My buddy Mark just sold this 100 series and it took him everywhere without issue. It had OME's on it and rode amazingly well.
Bought a LX470 - I have questions
- Thread starter Saenzm
- Start date
redthies
Renaissance Redneck
I agree with you 100%. Some of us offered sound advice and welcomed another happy 100 owner aboard and others have to ruin it. I seldom visit here anymore as it becomes more and more like a semi polite version of Pirate.
As long as the OP can ignore the argumentative drivel, the helpful info is here.
4Beast
Observer
Congrats on the new rig. In answer to some of your questions, yes, I think that the 5 speed is better, but that's probably because I have one, most people with the 4 speeds seem satisfied. I like the idea of traditional suspension, as there is less that can go catastrophically wrong, but as others have said the AHC is more than serviceable with a few upgrades off road.
You can get a cheap backup camera that projects to your cell phone if you want, and for $20 you can get a bluetooth to FM plugin for your 12V lighter socket that allows for music from your phone as well as hands free calling, would likely save a lot of money and aggravation.
As far as the Cruiser being better than the Suburban, I think that while the Suburban is fairly rugged, the 100 is hands down better off road, if for no other reason than it being a bit more compact and having an ideal wheelbase. Despite what certain, intellectually impaired internet trolls might say, the Cruiser is not slow. It's not fast either, but is more than acceptable. Mine can be loaded at or above the GVW and cruise easily at 80 on the highway. For what it's worth, equivalent Cruiser and 'Burban (both 2000) 0-60 for the Cruiser 9.3, for the Suburban 9.8.
You can get a cheap backup camera that projects to your cell phone if you want, and for $20 you can get a bluetooth to FM plugin for your 12V lighter socket that allows for music from your phone as well as hands free calling, would likely save a lot of money and aggravation.
As far as the Cruiser being better than the Suburban, I think that while the Suburban is fairly rugged, the 100 is hands down better off road, if for no other reason than it being a bit more compact and having an ideal wheelbase. Despite what certain, intellectually impaired internet trolls might say, the Cruiser is not slow. It's not fast either, but is more than acceptable. Mine can be loaded at or above the GVW and cruise easily at 80 on the highway. For what it's worth, equivalent Cruiser and 'Burban (both 2000) 0-60 for the Cruiser 9.3, for the Suburban 9.8.
Rockey709
Active member
Interesting read so far.... I feel for the bloke who just bought his new toy getting immediately brow beat as I’m sure we all seek positive reenforcement on a big purchase. I am similarly torn, because I (last week) retired my 1993 k2500 suburban AND my new pickup truck and found a 2003 Lexus 470 after countless hours of searching with a national net. My suburban was not what I would characterize as fast, nor did I get north of 10 MPG (thanks to a 7.4 gasser) but it did what was needed and provided 200,000 miles rather well till the end when the cooling system failed repeatedly. As I searched for a replacement, I kept going back to my 1989 HJ61 diesel cruiser and really wanted the slow senclse of confidence it inspired. It managed 330,000 before being sold for $25k. As a culture, we have started to forget to “fix” rather than replace things and that age. The cruiser is a bastion of light for the “keepers” in the crowd. If maintained, they go and go and go to 500,000 miles with the same amount of maint as a “normal” car needs to go 200,000 miles.
I digress, but suffice to say, I am happy to make the move... the burb did it’s job and the LC will continue to do its job but with a grin on my face and the confidence that I’ll get where I’m going.
Enjoy your 12 MPG and learn to love the slow lane. The view is better there anyways. Speed kills anyways lol. NICE TRUCK!
I digress, but suffice to say, I am happy to make the move... the burb did it’s job and the LC will continue to do its job but with a grin on my face and the confidence that I’ll get where I’m going.
Enjoy your 12 MPG and learn to love the slow lane. The view is better there anyways. Speed kills anyways lol. NICE TRUCK!
Attachments
Rockey709
Active member
Oops, I forgot to share my thoughts on suspension and mods.
