuff you have.

As others have said here are some ideas for complexity that are worth considering:
-OEM suspension will last longer between major servicing, in most cases, than the fancy adjustable stuff that might require regular re-builds. Think for a moment about how ‘HQ’ will respond when you have to pay someone to put the factory suspension back in so that the parts you purchased can be shipped off to be rebuilt…
-Metal bumpers are cool looking but if they are steal, expect to be good at treating rust, it’s largely inevitable if you’re actually using the thing and scraping it or god forbid driving in areas with road salt.
-All the fancy auxiliary lighting that you’re essentially required to purchase to go with your front bumper or mount on your roof. Now you may need a complicated switching system to control all of those accessories, and it just spirals from there.

Needless to say, the suspension, bumpers and lighting are untouched on my 2020 “new build” LC.

If however you determine that you will be spending significant time offroad or adding major load to the vehicle, look for a comprehensive suspension system like a Dobinson MRR or BP51 or the like. Of all suspension “systems” you encounter, one has far and away the most development time, resources, and manpower invested — OEM. But if you must replace it, find another comprehensive solution that was meant to work together.

If none of this puts you off, DM me and I have some great ideas on how to make the quarterly bonus disappear! Cheers! Enjoy in good health

 

[Umbrarian]

Bumpers mostly to improve approach angle. We’ve added some scratches to both front and rear and we intend to wheel it so seems to make sense no?

Not much improvement. I have the ARB bumpers and I got them for running over Brush, adding Winch, Lights, Spare Tire and Gas Cans. Approach angle? I would just see what plastic I could trim off.

If you are going to wheel, first mod for me would be a locker and better tires. Second mod would be undercarriage protection. Third mod would be a lift of some kind. Fourth winch.

 

[grinchy]

Air comp
Larger /rt tires
Storage and non winch self rescue stuff
Sliders
Extra fuel
At that point you’re probably done, but if you really want to get after it
Comms stuff
Long travel / lift
Gears/ locker(s)
Rear
All the skids
Front and winch
Roof rack

 

[bloc]

I agree planning for rebuilds should be considered when choosing a suspension system. That’s a major reason I went with Kings. But, as great as they were, I ended up going back to stock after taking an honest look at how I actually use my 200.

Some users here have been less than happy with ARB’s BP-51 “rebuild” service, just for the record.

 

[pcut]

As a point of reference, when I had Slee build my 100 series many years ago Cristo actually talked me out of a fancy, remote reservoir system and I simply installed an OME system that worked for 10 years until I sold it. We started and owned Moab Brewery from '96 to 2019 so were fortunate enough to spend a lot of time down there over the years and never had a suspension issue (although Kane Creek Canyon certainly kicked our asses)
.

 

[CT3]

As a point of reference, when I had Slee build my 100 series many years ago Cristo actually talked me out of a fancy, remote reservoir system and I simply installed an OME system that worked for 10 years until I sold it. We started and owned Moab Brewery from '96 to 2019 so were fortunate enough to spend a lot of time down there over the years and never had a suspension issue (although Kane Creek Canyon certainly kicked our asses)
.

I had a similar experience at Slee and was talked out of a long list of thinks that I thought I needed… they are a world class shop.

 

[PatrickBateman]

PPF the whole vehicle. You wont worry about pinstripes