Project Low Ryder (1 Viewer)

[Brandon Ryder]

Edit for current

after a year and a half of ownership, I've finally started to mod my 2000 LC which i bought at the end of 2018 for 8500 with 275k miles. I decided on the LC because I wanted a safe reliable vehicle with family hauling capability for when our family hopefully expands. i paid a bit more than i wanted ultimately because the interior was excellent and because it was black, which the demanded. she also wanted it lifted with 35s! not wanting to get into a project that would ruin the Land Cruiser's ride or reliability I resolved that I didn't want to lift it much or at all. hence the project named Low Ryder. here's a recent picture but of the Cruiser in stock form as we found her.

more to come in future posts.

 

[Brandon Ryder]

within a couple months of ownership the timing belt broke stranding my wife on the road. i unexpectedly had to do a timing belt swap. this thread documents that process including some great info from other mud members that helped immensely.

landcruiser broke down -( update )broken timing belt -(update) fixed!

a little help if anyone knows. today my landcruiser cut out while my wife was driving it home. long story short had to tow it back to house. has a check engine code p0340 cam shaft position sensor. did a little digging but don't see many people who have this code get stranded. possible...

forum.ih8mud.com

here's a random picture from that saga.

btw it's a great idea to replace your alternator brushes at the time of a timing belt swap. you're in there already and brushes are cheap, saving hours of labor to do it for its own sake. i show some of that in that thread.
i watched otramm's video on how to do the timing belt. and used his video on the 80 series alternator to do my brushes.


Toyota 4.7 Timing Belt (updated) Part 3

Toyota Alternator Brush Replacement

 

[Brandon Ryder]

after the timing belt job i got more serious about baselining. i learned the PO didn't exactly value doing things the right way. green coolant, cheap timing belt. he had his local mechanic do the work. so I'm constantly finding things not quite right.

i changed the oil using rotella T6 full synthetic and a mobil 1 M1-209a filter.
i changed the gear oil in the diffs. for several months i began to enjoy a renewed sense of confidence in the Land Cruiser.

then it started exhibiting signs of a starter going bad. i read here on mud that it's probably just the starter contacts. i ordered a set of contacts and plunger to have on hand. the issue got more frequent until i had to leave work early one day to rescue the again when it wouldn't start with multiple attempts.
i decided to make that the weekend project. i tore into it, documenting all the disconnected hoses and belts with pictures, labeled tape and plastic baggies. got into the starter and even replaced the contacts but noticed before i put it back in that the bearing had grenaded. i toyed with replacing the bearing and even got it open to remove it but decided to just replace the whole starter with a denso from napa. i could get it the next day and it was only 200 or so. i kept the old one to rebuild. i found the bearing number and it's only another 20 bucks at most to fix but i have to order the bearing.
here's my thread on the starter. its got the bearing number in there. I'll post a picture of the contact part numbers and the special tool you need to take apart the starter which is mentioned in the other thread.

is this a grenaded starter bearing?

I went to change the starter contacts due to an occasional no-start. After changing the contacts I found this in the starter. Some of the bearings are rolling around without a cage and some are in a cage. It sure looks grenaded to me. Do I need a new starter?

forum.ih8mud.com

impact driver tool to take apart starter. only need if you are replacing bearings. basically you hit it with a hammer to turn the Phillips headed bolts without stripping them. i think they're used commonly on old Hondas for rotors.

be sure to cover the intake holes in the heads to keep debris from falling in.

i tried to clean these as best i could. if anyone knows a great way to clean the intake, let me know.

you may as well change spark plugs while they're easy to change. more baselining done!

 

[Brandon Ryder]

here's the method i used to access the back of the starter.

old contacts, the source of the intermittent start i believe.

 

[mitchjohnson000]

Dang, I thought you were gonna put a 100 series on bags...

 

[Brandon Ryder]

nope sorry. its kind of an ironic name. and also my wife won't let me name a kid Lowe so i have to do something with this pun.

so a few months ago i got orders to Korea with permission to ship a vehicle. i discovered that South Korea actually has a 4 wheeling culture and they've got 4x4 trails and wheeling clubs as well. i was supposed to ship out beginning of April so i ordered an ARB bull bar and White knuckle off road sliders which would all be too difficult to ship overseas later. so 2 weeks ago while on leave I installed my first off road mod.

i then removed the running boards and went wheeling with some friends of ours for the first time in the LC.