Mine has AHC and by all accounts, it’s a great system that delivers several different personalities. It is like any other system and requires some general maintenance over time. That being said, it is NOT prone to failure and it is very rare to see catastrophic failure.
I went with what I know and have logged 100,000’s of thousands of miles on the OME (old man emu) set up. 2.5” heavies front and rear, torsion bars, and a Slee doff drop to keep my factory components playing nice and not job the angles too much. This system kills the “Lexus-ness” of the ride, but is not by any means harsh. It’s more in the camp of “tight and predictable”. The feeling lends confidence to a freeway lane change, or dodge a deer maneuver. The trade off is that you feel the road more. Manhole covers are no longer something you glide over. Again, not harsh, but definitely there.
I’ve run icon setups before and haven’t felt a $1200 better ride. Humble opinion, but OME has done a great job for years and years.
I suppose, what I’m saying is run the AHC for now, add what you want to add and see how it behaves u see that load. If needed, go for the OME and don’t look back.
Mine has AHC and by all accounts, it’s a great system that delivers several different personalities. It is like any other system and requires some general maintenance over time. That being said, it is NOT prone to failure and it is very rare to see catastrophic failure.
I went with what I know and have logged 100,000’s of thousands of miles on the OME (old man emu) set up. 2.5” heavies front and rear, torsion bars, and a Slee doff drop to keep my factory components playing nice and not job the angles too much. This system kills the “Lexus-ness” of the ride, but is not by any means harsh. It’s more in the camp of “tight and predictable”. The feeling lends confidence to a freeway lane change, or dodge a deer maneuver. The trade off is that you feel the road more. Manhole covers are no longer something you glide over. Again, not harsh, but definitely there.
I’ve run icon setups before and haven’t felt a $1200 better ride. Humble opinion, but OME has done a great job for years and years.
I suppose, what I’m saying is run the AHC for now, add what you want to add and see how it behaves u see that load. If needed, go for the OME and don’t look back.
I did the same. I loved the AHC but stubbornly removed it due to a sensor failure. It is the most robust suspension you can get on our cruisers. Go to ih8mud and look it up. They have become more and more enlightened by it. You can look up things like the sensor lift which will get you more height with 30 minutes of work.
Woofwagon
Adventurer
Good call on the LX470. I have a '99 and love it. I bought mine last summer. No major mods except for some Goodyear Duratracs. I'm with the others on the AHC, it works quite well when maintained. In fact I'm going to do an AHC fluid flush and fill this spring. The 100 series are not fuel economy champs, but the drive train is really tough and can go many hundreds of thousands of miles. Remember though to get that cam timing belt changed regularly, IIRC it's every 50K miles. What I'm really looking for now is a good rear tire carrier/bumper that has a built in air tank like my old '89 Suburban. I may have to design and fab my own.
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I have that exact truck (mine has lower mileage). You will enjoy it. Last year my AHC went out and I replaced it with OME. I loved the AHC, especially on the highway, it was like floating. I like the OME, the ride is not bad at all.
I replaced the stock stereo with a Apple Car Play stereo with backup camera. It was really one of the best mod’s I’ve done.
I also really love my Metal Tech sliders. Great look and they have already saved my truck once.
I replaced the stock stereo with a Apple Car Play stereo with backup camera. It was really one of the best mod’s I’ve done.
I also really love my Metal Tech sliders. Great look and they have already saved my truck once.
toastyjosh
Adventurer
some light reading
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbieUZJ100.htm
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbieUZJ100.htm
Model97
Active member
But that wasn't his question.
1. It wasn't. And FYI, the side steps are not integrated, they're removable. And the LX will do much better off road than a suburban. It's smaller, more nimble, and MUCH more reliable. Get out of the LC forum troll. Stop thread jacking
DCH109
Adventurer
As this is an older thread and I am sure the PO figured it out. I will throw it in here.
www.expeditionportal.com
As for a full size vs the LX470/ series 100. anything can be made capable to go off road. My F150 is fine off road, has the turning radius of a school bus and prevented me from going to several trails in the Colorado area due to the switchbacks and traveling alone. Backing up next to an over 200+ ft drop off is not something I was interested in doing.
