now that looks good - love those fender guards
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? (36 Viewers)
- Thread starter MScruiser
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So i don't post much over here as my other car is consuming ALL my time getting it ready for track season but nonetheless had some time off from work and finally the cruiser is getting some love. Washed her up gave her a full detail with clay, followed by about 12 hours worth of 2 step paint correction, 2 coats of sealant(12 hours apart), then i gave up and didn't put a coat of wax on it, but while i was at it i removed all the chrome trim off the back(toyota emblem, "V8", and "Land Cruiser") sent it off to the painter to match the TRD pro emblems in satin black. I also re vinyl wrapped the fog lights in a pearl yellow vinyl, i had lamin-x yellow on before but i did it the lazy way and wrapped the fogs while on the car and the edges were peeling, so i removed the fogs and wrapped them off the car, let me tell you huge huge PITA to get the passenger fog out as there is a shroud covering the screws holding the foglight in and i ended up having to lift the car take the wheel off and remove the entire fender liner to get to it. Also vinyl wrapped the chrome on the sides of the truck with a brushed metallic black 3M vinyl. I'll be tackling the lift this weekend hopefully, bilstein 6112 up front and OME 2721 springs and bilstein 5100 in the back with SPC UCA's and SPC rear lower trailing arms. can't wait i've had the truck almost 2 years and it's been perfect, and when i bought it i just bought it as a daily with good resale but i've fallen in love with the truck and plan on keeping it. as for the front of the car i may take the headlights and send them off to get the housing painted matte black and i might get around to vinyl wrapping the chrome parts of the grille but for the time being i'd rather focus on getting the suspension installed.
pics or didn't happen so here they are
this was taken pre-detail and with a scrap piece of vinyl so the brushed pattern runs up and down, i redid it so it runs lengthwise but gives you an idea of what i did
pics or didn't happen so here they are
this was taken pre-detail and with a scrap piece of vinyl so the brushed pattern runs up and down, i redid it so it runs lengthwise but gives you an idea of what i did
So i don't post much over here as my other car is consuming ALL my time getting it ready for track season but nonetheless had some time off from work and finally the cruiser is getting some love. Washed her up gave her a full detail with clay, followed by about 12 hours worth of 2 step paint correction, 2 coats of sealant(12 hours apart), then i gave up and didn't put a coat of wax on it, but while i was at it i removed all the chrome trim off the back(toyota emblem, "V8", and "Land Cruiser") sent it off to the painter to match the TRD pro emblems in satin black. I also re vinyl wrapped the fog lights in a pearl yellow vinyl, i had lamin-x yellow on before but i did it the lazy way and wrapped the fogs while on the car and the edges were peeling, so i removed the fogs and wrapped them off the car, let me tell you huge huge PITA to get the passenger fog out as there is a shroud covering the screws holding the foglight in and i ended up having to lift the car take the wheel off and remove the entire fender liner to get to it. Also vinyl wrapped the chrome on the sides of the truck with a brushed metallic black 3M vinyl. I'll be tackling the lift this weekend hopefully, bilstein 6112 up front and OME 2721 springs and bilstein 5100 in the back with SPC UCA's and SPC rear lower trailing arms. can't wait i've had the truck almost 2 years and it's been perfect, and when i bought it i just bought it as a daily with good resale but i've fallen in love with the truck and plan on keeping it. as for the front of the car i may take the headlights and send them off to get the housing painted matte black and i might get around to vinyl wrapping the chrome parts of the grille but for the time being i'd rather focus on getting the suspension installed.
pics or didn't happen so here they are
this was taken pre-detail and with a scrap piece of vinyl so the brushed pattern runs up and down, i redid it so it runs lengthwise but gives you an idea of what i did
Man I like your style, looking sick! Where did you get the pearl yellow vinyl?
got it on amazon search chameleon vinyl, i'll warn you it's not the most forgiving vinyl, doesn't stretch well and doesnt' hold heat well, all in all very difficult to work with, any curvature more than the fog lights it won't come out clean.
The all black trim and emblems look really good- making me think now about mine... maybe another use for plasti dip, this time in black.
After my ironman foam cell pro install, my cruiser had a pretty bad lean- driver side was higher than passenger side. Kreiten advised me to make sure the springs were put on the correct sides. I didn't even think about the ironman products being made for a right side driving car. The springs are labeled PS and DS. Sure enough, the shop that did the install put them on according to US spec cars. Rightly so, if anyone was at fault it was me for not thinking about it.
So, I had them switch the front springs and rear springs. No more lean, about 3 inches of total lift. It drives great, no complaints. A bit firmer ride but not in a bad way.
After my ironman foam cell pro install, my cruiser had a pretty bad lean- driver side was higher than passenger side. Kreiten advised me to make sure the springs were put on the correct sides. I didn't even think about the ironman products being made for a right side driving car. The springs are labeled PS and DS. Sure enough, the shop that did the install put them on according to US spec cars. Rightly so, if anyone was at fault it was me for not thinking about it.