 

[Brandon Ryder]

the next two topics aren't super interesting so I'll just link to the threads on them.
first up is my doorlocks are acting up. another classic LC problem with age. this thread has all the distilled information from the door lock mega thread.

door lock weirdness

sometimes my doorlocks seem to get stuck between locked and unlocked. when this happens no matter if i use the door panel or key fob, all but the driver door get stuck in the middle and won't unlock. sometimes they won't lock either. this happens inconsistently but more and more frequently. am...

forum.ih8mud.com

i replaced one door lock so far but it seems to have fixed the issue with that door.

the second thread deals with the VCR dealer installed back in 2000. I restored the cup holders and dome light but am still seeking a solution on filing the gap created by the lcd screen that was installed.

restoring rear cup holders...

my 2000 LC had a dealer installed VCR that took the place of the rear cup holders. it doesnt work now and i pulled it out while installing usb ports for the rear passengers. theres now a gaping hole back there and I'd like to restore the rear cup holder assembly. I know I can buy the assembly...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Brandon Ryder]

I've been looking at suspensions not so much to provide lift but to handle the weight of my armor upgrades. I've also got a Warn 10000 lb winch that i need to restore and install. im looking at the tough dog suspension and ironman suspension due to the foam shocks that are getting great reviews. it just so happens the ironman suspension with profoam shocks went on sale this week for 20% off! i can save nearly 400 bucks! so that sealed the deal in terms of decision making. so for 1199 I've got the suspension on the way.

i was faced with a dilemma however in regards to the related issues of lifting. first in regard to the cv angles and the diff drop meant to alleviate that. after some research it seems the biggest issue with cv angles is torn boots. since boots can tear with or without a lift and with or without a diff drop and since my boots are 20 years old this month, i opted to save the money on the diff drop and put it towards new cv boots which should prevent them from tearing. to further alleviate the issue i plan to not crank up the TBs beyond 1" for now. I'm mostly interested in the shocks and spring rate of the TBs. I'll probably omit the rear springs too until i install a rear bumper. i might just do a 30mm spacer in the rear.

as another update,I'm not going to Korea with the corona virus thing so now I'm going to Colorado! super excited to be in a great place for wheeling and be close to some great LC accessory vendors.

 

[dividedan]

So you're still planning on 35s or no?

 

[Brandon Ryder]

since i plan on replacing the cv boots I'm forced to deal with another issue I've been neglecting and avoiding... the front hubs. I wasnt really familiar with the specifics of the 100s cv axles in regard to packing bearings, cone washers, snap ring gap and drive flanges. i also need to service the breaks.
so thanks to the time off work i spent all day researching part numbers and tools i needed. between AutoZone for brake pads and rotors, rockauto for timken wheel bearings and seals and my local dealership for the snap rings and gaskets and other related parts, i ordered everything i needed to completely overhaul the hubs and CVs. i also bought a 55mm hub socket from napa though the hub nut is 54mm. it should work and some retailers even sell it as a 55/54mm.
here's the parts i ordered with part numbers

AutoZone:
duralast gold brake pads
duralast rotors

rockauto:
timken outer bearing set .. SET47..9.72 ea
inner bearing ..JLM506849A..17.58 ea
inner bearing race ..JLM506810..7.98 ea
timken inner oil seal for hub..710456..8.97 ea
also got some caliper hangers for 5 bucks

Salinas toyota:
cv boot kit..0442760120..45.89 ea
hub flanges..4342160060..53.44 ea
hub flange gaskets..4342260070..1.67 ea
diff oil seal (driver side)..9031147013..13.25
diff oil seal (passenger side)..9031147027..12.18
i ordered an assortment of snap rings because i don't know my snap ring gap. i ordered extra for the future as well they are $2 ea.
9052031005 (2.8mm)
9052031006 (2.6mm)
9052031007 (2.4mm) *used 2 of these after all
9052031008 (2.2mm stock size just in case)

here is a most useful quote from 2001LC about the most common snap rings and their sizes.

It's best to replace snap ring every wheel bearing service. For that matter anytime removed. New shape edge fits snugly in axle groove.

You order according to thickness needed get less than 0.20mm gap.
Snap ring 1.8 G 90520-31010 -
Snap ring 2.0 F 90520-31009 -
Snap ring 2.2 E 90520-31008 - Factory
Snap ring 2.4 D 90520-31007 -*****
Snap ring 2.6 C 90520-31006 -***
Snap ring 2.8 B 90520-31005 –
* Most common replacement.

Edit:
Got paranoid about PO mechanic and their tendency to not do things right so decided to order extra parts for front end that are normally reusable if not damaged. Also decided to refresh related braille parts. Ordered:
Brake fitting kit..0494760100..1..2.60 ea
Brake caliper pin..9024006024..4..0.82 ea
Brake retaining clip..9008046209..2..0.91 ea
Brake anti rattle spring.4774860061..2..3.83 ea
Hub dust cap..4342335010..2..3.26 ea
Axle nut..4352160011..4..6.50 ea
Cone washers..4232360030..12..1.20 ea
Flat washers..9020110075..121.04 ea
Nuts..9017010039..12..0.90 ea
Spindle thrust washer..9021442030..2..3.25 ea
Spindle lock washer. 9021542025..2..2.22 ea

With tax and shipping on all parts from all sources I'm over 600.
Probably going to replace LBJ with 555s as well. Another 80.

