What Did You Do with Your 80 This Weekend? (86 Viewers)

[Peabody]

I decided to hook my trailer up for the first time to deliver a chicken coop. I was trying to decide if I wanted to pull our camper (~3500lbs) about 2.5 hours up to the Ozarks. While it did find with the small load, I decided against the camper. So I decided instead to remove the hitch to make room for the 315 spare underneath (already raised the winch). I’m not happy with how low it sits, or how close it is to the panhard, so I will be ordering a Bell in cab mount soon.

 

[nigelsiam]

I decided to hook my trailer up for the first time to deliver a chicken coop. I was trying to decide if I wanted to pull our camper (~3500lbs) about 2.5 hours up to the Ozarks. While it did find with the small load, I decided against the camper. So I decided instead to remove the hitch to make room for the 315 spare underneath (already raised the winch). I’m not happy with how low it sits, or how close it is to the panhard, so I will be ordering a Bell in cab mount soon.

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Nice paint on that one. Skip the spare and just get a tire repair kit/Gluetread kind of thing and an air compressor.

 

[Peabody]

Nice paint on that one. Skip the spare and just get a tire repair kit/Gluetread kind of thing and an air compressor.

Thank you! I promise it looks way worse in person! I have a spare repair kit and a Viair compressor, I’m just paranoid, I guess.

 

[nigelsiam]

Thank you! I promise it looks way worse in person! I have a spare repair kit and a Viair compressor, I’m just paranoid, I guess.

I've never used my spare. I only have the original spare (tucked way up there) but thankfully, I never have had to use it and I've been on some pretty serious trails out west driving from Minnesota. I also have to drive back home so I have to be somewhat careful. The only thing I've ever had to do is use my tire plugs. If you have to bring that big spare inside I think the repair kits are so good now you don't need the spare.

 

[efjayatee]

I've never used my spare. I only have the original spare (tucked way up there) but thankfully, I never have had to use it and I've been on some pretty serious trails out west driving from Minnesota. I also have to drive back home so I have to be somewhat careful. The only thing I've ever had to do is use my tire plugs. If you have to bring that big spare inside I think the repair kits are so good now you don't need the spare.

Gluethread

GlueTread

GlueTread

www.gluetread.com

 

[nigelsiam]

Gluethread

GlueTread

GlueTread

www.gluetread.com

 

[Peabody]

Gluethread

GlueTread

GlueTread

www.gluetread.com

Thank you for sharing! Their Expedition Kit looks pretty solid. I may be ordering that instead!

 

[Mark W]

I love taking on challenges with my '80s, or with any of the other cruisers. But, for me anyway, It can't just be about the rig. it is about where the rig lets me get to. Often times other rigs could get me there too... usually just not as well.

This last weekend, the "getting there" was not any real challenge. Just to the trailhead for the hiking trail to and beyond Eska Falls. There is a pretty easy five mile vehicle trail to the falls. But it is used enough (to0 much for my tastes) that it is not a pleasant walk. Torn up and rocky, either dry and dusty as hell or slick with mud. Never really much in between. And the number of people who take their atvs, side by sides, jeeps and Toyotas up the trail on a weekend can almost turn you off on motorized off roading. Yep, there I said it!.

We started in about a month or so ago and at the only real obstacle (wallowed out muddy spot) a group of about thirtyseventeen rigs of different types caught up with us. We watched the show as they milled about and crossed... and turned around and headed for another day trail.

What Did You Do with Your 80 This Weekend? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-did-you-do-with-your-80-this-weekend.586191/post-15538890

(more pics from further up that trail snapped a week before)

What Did You Do with Your 80 This Weekend?

Were you able to take one of their turbo builds for a test run? I would love to see how much (if any) difference it makes. No, none were available for a test drive. I was all stoked though to get mine going. I even cleaned up the engine really good so that they would have a fairly clean...

forum.ih8mud.com

Anywaaaayyy... Back to this weekend.
As I said, it is seldom just about the Cruiser, and I really don't like the vehicle trail into Eska falls all that much.. But I DO like the valley beyond the falls and the endless high country beyond that... AND, there is a very pretty little known and seldom used hiking trail that starts in the same area as the vehicle trail and takes you to the falls, bypassing most of the vehicle trail.
I am never comfortable leaving a rig parked at a trailhead, but it's what you have to do. This trailhead is tucked away out of sight and out of mind which helps a lot.

