2003 100 Series build - my first Cruiser

[JKU87]

Hey all,

I jumped ship from Jeep a few weeks back and purchased a 2003 Land Cruiser with about 170k on the clock. After being in a 2007 Wrangler Unlimited for the past five years, I came to the decision that it was time to move into something with a little more room and comfort.

My Wrangler never let me down and it brought me on some great adventures (I live in Boston and spend lots of time exploring up in Vermont) but it was time for me to move on to something else. After countless hours scouring the forums and debating over every possible rig out there, I decided to set my target on a 100.

After browsing on Craigslist one Saturday, I came across a 2003 Hundy with around 170k. The owners are great people who bought it in Colorado and ended up moving to Massachusetts. They are Cruiser enthusiasts themselves and had the rig outfitted with an OME suspension at Slee which was a big bonus for me. For rubber, they put on Nitto Terra Grapplers sized 275/70/18. I'm curious to see how these perform compared to the Cooper ST MAXX that I had on my Jeep.

The first order of business is to have the timing belt and water pump done. Other than that, I'll take off the running boards and look into a nice pair of sliders. I don't do rock crawling or anything extreme but do go to some remote camping spots so I am thinking about a rear swing out carrier for the spare tire. Other than that, probably an ARB front bumper and winch which will come in time.

I'm going to miss the Jeep for sure but am excited to see where the Cruiser takes me.

 

[mtnbike28]

Congrats!

 

[OffToTheSide]

Very nice. Looks super clean. And it has the five speed.

 

[JKU87]

Thank you both. It's super clean with very little to no rust. Only thing I'll need to fix inside is get the seats sewn up as the stitching is starting to come undone. I'll prob do that then get seat covers in time.

 

[leucadiacruiser]

Nice! A couple quick and easy mods are the Lexus air filter mod and the rear USB port mods. The hundy is ready to go as is!

 

[JKU87]

Nice! A couple quick and easy mods are the Lexus air filter mod and the rear USB port mods. The hundy is ready to go as is!

I will check those out later, thanks for posting!


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[JKU87]

So my Cruiser came with semi-new Nitto Terra Grapplers but I think I might be in the market for some new rubber after doing some homework on them.

I've been reading they perform subpar in mud and have weak sidewalls. Just reading this alone makes me miss the Cooper ST Maxx's I had on my Jeep as those tires got me through all types of terrain.

Thoughts?


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[OffToTheSide]

I have a set of Cooper Discoverer AT3 on a Dodge Ram that I really like for all around use.
The Cooper AT3 tires also won a tire comparison test on this website.

https://expeditionportal.com/where-the-rubber-meets-the-road/


Load range E if you are going to be packing some heft in that LC100.

(Also PM headed your way..)

 

[ChuckB]

Congrats on the purchase!! I'm running the Cooper ATPs, if I remember correctly they are the Discount Tire version of the AT3. No complaints so far.

 

[JKU87]

Congrats on the purchase!! I'm running the Cooper ATPs, if I remember correctly they are the Discount Tire version of the AT3. No complaints so far.

Thank you! I'm going to probably do tires the more and more I think about it. What size are you running? It seems that most of the guys who run 18s are going with 275/70s. I'm wondering if I can get away with 285/75s and have the spare fit under the truck? Sorry, I'm just running out the door to work now and don't have much time to search for an answer!


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[4Beast]

Congrats on the new rig, looks clean (and a lot like mine!). The tire question will usually incite a spirited debate. I had a crummy experience with the GY Duratracs that I inherited on my Cruiser, and switched to BFG AT KO2s in 275/70/18. I pretty much always get a heavily siped, snowflake rated tire in New England, and usually mud tires don't cut it in snow. You can go bigger, but it will often come with some sort of issues, whether it is minor (or major) rubbing, worse performance, increased wear on certain parts etc, not to mention difficulty fitting a spare underneath, if you go too big. I wouldn't let the spare be the determining factor if you think that you will eventually get a rear bumper. Otherwise, come up with a fun to-do list of things you'd like to change, sliders suspension, bumpers baseline preventative maintenance etc!

 

[JKU87]

Congrats on the new rig, looks clean (and a lot like mine!). The tire question will usually incite a spirited debate. I had a crummy experience with the GY Duratracs that I inherited on my Cruiser, and switched to BFG AT KO2s in 275/70/18. I pretty much always get a heavily siped, snowflake rated tire in New England, and usually mud tires don't cut it in snow. You can go bigger, but it will often come with some sort of issues, whether it is minor (or major) rubbing, worse performance, increased wear on certain parts etc, not to mention difficulty fitting a spare underneath, if you go too big. I wouldn't let the spare be the determining factor if you think that you will eventually get a rear bumper. Otherwise, come up with a fun to-do list of things you'd like to change, sliders suspension, bumpers baseline preventative maintenance etc!

Thank you! I'll have to check yours out later on (assuming you have pics somewhere, ha!). I've always valued performance > looks which is why I had 255's on my Wrangler. I was a huge fan of the tall, skinny tires and they never let me down. Not to mention I was in love with the ST Maxx which is why I'll probably opt for those on the Cruiser in 275/70.

Since my suspension is sorted, I'm going to tackle the timing belt/water pump then go for tires which will be followed by sliders.

I think I can live without aftermarket bumpers for the time being and concentrate on that next year.

Forgot to mention that I do want to set up a CB as this is my main form of communication when out on the trail.


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[ChuckB]

I'm running the 275/70. The spare does fit just barely, but I have the integrated hitch in the bumper. Not sure if the LC has that in '03. The only problem I have is with the current ball that I have, it won't fit with the spare in the stock location. Hasn't really been an issue because I have only towed once so far.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/stronger-integrated-tow-hitch.612027/

 

[JKU87]

I think I narrowed my tire selection down to:

Cooper ST Maxx in 275/70/18
Cooper AT3 in 285/75/18

As I said earlier, I had the ST Maxx before and loved them but they don't have them in a 285. Maybe I'll give the AT3 a whirl?


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[redthies]

We traded our '11 Rubicon in on a new diesel truck and then bought a 100 series with the cash from selling the old truck. I have to say, going from a 3 year old JK to a 15 year old 100 reminded me why I've always been a Land Cruiser fan. The Toyota drove better with 180,000 on it than the Jeep did with 40,000! There is no comparison in quality. The Jeep was great and took us many great places, but it isn't in the same league as the 100.

On the subject of tires, I am also a huge fan of the ST Maxx. I will be putting them on the 100 very soon. They have performed amazingly well on the 3500 I have which is usually loaded up to around 12,000 lbs. I can imagine how great they will be on the 100.
I occasionally look at other brands and treads, but I think if you've found something you like and know works for you (like we both have with the ST Maxx), you would be foolish to not stick with it. If it ain't broke don't fix it!