I have some cooper atp 285 70r17 tires mounted on my RW wheels, but no 200 to bolt them too. It is pretty messed up that I am already dreaming about the next set of tires for some wheels I have for a vehicle I don't even own yet.
Builds Project Fauxverlander 200 Series Land Cruiser Build Thread
- Thread starter cruiseroutfit
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I'm on a couple of other forums where the 34x10.50x17 KO2 has been a popular choice, and I just wanted to relay that every single person running them said they have come in WAY under 34" tall. Most have been around the 32" range when mounted on the vehicle, so if you're looking for a true 34" tire that won't come close (Bfg ta ko2 34" = 32" - JeepForum.com). I'm running 315/70/17 Duratracs which purport to be 34.6" on the Goodyear website, but they only measure 33.5" mounted on the vehicle. They're obviously wider than the BFG, but they're probably one of the closest things out there to a true 34. The only downside for an LC is that the Duratrac in that size is only D rated, so it may not hold up as well to the weight of the LC.
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- Thread starter
- #123
For the exact reason mcgaskins detailed above, the 34x10.50R17 was seeing real world measurements of 32.5x10" and the 285/70R17 real world measures closer to 32x11", that 1" of width was more important to me than the 1/2" of extra height. I really wished they would have had something in the measured 33 x 11", similar to the 295/70R16 on my 100.
- Thread starter
- #124
Next up? Time to tackle the ARB rear bumper, and boy did that take a minute.
Boxes ready to be torn open and installed
The parts of the rear bumper (not including carriers) laid out, inventoried and ready
The pile of hardware, not including the hardware for the carriers
We've done a fair number of ARB rear bumper installs here in the shop but this was the first dual swing utilizing the factory park sensor system. The 4 ultrasonic sensors require not only drilling and physical mounting but more tedious, extending the pigtails on 3 of the 5 harness plugs. While the paint was drying on the new sensor holes, I made a wiring diagram as those 3 sensor plug extensions will require a total of 30 wire connections as two of leads have 6 uniquely colored wires and the other has 3. About half way through the park sensor install I started to really question the additional work to incorporate the sensors into the new bumper, I mean I had never really used them to date. The system is there and I might as well get familiar with it, so I marched on with the wiring.
Coming together, piece by piece:
As the carrier components are universal with the 80 and 100 Series offerings, ARB still includes 12mm wheel studs and lug nuts, despite the fact Toyota hasn't used that size on a heavy-duty Land Cruiser for almost 20 years now
Easy enough fix, we've crossed that bridge with the 100 and have a nice assortment of the needed 14mm hardware. I suppose you could use the 12mm hardware but the taper wouldn't sit right in the wheel and I like the idea of having some spare lug nuts if/when they are needed. It does require a quick re-drill of the tire carrier as well as some different lug nut hardware. I had ordered spares to match the splined lug style used with the TRD wheels, this gave me matching hardware across the vehicle, one lug-nut socket to carry and a matching lock if I end up someplace I'm worried about security.
14mm studs in place for the 5-lug configuration
Land Cruisers have flipped-flopped on the turn signal coloring over the years, red into the 70's, amber into the 2000's, red for the tail end of the 100's and back to Amber with the 200's. The red-tail/stop & red-turn is easy to work out with a simple red lens swap, ARB provides their bumpers with a red/Amber combo but they have the red lenses available for those applications. However, the red-tail/stop and amber-turn is a bit tougher. ARB includes a plug/play harness that requires popping open the rear panels (easier said than done when drawers are installed), but, it plugs into the same place as the US spec 7-Pin trailer harness. It does have a lead for a 5 pin trailer harness but I prefer to leave the factory 7-Pin in place. So, rather than pull drawers apart, pull panels and drop lines from the L & R tail lamp assemblies, I opted for a far easier and cleaner (imo) method. I tied into the 7-Pin trailer harness and used a converter to go from the combined tail/turn (red) back a separate tail (now red) and turn (now amber). It does require mounting a small converter (this size of a credit card) under the vehicle but they come with some good self-adhesive and I've not had one fall off or fail to date. This method allows one to trim down a considerable portion of the ARB harness and really end up with a tidy and simple install with just 5 connections into the trailer harness.
Remnants of the ARB harness and the wiring portion of the project
Another time consuming aspect of the bumper install is the OE bumper cover trimming. We used a loose variation of ARB's recommended measurements and they got us close but we fined tuned the trimming and installed a nice clean w/s edge material that offers a really clean fitment while allowing the needed flex that the bumper and cover panel will experience. This is where we could really streamline a future install as we kept some good notes on what worked for us and the w/s is something I'll have available ahead of time next go around.
