Help & Advice please re;- my HDJ80

[Roger Crocker]

Hi,
I have just acquired my first Cruiser & it needs some tlc, Soggy springs,No difflocks working etc.
It doesn't look as though its ever seen mud before , so I think the locks are probably seized, how easy are they to strip?.
Which Spring kit do I go for?, can anyone on the forum sell me a lift kit?
I will be using the vehicle for some off road fun in the UK, I have a 9500 Superwinch from my last 4x4.
A set of 8X16 rims so will use 33" M/T Tyres and carry a fair bit of kit.
Any advice greatly appreciated, Thankyou
Roger

 

[Chris]

Roger, firstly welcome to the forum and to the joy that is the 80 series.

Now this may amaze you but this isn't the first time these question have been asked. It might be an idea to just get your feet under the table and then search the forum for a bit where the answers to your question lie and then anything outstanding, raise a dedicated thread.

We'd be delighted to help you in your build, but asking this much in an introduction can lead to a very random thread. Many have been before and we've answered all their questions.

First though we'd like some pictures of what you've bought, a bit about yourself and your experiences, how capable you are on the spanners and so forth.

There are some people on here who rebuild engines in their lunch breaks and some who still can't quite grasp the concept of clockwise and anticlockwise.

 

[StarCruiser]

Hi Roger and welcome. As Chris says, it's really worth doing a search for this stuff as there's some really good info on here. Just don't get too distracted and end up turning it into a monster truck ok. Unless your Norwegian of course, when that sort of thing is quite acceptable. It's a really friendly group on here and we all love to see photos and hear your plans and background.

Best wishes

Richard

 

[Roger Crocker]

Hi Roger and welcome. As Chris says, it's really worth doing a search for this stuff as there's some really good info on here. Just don't get too distracted and end up turning it into a monster truck ok. Unless your Norwegian of course, when that sort of thing is quite acceptable. It's a really friendly group on here and we all love to see photos and hear your plans and background.

Best wishes

Richard

Hi again,
Many thanks for your comments, I already know what I want, its just that experience has led me to understand, after spending several hundred pounds on parts, someone will say, You should have bought "this" instead, if it looks like the picture on Chris,s profile, that is about right for me.
Currently I have a 92 reg. 4.2TD 138k, excellent interior but with very tatty original alloys & AT,s fitted, some minor rust issues to the roof area.
Will try some pictures later.

 

[Chris]

Excellent!

The choice of 80 parts is better than it was but it's nothing like the Landie scene. Planning is the real key here. Really work out what you want first. You say you want to off road but carry a fair bit of kit. You do need to factor in what that kit will be and weigh before matching your suspension to it.
Budget is also important. I would say go with EFS suspension and get FNB to spec the right gear for you. But this wouldn't come cheap. The alternative is the usual suspects like OME etc that will cost nearly as much and probably look second hand in 5 minutes flat. Well worth considering Pedders as an option. Factor in the weight of a winch bumper and perhaps a rear bumper for recovery too.

Quite a few kits will give you lift, but they won't give that load capacity and once over the humps and bumps you'll be bottoming out. I wouldn't bother with a body lift really. Just go springs and dampers. 2" is probably enough but DO lower your bump stops. It's a mistake commonly made. Put some 2" box in there to get the stops working as they should or you'll end up munching your body work. If it's a 92 you're probably ion the 15" wheels. You can certainly stick with those and go for some chunky rubber. Or you can move to 16" wheels. Bear in mind you will need more braking effort though if you go up to 33" and you'll doubtless have the smaller brakes.

I went up to 37" on mine but that included reg-earing the diffs to match.

 

[Roger Crocker]

Thankyou for the very prompt reply Chris,
Already sourced some 16" wheels, have a spare set of new 235/85 x16 Goodyear MTRs in the garage from my previous vehicle, a little narrower than planned as would prefer 285/70s but they haven't sold so will probably use them.
I was considering Pedders as OME seemed only to be available at a premium price in the UK.
Just sold a set of OME shocks off my last VW Syncro as it happens.
Ive been off roading for a very long time now, so am now regarded as Vintage

 

[Chris]

235 are slim, but trust me you'll get good grip. I used to run 255.85 and they were awesome. Might want spacers with them though as it will stand very skinny looking. Depends on the off set on your rims of course.

 

[Roger Crocker]

Yes, already planned on spacers anyway but agree with you on width, have this conversation with the wife you can imagine the answer
Whats wrong with your present wheels, they are round, aren,t they

 

[Compact3]

Hi,
I have just acquired my first Cruiser & it needs some tlc, Soggy springs,No difflocks working etc.
It doesn't look as though its ever seen mud before , so I think the locks are probably seized, how easy are they to strip?.
Which Spring kit do I go for?, can anyone on the forum sell me a lift kit?
I will be using the vehicle for some off road fun in the UK, I have a 9500 Superwinch from my last 4x4.
A set of 8X16 rims so will use 33" M/T Tyres and carry a fair bit of kit.
Any advice greatly appreciated, Thankyou
Roger

Hi Roger
You could always contact Julian at 'Overland Cruisers'. Great web site and what he does not know about Land Cruisers is not worth knowing. Excellent workshop, but usually very busy, which is always a good sign. I have recently sold my 80 series to somebody who wanted to drive from Cape Town to Calcutta and he did all the preparing before it was shipped.

John

 

[Garfieldus]

can anyone on the forum sell me a lift kit?

https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/80-series-suspension
https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/efs-suspension-coils-for-an-80-for-sale

 

[clivehorridge]

All good stuff in the above posts.

Welcome to the forum Roger!

I knew nothing when I got my 80 11 years ago. Cris would say I still don't, and I wouldn't argue with him, but its surprising what I have picked up.

I went OME with a 4" lift, and although it cost a fortune, the guy that advised me got everything spot on. He factored in everything, winch bumper, winch, ARB rear wheel carrier bumper, roof rack, probable usage, tools, the lot.

I do a lot of mountain offroad, and the suspension still works as well as when first fitted all those years ago, but Chris J is right when he says the paint looks shabby after only a few months.

Chris B at FNB (Blown 80) will get it right, but it will cost. If you want to keep it long term, it's a worthy investment.

Spend a couple of hours searching and researching on here, you'll end up knowing more than most...