Aussie spec LJ71

[Reddave]

Toyota LJ 71, 1985

This is my new toy, picking it up tonight, it was previously being used as a promotional vehicle for a tyre business that is now closed, their loss is my gain!!

Heres the Modification list:
From front to rear
Custom bar with tow hitches
D/lights
Brush bars
2" body lift
2" suspension lift
3.8 Commodore V6 eco tech
Diff breathers on firewall
Safari snorkel
Leaking power stearing box LOL
Sliders/Steps
Front sway bar removed
Racing seats with full harnesses and lap/sash belts
Cup holders
UHF & 3 handhelds
Manual thermo fan switch
Compressor/ tank
Twin batteries
Bunnings flares
Drawer system
Rear bar
rear tow hitch
Front and rear Richmond Auto Lockers

Mods to come:
Internal cage
35" tyres
Fit beadlocks I have in the shed at home
Make a new rear bar for it with a swingaway to suit a 35" tyre and jerry cans
Remove front auto locker and fit an ARB locker

Anyway, enough with the text, heres the pics:




It doesn't come on the 35" tyres pictured, just 31" tyres to pass RWC (MOT equivalant)

 

[froggy Steve]

nice one! have fun with the rest of the mods

 

[Ben]

Awesome!

Looks great Dave.

 

[Reddave]

Well was an eventful night, picked up around 7:30pm, got 20 minutes down the road and the death wobbles were ridiculous. Decided to park it up and get a tandem to take it home. The joys of being on the outskirts is that the nearest trailer was nearly half an hour away

Got the trailer and headed back up, towed the thing to my work so I can inspect it tomorrow. I'm suspecting panhard bushes, seems to be a lot of movement between the body and chassis, hopefully not a torn body mount!!!

Before anyone says anything, it's an old car that I knew needed work, it has been driven 3 times in the last 18 months.


I'll get some pics for you guys tomorrow of how it sits.

 

[Reddave]

Had a look this morning, found caster bushes torn, panhard rod bushes u/s and all the tie rods need repacing, I'll replace all of those parts and that should be a good start in sorting out the wobbles


Anyways heres some pics as it sits at the moment:

 

[Pat]

I had a couple of new commodores with v6's Go like stink but problems ,give me a Toyota 1kzt anytime

 

[Ben]

Sorry to hear about your initial problems Dave.

Truck looks good though and should drive great with all those bits replaced. I'm hoping mine will drive a bit better with all the new tierod ends fitted that I've just bought.

 

[Reddave]

I had a couple of new commodores with v6's Go like stink but problems ,give me a Toyota 1kzt anytime

I already have a diesel tourer, this is just a cheap fun toy

Sorry to hear about your initial problems Dave.

Truck looks good though and should drive great with all those bits replaced. I'm hoping mine will drive a bit better with all the new tierod ends fitted that I've just bought.

It's all good, when you buy a 30 year old car you have to expect that things will be wrong with it. All part of the game!!!

Pulled all the stickers off today, tightened the bolts holding the steering coupling as there was about 10mm of movement side to side on the steering wheel




Ordered all 4 tie rods so I can replace them all at once, struggling to find rubber bushes from any of my suppliers in Australia at the moment, hopefully get some good leads on Monday

 

[Pat]

Good luck if I had the time I would like a fun truck too.be good for going up our west coast beaches for fun and fishing.

 

[Reddave]

Removed all the tie rod ends and replaced 3 of them, I had been supplied the wrong one so couldn't finish doing the job.

Found the steering arms to have small bends in them so made some measurements and gave the old tie rods to a mate of mine who has an engineering shop so he can make me some solid chromoly steering arms and throw away the hollow factory ones.

Ordered my caster bushes and panhard bushes, that's tomorrow's job

 

[Ben]

Great work.

Chromoly steering arms will be cool.

 

[Reddave]

Started working on the front suspension yesterday, pulled the panhard out, yep, bush has definitely had it


Then pulled out the radius arms and attempted to press them out, my little 10 tonner wasn't going to get them out, took them up to my local pedders suspension to use their press. Their 30 tonne press nearly maxxed out but they got them out for me


Had a bit of a drama lining up the radius bush on the chassis end, didn't have enough hands to push the car back and put the bush, washer and bolt in place.
This morning I had one of my workmates help me out to finish it off. Aligned it and took it for a test drive. It's like a new car!!!

 

[Reddave]

Great work.

Chromoly steering arms will be cool.

Want some Ben? I'll get some photos once mine are done and you can have a look, if you're still at Piranha, you aren't far from me at all, I'm in Ferntree Gully at the end of Dorset road

 

[Ben]

Must drive heaps better now with the new bushes!

Want some Ben? I'll get some photos once mine are done and you can have a look, if you're still at Piranha, you aren't far from me at all, I'm in Ferntree Gully at the end of Dorset road

Thanks Dave.

Yes I might be interested, although since strengthening mine I've never bent one since.

http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forums/entry.php/6-70-Series-Strengthened-Steering-Bar

I didnt realize your so close, give me a shout if you want to go for a drive some time.

 

[Reddave]

Drives like a new car, just need to sort out the handbrake and it's good for RWC, get the thing registered in my name and start adding stuff!!!

Got 16 inch beadlocks and some 35" tyres to go on, fit my winch and get a cage in it. Then I'm ready for a drive

 

[Reddave]

Passed RWC this morning, went and transferred into my name this morning. Let the fun begin!!!

 

[Ben]

 

[Reddave]

Bought some summer tyres today, 315/75 16 procomp muddies. For what I paid for them I couldn't even buy the rims so these will do until winter

 

[Reddave]

Fitted a radio and a switch panel today, fitted one speaker but ran out of daylight and my neighbours aren't a fan of my angle grinder.

Also fitted my winch, low mount Warn XD9000. Just need to get a solenoid so I can wire it up and spool my rope on

 

[Ben]

Its looking good Dave.