2001 UZJ100 Galleries

Tire Change: BFG MT KM2 (315/75-16...35-inch...same size...no more AT KO) 7/01/09 : After 4 sets of BFG AT KO tires I figured I'd take a chance and try those new MT KM2's that everyone is bragging about. So I did take the plunge. They look sweet for certain! They rumble and feel rough at VERY low speeds (like idling through a parking lot). Once you get going things smooth out though they are noisier. On highway though the added noise is easily tolerable as the Land Cruiser is so quiet in the first place. They do rub more than the same size AT model at full turn left. We'll re-adjust the turn-stops to fix this. Ride quality is also still "good". You do feel the bumps more compared to the AT though again, very livable. We'll report back after some off-roading. OK, TIME FOR THE REVIEW: After 6-days of wheeling in Arizona and Colorado, I've drawn my conclusions on the new KM2's. Here ya go............. ON-ROAD: *Slightly bothersome around town at slow speeds. You can feel the large lugs. *Somewhat noisy, even inside the 100 as quiet as it typically is. Was not bothersome however. *With the windows open...BOTHERSOME. :) *They actually handled quite well and gripped even better around tight corners compared to the years with my old AT KO's. *Small bumps were a bit more pronounced compared to the AT's. OFF-ROAD: *Simply AMAZING! *At full 35PSI in the dirt and rocks the things just never slid or slipped. I couldn't believe it. And I wasn't nuts. Becky noticed this as well. In fact...the ride is quieter as though you never lose traction or ever slip in the dirt. *They are on the stiff side ride-wise at 35PSI. When aired down in Colorado the ride compared quality-wise to the AT's. I ran 20PSI on all the trails including Poughkeepsie Gulch. I thought I might have to air down more on The Wall...nope. These things just hever slipped. I was extremely impressed in that they just don't want to slide or slip sideways off a rock or in uneven areas. I was used to my truck slipping and sliding some, especially the rear-end, when the road pressure begged to move the rig sideways. Simply put, the lateral support and stability are greatly improved. I credit this to BFG's claim that the "Krawler" part of the tread is extremely flexible allowing it to conform to road surfaces and rocks. I am SOLD on this fact. In the end...I consider the higher cost of these tires as an exceptional value. Normally I'm not a driver who will put up with the extra on-road noise. Considering I don't daily-drive the 100 much any more, this has become a non-factor. For a daily driver I highly recommend the AT KO. The KO's never let me down for over 7-years. From here on out the KM2's will carry Roklimo through the trails. I recommend them HIGHLY to anybody that demands the best possible performance on the trails. I'll say it again..."THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING IN THE ROCKS, THE DIRT, AND THE WET. If you have a dedicated TRAIL VEHICLE...so out and get a set!

Tire Change: BFG MT KM2 (315/75-16...35-inch...same size...no more AT KO) 7/01/09

After 4 sets of BFG AT KO tires I figured I'd take a chance and try th ...

Updated: Jul 06, 2009 1:56pm PST

Wild West Off-Road 2nd Generation High-Clearance Lower Rear Control Arms : PERFECT TIMING! Having replaced every other bushing under the rear of my 100, the lower arms bushings were finally gone as well. You should hear it articulate! EEK! So, the plan was to buy a set of Slee HD Lower Control Arms for the 80-series and install them onto the 100. This would require buying 80-series bolts, washers, and nuts as the 100 takes a smaller bolt-set. Then, to fit, we'd need to drill out the holes on the four arm mounts to 80-series size so the hardware fits. (Easy) The day I was going to order Slee's I seen the review of Wild West Fab's new high-clearance arms in 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine. The review by 4WDTO was excellent and the idea of added clearance was killer. The arm is of a bent design which adds needed ground clearance. I changed my mind and ordered from Wild West instead. (The same 80-series hardware was needed so I ordered that as well for about $40) Then the call came from Tim at WWF a few days later....."Hey, we're working on a second generation design, do you want to wait a week or so for those?". Tim explained that they are adding a on-arm "skid" to the front end of the arm where it attaches to the bushing tube. "This will add even more strength in the most vulnerable area of the arm" Tim said. I told him YES....I'll wait. So, here's the scoop on the arms and here's how things went with install:

Wild West Off-Road 2nd Generation High-Clearance Lower Rear Control Arms

PERFECT TIMING! Having replaced every other bushing under the rear of ...

