2006 UZJ100 build - bit at a time

[RKRUGER]

Please meet Moose. She’s a 2006 UZJ100 complete with AHC, nav, and all the luxury SUV goodies that $63k would get you in 2006. We bought her in 2014 with 91,000 miles and a fresh timing belt/water pump switch out. This thread was originally posted on MUD and I was asked if I could add it here. Should have started them both at the same time I suppose.

Going back in time a bit... First was baseline with all fluids including those in that funny whirling buzzing reservoir near the right-side firewall. Techstream showed the front was out of spec so I dialed up the front torsion bars. And the wife drove it back and forth to work...

I replaced the rear coils with factory AHC coils after she fell down and didn’t want to get up on a South Dakota Badlands trip towing my M416 trailer. 3 teenagers in the backseat and a tongue-favored trailer was more than she wanted.

Switched out to Sequoia wheels and Continental TerrainContact in the 265/70 -18 size. I really like this tire both on the pavement and on gravel fire roads etc. IH8MUD so really can't speak to mud traction.

The fall of 2020, I was looking at two repairs... a front seal on my 2009 Tacoma DCSB and a failing cat on the 100. The cat was the cheaper repair and the wife wanted something new, so the Taco went down the road and she got a new Venza. I do miss that truck. One deciding factor was the ability to comfortably sleep inside the 100. Not really an option in the Taco. Arguably the 100 drives better as well, even 3 years older and 70K more miles on the clock.


I also have a 2015 Lexus CT200H F-Sport that’s been a fantastic commuter car but with the CCP virus-imposed quarantine I haven't put many miles on anything the last year. The deal with the CP (chief procurer) was lose the Taco, build the 100. So... March 2021 a 48x72 pallet showed up from @cruiseroutfit with a big box strapped to an even larger box... 445# of ARB goodness.

 

[RKRUGER]

First off, you can put an ARB bumper and a set of drawers in the back of a 100 series in a pinch. In case anyone was wondering, it’s tight, but it will fit if you need to haul them or store them away from prying eyes. The shipment included the 3413190 Deluxe winch bar, a RDRF1045, the mid-height RFH1045, and the 100AIRFK. I wanted the full height drawer on the driver side to take advantage of the 60% fold-down seat, and the mid-height drawer on the passenger side with my 50qt ARB fridge/freezer mounted to the sliding top. This shot shows the initial install and the nearly level sleeping area back to front. Without a sleeping pad, my hips rest about 8" from the edge of the drawer, the arch of my back spanning the gap. In practice, we will have to see.
I took several detailed photos during the install as there just weren't some of the things I was looking for. One surprise is that the mid-height drawer does not roll on bearings but instead uses plastic slides. The roller tops are essentially identical, rolling on large roller bearings.

Here is the face behind the second row.

I spent a bunch of time reaching out to folks as to how they may have trimmed out the side next to the mid-height drawer. In typical fashion, the ARB instructions and the literature for the drawers is a bit lacking. Some great info can be found here: https://sleeoffroad.com/wp-content/...formation-Bulletin-No-859-ARB-RFH-Drawers.pdf and @Catastrofe and @deltapine put me on to a certain ARB part RFFKADP1045R, an adapter plate that bolts to the bottom of the drawer and allows for the fit kit to be bolted. That would provide a level storage area over the right side wheel well, but the fridge would sit in a well, so to speak.

After a lot of measuring and consulting, I decided to modify the fit kit support brackets. I trimmed approx 3" off of the bottom of the bracket closest to the tailgate, replicating the curve to accommodate fit and finish. The galvanized panels cut easily and you use the galvanized piece to mark the inside curve, use the carpet to mark the outside curve. Clear Gorilla glue secures the carpet back to the galvanized. Here I am using 1 provided nutsert and the two added phillips screws to retain the panel.

The angle bracket in the center is supported by 2 of the provided nutserts and 1 additional phillips fastener.

In the photo above, on the left side, those two chamfered holes are where the stop is secured. Where the drawers are bolted together, you need to access this through the drawer frame of the full height drawer. You can also see the bottom of the access panel with the metal bracing and the two clips that engage the middle angle bracket. To finish the passenger side out, I bent a panel to incorporate the step over the wheel well and that will house the electrical bits. The panel steps up about 3" to meet the rear bracket and the supplied carpeted panel.

Overall, the fit and finish of the drawers are what you would expect from ARB. They just work. I think you could lift the truck by the drawers- they are just that solid. The stops are positive both in and out. For my 2006, I used 1 tall and 1 short spacer from the floor to the u-channel to secure the drawers. Some have said a different combination of spacers is required, but mine used the same combination at all 4 points.

