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- #41
Ah, I hear you on the wait times, but I'm in no rush. The Gobi design is probably my favorite, everything else looks too modern for my taste.
Here's some more Oso eyecandy:
Builds Oso the Land Cruiser (@twundy)
- Thread starter timjax
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Here's some more Oso eyecandy:
I haven't seen a truck in a long time where I actually like the white letters on the outside of the tires but that looks GOOD.
I'm still undecided on tires... Had a set of Nitto RG on my previous pick up and liked them but I love how those Generals look. Any idea how many miles people are getting on them? How's the noise? They drive good so far?
Great pictures!
I have never been one for the whites out on tires. But the black on white does something. Your truck looks amazing!! Oso. Maybe it’s the black wheels?
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- #44
Thanks for the kind words. I also thought the tire letters would be a bit much, but since my wheels are satin black with black lug nuts (and no fake beadlock bolts bleh) it blends with the tire and the letters don’t look like overkill. I wasn’t huge on going for the played out black on black look, so the tire letters set it off nicely.
Ridge Grapplers are plain cool, those and KO2s were my other options. The reason I chose the Generals was for those exact reasons you mentioned. Online reviews said they are quiet, long lasting, and have solid on road performance. Also, very good siping to prevent hydroplaning and a three peak mountain snowflake rating so I can feel secure in the 2 days a year the road ices in Texas haha. I can’t comment on longevity yet, but it is very quiet for an A/T tire and handles well. I am expecting at least 45-50k miles out of them. I have not noticed a significant MPG drop either. The KO2’s and RG’s have similar reviews and have a tad bit more aggressive sidewall however.
Thank you so much. I can’t stop looking back at it every time I park it - I would also be lying if I said I didn’t sneak out to the garage every now and then just to stare at it. People in town love it too haha, not many people see non-grocery getter LC’s and I see a lot of double takes and admiration.
Don't know if you've gone with mats yet but... I had weathertechs in my truck before I got the LC and the side near the middle console curled up... It wasn't a huge deal until I dropped a key down the resulting crack and it got lost under the mat. I never had anything under the edge of the mat to make it warp or curl but I guess the heat in East Texas caused it. The Weathertechs I had were more of a plasticy material and the Huskys are more of a rubbery material if that makes sense. The Huskys are more pliable and lay flat. The nicest ones are the best but I couldn't find where they made the top line Huskys for the LC so I got the next one down and am very happy with them.
Either way, I got Huskys in the LC and I much prefer them now.
Either way, I got Huskys in the LC and I much prefer them now.
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- #46
So my plan is to try out scrubbing the OEM all weathers and lay them out in the sun and see if I can get them back to how they originally were, maybe hit them with a water based protectant that won't make it slippery but bring back some black color. I love how grippy the OEM mats are, great for gear not sliding around in the back. The consensus definitely seems to be that Husky is better, especially for Texas heat, so if I do go the aftermarket route, I will be going for Husky!
Here's some shots of Oso after a car wash:
- Thread starter
- #48
Ridge Grapplers are awesome! They were in my top 3 options for tires.
So, I'm keeping them around for now, just in case I need them for spares. The original tires are pretty much shot, so I'm not sure if I could sell those. But, I know that if I wanted to list the stock wheels on eBay or one of the Land Cruiser Facebook groups (or here on mud), there would be somebody who would take them off your hands. If you're okay with letting them go, then definitely see about listing your stock wheels and/or tires online or locally.
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- #50
No sir, I'm an Aggies fan actually. I just love bears, really amazing animals. I'm a guitarist, and all my guitars have bear names (Winnie, Koda, Smokey, etc) as well. Oso seemed to suit the LC. More fun to me than naming it a girl and calling it "her" all the time lol.
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- #51
Here's how it sits now after adding the OEM Front Coil Spacer (Part # 43136-60020). It's crazy the difference 33's and a 20mm lift in the front makes for the overall capability and stance of the vehicle. Imagining it with a 2" lift is drool worthy. The back was loaded with some guitar amps so it was sitting ever so slightly low there. Surprisingly, the rear departure angle isn't as good right now as our stock Seqouia, the bumper hangs a bit lower. I'm also really tempted to yank those running boards off, but my family members wouldn't be able to easily get in. I will maybe have to look into some step sliders in the future.