Trimmed panel with w/s in place
So, while it likely represented the longest I've ever spent on a bumper install, I'm quite confident the remaining installs will take a fraction of the time. I've since done an additional ARB rear bumper on a 200 while it was a different configuration, the trimming portion took a few minutes
Finished product!
Boxes ready to be torn open and installed
The parts of the rear bumper (not including carriers) laid out, inventoried and ready
The pile of hardware, not including the hardware for the carriers
We've done a fair number of ARB rear bumper installs here in the shop but this was the first dual swing utilizing the factory park sensor system. The 4 ultrasonic sensors require not only drilling and physical mounting but more tedious, extending the pigtails on 3 of the 5 harness plugs. While the paint was drying on the new sensor holes, I made a wiring diagram as those 3 sensor plug extensions will require a total of 30 wire connections as two of leads have 6 uniquely colored wires and the other has 3. About half way through the park sensor install I started to really question the additional work to incorporate the sensors into the new bumper, I mean I had never really used them to date. The system is there and I might as well get familiar with it, so I marched on with the wiring.
Coming together, piece by piece:
As the carrier components are universal with the 80 and 100 Series offerings, ARB still includes 12mm wheel studs and lug nuts, despite the fact Toyota hasn't used that size on a heavy-duty Land Cruiser for almost 20 years now
Easy enough fix, we've crossed that bridge with the 100 and have a nice assortment of the needed 14mm hardware. I suppose you could use the 12mm hardware but the taper wouldn't sit right in the wheel and I like the idea of having some spare lug nuts if/when they are needed. It does require a quick re-drill of the tire carrier as well as some different lug nut hardware. I had ordered spares to match the splined lug style used with the TRD wheels, this gave me matching hardware across the vehicle, one lug-nut socket to carry and a matching lock if I end up someplace I'm worried about security.
14mm studs in place for the 5-lug configuration
Land Cruisers have flipped-flopped on the turn signal coloring over the years, red into the 70's, amber into the 2000's, red for the tail end of the 100's and back to Amber with the 200's. The red-tail/stop & red-turn is easy to work out with a simple red lens swap, ARB provides their bumpers with a red/Amber combo but they have the red lenses available for those applications. However, the red-tail/stop and amber-turn is a bit tougher. ARB includes a plug/play harness that requires popping open the rear panels (easier said than done when drawers are installed), but, it plugs into the same place as the US spec 7-Pin trailer harness. It does have a lead for a 5 pin trailer harness but I prefer to leave the factory 7-Pin in place. So, rather than pull drawers apart, pull panels and drop lines from the L & R tail lamp assemblies, I opted for a far easier and cleaner (imo) method. I tied into the 7-Pin trailer harness and used a converter to go from the combined tail/turn (red) back a separate tail (now red) and turn (now amber). It does require mounting a small converter (this size of a credit card) under the vehicle but they come with some good self-adhesive and I've not had one fall off or fail to date. This method allows one to trim down a considerable portion of the ARB harness and really end up with a tidy and simple install with just 5 connections into the trailer harness.
Remnants of the ARB harness and the wiring portion of the project
Another time consuming aspect of the bumper install is the OE bumper cover trimming. We used a loose variation of ARB's recommended measurements and they got us close but we fined tuned the trimming and installed a nice clean w/s edge material that offers a really clean fitment while allowing the needed flex that the bumper and cover panel will experience. This is where we could really streamline a future install as we kept some good notes on what worked for us and the w/s is something I'll have available ahead of time next go around.
Trimmed panel with w/s in place
So, while it likely represented the longest I've ever spent on a bumper install, I'm quite confident the remaining installs will take a fraction of the time. I've since done an additional ARB rear bumper on a 200 while it was a different configuration, the trimming portion took a few minutes
Finished product!
I feel like there should be a club (read: support group) for anyone who has had to install one of these things. Hopefully previous threads helped. @DawnC and I used none of their harness in the end and also use trailer wiring instead of main harness taps. No canbus probs. I found the filament bulbs lacking. Ordered a whole bunch of alternatives and decided on these instead. Almost a mm perfect swap and since you used the adapter already you'd be set:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NYKBGM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And these instead of their unnecessarily clunky trailer tag light assembly
Amazon.com: Rupse 2* White LED Motorcycle, Car License Plate Screw Blot Light: Automotive
Looks great once installed though! We've had to re-snug the spare side once since install, 10k mi? I don't know what it is (release or wash chems?) but some of their hw doesn't play well with loctite- nothing lost yet that we've seen though.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NYKBGM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And these instead of their unnecessarily clunky trailer tag light assembly
Amazon.com: Rupse 2* White LED Motorcycle, Car License Plate Screw Blot Light: Automotive
Looks great once installed though! We've had to re-snug the spare side once since install, 10k mi? I don't know what it is (release or wash chems?) but some of their hw doesn't play well with loctite- nothing lost yet that we've seen though.
