1986 Toyota Land Cruiser 70-Series for Slow Exploration

There's been lots of discussion at work lately regarding wheels and tires for this thing. The current setup has Delta Trailcutter AT 4S tires, 31x10.5R15. I don't know the specs on the wheels. I'll measure next time I pull one off (safe to say wider and more offset than stock. The current 15" barely clears the rear drum brakes! The spare is a different size, 265/70-16. The rolling diameters aren't far off, so it would probably work if needed in a pinch. I like the all-around tread design that isn't too noisy on the street. I'll be honest, and say that I'm happy to give up some traction in gnarly off-road situations I will likely encounter only now and again for a bit more peace and quiet on the slab which I will be dealing with more often.

Issues as I see it:

-The current mismatched sizes become a potential problem  once I upgrade to something other than an open rear differential. Also not ideal for a five-tire rotation.

-I don't love the chrome/polished finish. I don't hate the general bullet-hole/phone-dial style of the wheels, but I'd prefer a different finish. Some have suggested that they are "Boomer-spec Jeep wheels." 🤣

-I'm not lacking for footprint. I've almost never broken traction outside of two instances, one while dumping the clutch on gravel with revs up in first gear, and once while stomping on the brakes hard at low speed on soaking wet asphalt during a downpour. Both were a 'chirp' for a fraction of a second. I could use a rotating weight reduction. Lighter weight would help me here. Narrower would also help pep it up with slightly reduced rolling resistance.

-Current and future tall/skinny AT tire availability looks better for 16" than 15" 

My coworkers are all more experienced at this stuff than me, even if it is 80's/90's  G-Wagens, Jeeps, or Tacomas instead of Landcruisers. I've also asked a few of our local-ish dealers who do a lot of 70-Series Toyota stuff. The consensus is tall and skinny tires are the way to go. The wide steamroller brodozer crap is just that.

There seems to be lots of tire selection in 235/85-16. The 31" diameter is pretty good.Slightly taller by an inch or less wouldn't hurt (I don't think.)

I'm leaning towards a forged JDM five or six-spoke alloy like Volk TE37XT, or 4x4 Engineering Bradley V Takumi. This should give the right restomod look with a performance boost. Not cheap, so the purchase will likely have to wait. The finish I have in mind is gold or a lighter bronze.

I'm still a relative n00b at this stuff, so I'm open to suggestions or comments.

A te37 or a variant there of is almost impossible to go wrong. Heck, I almost went with te37s on my SS and if I could get them for the d90 it'd be a done deal. I'm also a big fan of tall/skinny tires over balloons and I think this body style is perfect to accentuate that. IMHO, you're on the right track.

E36 M3, I just found volks on ebay in the big d90 pattern...

I like Nomad Wheels offerings right now, and Fifteen52 has a couple vintage-ish options. Bronze on red is a perfect color combo for the wheels. Can you fit a 255/85-16? Works out to about 33x10.5 in inches. 

255/85R16 is indeed, theoretically, about 33". I wanted tall and skinny on the J20 and went for Cooper S/T Maxx in that size, and was pretty disappointed that they are both shorter and fatter than advertised. I mean, so am I, but nobody pays me four figures to look tall and skinny.

235/85R16 is probably a more appropriate size for the little Cruiser, and I believe Toyo offers a 235/85R16 that actually measures out as advertised, or at least looks like it. There are far more choices in the 235 than the 255, for whatever that is worth to you.

iansane said:

E36 M3, I just found volks on ebay in the big d90 pattern...

Yes; I say do it! 😁

In reply to thatsnowinnebago :

Thanks for the suggestions! I've taken a look at both, and I'm not a big fan of the ones both brands offer that look like an alloy version of a stock steelie with a dog dish hubcap...too vintage IMHO. The other models from either brand come close, but none quite have a mix of the particular style I'm after plus exactly the right size. It's hard to put it finger on exactly what it is, but they look like modern wheels that have some vintage styling cues. I'm picky...😜

Here's examples of the styles I'm digging at the moment.

255/85-16 *might* fit without a lift, maybe just a little rubbing at the extremes. I doubt they would save me any weight, and the slightly taller height is also going the wrong way for adding pep/acceleration. The 235/85-16 should theoretically be right around 31.75 inches.

DarkMonohue said:

 both shorter and fatter than advertised. I mean, so am I, but nobody pays me four figures to look tall and skinny.

🤣

I'll look at the Toyo offerings in the 235...thanks for the tip!

I got a beefier universal exhaust hanger bracket (slightly thicker steel) and set about drilling holes in the perfect spot to line up with my existing exhaust.

In the process of installing it, I realized that the next hanger downstream is also broken. It snapped off at the cold raised booger-looking weld between the hanger and the pipe. I'm guessing it failed before the hanger I just replaced, and then hastened the demise of the one I already fixed, but it is probably a chicken/egg scenario as to what started things.

