Build "Sneeze" - The 200 Build

[pdavis49]

Let me introduce project Sneeze. Sneeze is a 200 series that has been affectionately named by our son. It's funny and lighthearted and that's the type of family we are and that's how this build is going to go.

A little background on me and my family. We are a long time Toyota family with a stable of our favorite models that we affectionately care for. I am active on the Rising Sun forum and will be posting a build thread there as well. Our current vehicles consist of a 2002 LX470 that is my wife's daily driver. A 1997 40th anniversary 80 series that is my daily driver , and a 1966 Toyota Stout that I swapped onto a 3rd gen 4runner chassis. Click on the hyperlinks to see those build threads.

With that out of the way lets introduce more of Sneeze and how we ended up with it. We had been seriously looking to purchase a 200 series that would be my wife's daily driver and in turn the LX470 would become mine. We also just hop in whatever vehicle we are drawn to that day, so my wife drives the 80 some weeks and I'll be driving the 200 as well. We both have the bug, so we knew what we were looking for in a 200, which was a clean 2016+ with low miles that was going to remain stock until we felt the time was right. If you looked at either of my build threads, you would probably realize that I like a good project. While searching for the right 200 I cast a wide net. I found a few 2016+ that we liked but we felt like the market was too inflated and that patience would pay off. In my search we came across Sneeze, a 2010 Land Cruiser that was to be auctioned off due to some damage that occurred to the rear hatch and bumper. Although, it had some damage it was running and driving with clean title, so I bid accordingly. After some back and forth we found ourselves proud owners of a new to us 200 series, that happened to also be 4 hours away. After a few days we made the from Denver to Casper and saw our 200 series for the first time.

Not knowing what to expect when we arrived, I did a quick inspection of the basic conditions and levels of the oil, trans fluid, and coolant and everything was good with the exception of the battery. Fortunately, with a quick jump the 200 fired right up and we drove to the nearest gas station.. We then began our journey home...

 

[grinchy]

we drove to the nearest gas station

this will be central to many 200 stories

welcome aboard!

 

[pdavis49]

Since we picked up the 200 as a family, we decided to make a fun trip out of it and took our time getting back. After driving a few more hours we arrived at our hotel. It was dark, windy, and cold which is exactly what one expects from Wyoming.

The following morning, I pulled out my laptop and hooked up tech stream to see what chassis codes there might be. When I initially started the truck in Casper It had PCS and VSC warning lights. I was aware of the VSC light when I initially bid assuming it was a wheel speed sensor and according to Techstream the driver side wheel speed sensor is the culprit per the code. The P/A code is associated with the damage to the rear bumper and a loose sensor in the front bumper. The air conditioning codes suggest I need to reprogram the servos and that it is low on Freon. Its been too cold to test so I'm not sure how low on Freon it is.

None of this was really a surprise so I poked around a bit more to see what we had gotten into. I knew from pulling the Carfax that it lived between Jackson Hole and Scottsdale where it was serviced by Toyota regularly, so I was not expecting any hidden surprises. While driving it I noticed that it felt a little unstable and floaty on occasion and after looking the suspension over I found that the driver side strut has failed, oh no, I guess I will need to change out the suspension now...
After a solid breakfast we hopped back in the convoy and headed back towards Denver. Aside from the standard wind the drive proved to be beautiful, Wyoming is really one of those places that can be underappreciated at times. We cruised at 80mph effortlessly and found ourselves home without a hitch.

 

[pdavis49]

With the 200 home we were finally able to really dig into what we have and start ordering parts. The interior of the 200 was not very clean and the center console was in the nicest words, disgusting and putrid. We have developed a process of deep cleaning that involves removing the seats, center, console and kickplates. We did score when removed the driver side seat though, in the Bermuda triangle we found a Leatherman, some carabiners, and a large fry.

I ordered a new speed sensor from Toyota, and it arrived really quickly. Thinking it was going to be a plug and play operation I quickly ran outside pulled my 10mm socket out and unbolted the old one, only to be met with 1/2 of the speed sensor, the other half, too scared to leave. I was out of time and left the fight to another day. I knew what had to be done so a few days later I pulled out my jack and jack stands pulled the front wheel off. I was able to make quick work of what was left of the sensor by drilling a small hole and threading a screw into it.

You can see how bad the strut I mentioned has failed here.. It's been bad for a while I suspect. I also found that the brake pads are nearing the end of their life, so I've placed those on order as well. That reminds me that I need to check the FSM and see what the spec thickness of the rotors are. With the old sensor out and the new sensor in I bolted everything back up and cleared the codes. With everything looking good It was time for a test drive. After driving about 20 feet traction control kicked in, I let off the gas and got into it again and the same thing happened. Going about 20mph I depressed the brake and felt the response of the ABS on the driver side front. With techstream hooked up I could see that the sensor was giving a different reading than the other 3, I guess I haven't fixed it yet. Wanting to rule out a faulty sensor I swapped the rear driver with front driver. After driving around my block a second time I was met with the same results. Trying to eliminate out the harness as the issue I unhooked and unbolted the passenger and driver side harness and swapped them. The results were the same, the driver side speed sensor is still not reading the same as the others. This leaves the hub to be my next object of study. Knowing that ill be doing brake pads and struts on that side I'm not too concerned and will dig into it in a few weeks when those parts arrive.

