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Beau's official Cruiser Story

Looking good Beau, she sits very proud on those coils.

The fronts, with that pin section between the bottom mounting and the shocker, looks like you could cut and thread it to receive a threaded sleeve, so the height could be adjusted.:think:

Still it doesn't look too high, as long as you've managed to tilt your headlights back down to the road :lol:
 
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That's actually a pretty good idea in regards to that bottom pin section. My initial thoughts about height was that if they say too high I'll remove them, cut off piece and have it welded back. I know there's quite a bit of force on that lower shock piece though so didn't really want to do that.
 
That's actually a pretty good idea in regards to that bottom pin section. My initial thoughts about height was that if they say too high I'll remove them, cut off piece and have it welded back. I know there's quite a bit of force on that lower shock piece though so didn't really want to do that.

Agreed, the threaded sleeve would have to be made from something substantial, but your weakest point will always be the original pin, if done properly.

A 1" adjustment up/down would give you some options to keep it level especially if the rears do sag a bit in time.
 
Height adjustable headlights come as standard Clive . I wouldn't change a thing because i like the nose down go get em look :thumbup:
 
Well with the front sitting so high, the CV's have been looking quite bad and I reckon if I leave the lift on it'll rip the CV's and eventually damage the CV's as well. These shocks allow about 2-3 inches droop over standard stuff which also leads to the top arm ball joint sitting very close to the coil. The CV's don't bind on full droop which is a good thing. At this point, I put a diff drop on as I was getting some bad vibrations through the steering and car itself which the diff drop solved 75%.

So I've done two things. I've shelled out and bought appropriate shocks. The Bilstein 5100's I mentioned earlier in the thread. These set on the highest perch setting has net about 2 inches of lift which is all I wanted. I've let the diff drop on for now as it really can't hurt and all I've added is about a inch spacer to the two middle bolts of the bash guard along with longer bolts. Now I'm just getting some vibrations at around 70-75 mph which I hope a good alignment and wheel balance will solve. More pics to come.
 
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I might not be on the right thread here mate but regarding your slow to start issue . Mines been doing the same and all the way to Romania and back the truck just didn't feel right .

Investigating i found the sensor filter vacuum pipe in the intercooler was split which is not really relevant to you but also when i disconnected the battery my good and clean positive terminal snapped . It was original mrT and i replaced it with the same . She fires and runs like a dream now :cool:

I'm sure the terminal would have passed any inspection and it was secure so i really don't know why it might have affected anything but i feel it surely did , i've had boost leaks in the past so i would have recognized it as a singular problem . It's something to look at anyway :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the input Shayne! I haven't really found the time to update my own thread, but the problem turned out to be the alarm system draining the battery. Initially when I tested for a drain it was with the doors open, bonnet up so I completely overlooked the alarm fob. Then one day the buttons stopped working (as it usually does every 5 years or so) and I started using the key for a while, and noticed no more slow starts in the morning.

Need to investigate further to where exactly the drain is coming from, could be a poor earth somewhere within the system?
 
Long overdue an update! I've since removed those original front shocks because they were too high and led to some front end vibrations. I bought the Bilstien 5100 and set them on the third perch to give me a comfortable 2 inch lift with no vibration issues. I plan to go slightly higher soon with a set of SPC adjustable arms to take care of camber/caster.

Noticed the rear end was a bit bouncy with the 80 series spring, so I threw on some 80 series Toyota shocks and shes perfect now. I have some air bags I bought ages ago that I was going to fit but the shocks do so well I might not bother.

Made some adjustable anti-roll links that are 10 times stronger than OEM. Also got hold of a set of original 16" wheels and gave them a re-spray! Got some 285 75 16 tires lined up for those! Was going to get rid of my catch can thinking it wasn't doing anything until I removed it and realized it was actually half full and actually working, so drained it and put it back in. 15,000 miles yielded about a 250ml of oil caught.

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I used a fine syringe and fed paint into the Toyota symbol very slowly to paint that and then cleared over them. I also used some a silver metallic glitter paint just before the clear to give it that metallic sparkle look in the light on the wheels and caps^


Things I need to do!

