RockyMtnFamily
Explorer
A year and a half ago I sold my old 4 wheeling rig, a mildly built Toyota T100 truck with a small 2" lift, solid rear locker and 33" tires. I no longer had the time to keep up with replacing the ball joints as I was caring for my wife and children during her battle with Leukemia.
I told myself that I would replace it with another rig someday. In the meantime I started to collect parts for my 1982 Toyota Mini Truck that I had purchased years earlier for $250.
Following my wife's battle with cancer coming to an end, my thoughts turned again to a capable backcountry vehicle for the children and I. My 11 year old son loves the Jeep Wranglers and would point them out to me wherever we went. I found a 1999 Wrangler for a good price and was set to purchase it, then the owner backed out the night before I was to go get it.
So with that, my thoughts turned to other SUVs. I considered the Jeep Cherokees as they are easy to modify and I had built one in the past. With 5 children and my son a ways away from driving yet, I had to get the clan into one vehicle. With that in mind I started looking at Toyota Landcruisers. The FJ80 series were all selling for a premium and the FJ100 series were a few thousand $$ more. I went back and forth on which to go with, knowing that I would have to put money into a FJ80 to get the mechanical condition up to spec. I spent months browsing the internet for my next vehicle. The day before a planned weekend trip to Idaho, I found a 1996 FZJ80 series Landcruiser in Salt Lake with 155,000 miles for $3900. I took my truck with me and checked it out. When I climbed into the drivers seat and saw the magic dial for the electronic lockers on the dash, I knew it had to be mine. After taking it for a drive to check things out and some negotiating, I shook hands and exchanged cash with the owner and went off to Uhaul in search of a car trailer. A few days later I was headed back to Colorado with the FZJ80 in tow.
Once home, I began spending more time on the Land Cruiser sites, planning out my next modifications. In the meantime, I replaced the brake booster, flushed the radiator, replaced some sensors, the battery and a cracked windshield. The previous owner paid to have the front axle seals and bearings replaced as part of our deal. This is a picture in my back yard before the lift:
I ordered Old Man Emu heavy springs for the front and mediums for the rear along with the other parts that come with that kit. Once the parts started coming in, I tore into things. Fortunately for me, this vehicle spent a lot of time in Texas before being sent to Utah. I was able to get all the bolts off without cursing, skinning my knuckles or breaking any bolts. Once I was all done, I took some measurements and was able to fit some 35" tires on it. Here I am, parked nose to nose with a co worker's stock FJ80:
I went back to the off-road shop before getting the alignment done so I could check out my articulation and make sure the tires did not rub. I reasoned that I could always throw some spring spacers on if I rubbed the fender wells. It turns out that I did not need to add spacers as the tires tucked into the fender wells quite nicely. Here are some pictures, not quite at full stuff:
The tire was 1/2" from rubbing on a bolt in this picture:
Front Passenger side:
As it sits, I am still waiting for a nice day to remove the side steps and weld up some mounting plates to my rock sliders. I am waiting on another supplier to make a batch of transmission/transfer case skid plates so I can protect the underside. I will also get rid of the tail light guards and the front brush guard (damage multiplier) to make room for a rear swing out bumper and front bumper with brush guard. I have nearly doubled my investment in this, but am confident it will last for many years of back country exploring.
I told myself that I would replace it with another rig someday. In the meantime I started to collect parts for my 1982 Toyota Mini Truck that I had purchased years earlier for $250.
Following my wife's battle with cancer coming to an end, my thoughts turned again to a capable backcountry vehicle for the children and I. My 11 year old son loves the Jeep Wranglers and would point them out to me wherever we went. I found a 1999 Wrangler for a good price and was set to purchase it, then the owner backed out the night before I was to go get it.
So with that, my thoughts turned to other SUVs. I considered the Jeep Cherokees as they are easy to modify and I had built one in the past. With 5 children and my son a ways away from driving yet, I had to get the clan into one vehicle. With that in mind I started looking at Toyota Landcruisers. The FJ80 series were all selling for a premium and the FJ100 series were a few thousand $$ more. I went back and forth on which to go with, knowing that I would have to put money into a FJ80 to get the mechanical condition up to spec. I spent months browsing the internet for my next vehicle. The day before a planned weekend trip to Idaho, I found a 1996 FZJ80 series Landcruiser in Salt Lake with 155,000 miles for $3900. I took my truck with me and checked it out. When I climbed into the drivers seat and saw the magic dial for the electronic lockers on the dash, I knew it had to be mine. After taking it for a drive to check things out and some negotiating, I shook hands and exchanged cash with the owner and went off to Uhaul in search of a car trailer. A few days later I was headed back to Colorado with the FZJ80 in tow.
Once home, I began spending more time on the Land Cruiser sites, planning out my next modifications. In the meantime, I replaced the brake booster, flushed the radiator, replaced some sensors, the battery and a cracked windshield. The previous owner paid to have the front axle seals and bearings replaced as part of our deal. This is a picture in my back yard before the lift:
I ordered Old Man Emu heavy springs for the front and mediums for the rear along with the other parts that come with that kit. Once the parts started coming in, I tore into things. Fortunately for me, this vehicle spent a lot of time in Texas before being sent to Utah. I was able to get all the bolts off without cursing, skinning my knuckles or breaking any bolts. Once I was all done, I took some measurements and was able to fit some 35" tires on it. Here I am, parked nose to nose with a co worker's stock FJ80:
I went back to the off-road shop before getting the alignment done so I could check out my articulation and make sure the tires did not rub. I reasoned that I could always throw some spring spacers on if I rubbed the fender wells. It turns out that I did not need to add spacers as the tires tucked into the fender wells quite nicely. Here are some pictures, not quite at full stuff:
The tire was 1/2" from rubbing on a bolt in this picture:
Front Passenger side:
As it sits, I am still waiting for a nice day to remove the side steps and weld up some mounting plates to my rock sliders. I am waiting on another supplier to make a batch of transmission/transfer case skid plates so I can protect the underside. I will also get rid of the tail light guards and the front brush guard (damage multiplier) to make room for a rear swing out bumper and front bumper with brush guard. I have nearly doubled my investment in this, but am confident it will last for many years of back country exploring.
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