 

[RKRUGER]

With the fit kit lowered to make it level across the back, I still needed to step up the rear (middle???) portion to clear the wheel well. Kurt @cruiseroutfit recommended a finished panel from ARB that is basically carpeted galvanized steel. ARB part# CERDRFH1045 is available as a trim piece that is exactly the height differential between the full height RDRF1045 and the mid-height RFH1045. Using the rear fit kit plywood top as a template, I formed a barrier piece that bridges the difference. This area houses and protects the "brain center" of the rear of the rig.

 

[RKRUGER]

ARB Deluxe Winch Bar

It's nice to have access to a well-equipt and heated shop in Minnesota to use in the winter. My brother is the GM at a JIT laser table, forming and fab shop in central MN so we spent a morning there fitting the ARB 3413190 Deluxe winch bar sans winch. As I am still running AHC, and the primary purpose of the bar is animal protection and vehicle preservation, I am not mounting a winch at this time. Regardless, the ARB bumper is a bit of a beast. The total install for my brother and me was 3 hours. This side of the shop also houses the old gas engine and steel wheel (pre-1920) tractor restoration area, so there are always cool things to see in the background.
Obligatory photo with Tupperware removed.

I used a stack of taped washers as a spacer that mic'd out at 13MM to keep the gap consistent side to side.

Artsy photo outside... For perspective, the gas engine in the foreground is a 1050 cubic inch Minneapolis Moline straight 6 that came out of a dragline. It is 78" tall to the top of the valve covers.

 

[RKRUGER]

Blue Sea fuse panel

My take on power requirements may be different than some, I don't want to run a blender or a Skil saw off of my battery, but that is what makes the world go around. The Tacoma had pockets and cubbies everywhere, but no electrical in the back seat. I mounted a 60 amp BlueSea breaker to the top of the OEM fuse box, a 6 pole Blue Sea aux fuse box next to it, and ran a 10 AWG to the rear seat to give power to a Blue Sea 12V cig lighter/ USB combo. It perfectly ran the fridge off of the starter battery even on a 2-day non-moving trip. The key is to keep cold stuff in the fridge and don't open it every 10 minutes. On the LC, since I plan to sleep inside it occasionally, I did things a little bit differently but used the same components. The underhood stuff is straight-forward. Blue Sea 60amp 285 series surface mount breaker (p/n 285060F) off of the starter battery to a 4 AWG running through the driver-side firewall grommet and then under the sill trim to the second-row area where the cable crossed to the passenger side at the point the carpet is velro'd together. You can see the plastic trim in the second photo below.
To the face of the ARB drawer, I mounted the same 6-circuit Blue Sea box (p/n 5025) that I used on the Tacoma, grounded with a 2 AWG cable to the body. That bolt holds the drawers in the truck and I used dielectric grease and a star washer on the bolt.
This is the forward side panel from the fit kit, passenger side. I scored the carpet, peeled it off, and used a saber saw to cope out the hole for the Blue Sea water-resistant accessory panel (p/n 4368). These are spendy but worth it. I've tried some of the generics in the past with mixed results. These just work. The ARB plug is wired with a chuck of the ARB-provided refrigerator harness, and the accessory panel is wired with 10 AWG with heat shrink connectors at both ends. I really went back and forth as to using the ARB plug and harness but decided a dedicated fridge circuit with high-quality wire was the best bet. 15 amp fuse for the fridge and 10 amp for the accessory panel.

 

[RKRUGER]

Mountain Hatch tailgate cover install:



1. Remove old cover

2. Optional... Clean and apply a quality paste wax to the tailgate paint and apply a wax-based rust inhibitor to the inside of the tailgate... certainly optional, but when was the last time you were in there? Probably never. I like Meguiars products for paint treatment and I use Fluid Film inside all the little nooks and crevasses.

3. Optional... I used 7/8 rubber fender washers with a 3/8” hole between the HDPE and the tailgate. The push pins hold the washers in place. Probably not going to do much but there was a dimple there so I thought I’d fill it.

4. Attach the cover with the 16 supplied automotive style push pin fasteners.

5. Test out new cup holders.

Total time could be less than 10 minutes... or you could spend an hour at it like me. Testing time may vary. I did apply some felt bumpers to keep the trim piece from catching when you close the gate. I am thinking that a beveled edge on the tailgate cover might solve the catching but I will run it this way for now.

 

[RKRUGER]

ARB Outback Drawers update:

When I was exploring options for the ARB drawers, I came across the “new” sliding table offering.

I really liked the utility of being able to have the drawer open and still have a flat workspace. Unfortunately the sliding table is not compatible with the RDRF series of drawers, so I was left to come up with something on my own.

Materials:
1/2 x 1/16 x 48 aluminum angle (cut in half)
6 self tapping machine screws
Cutting board to fit space (17 3/8” in width)

The angle is secured to the top rolled edge of the drawers and 24" is just about the entire exposed length with the drawer fully opened. I only need to drill one add'l hole on each side, that being closest to the face of the drawer. As luck would have it, ARB already had the holes spaced nicely so the board will not slide around much, as the screws provide a midway stop.