 

[Brandon Ryder]

So you're still planning on 35s or no?

that is the ultimate goal but due to the finances won't be immediate. immediate plans are for 33+ range. 35s will come after a regear and front locker to deal with the diff weakness. i plan to do as much fender clearancing as my skills allow, all while keeping it as low as possible which will probably involve bumpstops as well. 2" lift max is my goal. no body lift either. we will see if that is all possible.

 

[dividedan]

that is the ultimate goal but due to the finances won't be immediate. immediate plans are for 33+ range. 35s will come after a regear and front locker to deal with the diff weakness. i plan to do as much fender clearancing as my skills allow, all while keeping it as low as possible which will probably involve bumpstops as well. 2" lift max is my goal. no body lift either. we will see if that is all possible.

Gotcha. I have not run 35s, but the consensus I see if that a body lift is required.

 

[Brandon Ryder]

Gotcha. I have not run 35s, but the consensus I see if that a body lift is required.

the issue with 35s has a lot to do with width. there are two places that pose a problem. the pinch weld area and the top of the wheel arch while turning at full compression. the latter i intend to solve with bump stops and the pinch weld area I'm not afraid to cut, pound and otherwise commit surgery. i also will probably not go with 12.50 wide 35s but some tall skinny metric size. partly for clearance and partly to help save the steering rack which really suffers with the extra width especially on pavement.

 

[hotdiggitydamn]

I've been looking at suspensions not so much to provide lift but to handle the weight of my armor upgrades. I've also got a Warn 10000 lb winch that i need to restore and install. im looking at the tough dog suspension and ironman suspension due to the foam shocks that are getting great reviews. it just so happens the ironman suspension with profoam shocks went on sale this week for 20% off! i can save nearly 400 bucks! so that sealed the deal in terms of decision making. so for 1199 I've got the suspension on the way.
View attachment 2257766

i was faced with a dilemma however in regards to the related issues of lifting. first in regard to the cv angles and the diff drop meant to alleviate that. after some research it seems the biggest issue with cv angles is torn boots. since boots can tear with or without a lift and with or without a diff drop and since my boots are 20 years old this month, i opted to save the money on the diff drop and put it towards new cv boots which should prevent them from tearing. to further alleviate the issue i plan to not crank up the TBs beyond 1" for now. I'm mostly interested in the shocks and spring rate of the TBs. I'll probably omit the rear springs too until i install a rear bumper. i might just do a 30mm spacer in the rear.

as another update,I'm not going to Korea with the corona virus thing so now I'm going to Colorado! super excited to be in a great place for wheeling and be close to some great LC accessory vendors.

Thanks for the heads up on the sale! Did you get any word from Ironman about what traction boards are shipping with the kit? I assume they are cheap but I could use 2 more myself.

 

[Brandon Ryder]

Thanks for the heads up on the sale! Did you get any word from Ironman about what traction boards are shipping with the kit? I assume they are cheap but I could use 2 more myself.

They showed a picture of some green boards but they don't seem to list them separately. After poking around online they look to be the x bull treads but in green. Maybe 75 dollars a set.

 

[MountaineerLC]

I like the way you're headed with this build! My LC is build number 2 for me. This time around, a lift will be nearer the bottom of the priority list and will only be added to handle the added weight and to replace the tired old factory springs. I'm satisfied with my 285/75/16 KO2's. In the meantime, money will be better spent on cargo drawers/sleeping platform and hidden winch, sliders, etc.

 

[Brandon Ryder]

Began chasing down my driveline clunk. Dropped skids and took a video of the diff bushings.
Take a look. I know the bushing in the first shot is completely shot. The front bushing is the only thing limiting movement. The rear bushing is probably also shot but I forgot to check.
Checkout the axle movement. That's what concerns me. Not sure if it's diff backlash, the rotation of the diff due to bushings or play in the hub flange with splines. Or maybe all three?

 

[Cola]

Began chasing down my driveline clunk. Dropped skids and took a video of the diff bushings.
Take a look. I know the bushing in the first shot is completely shot. The front bushing is the only thing limiting movement. The rear bushing is probably also shot but I forgot to check.
Checkout the axle movement. That's what concerns me. Not sure if it's diff backlash, the rotation of the diff due to bushings or play in the hub flange with splines. Or maybe all three?

Just change all three bushings. The first one shown can be pressed in to the old arm but that and the rear are easiest to just buy a new arm with bushing pressed in. The front most isn't too difficult, just make sure you put antiseize on the new metal sleeve and it gets pressed in straight. I rented a ball joint press from AutoZone that worked perfectly. Just follow this thread... 1 banana job. Basically eliminated my clunk along with greasing the drjveshafts. One last thing, Fly Navy!

Front Differential Bushing Replacement - the Easy way!

I replaced all differential bushings in a matter of 2 hours or less! This thread is for demonstration purposes only: Used parts are shown in the first picture (bottom for front end of the diff, top left Pass side and top right driver side): OEM and Febest for two arms (332 for Pass side and 331...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Brandon Ryder]

 

[ffpmsam]

Looks good. Excited to see the finished product.