ExPo Project: 1991 Land Cruiser Prado SX (LJ78)

[NM-Frontier]

Indeed. One of the manufacturers has provided a commercial grade tire in just the right size that should provide the long haul durability we want in a 70 series platform and retain the simple styling that's more period appropriate.

Could you elaborate?:sombrero:

 

[JSQ]

Nope, nothing formally in place but with the USD to AUD conversion, shipping one over isn't prohibitive. We have a really neat option hitting the market soon, updated version of this prototype:

That looks really robust. Will there be a LWB version that protects the full length of the quarter panels?

 

[JSQ]

Could you elaborate?:sombrero:

Well...
If you were looking for a tire that was taller than 32" but as narrow as possible and your priorities ranked as follows:

1. Durability
2. Aesthetics
3. Longevity
4. Trail Peformance
5. Road Performance

Where would that lead you?

Tire failures are by far the most common break down on the trail. It's not even close. I take flats seriously. I run two spares on most trucks. I carry plugs and valve stems with tire irons and a hi-lift. I've used everything I carry to deal with tires. And I don't run alloys on trail trucks anymore.

​

But when I started putting Michelin XZLs on my Land Rovers about 10 years ago I used everything a lot less. I came to believe that in a truck with traction differentials I'd rather have a sidewall that's 1" thick than buy a tire based on how aggressive the tread pattern is. Michelins are a good look for Land Rovers too. Camel Trophy taught us that.

But what really sold me was when I was on the Rubicon and I saw this:

That's an ancient Michelin XCL 9.00 that was on a Chevy truggy. The holes in the sidewall were big enough that I watched the owner shove his hand in and pull some rocks out. As my friend likes to say "You could see the air." But that tire was still rolling through a very challenging trail. The sidewalls were thick enough that the rim wasn't even rolling on the ground. That's when I understood why all the XZLs and XCLs are on military trucks in the Middle East and Asia right now.

But my dwindling XZL stash is just for the Land Rovers. The Prado has to fend for itself.
So there has to be an alternative that's a good match. I think that a Land Cruiser shouldn't rely on the exotic. It should have the beauty of a well worn AK47. Functional and available but also quite understated. And since the Japanese do make a lot of nice tires it would be a fitting if there was something that shares the origin of the Toyota.

So what tire best matches the spirit of the Land Cruiser?

 

[rjl]

Toyo M-55? I've sort of, in a roundabout way thought of them as the Japanese version of the Michelin XZL/XML/XCL line. Nice, understated sidewall without some animalistic DiggerLUGZ crap. Purportedly very tough. The M-55's are probably most analogous to the XPS, I suppose, with a slightly more aggressive tread pattern.

 

[JSQ]

Toyo M-55? I've sort of, in a roundabout way thought of them as the Japanese version of the Michelin XZL/XML/XCL line. Nice, understated sidewall without some animalistic DiggerLUGZ crap. Purportedly very tough. The M-55's are probably most analogous to the XPS, I suppose, with a slightly more aggressive tread pattern.

 

[rjl]

Sweet!

 

[NM-Frontier]

I was wondering if you were talking about the M-55, those are really the only commercial traction tire that comes to mine that is available in N.A.

I was hoping you found a source for some 7.5s.:sombrero:

 

[cruiseroutfit]

That looks really robust. Will there be a LWB version that protects the full length of the quarter panels?

We have a variety of future plans but no firm ETA's, phase one is the standard bumper which is now complete and ready for final test-fit, hardware sourcing and instructions. Phase 2 is production run, phase 3 would be additional models to suit the longer overhang of 75/77/78 for those wanting rear rocker protection. More pics of our bumper progress here: http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/updated-rear-bumper-pics-was-project-lxxiv.910435/

 

[JSQ]

Poor Prado.

 

[77cruiser77]

Whoa…

 

[A.dean]

Hello, any updates on this LJ78?

 

[NM-Frontier]

^I'll second that, I always liked this truck.:sombrero:

 

[Ray Hyland]

Toyo M-55? I've sort of, in a roundabout way thought of them as the Japanese version of the Michelin XZL/XML/XCL line. Nice, understated sidewall without some animalistic DiggerLUGZ crap. Purportedly very tough. The M-55's are probably most analogous to the XPS, I suppose, with a slightly more aggressive tread pattern.

Just looked these up, fantastic! 85% profiles with 3pms, just what I need for all of my 7 trucks...

 

[redthies]

M55s are great, but very expensive and don't last as long as you'd like. Loggers in BC (maybe even Sunshine Valley) swear by them.

 

[Ray Hyland]

M55s are great, but very expensive and don’t last as long as you’d like. Loggers in BC (maybe even Sunshine Valley) swear by them.

Ha, now that we’ve moved to the city I no longer do my own logging but they are a nice looking tire.
I don’t put that many miles on most of my trucks to worry too much about how long they last.


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