FJROHRS Lexus LX Build

fjrohrs

Adventurer
Hello all,

Wanted to introduce myself and my somewhat new-to-me Lexus. Picked it up in November of 2011 from a Mud member in Arizona sight unseen. Drove it home 1,200 miles without a hitch over the rest of the weekend. First impressions were that the suspension was a bit stiff, ride height was huge, and power was a little lacking.

Hanging out at home with the FJ
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Items installed when I purchased it were as follows:
> ARB lockers front and rear
> 4.88's
> Custom front bumper
> Custom rear bumper
> 315/75/16 BFG AT's
> Safari snorkel
> SLEE 6" lift
> Custom rear box for spare

Items I've added/removed since purchase:
> Trashed the rear tire box
> ARB front winch bumper
> 4x4Labs double swing-out rear w/ high-lift holder
> Both bumpers went to scrap as they were not to my liking
> Maxxtraxx recovery gear added to the rear end

Yet to be installed/purchased:
> Winch (8k winch on FJ is not powerful enough)
> Tires - Toyo MT's will replace at least 4 of the current BFG's as they are somewhat warn or beat up
> Dual battery from the FJ moved over

I've been lusting over the 80 series for a little over a year now so as soon as I purchased it was necessary to get out and use it. The first trip was to Disney, OK which is the overflow of a dam. Lots of water on the day we went out but it was a good shakedown run and learning experience. The overall dimensions are similar to that of the FJ but there are some things to note. The hood is wickedly long (it seems) and the rear end is definitely hanging way out there.

Broken rear bumper (poor build quality)
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to be continued...
 

Airmonger

Adventurer
Me likey! It looks like they spent some time to remove the plastic cladding off the sides. Someday I want to do that to my LX. I remember the first time i drove an 80. The first thought in my head was about the long hood as well, thats funny.
 

fjrohrs

Adventurer
Me likey! It looks like they spent some time to remove the plastic cladding off the sides. Someday I want to do that to my LX. I remember the first time i drove an 80. The first thought in my head was about the long hood as well, thats funny.

Removing the fender flares does nothing for looks (for me anyway) but it does make one less thing to get hung up on the trail. The tires on stock rims just barely stick out past the edge of the fenders but not enough to spray mud and water down the sides of the truck.

As far as what to use when coating the side of the vehicle I would stay away from Rhino Lining. The PO used it and while it looks pretty good from far away the texture is goopy and it's thin and brittle. Black is not my favorite color so I've been thinking about trying out some colored linex to replace the old lining.
 

fjrohrs

Adventurer
Continued...

The next big trip was back to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl featuring Stanford versus Oklahoma State. As an alumni of Oklahoma State it's been a fun ride watching as our football program continues to clime and our basketball team continues to fall. This trip was to cover nearly 2300 miles over the course of 5 days with stops to stay the night in Flagstaff, AZ and Glendale, AZ. Having been through Colorado a few times I am a huge fan of pine trees and mountains. There is just something about them that really get me excited about seeing new places.

Beautiful road just outside of Flagstaff
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The Grand Canyon was a cliche stop but it was fun nevertheless. Beautiful views and lots and lots of wind! Waiting on a bathroom break an older Chinese woman came up to me with a series of Chinese characters written on a piece of paper. It's times like this that I feel completely useless to help as much as I'd like to. She wanted to know something but I was both too stupid and dense to comprehend it. Hopefully she did find someone that could help her on her way.

Giant ditch
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Needless to say in a thriller Oklahoma State won the Fiesta Bowl which was our first ever BCS victory. Something about winning a big game makes the journey home that much more enjoyable. On the way back the girlfriend and I decided to stop at two more places. The first was a meteor site that is over 4,000 feet wide. Unlike the grand canyon and subsequent Petrified Forrest, the meteor site is really expensive to view. Katie and I passed on the $32 entrance fee and took a county road just off of the main road.

Feeling accomplished
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Last but not least, right off of highway 40, is the Petrified Forrest. Of course we were expecting a bunch of scared trees and found many mounds of soft powder-like sand. Katie and I asked ourselves repeatedly what a petrified forrest would be like and what we found was not what we had expected. Among the mounds were giant logs that had turned to a stone and quartz like texture. The trees were not standing as we'd also expected but were few and far between and mostly lying on the ground.

Beautiful colored mounds
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Petrified wood
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Lexus got a bit rusty
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fjrohrs

Adventurer
Did some preventitive maintenance this past weekend as well as installed a part or two.

