Zed

16 minutes ago, Wadepat2 said:

Good to see another old cruiser here. Mine is GCC spec and I have already spent a small fortune on it just refreshing and replacing things. Guess that's the good side of not buying new, have plenty to spend on parts. I could use some advice on front and rear recovery points if you have added some. Looking forward to meeting you and you LC soon.

 

Ah lucky for you @Wadepat2, I'm stuck with unused features like Heaters. Sometimes I prank my passenger by pressing the heater button so their seats get so hot they think they're sitting on an oven 😁

Here are my front recovery points (2 rated @ 4.75t shackle each) and rear recovery point (Hitch Receiver with D-Ring so it can fit a soft shackle):

Welcome @Wadepat2 , it seems we have the same LC100:  Black, US-import V8 4.7L 😁

Since I got it on the cheap, I spent some dough "baselining" the car (the 90K miles Toyota recommended routine: timing belt, tensioner, pulley, etc.). First thing to get it desert-ready was replace the stock tyres with Yokohama Geolandar 275/70/R16 (keep it OEM specs so speedometer will be correct to prevent fines from overdriving 😂 ).  Got some windfall, so went crazy and did 2" lift. Well, I still got stuck 😅, so it didn't help except boost confidence level by +10 points. Anyways, welcome fellow LC 100, let me know if you have questions regarding our "iron-block" + "non-interference" V8 engines 😊

Thanks everyone. @Chaitanya D  I remember we both used to be the ones in Patrols, definitely will catch up with you and others as soon as I have E status in my Al-Hosn app (did 2 vaccines already) - this will help me move easier between Abu Dhabi & Dubai 😊  Would love to see you lead and learn from you 🤙

This video is dedicated to the 7 Camaraderie of Bu Tais @Farouq Owdeh @Taufique Surve @Hasan Wahlan @Karthikeyan Govindarajan @xavier @Mus_hus78. Remember what HeadMaster @Asif Hussain says: Follow the track 😂😂😂

With the last Newbie (me!) being promoted to Fewbie, I think this drive will turn to an upgraded Fewbie level 😅

@Karthikeyan Govindarajan  the LCs are now in the middle, Strong Center Mid-Fielders 💪

@Hasan Wahlan  bro I drove 10 psi last week, just a heads-up since you'll be after me... If you see the track messed up, it's not me cos my tyres are flat 😂

Transmission Cooler seems to be on the list for high-temp long-hours summer driving 😊

Armada is American version of Y62, so as someone who had crashed into Armada (longgggg time back) and owner of Y62, I can say Armada is quite capable and will protect you in the desert (I survived a rollover). However, maneuverability is not that great when going for more technical dunes, due to the size and angles... unless you're ok with losing front & rear bumpers after serious offroading 😂  But great as family car, we once visited all Emirates in 1 day  in our Y62 and loved it.

This is our Track btw in case anyone wants to repeat it 😁

https://www.gaiagps.com/public/i3Rz8UtyrB9TE6XMewDFUmdp

Thanks @Barry @Lawrence_Chehimi, good analysis, so I can jump again without fear of losing another axle 😂

thanks @Gaurav , that's what I thought too, especially I still need the side steps as a footing hold while mounting my flag on the center-left of the roof rack 😅

ARB Jack with the optional ground stand looks usable but highly expensive, I find this YouTube video helpful to assess different kinds of Jacks >> 

Friends, do deleting running boards/side-steps help when driving in sand? One friend says it's just a perception issue (ie doesn't matter) and one says it will help not getting stuck when going over sharp crest. Thoughts from experts? Plus will it pass Inspection if deleted? Pic attached to show what I mean:

Thanks to @Hasan Wahlan, I found the trick to getting LandCruiser to climb up with power & ease is to shift it manually to L (in 4-High of course). Unfortunately I was too excited with this discovery and fear of getting stuck on the crest triangle made me step on the pedal a bit too much 😂

So my LandCruiser flew, as soon as it touched down @Srikumar bhai asked me to check the radiator. Radiator was ok and we continued... Two days later "clicking" noise started coming from the front-driver side, as seen from this video:

Can you guess what the culprit is?