 

[pdavis49]

Its been an incredibly busy two months since I last posted, and I've had my hands full with the 200. I knew my KDSS screws were going to be a challenge and boy they sure were something. I soaked them for weeks, going at it with the wire wheel, and soaking some more. After two or so weeks I got one free! Success! But I claimed victory too soon. With that newfound confidence I found myself looking at a sheared allen in the other KDSS screw. I really had my hands full, so I ordered a Tungsten Carbide bit and drilled out what was left of the allen key. I knew that the only option now was to weld a nut, and so that's what I did, about a dozen times... with no luck. My 110 welder finally met its limit and I knew to stop before I made things worse. I had read and saw photo evidence of slee's success with much worse scenarios, so after a quick call it was dropped off so they could take a stab at it. Success, but not without its challenges. I now had a KDSS nut that I could unscrew 2.5 turns.. and a newly pressurized KDSS system. Below is the nut I welded on, the one Slee did was a 15mm compared to my 10mm, maybe that's where I was going wrong.

While working through the KDSS stuff I had purchased a Dissent front bumper, a Slee rear bumper, an Iron Man Foam cell pro 2.5" lift, Nomad wheels, Falken MT01 tires and some brake pads. Quick shout out to those who have helped me with parts! Thanks again! I cant wait to get tires mounted to these wheels and get them installed..

Now I could finally install the lift and brake pads. I Installed the new brake pads without a problem and then I moved on to removing the front coil overs. I took this opportunity to slide the Axle back enough to clean the housing with some 1500 grit sandpaper. Aside from being a little dirty there was no obvious signs of what was causing the abs to trigger.

With all that stuff removed I was able to finally install the front struts. And then with the help of a friend and with little effort we had the rear springs and shocks installed. It sure is sitting high now, and definitely needs an alignment.

I will schedule the alignment for this week, as well as the tire shop, then it will be on with bumpers!

 

[Tex68w]

Its been an incredibly busy two months since I last posted, and I've had my hands full with the 200. I knew my KDSS screws were going to be a challenge and boy they sure were something. I soaked them for weeks, going at it with the wire wheel, and soaking some more. After two or so weeks I got one free! Success! But I claimed victory too soon. With that newfound confidence I found myself looking at a sheared allen in the other KDSS screw. I really had my hands full, so I ordered a Tungsten Carbide bit and drilled out what was left of the allen key. I knew that the only option now was to weld a nut, and so that's what I did, about a dozen times... with no luck. My 110 welder finally met its limit and I knew to stop before I made things worse. I had read and saw photo evidence of slee's success with much worse scenarios, so after a quick call it was dropped off so they could take a stab at it. Success, but not without its challenges. I now had a KDSS nut that I could unscrew 2.5 turns.. and a newly pressurized KDSS system. Below is the nut I welded on, the one Slee did was a 15mm compared to my 10mm, maybe that's where I was going wrong.

While working through the KDSS stuff I had purchased a Dissent front bumper, a Slee rear bumper, an Iron Man Foam cell pro 2.5" lift, Nomad wheels, Falken MT01 tires and some brake pads. Quick shout out to those who have helped me with parts! Thanks again! I cant wait to get tires mounted to these wheels and get them installed..

Now I could finally install the lift and brake pads. I Installed the new brake pads without a problem and then I moved on to removing the front coil overs. I took this opportunity to slide the Axle back enough to clean the housing with some 1500 grit sandpaper. Aside from being a little dirty there was no obvious signs of what was causing the abs to trigger.

With all that stuff removed I was able to finally install the front struts. And then with the help of a friend and with little effort we had the rear springs and shocks installed. It sure is sitting high now, and definitely needs an alignment.

I will schedule the alignment for this week, as well as the tire shop, then it will be on with bumpers!

I love that you went with the Nomad wheels. I have the 502 Arvo's but I nearly went with the 503 Sahara's like yourself. A guy I know who runs a Veteran's outreach program recently did a build on his 200 and he used the 503's in bronze as well, they look great. He's @dirthterapyproject on IG if you want to check out some pics of his build.

Curious why you chose to go with the Slee rear bumper instead of the Dissent to match your front?

 

[AnyMal]

+1 on Nomads, they look so cool.

 

[pdavis49]

I love that you went with the Nomad wheels. I have the 502 Arvo's but I nearly went with the 503 Sahara's like yourself. A guy I know who runs a Veteran's outreach program recently did a build on his 200 and he used the 503's in bronze as well, they look great. He's @dirthterapyproject on IG if you want to check out some pics of his build.

