Sunday was bumper day. Finally got this welded up and painted. Been sat in my garage for at least a year. Petty happy with the end result. Now just need to procure a winch.
What Did You Do with Your 80 This Weekend? (111 Viewers)
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Picked up a used turbo for a rebuild core. And a rear bumper corner for the one my kid smashed.
I haven't driven mine in a while and the starting battery was dead, 9V. I jumped it using the house battery 12.6V. Now it is in the driveway and I am using my NOCO trickle charger to hopefully bring the starting battery back to life.
The house battery is a Marine/RV 34M-AGM battery from work (Interstate) that I got for free as it was warranty battery that was tested good after 24 hours on the charger and then load tested for cranking amps. The starting battery is a Interstate MTZ-34R used as well but isn't holding a charge, I think I am going to swap it out for a new Optima 34R.
I am fully aware that the standard factory 80 AMP alternator is not able to properly charge an AGM type battery but I am planning on using the @Delta VS Alternator Upgrade Kit to move up to the Tundra 150 AMP alternator.
The Optima batteries have done pretty well for me. Via the internet I have heard/read stories about the Optima quality but I have a Optima 34DM that was my house battery prior to the current battery and it is holding at 12.5V and earns it way by being used for inflating bicycle tire and car tires.
The house battery is a Marine/RV 34M-AGM battery from work (Interstate) that I got for free as it was warranty battery that was tested good after 24 hours on the charger and then load tested for cranking amps. The starting battery is a Interstate MTZ-34R used as well but isn't holding a charge, I think I am going to swap it out for a new Optima 34R.
I am fully aware that the standard factory 80 AMP alternator is not able to properly charge an AGM type battery but I am planning on using the @Delta VS Alternator Upgrade Kit to move up to the Tundra 150 AMP alternator.
The Optima batteries have done pretty well for me. Via the internet I have heard/read stories about the Optima quality but I have a Optima 34DM that was my house battery prior to the current battery and it is holding at 12.5V and earns it way by being used for inflating bicycle tire and car tires.
Azca
If there is a harder way - I will find it...
I had a red top optima in my cruiser for three years and then transferred it to my sons truck two years ago. He is in Flag so not dealing with the heat of the valley. None the less, after 5 years it is still going strong. I can't complain too much.
I also have a GX 460. It had the battery replaced in June of 2020 with a Toyota battery, it still is going strong as well. Hard to complain about a battery in PHX that lasts over 4 years!
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What makes it so that an alternator is unable to charge an AGM battery? AGM is still lead acid, perhaps you are thinking of a lithium iron phosphate battery?
FWIW I installed a basic Duracell battery from batteries plus in 2018 and it's been fine ever since (kept in the garage at mild temperatures between 45-75F). Down in AZ I suspect that the heat is killing your batteries faster.
Azca
If there is a harder way - I will find it...
Typical life expectancy here in the desert is about 2 years. The heat eats them like candy.
AZ heat is known to kill batteries. The milder climate of the PNW is a lot more battery friendly.
The nice thing is that they were free batteries.
I run a AMG Odyssey extreme with the stock 80 amp alternator, it's now over 5 years old.
It pulls starting, winching, lighting, on board air and ARB fridge duty, Then sometimes setting for over a month at a time and still always starts the rig.
I have sat in camp for over two days before running the fridge still starts the rig, when I snapped both axle on Fordyce trail last year it did full winch pulls 100ft over and over again to get me off the trail still no issue.
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I might have a draw on the system then. I did do the window fix where the LC doesn't have to be on to roll windows up/down.I run a AMG Odyssey extreme with the stock 80 amp alternator, it's now over 5 years old.
It pulls starting, winching, lighting, on board air and ARB fridge duty, Then sometimes setting for over a month at a time and still always starts the rig.
I have sat in camp for over two days before running the fridge still starts the rig, when I snapped both axle on Fordyce trail last year it did full winch pulls 100ft over and over again to get me off the trail still no issue.
COS80
SILVER Star
That's an absolutely dopey "mod" that will kill your battery. Mine came that way, and the battery wouldn't last a week. I replaced the jumper with a new relay and it's been perfect ever since.
EDIT: Because I had no idea I had the "mod", I found it by going through the huge PITA procedure for parasitic draws. It creates a draw 2X the max allowable in the manual.
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I have the relay on order from my guy at Toyota and plan on swapping it out soon.
I have been running a red altima agm for 1.5 years and it has worked great for me. I was never an Optima fan boy and I have used interstate batteries in all my vehicles for years. Than I finally realized AGM batteries won't get corrosion on the terminals...... Optima here I come
This is my 2nd winter with the Optima in the cruiser and I keep it parked outside in cold 7,000 ft elevation Utah temperatures. Even if it sits for a week or two the rig fires right up.