Sometimes it is the simple things

 

[RKRUGER]

Added a Snow Peak table today. The hooks engage two 5/16 x 3/8 holes added to the Mountain Hatch tailgate cover. Thanks to @Chris Boyd for the cool idea.

 

[RKRUGER]

OWL Expedition Mud Flap kit

Added Owl Expedition delete flaps to the rig. Of course this included removing the running boards. Can’t say enough good about this product. All the Tacoma boys are jealous.

Also spent some time cleaning up the side trim pieces by applying a contrasting Grey vinyl to the center stripe. Really cleaned it up.

 

[RKRUGER]

Installed a BESTEK 500W Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter DC 12V to AC 110V with 4.2A Dual USB Charging Ports and 2 AC Outlets Car Charger. It has a cooling fan and the pure sine wave is recommended for charging lithium camera batteries and such. I found that it works quite well powering my laptop while I have been remote working. It also does a nice job charging the Milwaukee 12v portable tools that I drag along occasionally.

I also mounted up the Blue Ridge Outdoor Gear vehicle attic. This is a cool piece of kit and there is a lot of adjustability available fore and aft. I’ve cheated mine quite a ways toward the rear. Great place to store a puffy jacket or a fleece blanket or something else light and in need of quick access.

 

[RKRUGER]

ASFIR front skid and ARB deluxe bar
Received the ASFIR front skid this week. Four days from Isreal to MN and packaged very well. The plate is healthy and will likely outlast every other component on the truck. Had a problem with two original fasteners, particularly the center rear one. The OEM faster is up in a hole, and the head rounded off, pushing a drill it and twist it out w a vice grip scenario. I chased all the holes with an 8 x .125 tap used a ratchet strap to hold the plate tight to the frame. The ARB splash guard required some trimming, but after fiddling it is mounted. I used stainless button heads across the front three. Looks clean, and this isn’t a basher to begin with. I haven’t read other posts that mention that the three back holes are significant and use a large, cupped washer to secure the plate.

 

[RKRUGER]

I get a lot of questions about my set up, especially when I roll out of the back in the morning and make a cup of coffee. It is simple and concise. And some will give me crap that it is bought, not built. The ARB drawers, fridge and Dometic water jug/faucet are expensive, but like Snap On tools, they just work. I’d rather cry once. The drawer system is rattle free, solid as hell, and cleanly integrates with the rear of the 100 series. It’s like it was made for it, which it was. The modified side wing kit and electrical area keeps the fridge and water tap serviced and charged. And the Dometic jug nestles in on the same slide as the fridge. Perfect. Concise.

The NEMO COSMO 3D (long/wide) covers the single drawer and the 60% side rear seat and nicely cradles you as the baffles are “body mapped”. A simple Kelty ThermiDry bag blends synthetic and down. A Snow Peak IGT table (brown bag) helps bridge the gap for sleeping , and mounts to the tailgate for additional kitchen prep space.

Above is the Blue Ridge Outdoor Gear (BROG) attic where I keep a lightweight down sweater, a fresh pair of socks, and can use to suspend an iPad from if I want to lay back and watch a movie. The BROG Cooking kit bag hangs from the ARB fridge handle and holds utensils as well as my pour over coffee supplies. Again, it just works.

North Face Base Camp bags hold mountain bike gear in one and daily wear in the other. Again, there is a reason these are so popular. They are bombproof. In the end , the cockroaches will be living in these.

So, a few more pics. Sorry I don’t have great adventure story’s as this tends to be my one night motel when I am mountain/fat biking. If you see me down at the MOORE expo, please be sure to say “hey!”

 

[roanokercket]

@RKRUGER That is a VERY nice and well thought out setup.

You have a perfect example of what can be put together when you identify exactly what you need then spend the time to find the pieces to do it.

Great job!

 

[RKRUGER]

Thanks @roanokercket I appreciate it. Looking forward to getting out this weekend and using it for what it was built for.

 

[RKRUGER]

OWL Expedition Media Mount

I hate tearing into the dash. But the youngest and I recently completed a 100 mile turn by turn Rally and I decided I needed a more permanent mount for the iPad then my son’s lap. The instructions on website
https://owlexpedition.com/products/media-mount-1998-2007-lx470-and-land-cruiser-with-nav are not specific to a 2006 Land Cruiser. My vents are all one piece and I pray each time I pry them off they don’t snap in two.
The mount is sturdy and well thought out. The holes lined up perfectly. And the finish on the nub that extends past the front of the deck is perfect. Actually the finish on the whole thing is perfect. You just can’t see it to appreciate it.

The fasteners on the side of the tape deck are 8mm. And for mine, there is a hidden fastener in the center of the lower fascia that is shown in the last photo.

Some pics. Let me know if you have any questions. The wires extend to the glovebox and I will create a second post about the power.
View attachment 777369View attachment 777370