For the PO the LX470 is a great vehicle as it is based on the 100 series, it is a fantastic overland vehicle and used worldwide. I am looking for one myself.
Project Hundy Build Thread - 2000 UZJ100 Land Cruiser
Introducing the Cruiser Outfitters "Project Hundy" Build Thread The Blank Slate Earlier this year I picked up a 2000 100 Series Land Cruiser from a local customer & friend of mine. The Cruiser had some major brake issues and he had exhausted his patience dealing with the repairs and was ready...
www.expeditionportal.com
As for a full size vs the LX470/ series 100. anything can be made capable to go off road. My F150 is fine off road, has the turning radius of a school bus and prevented me from going to several trails in the Colorado area due to the switchbacks and traveling alone. Backing up next to an over 200+ ft drop off is not something I was interested in doing.
For the PO the LX470 is a great vehicle as it is based on the 100 series, it is a fantastic overland vehicle and used worldwide. I am looking for one myself.
CrispyCracker
Roamer
I'll chime in: anyone who tells someone that they purchased the wrong vehicle while that person is still basking in post-purchase afterglow is of suspect character. And when they (at the same time) loudly impugn an iconic vehicle by witlessly comparing it to lesser platform, well, they're being an outright ****. Everybody's thinking it. I'm saying it.
I've owned and wheeled lots of domestic-brand trucks -- vintage Broncos to lifted XJ, ZJ and WJ Jeeps to modern Ford Raptors. I still rue the day I sold my '65 C5 stepside 4x4. Point is, I love American trucks. Most of my fishing buddies pull their skiffs with Chevy trucks of various sorts. Great, underrated vehicles. My best friend drives around in an early 2000s vintage Tahoe with 300+ K on the clock. He has been religious with maintenance. That truck has one of the most durable motor/powertrain pairings in the history of motorized vehicles and it's absolutely true that you can't swing a dead cat without hitting cheap GM parts and knowledgeable Chevy mechanics.
That said, when I compare his old Tahoe and other high-mileage Tahoes and Suburbans to similar vintage Land Cruisers/LX470s, the difference is often staggering. That old Tahoe's seats have dissolved into strips of tattered leather and chunks of foam. The rear diff whines like a beehive, the plasticized dash rattles and hums, the stereo died back when Bush was in office, there's an acre of play in the steering wheel, the A/C only works when it feels like it and road noise creeps in at higher speeds through rotted weatherstripping. The thing keeps plugging along in miraculous fashion, but there's always a sense that the odd bump could make the whole shebang collapse into a steaming pile of bolts, oil and sepia-tinged memories. Then I look at 100 series Toyotas with comparable mileage on the clock (as I have for the past two months or so as I consider a purchase) and, well, just WOW. Sure, some have cracks in the leather seating, suspension components that creak and dents and scratches on the bumpers. But the doors thump solidly, the motors don't weep oil and the damn things track straight and run as quietly as they did 15 or so years ago. They are fricking SOLID even with odometers reflecting twice the lifespan of the average U.S.-made vehicle. And offroad? YouTube is brimming with footage (from around the globe) of relatively stock Land Cruisers/LX470s performing gasp-inducing feats. I mean, real "you've gotta be sh----g" me stuff. Stock Tahoes and Suburbans? Uh, no.
So...while I understand someone being a big fan of Chevy trucks -- as I am -- trying to loudly parlay that affection into a "They're just as well built as 100 Series Toyotas" statement can be safely placed in the "No more drinks for you, Chief" file.
On behalf of the forum: my apologies to the OP for the rough start. Stick around. The gurus in this joint have proven friendly, knowledgeable and immeasurably helpful to me as I've slowly tricked out my old 2001 Gen 3 Montero—another Japanese vehicle that holds up better than the aforementioned Chevy's. My old Montero will soon by joined in the driveway by a venerable LX470...because in my humble estimation it's the best-built 15+ year old overlanding vehicle on the planet.