Updated: Aug 04, 2009 4:34pm PST

OME N74L Rear Shock Modification : This is a must-do modification to the 100-series off-roader. We took 80-series rear long-travel OME shocks and swapped some bushings, washers and a bolt from 100-series shocks and the outcome was perfect. Same ride, though with 2.6" more down travel and 1.6 more total travel, the difference off-road was substantial. The 100 is an almost identical ride now to my 80-series Cruisers. The wheel lifting has stopped and stability is up supstantially. In fact, the UZJ now ramps (RTI's) almost what the typical 3-inch lifted 80 does. I'd a paid A LOT more than the price of 2 shocks for this improvement. A LOT!

OME N74L Rear Shock Modification

This is a must-do modification to the 100-series off-roader. We took ...

Updated: Jun 30, 2008 10:54am PST

Slee Off-Road rear bumper with tire carrier : After a long wait, I got the first bumper off the line. Until the Slee-brand, other 100-series aftermarket bumpers didn't offer any advantage off-road vs the stock bumper (size-wise). While others held the spare tire the bumpers themselves were huge. Slee changed this and this bumper was worth the wait. In order to accomodate the weight of the new bumper and carrier I swapped my 100-series springs (OME 865) along with the 20mm trim packs for 80-series heavy springs (OME 863). The result was ideal. Same lift height despite the added bumper. Ride was just a tad stiffer which was good considering the added weight. Since I changed out the rear springs I figured I'd replace all the shocks at the same time. On the front I opted for the new OME N133. These offered more dampening and this was noticed with a more controlled off-road ride.

Slee Off-Road rear bumper with tire carrier

After a long wait, I got the first bumper off the line. Until the Sle ...

Updated: Jul 17, 2007 12:48pm PST

ARB Air Lockers (Front and Rear) : The 2001 comes with an extremely effective traction control system. It's dialed in so well that I was able to run all the same trails and take all the same lines triple-locked 80-series could. Eventually though, as trail severity increased it only made sense to add the ARB lockers. Having a Active Trac - ARB locker combo makes for the best possible setup. You can run A-TRAC only which is better than lockers in certain situations (off camber, rocks, wet, ice, etc). Then, if more traction is needed you can lock the rear and A-TRAC will still operate up front which allows for full-turning capability. If things get even worse, lock up the front. Locking the front is rarely needed though. the rear lock-traction controled front is a sweet combo! Since, I noticed a nice improvement in tire wear as the lockers eliminate even more slippage. Good for the truck, tires....and trail. Install was done by 4WheelParts in Phoenix. 3 years later...no problems. The things work just great!

ARB Air Lockers (Front and Rear)

The 2001 comes with an extremely effective traction control system. I ...

Updated: Oct 19, 2006 3:33pm PST

Rear Control Arm Skid Plates : Almost all of the undersides on the Land Cruiser are well tucked up and shielded from trouble far from the ground. The only vulnerable part? Rear control arms and their mounts. While climbing ledges and clawing for traction these arms and mounts can get bent which results in a crooked axle (and I've bent them before). We took some steel and spent an hour or so and protected these pieces for good. Cost? $40

Rear Control Arm Skid Plates

Almost all of the undersides on the Land Cruiser are well tucked up an ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2005 1:16pm PST

Upsize to 315x75-16 Tires : Running 35-inch tires was a goal for this rig a long time ago! Doron Strassman's diff-drop design made this possible. We could re-tweak the T-bars for added front lift and without compromising CV-angles. Doing this then allowed for more lift in the rear. In the rear I added two OME 10mm Trip Packs for 20mm (about an inch) added lift, or 3-inches from stock. In the front, we gained another 0.75 inch totalling 2.75-inches above stock. More lift on the front is not possible unless you compromise safety by further reducing down-travel. Road tests revealed 2 rubbing issues. Rear, in the well during extreme flex. To fix this we added 2x2x5" cut steel and lowered the bump stops. In the front at full turn the inside of the tire rubs the upper control arm. The fix here was really simple. Re-adjust the turn-stops to increase the turning radius. So little adjustment was required you can't tell the redius was even increased. An off-road test was then conducted and the ride/performance was improved in every way. This added lift and tire size allowed the 100 to crawl over obstacles with greater ease than ever before.

Upsize to 315x75-16 Tires

Running 35-inch tires was a goal for this rig a long time ago! Doron ...

Updated: Oct 24, 2006 2:53pm PST

Custom Front Differential Drop : This front diff-drop designed by "missile scientist" (yes, that's true) Doron Strassman allowed Doron and myself to further lift the IFS front-end enough to fit 35-inch tires (315x75-16). We were the first to do this to our 100's in the US (that we know of). This modification took about 2 hours and required new bolts, some spacers (we used washers), and the cut and re-welding of a front crossmember. Doron's design was quickly copied and you can now buy this modification in a "bolt-on kit form" from Slee Off-Road. The diff was lowered 0.95 of an inch, enough to bring the CV's to a good angle despite the 2.75" overall lift. Cost? $20

Custom Front Differential Drop

This front diff-drop designed by "missile scientist" (yes, that's true ...