It might be hard to see in the photo below, but the rod is definitely not attached to the pipe any longer.

I left it for now, as I was at work after-hours, and didn't feel like shuffling vehicles around to get access to an empty lift, digging out the welder, getting the settings dialed in, getting the pipe clean, etc, etc. I went home for dinner instead, but someday soon...

On a side note, the Cruiser seems to love the cold temperatures lately. I can feel/hear the turbo spooling, especially in third gear, and it scoots along a lot better than when it sucking in hot air. 😄

In reply to ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) :

No worries.  It seems like 235/85 might be an OEM size for something.  For whatever reason, there are tons of choices in that size and very few in 255/85.  

In reply to ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) :

The five spokes on the pickup are **chef's kiss** 🤌

The crusty, chalky, worn-down old parking brake handle was bothering me as it is one of the only shabby parts of the interior. I feel like the touch points are of extra importance as they make a difference in how you interact with the vehicle, and therefore can't help but impact how you feel about it while driving.

Ah  the joys of the first removal of the center console in a new used vehicle!  You always get to learn about the previous owner's fast food and candy preferences, like it or not! If you're lucky, you'll find some money and not too many suspicious-looking hairs! 🤣 In this case I was dealing with a french fries and Snickers man. No change to add to the piggy bank, but on the flip side, no hairs. 😁 I cleaned everything thoroughly before reassembly!

Just the plastic portion of the handle isn't replaceable, and the original part is NLA from Toyota. I took a minor chance and ordered up one to fit a current Toyota 70-Series from the Middle East, and in three days it was delivered!

The top one is the 1986 part, and the bottom one is the 2024 part! The switch needed to be swapped over, but both switches were held on by a machine screw, and the the new part had the appropriate hole drilled in it to bolt right on.

I adjusted the cable while I was in there, and couldn't be happier with the result!


 

As I finished up and pulled out of the bay, I noticed a little fluid on the floor. It felt/smelled like diesel! 

I dug around under the hood and spotted a thin film of fuel residue on the outside of the fuel filter housing inlet and outlet, the front of the injection pump, and the outside of the hard line in-between. This location roughly lined up with the drips on the floor. The hard line has banjo fittings on both ends. I grabbed a wrench and tried each associated banjo bolt. I was able to get the upper one on the filter outlet tightened up a smidge...maybe a sixteenth of a turn or so. The rest of the fittings seemed tight.

Diesel is so thin and runny it creeps and wicks everywhere and can be hard to trace. I hosed the area down with brake cleaner, and started it back up. I couldn't see any leaks, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. One nice thing about diesel is that a very minor fuel leak isn't great, but it also isn't a berkeley-no, I'll-walk-home-instead, immediately life-threatening situation like gasoline can be.

After a short drive, still no sign of leaks, so I'll proceed with caution and keep an eye on it.

thatsnowinnebago said:

In reply to ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) :

The five spokes on the pickup are **chef's kiss** 🤌

Agreed! I dig the retro aftermarket wheel look with flat spokes, a good bit of dish and a simple lip. I'll probably buy some at some point, most likely after the holidays to make sure I don't venture any further into financial peril!

I love this truck!

following!

wyndscreen said:

I love this truck!

following!

Thanks; I'm having fun with it, and I'm glad to see you enjoy following along.

No further indications of a fuel leak as of today. 🤞 Some of the other fasteners have match marks painted on them. Perhaps I should add some to the banjos on the fuel supply! 🤔

The rattling/buzzing door latch rod in the passenger side of the Cruiser has been driving me nuts, so I tore into the door. Sure enough, the foam that quiets the rod no longer exists...either removed, or simply faded away to dust over the years. Some dingleberry in the past also tore out the vapor barrier and didn't put it back! 😡 No wonder there's been occasional dampness around the passenger footwell in downpours!

What you see above is what was behind the fiberboard card! The backside of the door card has certainly seen some moisture.

I don't have all the materials on hand to fix this now, so I'll leave the card off until I do. I think I'm good on adhesive-backed foam. Time to order up some plastic sheeting, butyl rubber, and might as well get some sound deadening while I'm at it.

Today's small task. I took care of the cheap-looking overspray on the pedals from when it was repainted, and installed new pedal rubbers. The old rubber covers weren't terrible, but were showing some wear, and replacements were cheap. Sometimes the small things make a big difference! 😁

Yes indeed - small steps!  How hard were the covers to put on?  I've had some that were way more challenging than I thought they had a right to be

In reply to jfryjfry :

Not bad at all to install; the fresh rubber is pretty pliable. In the past I've used rubbing alcohol on difficult ones as I helps lube them and then quickly evaporates. I didn't need it this time. I just made sure the rubber was warm, and started on the stiffest part (one of the corners on the shortest side) and worked them around in a circular fashion, ending on the most flexible part (middle of the longest side.)