But I still decided to take one of the box stock '80's and left virtually nothing inside of it when we started walking. Less likely to garner any attention in the unlikely event that dirtbags and tweakers wandered this far from their hole. I did take an '80, because I absolutely hate how the IFS 3rd gen 4runner bashes over the roughe rstuff compared to the '80. Ninety nine percent of the hikers taking this little walk wind up leaving their pavement pounders about 2 miles further down the hill where the road gets (in their minds) too rough to continue. But this IS the official trailhead even if few rigs come this far.

As we walked away from the rig, and looked up toward the higher ground, it *looked* more challenging than it actually is. The trail climbed about 1200 feet in the first three miles but the footing was excellent and we quickly approached the edge of the treeline. Really a classic "walk in the park".

The last section of the hiking trail on the way to the falls is shared with the verhicles, but since we purposely went in on Friday, we still had the mid valley to ourselves. We decided to pitch our tent below the falls on Friday night and found what I think is the ONLY flat and level spot in the area to set up on.

 

[Mark W]

... In the morning, we enjoyed the fact that we seemed to be the only people in the universe for a little while, got outside of some chow and headed up above the falls, where the good stuff is. We were only going up for the day and were had no intentions of tackling anything difficult. That said, the short climb above the falls and into the upper valley was still enough to quickly break a sweat and keep it flowing.

As soon as we got over the lip, the terrain was not steep really, but young boulder fields can always be tricky.

But the day could not have been any better. Just enough clouds in the sky to make it interesting to watch but not enough to ever keep us out of the direct sunlight.

The trail really really fades out here. Let's be honest, most vehicle enthusiasts seem to be allergic to putting a pack on there back and walking. And in this case, the number of vehicles that make their way to the falls on a nice summer weekend cause most of the hiking snobs to go elsewhere. In both cases... their loss!

Ziggy has proven to be very adept at picking out the smallest trail signs and leading the way in the spots where it can be a little harder to follow the path. And he puts in at least twice the distance every day compared to me as he runs back and forth urging us to catch up.

Once you move a little further into the upper valley it really flattens out, even as the peaks jump up steeper and more jagged around you

Since we were only planning on enjoying the day up here, and not beginning anything epic, we only wandered a little bit further toward the back of this drainage. If we had been so inclined, the trail... if you can follow it... IF you can find it... continues another 30 miles or so, stopping at three remote "cabins" built up in the peaks by the local mountaineering club, climbing several peaks, making several traverses, stopping at the wreckage of a WWII bonber up on a glacier and finally returning to the road system near Hatcher Pass. Just head for the peak in the distance here and turn left. it's easy.

That was not part of our plan for the weekend however. So after a wonderful day with no one else in our universe, we turned around and headed back down. Arriving at the tent, we realized that if we hurried... we could break camp, haul ass and maybe make it back to Wasilla for margaritas. After sweating all day in the high country sun... that sounded like a good idea and we practically ran the 5 miles from the tent to the rig. Andmore importantly, once we were back in cell phone coverage and checked... Chepos was open 'til 11! So we had margaritas outside on the deck to close out a long Alaska summer day.

So... the '80 only played a small part... but it got me to where i needed to be for everything else that made up my weekend.

Mark...

 

[jht3]

Nice paint on that one. Skip the spare and just get a tire repair kit/Gluetread kind of thing and an air compressor.

i was on that train of thought until this summer. picked up a screw in the tread of my daily driver sedan. stock it came w/ run flats and no spare at all, or even a place to stash one, so i keep a tire plug kit onboard. well i picked up a screw/nail earlier this summer and the TPMS alarm went off as I arrived at home. plugged the screw hole like i've done before, but after a week it was leaking air around the plug. shoved another plug in there, with rubber cement this time, and got another week before it was leaking air again. i needed new tires anyways, so put 4 on order and plugged it one more time. yep, leaking again after a week.

now the plug did get me back on the road fine, and the leak it kept developing was very slow and would get me back to civilization. not sure why this tire kept rejecting my plugs, when I've plugged the same brand tires (michelin pilot sport a/s) in the past with no issues at all.

gluetread looks interesting for sidewall blow outs. but is there a better plug kit, that doesn't require dismounting the tire, than the standard auto parts store rubber worms i've been using?

