Toyotie, part 6: About Those Mods…

Toyota OEM 31-tooth speedometer gear

If you follow my blog for the hiking & backpacking posts, thanks for bearing with me as we return to the roots of this site with all the offroad vehicle posts. There are still a lot of those to come but next up will be a trip report and gallery from our backpacking trip to Angel Island during San Francisco’s Fleet Week celebrations.

Moving right along to the latest Toyotie post, I figured I should get into a little detail about the mods I had in mind. If the 4×4 magazines in this country are any indication – and I believe that they are – Americans are pretty much obsessed with modifying and “accessorizing” their rides. So I’ve taken the last version I had of the “Plan A” build plan, given it a quick edit, and listed it below.

As you can see, the list items aren’t written in stone. The very first item was the tires, with three different types listed as potential options, and with some uncertainty as to tire size. I think I would have been happy with any of these options, in a 33×10 or 33×12.5 size.

My original plan was to move the winch from the Jeep to the Land Cruiser. But the Warn x8000i wasn’t ideal because of the 8,000lb. rating, which under the right conditions would stall under the load that is the Land Cruiser. Instead, I opted for the Warn VR12000, a much more powerful winch that was designed for the occasional user like me. It’s still backed by Warn’s full warranty and seems like a quality product.

Warn VR12000 winch

You can see from the list that there are a lot of mods listed, even though I consider this a moderately conservative list. There’s a lot of time (and dollars) involved in the research, sourcing, ordering and installation of these components. Luckily, several of the items are inexpensive and many of them can be installed in a matter of minutes. A good example are the interior LEDs which I prefer because of their low current drain. I’ve had a vehicle door left ajar overnight and woke up the next day to a flat battery. I prefer to avoid those sort of surprises, especially out on the trail!

At the bottom of Plan A the list changes somewhat. Instead of a list of likely purchases, it’s more like a “to do” list of questions that need answers. These are things I need to research, and then make the appropriate decisions. The earlier in the process, the more of these questions there are, and I find I need to keep a list to remember them all.

It should be noted that this is still not a canonical list. Some things I think of and purchase before they ever make the list. Often these are little things I rely on having, like spare fuses, a coin holder, seatbelt locking buckles, a tire pressure gauge, road flares, etc. Not to mention moving my trekking poles, SAR placard, stuff-sack rain jacket & pants, and some other things over from the Jeep.

Most of the sub-projects like the tool and kitchen kits are missing from this list, although they are something I work on in parallel. Those are coming together on their own, over time. I’ve also noticed that some things I have been working on, like finding the right nut for the Hi-Lift jack mount, have been slow to complete, partly because I keep forgetting about them. Those things should really go on the list with the rest.

Once I’ve decided to go ahead and make a purchase, it’s time to shop around for that item. Price is a prime consideration, but not the only one. Other considerations include the supplier (Do I know them? Do I like and/or respect them?), product availability, shipping costs, taxes, etc. As an example, there are many dealers who offer the ARB winch bumper. Total price is certainly a consideration, and shipping for this beast is a bigger part of the cost than usual. In my case, I was able to save about a hundred bucks by combining the bumper and auxiliary gas tank into a single shipment rather than separate deliveries.

Some parts deliveries are bigger than others.

THE “PLAN A” BUILD LIST:

1. Five BFG AT KO LT285/75R-16 (~33”) tires. Or BFG AT KO LT315/75R-16. Or ProComp Xtreme AT. Should get this done before doing the rest.
2. OME 2.5” lift kit – heavy duty version both ends?
3. ARB Deluxe (winch) front bumper. Need winch spacer? – think not. (insert Warn x8000i). Leave off side rock guard bar things.
4. Slee Rear bumper with tire carrier. Or 4×4 Labs w/ tire carrier and jerry can holder.
5. Man-a-fre Long Range aux 24G fuel tank.
6. ARB lockers & compressor, if needed (3 switches: compressor, rear locker, front locker)
7. Safari snorkel. Compressor for OBA if lockers not needed.
8. Remove running boards if needed. Add front mud flaps if possible to obtain. Axle breather extensions if needed.
9. Speedo correction gear, 31 tooth
10. Center diff lock switch

Phase 1.1

1. Install Yaesu if can find spot, otherwise other, external speaker & antenna
2. Install Cobra 75WXST, external speaker & antenna
3. Baja Rack 80 series. Or INTI rack if can find. Or ?
4. FAK
5. Fire Extinguisher – identify mount point
6. Flashlight(s)
7. Rear worklight
8. iPad & mount
9. QwikFists for roof rack, if compatible.
10. Odyssey btty. Dual btty setup?
11. Jerry can carrier if needed
12. Rear interior cargo net attachment points
13. Factory service manual for appropriate year(s)
14. Mount for iPhone
15. Window shade
16. Cargo area mat
17. Masterpull 100’ yellow winch rope & hawse fairlead for winch
18. Interior LEDs
19. Backup LEDs

Phase 2.0

1. Lights, front x4.
2. Mount video camera?
3. Accessory terminal block
4. Scangauge?
5. Tire chains
6. Tow hitch if needed?

Questions:

1. Heavy duty version of 2.5” lift right way to go?
2. Re-gear necessary? – should be ok
3. Which ARB compressor? New dual model is expensive.
4. LR fuel tank: issues, smog, etc.
5. Need extended brake lines or other components for lift?

Other things

1. Review mounting of Thule roof carrier & bag on Baja Rack.
2. Consider Icom 706 MkII? G?
3. Hi Lift Jack mounts to tire carrier?
4. Check rear window tint.
5. Water system?
6. Dual-battery setup?

Hawse fairlead from Slee Offroad. Not crazy about the logo which seems to have escaped the 1970s.

If you have any questions about items on the list, please feel free to reply below.