GCRAD1's ADV80

[GCRad1]

Adv80 touches dirt!!!

THE ADV80 FINALLY TOUCHES DIRT!!!

While it was not a full-blown off-road test... I never really left the road... I did get to put my truck on some dirt two-track public road for a little while recently! The rig felt great! I think I was more excited just putting the rig on any kind of dirt and its great to have All Wheel Drive back! I got to put it in 4L for a small section so that was cool too! It was maybe 15-miles worth of dirt road to loosen anything that might loosen so we will call it a simi-shakedown. It's a daily driver and has been driven a few hundred miles since all the work. So far - so good without issue and or new rattles!

But this little trip was not even about my truck as it was a "work jaunt" and this was the only image snapped of the ADV80. The ADV80 is just a work-horse.

The reason for the little trip is its photo-shoot time at work; studio photos are done and that means we get to go outside and shoot the outside stuff! No, the Land Cruiser is not our product, I work for Axial R/C Inc and we have new product coming towards the end of the year. There is a nice little creek here to test launch R/C canoes! A nice cliff here to launch R/C hang gliders too! Lots of work to do!!!

:REOutArchery02:

 

[yodaTEQ]

Your rig is looking good Rodney. Thanks for keeping us up to date on your build thread. It was also good to put a face to the name last Saturday morning at Cars and Coffee.

Frank

 

[NM-Frontier]

Your 80 is looking great. Love the wheels. So when are we going to see a R/C 80? That would be sweet!:sombrero:

 

[brentbba]

What a great build thread!

I'd have warned you off Laguna Viejo Auto and Harry! They royally f'ed up a simple tune up on my 80 by nearly ripping my intake tube almost completely apart...and didn't tell me about it when I picked her up!!! Truck stalled several times on the way home. All Harry mentioned was a small crack (LOL!) in the intake tube and I should get it replaced. Yes, it was the original one and old, but when I took it off, there was a scant 1/4" holding the entire tube together inside one of the flex areas! No wonder the truck died with so much air!!! I would NEVER, NEVER, EVER take a vehicle of any kind back there again!

 

[GCRad1]

My '92 ADV80 made it onto the TJM FaceBook page as I stopped in to visit with TJM North America the other week.

TJM North America went out and bought their own 1992 80-Series days later and prepped it just in time for Off-Road EXPO and SEMA.

Now I have a another 3FE slow lane friend!!!


Check them out:
TJM NORTH AMERICA FACEBOOK PAGE LINK

 

[GCRad1]

On Any Sunday...

My other passion from the ADV80 is dirt bikes and this past weekend I took my daughters to Wildomar OHV Park to get in a little riding.

I actually found the ExPo forum from the good folks at ADVrider.com as I had a couple of bikes going on over there prior to having the Land Cruiser. That forum is super awesome for those who are not the hard freestyle types to supercross race types as ADVrider.com is all about the ADVENTURE of motorcycles. So when I got the Land Cruiser, I wanted a forum for the four wheels that was as much like ADVrider.com as possible. They gave me a few options that included the Expedition Portal.

Why the dual bike hauler instead of a trailer? I live in a townhome and do not have a place or want to deal with a place to park a trailer.


So, Sunday was a good day!!!

Dirt biking with my daughters at Wildomar OHV Park as that is the closest place to dirt from my house. It's good prep for desert riding and the season is upon us!

 

[mattafact]

Those look like Tundra steelies. Are you running wheel spacers?

 

[GCRad1]

No, no wheel spacers on the steelies. If you are wondering...


At the back of the vehicle I did notice this bracket that is hanging off the bottom of the frame and running close to the tire... This is on the driver side of the vehicle.


On the passenger side of the vehicle is another bracket that I will obviously not be able to remove...

I think I know what you are looking for with your question...

I did a bunch of wheeling in Johnson Valley during King of the Hammers and was loaded down pretty good and it seems the wheel touched the frame a couple of times but nothing of any major issue. So I am not as worried about it now as I was previously. I will still be keeping an eye on it as I was doing work out their and not playing around and putting the ADV80 in any compromising situations. More to come...

 

[NM-Frontier]

Thanks for an update! Just went back and read your whole build and have to say you have done a great job with your FJ80. Great write up and pictures. I love the work you did with the sound deadening and heat shields. What are your impressions with the 4.88s and the 315s after some time driving on the road?

 

[r3run33]

hello with the bike carrier any vibrations from having 2 bikes on there?? I had a single carrier a few years ago for a street bike (wit very little fuel the bike was about 330 lb) what hitch are you using and whats the tongue weight???

 

[The_Dude]

hello with the bike carrier any vibrations from having 2 bikes on there?? I had a single carrier a few years ago for a street bike (wit very little fuel the bike was about 330 lb) what hitch are you using and whats the tongue weight???

