Help me Understand...80,90,100,105....

LC/LR4Life

Adventurer
The 80 series stopped at 1997. The 90 series is a foreign, slightly smaller version Land Cruiser, also called "Land Cruiser Prado". The 100 series started in 1998 and the most significant changes in the 100 series were in 2000 when they went to 4 spider gears in the front diff rather than 2, and in 2003 when they upgraded the interior and put in a 5 speed auto with tow package including the lower 1st gear and trans cooler. The 105 series is a Non-USA version of the 100 with a regular front axle instead of the 100 series IFS.

The 80 series has a straight 6 engine, and SFA front and rear. Purists love the 80.

The 100 series has a IFS front end, which when modified with ARB air locker/solid pinion spacers, is very strong. It also has a heavier duty frame, and SRA.

The 105 is basically the same as the 100, however it has SFA, optional 5 speed manual.

All these vehicles are built very heavy duty, and make great expedition vehicles.

The 90 is a bit smaller, and I don't know enough about it to comment further.
 

MoGas

Central Scrutinizer
Reata Rover said:
Is there a year range for the various models available stateside?

1991-1992 FJ80 3FE petrol engine A440 automatic tranny full time 4wd

1993-1997 FZJ80 1FZ-FE petrol engine A442 (93-94) A343 (95-97) full time 4wd transfer case.

1998-2007 UZJ100 4.7 V8 petrol, IFS, I don't know much about these.

As for 90's and 105's we never got those for public sale in the US. I'd love to have a diesel, 5 speed 105.
 

Pskhaat

2005 Expedition Trophy Champion
MoGas said:
1998-2007 UZJ100 4.7 V8 petrol, IFS, I don't know much about these.

I've never seen a 105 though it is my dream vehicle and I'm mad as can be at Toyota for not bringing it here. My understanding however is that the 105 is effectively the continuing generation of the 80-series frame and running gear with updated body.

To bridge the gap here:

UZJ100 2UZ-FE V8

1998-1999
  • 2 pinion front diff (ask Equipt)
  • Factory rear lockers
2000-2002
  • Add ATRAC
  • No more factory lockers
  • 4 pinion front diff
2003+
  • 5spd tranny
  • No more premium fuel requirement (?)
 

LC/LR4Life

Adventurer
If you get a 100 series, swap in an ARB air locker with solid pinion spacers and it eliminates problems with the front diff. Even though the spider gears were increased to 4 over 2, the guts of the front diff are essentially not strong enough for the 4.7L V-8 of the 100. Once the ARB modification is done, no-one that I know of has had any problem whatsoever with the front differential in the 100.
 

LC/LR4Life

Adventurer
I think the only thing John needs for his 100 is a re-gearing. He says stock gears work fine for him with 35's, but I'd have swapped to 4.88s (which is my own plan).
 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
MoGas said:
As for 90's and 105's we never got those for public sale in the US.

Isn't the Lexus GX470 basically a Prado for the US market? The only difference I see between the GX and the Prado is that the GX has a rear liftgate and a spare tire under the body, the Prado has a side-opening rear door with the spare mounted on it.
 

MoGas

Central Scrutinizer
Martinjmpr said:
Isn't the Lexus GX470 basically a Prado for the US market? The only difference I see between the GX and the Prado is that the GX has a rear liftgate and a spare tire under the body, the Prado has a side-opening rear door with the spare mounted on it.

I've heard that before. I'm actually thinking about a GX470 for the wife. I need to call ARB and find out if the Prado stuff will fit.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Martinjmpr said:
Isn't the Lexus GX470 basically a Prado for the US market? The only difference I see between the GX and the Prado is that the GX has a rear liftgate and a spare tire under the body, the Prado has a side-opening rear door with the spare mounted on it.
Technically the 3rd gen (1996-2002) 4Runner/Surf was based loosely on the 90 series and the 4th gen (2003-present) 4Runner, GX470, Tacoma and FJ Cruiser are heavily based on the 120 series. Both the 90 and 120 are called Prados in the markets that got them. The original (pre- 1996) Prado was based on a 70 series Cruiser as a lighter duty option than a full blown 70 or 80 series. It was I believe essentially a 70 series body with Hilux running gear. But with the 90 series Toyota placed the Prado/4Runner/Surf line as competition to the Prajero/Montero, Pathfinder, etc.
 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
DaveInDenver said:
Technically the 3rd gen (1996-2002) 4Runner/Surf was based loosely on the 90 series and the 4th gen (2003-present) 4Runner, GX470, Tacoma and FJ Cruiser are heavily based on the 120 series.