First off I did a complete radiator flush and refilled with a 50/50 mix of Toyota Red and distilled water. The procedure was well documented on Mud (allbeit difficult to find).
1. Gather cardboard and a large tub for coolant/water to drain into.
2. Remove small skid plate above steering damper to reach the bottom of the radiator.
3. Remove the small plastic (white) petcock that on the US DS lower portion of the radiator. Leave the cap on so the liquid drains slowly.
4. Have a cold one
5. Remove the 14MM brass plug from the US DS side of the block, it's just to the right of the shock tower with a 12" extension. This will allow the engine block to drain coolant.
6. Have another drink while you wait.
7. Refill the system with water (distilled or tap) and run the engine with heaters on for 10-15 minutes.
8. Allow the engine to cool - enjoy a cool refreshing drink.
9. Repeat steps 3-5.
10. Refill radiator with 50/50 mixture of Toyota Red and Distilled water.
11. Run the engine to operating temp with heaters on. Let cool, probably better stop drinking though.
12. Open radiator cap and add more of the 50/50 mixture until ful, don't forget to fill the overflow tank as well.
13. Finished.

Added the Landtank MAF mod to the rig as well. Ordered the housing and forgot to order the new sensor (d'oh). Install was a breeze and it replaced the entire unit. The MAF sensor wires will need to be ordered to fit the new style sensor but that was easy for a first timer.

Now that it's starting to warm up here in Oklahoma I will be ordering a new fan clutch or draining the oil from mine (haven't decided which) to get better fan response. This should alleviate any overheating that would happen now that the air temperature is going up. For the record the engine has not been getting hot (highest I've recorded is 203 F), but I do not want it to go that high.

Debating now on what to do first. Tires or leather on the interior. Seats are much more comfortable than the FJC but they do look pretty warm with some minor tearing on the driver's side. Tires are probably going to be the same size as current, 315/75/16 but will be Toyo MT instead of the BFG AT's. Will entertain ideas for tires if anyone has an opinion.

I've promised pictures and have them coming...
 

fjrohrs

Adventurer
Went camping with the GF at Osage state park. I have camped here several times over the past few years and while it's not very remote the trails are great and we generally make good friends. It rained for 8 hours straight on this outing and the tent did pretty well. Some condensation inside and a few puddles so I'm on the hunt for leaks.

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Looking to organize the back a little better with a drawer, fridge, and Wagongear for the tailgate. Big plans and hopefully retaining the ability to still sleep in the back.

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Airmonger

Adventurer
Good Call on the MaxTrax. I was pretty impressed with how easy they were to deploy especially compared other recovery requirement. Well worth it, now I just need to get a set for myself.
 

fjrohrs

Adventurer
Good Call on the MaxTrax. I was pretty impressed with how easy they were to deploy especially compared other recovery requirement. Well worth it, now I just need to get a set for myself.

The Maxxtraxx have yet to be used but it's nice to know you have them, especially when out exploring on your own. They are well built and plenty sturdy to be used as a bridge if the need arises.

Also pictured is the Viair 400P which I've had for a few months now. It works great to fill the tires quickly and is pretty comparable to my old C02 setup.

In the rubbermaid container there are some spare fluids, tire repair kit, tow strap, d-rings, towels, high-lift base, gloves, zip ties, hatchet, and probably a lot of dust. Looking to put the vast majority of these items inside the Wagongear lid in the tailgate. Space is always at a premium no matter the size of your rig plus it's nice to be organized.

We were rained out last week for camping so I'm hoping we can get out soon!
 
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fjrohrs

Adventurer
Had a few life changes as well as a couple mini adventures in the last month.

Katie and I decided to visit Osage State Park again before the weather got too hot. Our tent did a decent job (Columbia 5 man) but it's starting to show some wear after less than 10 uses. One pole (bungie) has broken which needs repaired and the condensation is starting to get annoying. I think a canvas tent is in my future.

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Taken a few long drives out into the surrounding areas of my hometown. Oklahoma is exceedingly beautiful but rarely for the jaw dropping landscapes that you see out west.

Random road, looks to be out of Twister.
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Sunset on the way home from Tulsa.
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Went to a wedding at Woolaroc which is about 10 miles outside of Bartlesville. Woolaroc was the former ranch and vacation home for late Phillips 66 executive Frank Phillips. Now it is a popular place to hold events and boasts an impressive native american museum.

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I believe this is the only recent picture I have of the rear bumper. Swing outs work great and I have had no trouble at all.

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I've always been a huge fan of Batman and the newest set of movies. In order to promote the newest movie the Tumbler has been touring the US stopping along with the batpod.
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Last but not least we added a canine to our little family. Meet Indy, a hound and ridgeback mix we rescued from the Yukon, Ok pound. She is 10 weeks old in this photo and around 20 pounds.

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