Updated: Dec 13, 2005 12:41pm PST

Safari Snorkel and Antenna Modification : While I didn't want to cut into my nice truck's front fender, fate had it that the Snorkel was going on after all. After my buddy Doron had experienced a long and deep water crossing which resulted in water in his 100's air box...I decided that it was time to cut (and so did Doron). Since, the deep crossings have been aplenty. Some with waves over the front window! Fitting a snorkel in a US UZJ required removal of the electric antenna. Details on the antenna modification are captioned in the pics:

Safari Snorkel and Antenna Modification

While I didn't want to cut into my nice truck's front fender, fate had ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2005 2:22pm PST

Slee Rock Sliders : No trail vehicle is finished without rocker panel protection. We lucked out by not denting the rockers before sliders were available for the 100. Once available it was finally time to "relax" on the trails. I got the first set of Slee Sliders off the line. They installed easily, fit very well, and can support the weight of the SUV. While they've been smacked and scraped they are like new and easily touched-up with some satin black paint.

Slee Rock Sliders

No trail vehicle is finished without rocker panel protection. We luck ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2005 2:27pm PST

OME/Sway-A-Way Suspension Lift : Back in 2001, options for the 100-series Cruisers were almost non-existant. I knew I'd need at least 2-inches all around in order to run the tough trails. I found that Old Man Emu offered a 2-inch lift kit, though just for the rear. For the front, you'd just have to re-adjust the torsion bars. Since I already added an ARB bumper and winch combo which resulted in front-end sagging, I decided to go shopping. Success was found as Sway-A-Way began shipping 31mm heavy-duty T-bars for the 100. So, the system went on and results were fantastic! Not only did the new suspension components (lift) allow the Cruiser to run the toughest trails but it also took the on-road ride to another level. This thing was still a "cushmobile" but now it handled like a Sports Truck. In my opinion it's a must for any 100 owner. Parts used: OME 865, OME N100, OME N101, and SAW 1661

OME/Sway-A-Way Suspension Lift

Back in 2001, options for the 100-series Cruisers were almost non-exis ...

Updated: Nov 21, 2005 2:44pm PST

ARB Sahara Bar front bumper : The first thing that had to go was the factory front bumper. Choices were slim back in 2001. I snagged one of the first ARB Sahara Bars from the line. I liked it's looks (over the ARB bull bar) especially with the integrated lighting. Inside, I added a Warn 8000 winch. The 8000 was the max spec in 2001. Since, the spec states a 9500 will fit into the Bar. Lastly, those IPF 900 lights filled the middle and are amazing in the dark!

ARB Sahara Bar front bumper

The first thing that had to go was the factory front bumper. Choices ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2005 2:08pm PST

Upgrade to 285x76-16 BFG AT KO Tires : Step One in preparing this rig for off-road duty is to replace the on-road Michelin LTX tires. Wanting to keep a smooth ride I opted for the BFG All-Terrain KO model. The size known to fit back in 2001 was the 285 though it's now known a slightly larger tire can run on a stock 100 and without issue. 295x75 and 305x70 sizes are also OK. After installation we were really happy. The truck was still very quiet and it handled on-road quite well with the AT's. These went on just in time for our first trail run with the Arizona Land Cruiser Association to the Reymert Mine near Florence Jct. It was on this run that we learned what an 80 or 100 even was. The guys told me about solid axles and IFS. We also heard that the 100 was known as the "cup holder Cruiser". Oh, boy....did we realize what it would take to prepare this thing for the difficult group runs! Amazingly on the run, the 100 handled the tight and bouldered wash area quite easily. We knew from this experience that the CupHolderCruiser was worth the time and effort it would take to build it for trail use. Oh, and....the running boards came off ASAP. Actually, that was the first modification. [:>)

Upgrade to 285x76-16 BFG AT KO Tires

Step One in preparing this rig for off-road duty is to replace the on- ...

Updated: Apr 20, 2007 1:47pm PST

Pictures in stock form : Finally! I own a Cruiser. It came with this clearance-reducing brush guard but it still wheeled.

Pictures in stock form

Finally! I own a Cruiser. It came with this clearance-reducing brush ...

Updated: Jul 19, 2007 12:40pm PST