So, I had them switch the front springs and rear springs. No more lean, about 3 inches of total lift. It drives great, no complaints. A bit firmer ride but not in a bad way.
Do you see anything?
Closer look
Eureka!
Expound on what OME stuff you had done please sir. I'm interested.
Preesh.
Preesh.
ray-
about how much $$ was it to have them paint all three pieces?
about how much $$ was it to have them paint all three pieces?
Markuson
SILVER Star
Do you see anything?
Closer look
Eureka!
Nice!! What OME springs did you end up using? 2721? 2722?
Purchased the lift package from Slee with shocks, struts, springs, 2" lift. Included the UCA's.
2722 Rear 3/4"
and 2702 Front 2"
What ratings? Medium? Heavy?
What were your reasons for the lift? How does it affect driving versus the stock suspension, when used for on road daily driving?
Markuson
SILVER Star
Curious how your rear feels with 2722 and no extra weight. Rough? OK?
I've got 2721's and have been happy with the ride, though I'll need to bump up to at least a 2722 when Slee's rear bumper/carrier/jerry-cans/drawers go on.
Reason for the lift is---I was tired of looking at the LC and feeling let down. It didn't excite me. Post lift, I am in love with this thing. My wife didn't know I was doing it and when she saw it for the first time her comment was: " that looks manly!". It has stiffened it up vaguely it's not overly stiff. Steering isn't quite as crisp but it's grown on me (I noticed this response after installing tires, pre-lift). It rides like an older land cruiser, it has settled in over the 600 miles it's been installed. It does not ooze the luxury supple feeling it had before, but the reward is feeling like a bad ass. I love this thing, every time I look at it I get excited. I didn't buy the LC to drive it to the Polo club. I bought it so I could go to the mountains, pull my Lund boat--ATV's, and take it on back roads. All the while being reliable, etc.. It's the best money I've spent combined with the tires 275-70-18. I did notice a change in mpg, although I was running 87 octane cut with 10% ethanol. I have started putting in 100% fuel 87 octane and I'm getting the same mileage I was getting pre-lift and tires.
My buddies comment was: " It's perfect, it's not too much, when you look at it you can tell something is different than stock but you can't quite put your finger on it."
Interesting Mark, I didn't know I had a stiff rear set up. I do have five kids and it's loaded up quite a bit. Christo must have given me this kit as I told him I'd be hauling a boat, etc.. I absolutely love it.
Gotcha. I have a 2" OME lift on my FJ60 and can't say the ride changed in any negative ways.... but the stock suspension from that decade wasn't groundbreaking at the time. Anyhoo...... I'm considering doing the same with my 200 for many of the reasons you've listed above. Mainly aesthetic though, I guess. I do drive on the highway a lot though and a weekly 40 mile curvy mountain road, where the 200's suspension shines compared to all the Land Cruisers I've owned in the past. I don't want to give that up, nor do I really need a lift unless it becomes tire related in the future. I do plan on K02's once these Michelins wear out.
Thanks for your time with the reply.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Heh.
Isn't it amazing how the character of the vehicle changes with just a basic lift? Completely agree with you there. When you take in in the dirt you will definitely feel the difference. Especially at high speed and turns at high speed over uneven terrain. The noisy suspension that used to sort of clang and bounce under there will turn into a good, solid, controlled feel. I had basically what you installed on my 100 series and I was amazed at the difference (about 10 years ago). Same on the 200.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Markuson
SILVER Star
You mention not wanting to lose the stock handling on mountain roads.
Man, don't hesitate at all. You will not be disappointed, as long as you get the preload on the coil-overs set for your typical weight/load.
I have the BP-51's installed, and once preload was correct, handling is fantastic in all conditions. I just drive 4000 miles last month including a ton of mountain roads. Very impressed. Rutted dirt roads? Amazing. The faster you go the better. Big bumps are soaked up, and even with a high-speed bump on one side in a turn, it just eats it up.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Replaced first recovery point with ARB unit. Flush and STOUT... (Thanks Kurt from @cruiseroutfit)
Compare side view for clearance:
Stock:
ARB:
Compare left stock to right:
I supposed you could just remove the lower point piece on the stock unit (two pieces), but the main stock ring has welds holding it together, where the ARB is literally just a single hunk of steel.
Not cheap, at $85+ per side, but wow.
--Makes the stock point seem rather convoluted and "weldy."
Don't think I'd dare do a heavy snatch from these:
Ordering a second for the right side...
Compare side view for clearance:
Stock:
ARB:
Compare left stock to right:
I supposed you could just remove the lower point piece on the stock unit (two pieces), but the main stock ring has welds holding it together, where the ARB is literally just a single hunk of steel.
Not cheap, at $85+ per side, but wow.
--Makes the stock point seem rather convoluted and "weldy."
Don't think I'd dare do a heavy snatch from these:
Ordering a second for the right side...
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