I've owned and wheeled lots of domestic-brand trucks -- vintage Broncos to lifted XJ, ZJ and WJ Jeeps to modern Ford Raptors. I still rue the day I sold my '65 C5 stepside 4x4. Point is, I love American trucks. Most of my fishing buddies pull their skiffs with Chevy trucks of various sorts. Great, underrated vehicles. My best friend drives around in an early 2000s vintage Tahoe with 300+ K on the clock. He has been religious with maintenance. That truck has one of the most durable motor/powertrain pairings in the history of motorized vehicles and it's absolutely true that you can't swing a dead cat without hitting cheap GM parts and knowledgeable Chevy mechanics.
That said, when I compare his old Tahoe and other high-mileage Tahoes and Suburbans to similar vintage Land Cruisers/LX470s, the difference is often staggering. That old Tahoe's seats have dissolved into strips of tattered leather and chunks of foam. The rear diff whines like a beehive, the plasticized dash rattles and hums, the stereo died back when Bush was in office, there's an acre of play in the steering wheel, the A/C only works when it feels like it and road noise creeps in at higher speeds through rotted weatherstripping. The thing keeps plugging along in miraculous fashion, but there's always a sense that the odd bump could make the whole shebang collapse into a steaming pile of bolts, oil and sepia-tinged memories. Then I look at 100 series Toyotas with comparable mileage on the clock (as I have for the past two months or so as I consider a purchase) and, well, just WOW. Sure, some have cracks in the leather seating, suspension components that creak and dents and scratches on the bumpers. But the doors thump solidly, the motors don't weep oil and the damn things track straight and run as quietly as they did 15 or so years ago. They are fricking SOLID even with odometers reflecting twice the lifespan of the average U.S.-made vehicle. And offroad? YouTube is brimming with footage (from around the globe) of relatively stock Land Cruisers/LX470s performing gasp-inducing feats. I mean, real "you've gotta be sh----g" me stuff. Stock Tahoes and Suburbans? Uh, no.
So...while I understand someone being a big fan of Chevy trucks -- as I am -- trying to loudly parlay that affection into a "They're just as well built as 100 Series Toyotas" statement can be safely placed in the "No more drinks for you, Chief" file.
On behalf of the forum: my apologies to the OP for the rough start. Stick around. The gurus in this joint have proven friendly, knowledgeable and immeasurably helpful to me as I've slowly tricked out my old 2001 Gen 3 Montero—another Japanese vehicle that holds up better than the aforementioned Chevy's. My old Montero will soon by joined in the driveway by a venerable LX470...because in my humble estimation it's the best-built 15+ year old overlanding vehicle on the planet.
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99Discovery
Adventurer
I'm in your same boat and just purchased an OME HD lift with new torsion bars and Slee diff drop kit from Cruiser outfitters. I also grabbed some Icon 17"s (since the chromed stock wheels were corroding) and will install 285/70 (or 75)R17 tires. I'm busy at work, but at the end of the month I'll install it all and I can report to you the difference between it and a stock cruiser with AHC.
As someone who owned and wheeled H3s, Tahoes, Jeeps, Suburbans, etc. I'll keep my thoughts to myself, most have already been hashed out on this thread. The Cruiser is a great rig, but it's not perfect.
I believe the Cruiser is a bulletproof and well built platform that is most likely not going to leave you stranded on the trail (very important), but the real cost of ownership is quite pricey. I was a bit disappointed in that myself.
As someone who owned and wheeled H3s, Tahoes, Jeeps, Suburbans, etc. I'll keep my thoughts to myself, most have already been hashed out on this thread. The Cruiser is a great rig, but it's not perfect.
I believe the Cruiser is a bulletproof and well built platform that is most likely not going to leave you stranded on the trail (very important), but the real cost of ownership is quite pricey. I was a bit disappointed in that myself.
CrispyCracker
Roamer
99, I appreciate your civility but that post makes me wonder how your Cruiser disappointed you? From what I've seen they are incredibly well built...but I'm also a realist: everything wears down and fails in time. Everything. I'm just interested in specifics since I'm on the cusp of a LX470 purchase. Thanks.