To increase the amount of clearance I have around the 33's on 0 offset, I went and did the 4Runner fender liner mod and basically redrilled the liner about 1.5" forward and trimmed away the excess. I wonder if the increased tension on the new mounting location might come loose and snap back, wondering if anyone (like @alta who did the same on his 200 to run 305/65R18) has any pointers to really secure the front fender liner or further increase clearance. I had also hit the liner with a heatgun and rolled it flatter and further forward earlier.
I also went and dremeled all the "excess" off the front mud flaps and left the "functional" part to help block water and rock spray around the sides of the truck. Made a big difference in how much dirt got on the sides. You can also see where I trimmed the inside corner of that rocker panel at an angle (keeping the tab hole for the mud flap). Right behind that was a little welded bracket extending off the frame that the middle of the mudflap used to screw on to, which I also sawed off.
Hopefully this is helpful for anyone looking to run larger tires or lower offsets on a 200.
Added a Scosche MagicMount Pro, really sturdy grip on both my phone and the dash, and it looks clean and low profile:
Here's it out in some undeveloped land out here in North Texas. Loving owning this more and more each day.
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Markuson
SILVER Star
Wow. So you are finding areas in Texas where there are no fences or other impediments to exploring? I would really like to see more of that if so.
My brother is in Arlington and is always trying to get me to move...but I have always felt like everything is owned or fenced by someone.
??
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- #53
This is actually a commercial property we own - so yes your assumption is partly correct... But surprisingly, North Texas isn't a completely useless place for off roading.Wow. So you are finding areas in Texas where there are no fences or other impediments to exploring? I would really like to see more of that if so.
My brother is in Arlington and is always trying to get me to move...but I have always felt like everything is owned or fenced by someone.
??
So the two main off road spots in North Texas are Bridgeport OHV park about an hour northwest of Arlington, and Barnwell Mountain in Gilmer which is about 2 hours east. Those are large, dedicated off road spots on acres of land. There's also some camping and exploring opportunities in Cedar Hill State Park, and I believe there's more that I've failed to mention.
Towards Austin, there's Marble Falls/Hidden Falls which is one of the most popular spots in the state, along with Sam Houston National Forest towards Houston. Of course there's Big Bend and Palo Duro Canyon, which are also amazing. Oklahoma and Arkansas aren't too far away and have great spots for exploring as well.
There's a group on Facebook called Texas Overland, and they have a series of .kmz (Google Earth) files which has a well-documented mapping of all the possible off road trails throughout Texas. I've attached their main file below, which will need to be opened on a KMZ viewer.
California is certainly a much more beautiful state that facilitates exploring...but from my understanding I'd say for all other reasons the DFW area is a much better place to live.
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Markuson
SILVER Star
Thanks for info!
CA is beautiful, yes...but unless you’re in the desert? Southern CA is pretty limited, IMO...at least compared to Colorado, Utah, etc.
I know....they are there (@Mogwai will be correcting me on this), but the mountainous regions in Colorado seem to have unending trails that don’t require a long trip to get to.
Was in the Lagunas here Saturday. Went to an app that has a zillion trails...until you filter to off road vehicle trails. When I did that...literally everything in the area went to zilch except for a fire road, or small residential access roads. Yawn...
Lots of desert stuff... Big Bear... but Bog Bear means driving through Riverside freeways...which I passionately despise.
If I could have CA weather....Colorado trail selection/diversity/easy proximity...I’d whine less.
OK... Braving for incoming...
I had to remove that same little bracket behind the mud flap to clear my 35s on 35mm offset.
To better secure the front fender liner try cutting a left right slot and putting the z clip into the slot. Then you can reuse the little screw you took out and the same holes. Hope that makes sense.
Those grabbers look sweet!
To better secure the front fender liner try cutting a left right slot and putting the z clip into the slot. Then you can reuse the little screw you took out and the same holes. Hope that makes sense.
Those grabbers look sweet!
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- #56
Hahaha, I hear ya. What everyone on this forum wouldn't give to have their own slice of Colorado locally!Thanks for info!
CA is beautiful, yes...but unless you’re in the desert? Southern CA is pretty limited, IMO...at least compared to Colorado, Utah, etc.
I know....they are there (@Mogwai will be correcting me on this), but the mountainous regions in Colorado seem to have unending trails that don’t require a long trip to get to.
Was in the Lagunas here Saturday. Went to an app that has a zillion trails...until you filter to off road vehicle trails. When I did that...literally everything in the area went to zilch except for a fire road, or small residential access roads. Yawn...