X2

 

[GCRad1]

I have had no "vibrations" from hauling the bikes and or any "vibrations" associated with the hitch and or hauling anything...not that I have hauled anything other than the bikes.


The hitch I am using is a UHAUL model that I picked up from a guy who was parting out a 80-Series a couple of years ago.
I have flat blacked over the label but you can still make out the Max Tongue Weight: 750lbs.



It rides really good with the weight on the rig!

X2

 

[GCRad1]

Should have gone or should not have gone... the great debate 4:88 vs 4:56

Hello NM-Frontier,

Re-edit: 4:88 VS. 5:26's not 4:56. DOHHH!

Thank you for your comments and question about the gears. I'm really happy with the set-up, but in the back corner of my mind I wonder what it would have been like if I had gone with the lower ratio of 4:56's. I know while I was getting all of the gearing installed at Yotamasters I too brought this up and they showed me the difference.

I wish I had taken better photos to show the difference. On the left is the 4:88 and on the right is the 5:26. Maybe you can make it out, but the thickness of the individual teeth are thicker on the 4:88 vs the 5:26. Per talking again with Eric of Yotamasters, I deducted from this is that I could have gone with the 5:26 as both of these units are over-built. Yes, 4:88's are stronger on paper, but for the job of use in the Land Cruiser, even the 5:26 is overbuilt.

BUT, I know a lot of people side on the 4:88 due to perceived strength over 5:26's. Same time, we are overlanding not crawling so, I think I could have gone that way ESPECIALLY with the 3FE motor. I had already made my decision so it was no turning back at this point. 4:88 got me back to stock gearing ratio. If ever I take the 4" lift out and go to a 2.5" lift and reduce the tire size down to a 33" - I think the 4:88's will put me at the ideal spot - specifically for the 3FE engine that only comes in the 1991-1992 Land Cruisers. I just rode in my buddies 1996-7 Land Cruiser this weekend and that was a big mistake! hehehehe He has motor! And it is factory stock!!! He has gone with the same size tires and I know for a fact that 4:88 will be just perfect for his rig!!! Hope this help! Same time, call and visit Yotamasters before you do anything!!! Eric can show you the details of what I am talking about. Give them a call as they have done quite a few Land Cruisers!

www.yotamasters.com
1336 W Sixth St
Corona, CA 92882
(951) 279-0220

 

[GCRad1]

Tire Rotation Time - USE ALL FIVE TIRES!!!

Man-o-man I have some catching up to do!!!

Ok, time to do a little work on the ADV80.

It's tire rotation time!

How many of us actually use the fifth tire or spare tire to extend the life of the four tires being used? Tired of having an odd freshy? Or one that is the new, but is now a leftover from the other four, that is if you are switching tread patterns...

My buddy Randall Davis, co-worker at Axial and RD Adventures blogger showed me his five tire rotational pattern to put that spare tire into rotational use and extend the overall miles!!!

I'm a little behind on doing my rotation as these tires went on at 211,817 miles
on Sept 1, 2012 putting me 1,800 and change over my desired 3,000 mile mark.

I plan on rotating these tires every three thousand miles so with 216,635 miles now on the clock, 219,600 miles next target rotation. Simple math really...

Now for the fun part:

Limited funds means more work with budget tools, like with the factory jacks VS. a nice big shop style floor jack. Dare you say a cheapo Harbor Freight one. I hate to spend money on cheap tools and I will usually go without only to make more work for myself! But rotate we must!

The barrel jack on the right is from my Land Cruiser and the scissor jack is from the wife vehicle. With the 34" Falken Wild Peaks, I needed some wood to get the jacks off the ground enough to lift the tires off enough so I could rotate them. Going to have to add this wood into my daily hauled EDC kit! Could use for emergency fire if it cracks... hehehe

Yes, I give the wood some thought about it cracking... I lifted the front first and use the two heavy duty jack stands as this side of the vehicle is the heaviest.
Friends... My buddy has my two other stands! I need to go get those from him!

Still running the full size 34" spare in the rear cargo area as it does not fit in the underneath stock location and I have yet sorted my rear bumper / tire hauler.

I measure just how tall my rig sits now on the 34" tires with 4" TJM lift springs. Seven foot one inch to the top of the rack.

And the ADV80 is off to work as a photo stand for daughters science project...

 

[GCRad1]

4-Weeks rolls by and another rotation!

Four weeks later and 3,000 miles already have gone by! Time to rotate the Falken Wild Peaks AGAIN!
Three trips to Johnson Valley in those four weeks will do that. Two trips for work and one for play.

So when I got home after work I did a repeat of the previous post. I am determined to get as much use out of all 5-tires as possible!