If you say CV Boot close enough, it did start with the CV Boot leak, but eventually I had to replace the whole front-left axle 😂  No need to buy new one though, new OEM will cost 2000dhs++ , since i may break it again *touch wood, a good second-hand that costs 400dhs is enough for now 😄

dear @Asif Hussain, since this will be my first Evening Drive, just want to request a 10-mins break at 4:30pm or 5pm for prayer time to be added to the planned route. Thank you 😊 

*This may be Toyota-specific, but the general rule may also apply to other vehicles...

So in a recent major maintenance (timing belt, water pump, etc...), my mechanic got creative and fixed all the warning lights, like in Photo #1 (only seatbelt warning light on)

And so I panicked cos I like it with the ABS + VSC OFF + VSC TRAC warning lights on, since this car is only for off-roading 😅

After reading some stuff online and checking the Toyota Repair Manual, I found out if the Wheel Sensor cable is disconnected, then ABS will not function, VSC Active Traction Control will not function and also VSC Skid Control will not function. After tracing from the manual diagram, I found the wheel sensor marked with Gray Connector in Photo #2.

I used a Cable Tie to act as a cable holder so the cable does not fall off during offroad times, and after offroading, I usually plug the cable back cos I need those safety features (ABS & Skid Control) in the highway 😄  So once the Wheel Sensor cable is off, you will get all the warning lights like in Photo #3.

This is an alternative method rather than plucking the fuses one-by-one for ABS and for VSC. One cable to turn them all off! 

Cheers,
Z.

convoy starts with XTerra... ends with XTerrra... and in-betweens lots of Pajeros 😁  See you guys tomorrow inshAllah

2 hours ago, Karthikeyan Govindarajan said:

Thank you @Srikumar, looking forward for our drive. This will be first drive with you and overall my 6th drive. 

bro @Karthikeyan Govindarajan , how do you keep count of the no. of drives? Is there a hidden feature in our Profile Page that shows the "drive count" or do you just keep it manually 😅 ?  I've lost track of count especially after I changed car from Patrol to Cruiser 😁

Thanks @Srikumar , understood, i'll take my chances and still join your drive 😄  worst -case I will do Friday prayer in Sweihan, no worries 😊

hi @Srikumar  , the calendar mentions until 10:30am 👍  Just want to check if this will be a hard stop? As I need to be home by 12:15noon 😁 

Thanks @Rahimdad! 70psi sounds the opposite of deflated 12psi we're used to 😅  When you say 2 wheels, you mean offroad motorbikes ? 😲

Thanks @Gaurav, always insightful ☺️ , I'll stick to my Geolandar AT G015 then 😁

Hi folks,

So I'm intrigued by these pics: #1 Y62 w/ Sand Tyres,  #2 Sand Tyre description,  #3 Malone Sand Tyres ad, "best choice for desert safari".

Anyone has experience with them? Are they better than All-Terrain (A/T) offroad tyres by a large margin (really really float on sand)?

Cheers,
Z.

Hi @Pacific , my friend who drives Jeep said he went to the dealer Western Motors and buy the "ABS Kill Switch" but installed it with his regular mechanic. You can also pay the dealer to install it, albeit I think this will be more expensive than an independent mechanic with skills in car electronics & circuits wizardry 🙂

So i've done most of the well-known maintenance stuff: timing belt, water pump, radiator, oils, brake pads, etc. However since the car has 200,000 miles, I was worried about transmission and gears. Especially since I used to have a Pajero (also second-hand) and for some reason I couldn't shift to D and had to use 2 to complete my drive and exit some years ago. 

So I search for Specialized Transmission Garages, and there were only 4 of them on Google Maps for Abu Dhabi. Drove the car to the one with good reviews and ask to check a) 4WD works in all gear levels, including diff-lock combination and b) Inspect Drive Shaft.

Results? See 2 pics below, these are from the front right & left axles. Suffice to say I'm glad I did a transmission check before Friday's drive in Khatim 😁

Hi @Rahimdad i got the Yoko Geolandar as my first mod. @Asif Hussain bhai told me I can go to 12psi and it felt smoother surfing on sand 😊