 

[Ragnaroek]

Never go without a spare. I've seen to many tires cut open by random metal pieces or sharp rocks. And sometimes you have to keep driving on a flat and sacrifice the tire to get yourself somewhere where you can work on the vehicle without getting run over by a semi or something.

 

[cbmontgo]

Did some camping in the Abajo Mountains in SE Utah.

 

[Peabody]

Never go without a spare. I've seen to many tires cut open by random metal pieces or sharp rocks. And sometimes you have to keep driving on a flat and sacrifice the tire to get yourself somewhere where you can work on the vehicle without getting run over by a semi or something.

Or you could damage a wheel. Not as common, but it happens.

 

[CrabCake]

i was on that train of thought until this summer. picked up a screw in the tread of my daily driver sedan. stock it came w/ run flats and no spare at all, or even a place to stash one, so i keep a tire plug kit onboard. well i picked up a screw/nail earlier this summer and the TPMS alarm went off as I arrived at home. plugged the screw hole like i've done before, but after a week it was leaking air around the plug. shoved another plug in there, with rubber cement this time, and got another week before it was leaking air again. i needed new tires anyways, so put 4 on order and plugged it one more time. yep, leaking again after a week.

now the plug did get me back on the road fine, and the leak it kept developing was very slow and would get me back to civilization. not sure why this tire kept rejecting my plugs, when I've plugged the same brand tires (michelin pilot sport a/s) in the past with no issues at all.

gluetread looks interesting for sidewall blow outs. but is there a better plug kit, that doesn't require dismounting the tire, than the standard auto parts store rubber worms i've been using?

I have this kit and has always worked great…same style fiber core plug that’s been around forever. I’ve been using since the 1980’s when my dad owned a service station…worked there since I was 12 to get my wrenching chops!

https://www.amazon.com/Blackjack-KT-340-Tire-Repair-Tool/dp/B0083IAO5M

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Jack-Repair-INSERTS-RE-460/dp/B00AAKBV0I/ref=pd_aw_fbt_img_m_sccl_1/130-6658449-6186861?pd_rd_w=FKeR5&content-id=amzn1.sym.673af326-7a1a-41e7-ac4b-e1681f9f4329&pf_rd_p=673af326-7a1a-41e7-ac4b-e1681f9f4329&pf_rd_r=TRBWDV91ET947AAKR17T&pd_rd_wg=6WwQB&pd_rd_r=dce8bfd5-177a-49df-bd52-c0ac9523cfc0&pd_rd_i=B00AAKBV0I&psc=1

 

[richmondbob]

... So I decided instead to remove the hitch to make room for the 315 spare underneath (already raised the winch). I’m not happy with how low it sits, or how close it is to the panhard, so I will be ordering a Bell in cab mount soon.

I'm in the same boat with a 315 acting as a boat anchor under my 80. Little over an inch clearance to the panhard bar and probably hangs a little lower since mine has the OEM auxiliary gas tank as well. In my paranoia I wrapped the exhaust to keep heat away from the tire.

Going to mount a JDM carrier now that I've assembled all the parts including swingout carrier, lower tailgate and associated bits and pieces - just gotta make time to get it done.

 

[OGBeno]

Engine building today…..

 

[Godwin]

Engine building today…..

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That's a crazy looking 1FZ

 

[Fosters]

Added these to the front axle…will weld em up tomorrow…
Thanks to @LandCruiserPhil

 

[KrowaFJ80]

Went to install my new ASFIR rear bumper this morning...lo and behold it requires 4 OEM bolts from the bracket to the frame...bolts I got rid of. Anyone know what size bolts those would be?

Did you install it ? What is your opon this bumper? TIA

 

[tampacruiser95]

Did you install it ? What is your opon this bumper? TIA

I did install it and it was a PIA. I don't love it, I will probably go back stock there. It also sits lower than I thought it would, so you don't gain anything by removing stock in my opinion.