Goofing around on the farm. Backside of the property has a gasline ROW with nice little hole. Driving through it in low range, crossing up the axles with the CDL unlocked got "stuck." Hit the CDL button, still stuck. Engage rear locker, ease right out. Right front and left rear tires had no traction.
Had a random flat Christmas day... as I posted last weekend I took the STT Maxx 285/75/17's off my GX470 (it got new KO3's in the same size) and put them on the old Lexus wheels. Got them all mounted up and all looked great. took it for a little 5-10 mile drive, no issues. then parked it and drove the GX to work. Went to drive to the store on Christmas and the rig just didn't seem to handle great, but I know I've got to do some camber adjustment as well as panhard adjustment (the lift on it I don't think had anything but springs, shocks, and steering dampener.) so was chalking it up to that.
Get to the store... and as I walk away, I look back... you know, as you do... and boom FLAT rear passenger. So I attempt to swap to the spare only to find that the tools aren't in the rig
so do my shopping, then limp to a gas station across the parking lot and fill the tire up (they took tap to pay which amazed me... cause naturally I'd also forgotten my wallet at work on Tues).
Drove home, let it set a couple hours, and it dropped to 29... but since it could have been either a variance between the pressure reading devices, or that the gas stations auto off machine didn't go all the way to 35. I jsut set all my pressures. That's when I realized my pressures were 19 (PF) 31 (DF) 27(DR) ... I put them all at 35 and checked them at 8pm... they were all around 32. so I reset them at 35 and went to bet. got up this am, again all around 32... so I think they're holding air fine, just the temp change? Just seems weird. I have had no issues with the tires when they were on the GX... but did have a slow leak on one of the rims when it was on my trailer... (but it still had the stock tires from 09 on it)
anyways... lesson here is always check the tires pressure after you mount them... I was dumb and trusted Discount Tire (in their defense I just had them put on a rim so they didn't have a "door to check" for the recommendation for pressure) and too used to the idiot TPMS light...
Get to the store... and as I walk away, I look back... you know, as you do... and boom FLAT rear passenger. So I attempt to swap to the spare only to find that the tools aren't in the rig
so do my shopping, then limp to a gas station across the parking lot and fill the tire up (they took tap to pay which amazed me... cause naturally I'd also forgotten my wallet at work on Tues). Drove home, let it set a couple hours, and it dropped to 29... but since it could have been either a variance between the pressure reading devices, or that the gas stations auto off machine didn't go all the way to 35. I jsut set all my pressures. That's when I realized my pressures were 19 (PF) 31 (DF) 27(DR) ... I put them all at 35 and checked them at 8pm... they were all around 32. so I reset them at 35 and went to bet. got up this am, again all around 32... so I think they're holding air fine, just the temp change? Just seems weird. I have had no issues with the tires when they were on the GX... but did have a slow leak on one of the rims when it was on my trailer... (but it still had the stock tires from 09 on it)
anyways... lesson here is always check the tires pressure after you mount them... I was dumb and trusted Discount Tire (in their defense I just had them put on a rim so they didn't have a "door to check" for the recommendation for pressure) and too used to the idiot TPMS light...
I purchased a full Dobinsons MRA/VT coil suspension setup for my '97 80 Series Land Cruiser about two years ago, and it's been great. But I recently added more weight to the truck, so I wanted to turn up the low speed compression settings a couple clicks to better control body roll. I have made adjustments to the settings a couple times over the past two years, and never had any issues. I always dial back the knobs to the lowest setting and then count the clicks as I go up to the desired setting. The adjustment process went perfectly normally on three of the four MRA shocks, but when I took the fourth shock (passenger side, rear) back to the lowest setting, blue shock oil began spewing out. I think I lost a good 3-4 ounces of shock oil before I realized what was going on. As soon as I turned the knob clockwise, this stopped the flow of shock oil. The weird thing is I did not encounter any undue resistance as I was turning it down to the lowest setting, so it's not like I tried to force it past the lowest setting or anything like that. It's been about 48 hours since this happened, and I don't detect any sort of ongoing leak. Not sure what kind of damage there might be, but with the loss of oil and probably also nitrogen, I'll be sending it in to Dobinsons USA for inspection and repair. Sucks to have the Cruiser down at this time of year. The So Cal TLCA Club has some of my favorite runs this time of year. It is what it is...
Slider day today. 4x4Labs kit which me and the boy glued together on Christmas Eve. Finished with POR15 and a top coat of Rustolium semi-sweet enamel to protect from UV. These are a great welding project for someone who is learning to weld or is looking to build some basic skills.
I have a $40 Monroe replacement shock from Pep boys for whenever this happened to me with my icons. (I’m running MRA shocks as well now).
If I where you go get one slap it on and go on those runs!