- Sort out the rear axle/rust. Would like to remove it completely and do this.
- couple small rust bubbles on the edge of the hood
- Intercooler install
-Exhaust
-DP Chip install (bought already)
- CV re-boot + stretched + Intall of SPC adjustable arms and alignment
- Top strut spacer install
- Extended rear break line
- Possible panhard drop bracket (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/sale-...eimkeith-pck-panhard-correction-kits-$86.html)
- Re-install Sub tank (was removed when truck got shipped over)
- Rear diff lock needs removing/fixing - does not work but actuator is not corroded or rusted.
- Trans sump is sweating, not enough to leak but will need to be removed and new gasket at some point
- Trans mount (as pictured) needs to be replaced.
- Steering rack has the slightest of play internally - think I might just need a new rack at 220k miles.
- Rear bumper lights need to be changed and rear bumper support rust needs to be taken care of.
- Bigger brakes upgrade (Tundra Calipers) at some point as piston seals on current brakes are damaged. + brained lines and DOT 4 fluid.
 
Intall of SPC adjustable arms and alignment

It's time to rebuild my front end (mot gave entirely wrong reasons for to much play in steering) and so i would be tempted to try the SPC arms if i could find some , if you have any suggestions Beau .
 
Whats the reason for play in your system? I don't believe they sell in the UK. This website is pretty genuine and sells them. Not sure how they are on shipping international though.

My dad will be making a trip back to the UK in the summer. If you can wait I can save you some shipping cost. I may also be able to get them a tad cheaper for you through a group buy. It's how I bought one and I think the seller might have some left over. PM me if you want further details on this. I'll most likely get round to installing them in 2-3 weeks time so maybe you want to wait and see how my install and feel goes. From everything I've read they're great, but no many people have actually run them on a collie.
 
I can't imagine why any upper arm might fail Beau if you look at the mechanics of it they endure very little stress .
My interest is solely wheel tracking an alignment and because i've been looking at the cost of replacement bushes V new upper and lower arms weighing up the value in time saved because new bushes come fitted and it's always nice to include an upgrade while its all apart .

The play in my steering is very worn control arm bushes i think if that allows almost an inch of movement before the wheels actually start to turn that it translate to a lot of rotational play at the steering wheel . A front end rebuild should have been the next chapter on this thread https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/kzj90-first-used-may-12th-1998.148004/
 
Little update. New rims and tires - 17x7.5, not sure what they came off but look similar to 120 series rims. Tires are Nitto's 285 70 17, and measure in a touch below 33". And yup, I scored a tyre changer and wheel balancer for a good price and long term investment! Already saved myself couple hundred $$$

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Intercooler is mocked in and brackets made. Now to move onto the pipework. But first I'm on a lookout for a nice TIG machine. Again, another long term investment.


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And I picked up a new project over the weekend!

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Need to get a drop/ Weight distributing hitch now that the trucks lifted. You can see the trailers not sitting leveled.
 
Little update. New rims and tires - 17x7.5, not sure what they came off but look similar to 120 series rims. Tires are Nitto's 285 70 17, and measure in a touch below 33". And yup, I scored a tyre changer and wheel balancer for a good price and long term investment! Already saved myself couple hundred $$$

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Intercooler is mocked in and brackets made. Now to move onto the pipework. But first I'm on a lookout for a nice TIG machine. Again, another long term investment.


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And I picked up a new project over the weekend!

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Need to get a drop/ Weight distributing hitch now that the trucks lifted. You can see the trailers not sitting leveled.
Wheels look great beau
 
Looks fine Beau but i must admit surprise that you have moved away from the low profile tyres so characteristic of your truck .
 
Beau,
From the previous pictures, are those 30mm wheel spacers? Are you still using them with these new wheel setup?

Jim
 
Looks fine Beau but i must admit surprise that you have moved away from the low profile tyres so characteristic of your truck .

Long term plan is to set the truck up for overlanding Shayne, and whilst a 20" setup can work, some of the places I would like to go like Moab Utah, higher sidewalls are just better. Running a 10ply tire is not great though, these things weigh a ton! But finding P rates or lower load range tires can be a challenge. On the plus side, they're really tough.

Jim, yes they're 30mm and am using them with the new wheels. They sit flush with the arch which I actually prefer than sticking out. The truck stays cleaner longer and will protect the body from stone chips and wear which I was starting to see with my old -55 offset setup
 
They sit flush with the arch which I actually prefer than sticking out
:thumbup: likewise here, I want the threads flushed with the wheel arches edge with just a little bit of the sidewalls sticking out. Maybe that 30mm would do it, just needing to find a store that will allow a trial fit. Would you know the offset of these new wheels please?

Thanks Beau,
Jim
 
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I think they're about 25-30mm positive offset
 
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