What have you done to your 200 Series this week? (24 Viewers)

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Installed Firestone 4164 helper airbags (and I added this 1/4" wire loom to the air tubes to protect them), as well as a set of rear lower control arm skids that I got from @turbo8. I added a hand pump that maxes out at 30psi, since the airbags max out at 35psi. The hand pump works pretty well, it went from 0 to 5 psi after 15 pumps.

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Rear lower control arm skids - they are fantastic quality!
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Enjoy!
 
Installed Firestone 4164 helper airbags (and I added this 1/4" wire loom to the air tubes to protect them), as well as a set of rear lower control arm skids that I got from @turbo8. I added a hand pump that maxes out at 30psi, since the airbags max out at 35psi. The hand pump works pretty well, it went from 0 to 5 psi after 15 pumps.

View attachment 3008939
View attachment 3008944
View attachment 3008941


Rear lower control arm skids - they are fantastic quality!
View attachment 3008942

Nice done.

You might like adding a sealing valve stem cap. Gives it a little extension so it's more easily reachable in that location, and no cap to fiddle with. Easier to deflate with fingers as well.

Amazon product ASIN B08BVVJCFQ
 
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Over the past two weekends...Ironman 4x4 FCP lift kit with upper control arms. Dobinsons differential drop and adjustable panhard bar. Spidertrax 1.25" spacers and new K02 275/70/18s. Did all the work except for the tires myself.

Transformation to off-road rig complete!
 
Dropped it off before leaving town for a week at the beach, had it paint corrected and (mostly) covered with Xpel Ultimate Plus. Basically trying to protect the sides and hood so they didn't do roof, bumpers (which will eventually get replaced) or tailgate/hatch. I know one photo is direct sunlight and one is in my garage, but I'd say only about 5% of what was on there was too deep to takeout and it's barely visible now.

Before:

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After:

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Dropped it off before leaving town for a week at the beach, had it paint corrected and (mostly) covered with Xpel Ultimate Plus. Basically trying to protect the sides and hood so they didn't do roof, bumpers (which will eventually get replaced) or tailgate/hatch. I know one photo is direct sunlight and one is in my garage, but I'd say only about 5% of what was on there was too deep to takeout and it's barely visible now.

Before:

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After:

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Looks better dirty!
 
View attachment 3009481

Over the past two weekends...Ironman 4x4 FCP lift kit with upper control arms. Dobinsons differential drop and adjustable panhard bar. Spidertrax 1.25" spacers and new K02 275/70/18s. Did all the work except for the tires myself.

Transformation to off-road rig complete!

Looks great! Curious how difficult the diff drop was to install? I don't know many people that go that route for the 200, but almost everyone lifting the 100s would do it. Also, how did you adjust the panhard yourself (get it to get correct length needed)?
 
Looks great! Curious how difficult the diff drop was to install? I don't know many people that go that route for the 200, but almost everyone lifting the 100s would do it. Also, how did you adjust the panhard yourself (get it to get correct length needed)?
Diff drop has some awkward nuts to get to, but not too bad. It was actually the first thing I did so I could start with something simple and feel like I was making progress. And for the panhard bar, I hadn't planned to get an adjustable one, but when I tried to put the stock one back in after finishing everything else, it was about an inch too short. It took me a while to determine that it wasn't long enough because the ride height had increased a fair amount. If I would have been able to get the stock one in place, I think my whole rear axle would have been misaligned. So- I ordered an adjustable one from Dobinsons, got it to the right length based on how the truck was sitting, installed it, and finally tightened down the locking nuts when everything was in place.

This is how it looks installed:
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Big Bear day trip. Gold Mountain Trail. Gate 3 is now just for the big boys. Glad for the bypass.

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Out for re-org 2 hours --

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back in 5 hours as the trim kit for the Half High Box needed drilling and better instructions.

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What lithium battery is that? I keep thinking about doing what you did and stuffing one under my drawer wing

Valence model U27-12XP, has 144 ah. They changed their name to Lithoin.

Yes it fits right inside the 200 Fit-Kit.
 
