PFRAN's UZJ100 (2002 Land Cruiser 100 Series)
- Thread starter pfran42
- Start date
pfran42
Observer
I actually traded the white one for the one I have now. I think a guy on Mud has it now.
pfran42
Observer
On with the mods! Although 100s are very durable and robust vehicles, they are not without fault. On pre-2003 UZJ's, many owners have reported exhaust leaks on the manifolds. This manifests as a ticking noise when the vehicle is first started and can be rather embarrassing. The good folks at Dough Thorley Headers (http://dougthorleyheaders.com/) have developed a set of aftermarket headers that remedy the situation as well as provided a substantial increase in HP and torque at higher RPMs. Headers appear well-made using ceramic coated 304 grade stainless steel.
Installing these requires disconnecting the engine mounts on the driver's side and raising the engine approximately 2". I am still debating on whether or not I want to tackle this alone.
In other news, I had a Russian friend in town last weekend and after seeing the Cruiser, he asked if he could drive it. We went and played around on some power lines that are north of my house:
Finally, I started a website for the LED interior kits that I have been selling for around a year on Mud. I wanted more usable light in the cabin for camping trips and night time trail repairs but was not satisfied with the available offerings at the time. I spent a few months sourcing components and setting up distribution and spun off a small business on the side. I still have a lot of work to do on the site but at least people can order the LED kits now without having to join the forum it started on!
www.pfranleds.com
Installing these requires disconnecting the engine mounts on the driver's side and raising the engine approximately 2". I am still debating on whether or not I want to tackle this alone.
In other news, I had a Russian friend in town last weekend and after seeing the Cruiser, he asked if he could drive it. We went and played around on some power lines that are north of my house:
Finally, I started a website for the LED interior kits that I have been selling for around a year on Mud. I wanted more usable light in the cabin for camping trips and night time trail repairs but was not satisfied with the available offerings at the time. I spent a few months sourcing components and setting up distribution and spun off a small business on the side. I still have a lot of work to do on the site but at least people can order the LED kits now without having to join the forum it started on!
www.pfranleds.com
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pfran42
Observer
Something awesome came in the mail this week.
I had trouble taking a picture of it in it's full glory
I was going to wait until the roof rack got here before installing but curiosity got the best of me and I rigged something up using my Yakima cross bars.
I will do a full write up after the roof rack arrives.
I had trouble taking a picture of it in it's full glory
I was going to wait until the roof rack got here before installing but curiosity got the best of me and I rigged something up using my Yakima cross bars.
I will do a full write up after the roof rack arrives.
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ChuckB
Expedition Leader
The led bar looks slick!
When you get a chance please post your 100 in the The-ExPo-100-Series-Registry
When you get a chance please post your 100 in the The-ExPo-100-Series-Registry
pfran42
Observer
Thanks guys!
The wait for the roof rack is over! Yesterday, my Front Runner Slimline Wind Cheetah 2.2m aluminum roof rack arrived. These racks are the real deal and are constructed in South Africa for people who like driving around in the jungle chasing down monkeys and lions. Paul May at Equipt (http://www.equipt1.com/) was very pleasant to work with and provided excellent support during pre-sales as well as when I had an install question. Shipping was fast too!
First impressions are that it is a very well-made and tight fitting rack. It is a lot larger than I expected and almost completely covers up the roof on the 100. I like the fact that it will easily accommodate a roof-top tent and still leave plenty of room for jerry cans, and a bag or two. Another cool feature is the slotted rail design. Front Runner makes a number of accessories such as jerry can holders, kayak holders, etc., that can bolt directly to the slotted rails without the need to drill holes all over the place. I plan on drilling for the high-lift, shovel and ax mounts but for tie-downs and such, I am very pleased that I can add/remove mounting points as I see fit.
Next project: Mount 50 inch LED light bar in a manner that preserves the roof rack as the highest point on the vehicle. Any ideas on how to go about this?
The wait for the roof rack is over! Yesterday, my Front Runner Slimline Wind Cheetah 2.2m aluminum roof rack arrived. These racks are the real deal and are constructed in South Africa for people who like driving around in the jungle chasing down monkeys and lions. Paul May at Equipt (http://www.equipt1.com/) was very pleasant to work with and provided excellent support during pre-sales as well as when I had an install question. Shipping was fast too!
First impressions are that it is a very well-made and tight fitting rack. It is a lot larger than I expected and almost completely covers up the roof on the 100. I like the fact that it will easily accommodate a roof-top tent and still leave plenty of room for jerry cans, and a bag or two. Another cool feature is the slotted rail design. Front Runner makes a number of accessories such as jerry can holders, kayak holders, etc., that can bolt directly to the slotted rails without the need to drill holes all over the place. I plan on drilling for the high-lift, shovel and ax mounts but for tie-downs and such, I am very pleased that I can add/remove mounting points as I see fit.
Next project: Mount 50 inch LED light bar in a manner that preserves the roof rack as the highest point on the vehicle. Any ideas on how to go about this?
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spressomon
Expedition Leader
Paul,
Your FR is sitting back farther than mine. I assume you checked the clearance between the rack and the rear wind spoiler when the hatch is raised?
Your FR is sitting back farther than mine. I assume you checked the clearance between the rack and the rear wind spoiler when the hatch is raised?
yeti_in_ga
SE Expedtion Society
looks great ! I am shooting for the July 13 to make the run to CO. ( but if gas keeps going up, might have to fly )
pfran42
Observer
I had it in test mode for the pics. Plan was to remove the rear spoiler and get it as far back as possible, then align and final fitment. I got the spoiler off but the spoiler mounts will not come off. bottom bolts come right out but the top ones just spin. Like the nutserts are striped.
I need to get a RTT then!
As for the build, I played around with the front of the rack today trying to figure the best way to mount the 50 inch LED light bar while at the same time keeping the roof rack as the highest point on the vehicle. I got something rigged up using two Front Runner light brackets, a 52 inch piece of extruded aluminum and a bunch of grade 8.8 hardware but when I mounted everything, there was way too much vibration. I am thinking of just taking the truck to a metal fabricator and just telling them what I need.
In other news, I finally broke down and did a mod I have been wanting to do for a long time. I typically don't do things to the rig that are non-functional but this is one of the few exceptions.
Before:
After:
These are Depo brand clear corners and the quality is a little off compared to OEM but hey, I like 'em! This was the first time ordering from Specter Off Road and although I have heard a few less than positive things about them in the past, I had a good customer experience.
You can find the clear corners here:
http://www.sor.com/sor/cat801i.tam?...tem-pdb=product.tdb&priorcase=main&uu=7971073
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