Curious why you chose to go with the Slee rear bumper instead of the Dissent to match your front?

I was lurking on your posts before I bit the bullet on mine. Thanks for sharing your photos and experience. I will definitely check him out on IG.

The Slee rear bumper found me by way of Christo and I just couldn't pass it up. The dissent I got used from @lcforlife and made another Cruiser friend.

 

[pdavis49]

@Tex68w Any idea what size tires @dirthterapyproject is running?

 

[Tex68w]

@Tex68w Any idea what size tires @dirthterapyproject is running?

I believe he’s on 35’s. He’s active in here occasionally as @devildogcruiser25

 

[AnyMal]

I believe he’s on 35’s. He’s active in here occasionally as @devildogcruiser25

Oh man, I didnt know we were setting up alts around here! I need to get in on this ASAP.

 

[residualboulders]

pdavis49 "was going to remain stock until we felt the time was right."

Lift, wheels and front and rear bumpers acquired by the next thread post The right time comes quick when you find issues like spent struts. Thanks for not making us wait to see your mods. Congrats on the new 200! And I agree, WY is underappreciated but those of us that live here are ok with that, ha ha.

 

[pdavis49]

pdavis49 "was going to remain stock until we felt the time was right."

Lift, wheels and front and rear bumpers acquired by the next thread post The right time comes quick when you find issues like spent struts. Thanks for not making us wait to see your mods. Congrats on the new 200! And I agree, WY is underappreciated but those of us that live here are ok with that, ha ha.

Thanks! Thats no lie, it’s a very slippery slope. In my defense, that was our plan for the 16+. But me being me I probably would have just ended up doing the same thing with that as well.

The trip really has us looking at property up near Lander.

 

[residualboulders]

Thanks! Thats no lie, it’s a very slippery slope. In my defense, that was our plan for the 16+. But me being me I probably would have just ended up doing the same thing with that as well.

The trip really has us looking at property up near Lander.

I'm over on the west border by ID below Teton Park. We love it, but we have had a big influx of people from out of state recently - which I understand, but it's also a bit of a bummer as we are used to no traffic and quiet.

And I'm not criticizing... I had suspension, front bull bar, winch, lights ordered within a couple of days of picking up my 200. After some adventures where bumpers get a little scratched or you roll into town on fumes - mods like aux fuel tanks and rear bumpers creep up the priority list .

 

[lcforlife]

The safest, cheapest, and most reliable aux fuel tanks are good jerry cans IMO.

 

[04UZJ100]

The safest, cheapest, and most reliable aux fuel tanks are good jerry cans IMO.

I disagree that gasoline stored in crash zones is the “safest”

 

[lcforlife]

I disagree that gasoline stored in crash zones is the “safest”

Mine are stored up top on my roof rack.

 

[TeCKis300]

Mine are stored up top on my roof rack.

View attachment 3326765

Awesome picture!

 

[pdavis49]

Another month has gone by, and I've been on task with the 200 project. While installing the lift I concluded that the driver lower control arm eccentric bolt was seized, preventing what would be a good alignment. So, I bit the bullet and ordered a new one from Toyota and tasked myself with removing the old one. The diablo blade on the sawzall is the trick and made quick work of the bolt and I had the new one in just as quickly.

I got everything together and was ready to get the alignment done. The shops I trusted were 2 weeks out and against my own advice I trusted the neighborhood shop when they said that they could do it. As it turns out they could not do it. Fortunately, they said they couldn't get the tie rod lock nuts free, of which is a lie, because I personally broke them free prior. But not before they flattened all but 2 of the alignment tabs.

Well they sure messed that up and got an absolute ear full when they opened up the next day. I knew what needed to be done, so I hammered the taps back with a punch and then welded reinforcement to all of the tabs. Given the circumstances I made quick work of the repair and got the LCA's bolted back up. I also scheduled the appointment to get it aligned at a trusted shop, which gave me time to start installing the wheels and tires.

With the wheels and tires mounted I started installing the front bumper, having removed this exact bumper and a newer version of it I was able to get it this one installed in record time. On another note, we also got our plates. We left this decision up to our 3 year old son. The first choice was Sneeze, but unfortunately that one was taken, who would have thought. The second choice was Grey Stomp, which is his nickname for me, because I have grey hair and stomp around the house. The third choice was TOE. I still kind of wish we opted for TOE.

 

[pdavis49]

The rear bumper support bar was looking pretty rough, so I followed the procedure of another member and cleaned and painted it before installing the rear bumper. This procedure was wire brush, rust converter, wire brush, rinse and paint with rustoleum rust converter. It came out looking very solid for the amount of work it was.

With the rear member painted I was able to finally begin installing the rear bumper. We lucked out with a SLEE rear bumper with all the fixings straight from the source. We have a BIO rear bumper on our 100 and so I was familiar with how it installed and expected it to be as easy if not easier to install. It proofed to be as straight forward and might I even say fun to install. It sure looks bang up.