Long week of first time on my LC200 for me (included notes of things I wish was clearer before starting):
  1. Replaced Radiator (this is actually super easy to do)
    1. Start by draining radiator
    2. disconnecting all hoses to radiator and fan shroud
    3. Unbolt fan shroud, but don't try to remove (there is a hose on the left side facing vehicle that has to be disconnected)
    4. Unbolt Fan Clutch and remove w/ Fan Shroud
    5. There are only four bolts holding radiator, you don't have to remove front grille or transmission cooler to get to them, super easy.
    6. The new radiator comes w/ little tine hooks above the bolt holes, so it will self hang on reassembly.
  2. Replaced Fan Bracket Assembly & Fan Clutch (the challenge is accessing the bolts to remove the assembly)
    1. If replacing waterpump also - I recommend do this first. The trick is to loosen the metal tubing around the assembly to access the bolts.
    2. The tricky bolt is the lower one on the right facing the car. Easy to get out, but you have to re-install this bolt first. I put the bolt through the hole of the assembly then lined it up, then seated the assembly ... worked super easy.
  3. Replaced IDL Pulley - mindless task.
  4. Replace Thermostat & Water Pump
    1. This looks intimidating, but just requires patience.
    2. I laid out the new Water pump and put the bolts in it as I took them out so I would remember what went where, then once I had the old one out, I put the bolts on it, so I could easily remember where they went w/ the new one.
    3. I needed some gasket sealer to hold the Thermostat gasket in place as I put in back on.
  5. Replace Serpentine Belt & Belt Pulley (GATES) - so simple needs no explanation. I assume folks know to draw out the belt path before removing (or take a picture).
  6. Replace Starter w/OUT removing the Exhaust Manifold AND was able to replace the top bolt for the heat shield (thanks to long armed, small hand teenage son)
    1. I watched a ton of vehicles on this and don't recommend this approach UNLESS you have the smaller new replacement starters, if you have this - then you can do this option with these recommendations:
    2. Definitely remove the exhaust assembly that connects up to the Exhaust Manifold. I drowned the bolts w/ Penetration oil the day prior - so came off easily (you may have to replace these bolts if you hamfist the removal). You have to disconnect two exhaust sensor and then just leave in vehicle and move out of the way. I have big hands - no way I could do this per the youtube videos for Tundras advise.
    3. You need to remove the anchor bolt for the metal vertical tubing (2x) that is your access path to the Starter - should be obvious they need to be out of the way to get to the starter bolts.
    4. Once your remove manifold heatshield and the starter heat shield lower bolts - you need to remove the the starter bolts so it drops lower so you can remove the top heat shield bolt on the starter. This is a patient drill, but doable.
    5. My hands are too big to disconnect the electrical connections for the starter and don't know how MFs do that w/ this approach, however, I just removed the two bolts holding the Solenoid on the Starter, removed the starter body and then took my time w/ all kinds of space to disconnect the electrical connections to the Starter.
    6. Celebrate.
    7. If you have the new Denso Starter which is smaller - it will be easy reversing everything. If you were a poor bastard and got the exact same size Denso starter as the new one, you will have to suck up the pain.
    8. Wiggle the new starter in place - if you can't fit a square peg in a round hole, you should just give up here.
    9. Once Starter is in position, reconnect electrical
    10. Before attempting to put on heat shield, I found it easier to bolt the starter back in first, then put heat shield in position, then put lower heatshield bolts in place, then used a lever bar to rebend heat shield into shape, then recruited my mechanically inclined teenage son with long arms and tiny hands to re-install the upper heatshield bolt. I offered him $20 bucks and the biggest RedBull I could buy (teenager's version of crack) to muddle and figure it out. With the help of super long pliers and long ass arms (and tiny hands) he got the bolt seated and I spent 15-mins tightening the bolt 1mm at a time.
    11. Once that is done, I reconnected the Exhaust Assembly
    12. Then installed the Manifold Exhaust heat shield - Pro Tip, bolt in the front bolt of the heatshield first (one closest to the front of the car).
    13. All the YouTube Videos talk about how they took 90-mins to do this, super easy, I'm mechanically inclined and I wasted like 5-hours on this task - 1st 2-hours was just failing to do it per the stated approach, took a mental break - thought I would do it by the book but once I got the exhaust assembly out of the way - recognized w/ all that space, just maybe ... and got it done.
  7. Finally, blackened my front grille (since I took it off anyways) - that was fun, looks cool enough for me. I only wash my LC200 when it gets covered in mud and post the winter season to remove salt, etc. I clean the interior more as I'm not a slob, but don't baby my ride cosmetically as some folks do - so I'm sure some would take a lot more time on this jobby-job than I.
In the next couple of weeks, I need to install my Dissent Front Bumper (fun project), may lower my front suspension one inch based on how it settles since my 2" lift is like almost 4" and I have some KDSS links to replace and then standard East Cost rust remediation, etc. Then I will be ready for the "season" ...

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Long week of first time on my LC200 for me (included notes of things I wish was clearer before starting):
...UNLESS you have the smaller new replacement starters, if you have this - then you can do this option with these recommendations:

Nice ! I like the black grill.

Could you please post the smaller starter part # ?
 
Got some Apex valves put on this afternoon; really looking forward to not taking 15 minutes to air down

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Prepare to be spoiled. One of the best upgrades ever!
 

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