Lots of desert stuff... Big Bear... but Bog Bear means driving through Riverside freeways...which I passionately despise.
If I could have CA weather....Colorado trail selection/diversity/easy proximity...I’d whine less.
OK... Braving for incoming...
Same thing happens when you filter trails on most apps here too. That Texas Overland map should be all full size vehicle accessible, though. You can open it in the Gaia app on iPhone, but it's a bit unorganized. There's probably some similar SoCal privately circulated 4x4 trail maps.
Another advantage of DFW...maybe the least mind numbing traffic of any metropolitan area of that size. Not perfect, but certainly not as bad as other big cities. The lack of income tax and great cost of living, with a little bit of everything somewhere close by, it's a pretty darn good place to settle down. The great country of Texas is calling your name...
I also went back and hit the sawed off end of that rocker panel bracket with some spray paint after filing it down, to keep it from rusting or getting caught on anything. 35s on 35mm offset is awesome, glad you're able to run it successfully. The Grabbers are remarkable tires, probably the best true all terrain tire I've ever experienced. The ATX is pretty much as quiet as the stock Dunlops on road and I don't feel a loss in road grip and acceleration, and they are so far great on the dirt. The goldilocks of aggressive all terrain tires IMO.
Thanks for the tip. I did reuse the Z clip and had trimmed away where the hole used to attach so it could then attach to the new hole about 1.5"+ back. Did end up reusing the holes (on the little bottom flap, and the main bumper point). I think we did the same thing!
Do you think I should be worried besides that? I'm just thinking if the new drilled hole on the fender liner might be weaker since it's not the original clean one, or be under more stress/tension since it's screwed in to a position that's stretching it forward. In that case, I would like to maybe find additional points to secure it so a harsh jolt or something years down the line won't rip or knock it loose. Just want to make sure all my uhhh...craftsmanship is buttoned down for the long term.
All these fender liners are mainly cosmetic and to keep mud out. If it is stable it’s fine.
yep - dont sweat the small stuff.
Obviously the new mounting location should be far enough away from the edges to prevent tear out, but if it feels good now (and you have a half inch or more of material to the edge), you should be fine The liner material is a lot thicker on the 200 vs on the 5th Gen 4Runner, which is good and bad. It provides a stronger base for the screw to insert into, but also sees more force because the plastic wants to spring back and the liner shape is more contoured. Only advice is to spend a little time rotating the tires through their entire arc to determine which part of the liner needs to be moved forward. I found that the area closest to the body didn't have to move as much as the liner further inboard. The plastic is stiff, so the amount you can move it is fairly limited unless you really start hacking at it. So, knowing which part to move reduces the overall modification required.
Man, I have to say your rig is looking good! The Nittos look great, and I really like the contrast of the white lettering "out" against the black body. Also Interested to hear how the +0 offset works long term. I was told I would regret my +20s, but so far they have been fine and I love the planted look.
Man, I have to say your rig is looking good! The Nittos look great, and I really like the contrast of the white lettering "out" against the black body. Also Interested to hear how the +0 offset works long term. I was told I would regret my +20s, but so far they have been fine and I love the planted look.
Thanks for info!
CA is beautiful, yes...but unless you’re in the desert? Southern CA is pretty limited, IMO...at least compared to Colorado, Utah, etc.
I know....they are there (@Mogwai will be correcting me on this), but the mountainous regions in Colorado seem to have unending trails that don’t require a long trip to get to.
Was in the Lagunas here Saturday. Went to an app that has a zillion trails...until you filter to off road vehicle trails. When I did that...literally everything in the area went to zilch except for a fire road, or small residential access roads. Yawn...
Lots of desert stuff... Big Bear... but Bog Bear means driving through Riverside freeways...which I passionately despise.
If I could have CA weather....Colorado trail selection/diversity/easy proximity...I’d whine less.
OK... Braving for incoming...
Some few parts of Texas have good trails but for the most part you're correct. Texas doesn't have Forest Roads and National Park Roads like Colorado and Utah do so unless you're on privately owned land that's been set aside for 4wd'ing then it's not that easy to find places to ride. I'm close to the Arkansas and Oklahoma borders and they have marhinally more but still nothing compared to Colorado, Utah, AZ.
But still, living in Texas is great... I can own and carry guns if I so choose and the tax situation is far better than most states.