Great install - very nice attention to detail and fit. How long would you estimate it'll take you to do the next one?
- Thread starter
- #127
One full day in the shop with 1.5 guys tasked to it all day and perhaps a bit of pre assembly of carriers.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Wow. That looks like a major undertaking! I am now officially intimidated away from trying this myself...
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MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
Or 1 guy, 3 days, and a case of beers.
Ask me how I know!
Ask me how I know!
So what is your opinion of ARB's 200 series rear bumper, after having installed it? I've read some criticism of it, for example that it is not that strong on the side extensions, and that it doesn't provide a good departure angles.
Having installed it, what do you think of it?
Having installed it, what do you think of it?
- Thread starter
- #131
For the uses I have planned for the 200 Series (think Mexico, Central America or Prudhoe Bay) I think it is perfect! Keep in mind I've been running the ARB bumper for the 100 Series that is near identical in design, functionality and clearance... no complaints about the strength. The wings are not super re-inforced though one could fashion much sturdier bolt-on brace back to the frame that would likely resolve the concerns? If/when a wing were to get damaged, they are bolt-on so I can order another. I'm not trying to make this into a do-it-all vehicle, hardest trails it will likely see would be something like Hells Revenge, Hole-in-the-Rock or Devil's Racetrack in the San Rafael Swell, places I've had my 100 many times without issue. I've got sub 5000 lb rigs on 35's/37's if I have a desire to play in rocks, while I'm convinced the drivetrain of the 200 will handle said use, the body will not imo. Just as a note, we drove the Expedtions7 rigs around the globe (twice) and the Expedition Overland rigs to Panama and back... never a time where the bumpers were holding up the vehicle (I use an X-Jack fwiw). The one time the bumpers were being tasked on the E7 rigs happened to be on the Devil's Racetrack in Southern Utah, and the 200 has a better departure angle so I'm not super worried. Clear as mud?
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
That's good to hear; thanks man.
Markuson
SILVER Star
For the uses I have planned for the 200 Series (think Mexico, Central America or Prudhoe Bay) I think it is perfect! Keep in mind I've been running the ARB bumper for the 100 Series that is near identical in design, functionality and clearance... no complaints about the strength. The wings are not super re-inforced though one could fashion much sturdier bolt-on brace back to the frame that would likely resolve the concerns? If/when a wing were to get damaged, they are bolt-on so I can order another. I'm not trying to make this into a do-it-all vehicle, hardest trails it will likely see would be something like Hells Revenge, Hole-in-the-Rock or Devil's Racetrack in the San Rafael Swell, places I've had my 100 many times without issue. I've got sub 5000 lb rigs on 35's/37's if I have a desire to play in rocks, while I'm convinced the drivetrain of the 200 will handle said use, the body will not imo. Just as a note, we drove the Expedtions7 rigs around the globe (twice) and the Expedition Overland rigs to Panama and back... never a time where the bumpers were holding up the vehicle (I use an X-Jack fwiw). The one time the bumpers were being tasked on the E7 rigs happened to be on the Devil's Racetrack in Southern Utah, and the 200 has a better departure angle so I'm not super worried. Clear as mud?
Have you driven to Prudho Bay too? I've driven there twice... Really hoping to do it again in the 200 one of these summers...
Kurt has done things that you and I only dream of. (In terms of adventures with Land Cruisers).
- Thread starter
- #135
Nope not yet. I made it as far as the Yukon River Crossing (we put in the river with a jet boat for a trip to Eagle) but Prudhoe is on my short list.
- Thread starter
- #136
Kurt has done things that you and I only dream of. (In terms of adventures with Land Cruisers).
I've been very fortunate to be involved in some really neat projects and I continue to put my name in the hat for additional opportunities
- Thread starter
- #138
Sounds good!
You have me rethinking my decision to wait for the Slee bumper. I don't plan on running any harder trails than you mentioned in the 200. Dang, 1st world problems deciding how to spend money on your truck
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
You have me rethinking my decision to wait for the Slee bumper. I don't plan on running any harder trails than you mentioned in the 200. Dang, 1st world problems deciding how to spend money on your truck
Not sure where you are located, but part of me is wishing for something more heavy duty. I'd love to sell my ARB!