I thought the 3rd Gen 4runner was based on the Tacoma platform? Don't they have similar running gear and chassis? Only reason I say that is because for some reason I thought that the ARB bull bar for the 1st gen Taco would fit on a 3rd gen 4runner with minimal modification which would lead me to believe they have the same or a similar frame.
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
There is also an optional factory front and rear electric locking differentials in 1993-1997 FZJ80 Land Cruisers, some have them, some don't. The lockers combined with the overall vehicle setup make it probably the best off-roading vehicle ever produced for the domestic market out of the package.

The last two numbers refer to the series (so 4 series, 5 series, 6 series, 8, series, 10 series etc). Then the last number is a model designation. If there is a "5" then it is usually a long wheel base of pickup truck version and 3 is usually a mid wheel base, "0" is the core model, and "2" is usuallly a slightly updated model. These are the generalizations but there are lots of exceptions.

The first letter (or two letters if there are three letters overall) referes to the ending series and "J" refers to it being a land cruiser.

So: FJ40 - stock F series (gas engine) land cruiser. the original through 1984 in US markets. BJ40, diesel version using a B engine. BJ42 slightly upgraded with a 3B engine and in often case a 5 speed manual transmission. These are Canadian and other markets only.

FJ55LV - (1969-1979) - this is a numerical exception left over the the early FJ45LV wagon titling, it is a wagon like a 60 or 80 series but they call it a 55. 5 is the series model, the 5 I guess refers to it being a long wheel base as welll. They eventually dropped this but there are no other 5 series models other than the wagon 55LVs.

FJ60 original 60 series land cruiser, 1983-1987. FJ62, slightly upgraded with 3FE engine, automatic transmission for the first time and power windows and other smaller differences, 1988-1989/early 1990.

In about 1984 the 40 series was replaced by the 70 series which largely uses the same lineage/numbers as the 40 series for the same models. So a FJ75 would be a 6 cyl gas pickup or 2 (or very very rarely a 4 door) station wagon. A BJ74 is a diesel mid wheel base turbo charged 70 series. The 70 took the

FJ80 essentially a FJ62 drivetrain but in a full time 4WD 80 series Land Cruiser with coil springs. Too little power/gutless (they were even underpowered in 62s to an extent). Cloth seats usually, drum brakes rear, no lockers.

FZJ80, essentially the pinnacle of 80 series. Some cloth, some leather, some small differences over the years, some with optional front and rear locking differentials. First two years used a land cruiser style trans, last three used a 4 runner style but there is really little real world difference between the two as far as reliability and drive/feel.

In 1998 they replaced the 80 series with 100 series. The UZJ refers to a new V8 engine. As mentioned the first two years came with an optional locker but a "weaker" front diff that people have had issues with on particularly heavier wagons. This can be aided by adding an ARB locker to the housing and it becomes as strong as the later models. From 2000-on there were no lockers available on 100 series. These are also IFS nearly across the world. there is a rare mil or industrial spec 100 series called the 105 as discussed that I believe exclusively comes with the naturally aspirated 6 cyl 1HZ diesel engine they have been making since the mid 80's. The odds of finding or ever owning one of these is next to impossible.

I hope it helps! On ih8mud.com if you click on the "FAQ" link at the top it runs through all models. It becomes really interesting and there are some really cool old Land Cruiser models out there that are really interesting, especially when built up...

All got aweful gas mileage except some diesel models...
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Martinjmpr said:
I thought the 3rd Gen 4runner was based on the Tacoma platform? Don't they have similar running gear and chassis? Only reason I say that is because for some reason I thought that the ARB bull bar for the 1st gen Taco would fit on a 3rd gen 4runner with minimal modification which would lead me to believe they have the same or a similar frame.
I've never read that the 1st gen Tacoma was based on the 90 series or really anything else. It seems as though it was truly a North American unique truck. But Toyota does share a lot of parts worldwide, so we're naturally going to get the same axles, drivetrains, etc and dimensions are going to similar because of that.

But even with sharing a platform in the way the current 4Runner, Prado and Tacoma do will not guarantee commonality. I mean the 120 series Prado bull bar needed modification to fit the first Tacomas before ARB started making model specific ones. So that a 3rd gen 4Runner bumper will fit a 1st gen Tacoma and vice versus is not surprising since they are very similar trucks. It also depends on how extensive mods are, an extra hole or two is one person's idea of mods and another's idea of just fitting. If there is welding, then I think the bumper is no longer a close fit. But trimming and redrilling holes wouldn't strike me as much work.
 

LC/LR4Life

Adventurer
On the 100 series as stated once the weak parts of the front diff are swapped out for the bomb-proof parts of the ARB, there are no more worries there.

On the FJC, the platform is based on the 120 series Land Cruiser Prado, but if you check the Toyota web site of lineage, it will show the FJC in the 90 series slot. So in my mind it's kind of like a beefed up 90 series. The current 4 Runners are also based off the 120 series, and the FJC, 4 Runner and 120 LC all share similar pieces/parts. The new Lexus GX470 is said to basically be an American version of the LC 120 which is imported to other foreign countries.
 

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