I've been looking for a Landcruiser to serve as a 2nd/off-road vehicle. I've been looking mainly at the FJ80 series (91-97 i believe). Anything in particular I should be looking for when I look at the vehicle? As far as reliability goes, how does the FJ80 compare to the other landcruiser/4runner model?

10/11/2010 12:17:16 AM

Look for an fzj80 with the Dohc inline 6 and sometimes you can find them with electric lockers get those too. They are an awesome super reliable rig from the factory.

10/11/2010 6:32:17 AM

They're pretty much the worst gas mileage SUV you can buy. Unless you actually need the extra size/towing capacity just get a 4Runner.

[Edited on October 11, 2010 at 10:06 AM. Reason : l]

10/11/2010 10:05:49 AM

Wow worst advise ever.

Every one should be worried about gas mileage in their 2nd car for offroading. He is right their mileage is pretty poor. There capabilities for a factory vehicle are only 1 upped by a rubicon edition wrangler.

10/11/2010 11:03:38 AM

I find it hard to believe there is a big difference in the off road prowess between the two from the factory. You know you can get the precious e-locker on a 4Runner too, right?

All other things being the same, I don't see why you wouldn't want a vehicle that is easier to maneuver and gets better gas mileage.

10/11/2010 11:42:40 AM

^ fj or fzj80 would be a solid axle front, not to mention 1 ton axles that will probably hold up to 38+ inch tires stock.

A 4runner would be wayyy more practical and manueverable on the trail, but I think the cruza would be a better starting pattern

10/11/2010 12:34:56 PM

Yeah and part of the reason they have poor gas mileage is they come with I think 4.56 or 4.88 gearing stock. Yes they are a little large but a set of ome springs will get you a rig that runs 35-36 inch tires and rides like a Lexus they basically came with "long arm suspension" before it became a jeep buzz term.

10/11/2010 1:05:42 PM

I agree 100% that the solid axle and 1 tons are great if he's planning to lift it up. I guess the real question is whether this is going to be left stock or upgraded. Maybe I was wrong to assume he wanted a stock rig. Stock for stock I'd still rather have a newer 4Runner with lower miles for the same price.

[Edited on October 11, 2010 at 1:30 PM. Reason : l]

10/11/2010 1:28:52 PM

my dad had a 91, 95, 76 and 72.

they rock.

Get the 95 and up. I dont remember exactly when but they gave them more oomph 95 ish and the 91 was a true dog.

13mpg road trips on the highway those were fun. The electronic lockers were fun too. REally small on the inside for what they are

10/11/2010 2:54:33 PM

I'm actually going to answer some of his questions:

look for signs of headgasket problems. water in the oil, oil in the water, white smoke etc. If it's had the gasket replaced, its probably OK.

The front axles need to be rebuilt every 75k or so, look for weeping birfields and crusty sweepers. The spindle bearings (think tapered roller bearings instead of balljoints) can wear and cause clunking noises and poor tire wear.

get one with the e-lockers. If you can't find one, get a 4runner instead. I had a 94 FZJ w/ 180k and it was a good vehicle, although I didn't keep it that long. The wife has a UZJ100 now, and it is a great car, but a bit posh for beating it offroad... for now.

10/11/2010 2:55:58 PM

I had an FJ-60. I tossed the motor and installed a SBC 350, and added 2 inches of lift to the front and 4 to the back. The front end lifted up 2 inches after the motor swap because the SBC is lighter and closer to the center of the vehicle.

I really wish I had the money to keep that vehicle, as it was fun as hell to drive. The axles were rock solid, the center of gravity was fairly low due to the heavy chassis, and the vehicle pulled good when you went off-roading with people that got stuck all the time.

It would run circles around a four-runner at the beach and in mud, because the suspension had a lot of flex to go along with the additional torque. The original inline-6 in the vehicles was a really torquey motor. The only reason I swapped it out with a SBC is because I could buy an SBC and all of the conversion equipment for about half the cost of a rebuild.

10/11/2010 4:25:22 PM

Quote :

"It would run circles around a four-runner at the beach and in mud, because the suspension had a lot of flex to go along with the additional torque."

Yeah, you need a lot of flex for the beach and the mud.

10/11/2010 5:06:41 PM

I've been looking at the 95-97 ones too.

You can learn all you want and spend a lot of time on the forums at Ih8mud.com ..the FAQ answers lots of questions.

10/11/2010 11:19:52 PM

Quote :

"Yeah, you need a lot of flex for the beach and the mud. "

Apparently you've never driven down a rutted up logging trail or crossways across the entrance at Oregon Inlet. Besides, the Toyota IFS was a piece of shit. I could lift a tire on my toyota pickup turning into the Bojangles parking lot on Western. It performed horribly the few times I drove it down transmission line right-of-ways after they had been just cleared.

10/12/2010 12:04:01 AM

Yeah, I only hit like 10-15 different OHV entrances and drove like 40-50 miles on the beach a couple of months ago in my 4Runner without ever airing down the tires or engaging the e-lockers. It did fine. My only wish was that it was a whole lot lighter. No idea which specific Oregon Inlet entrance you're talking about, but they all seemed about the same to me.

I'll be the first to admit that my 2002 Wrangler was a far superior beach vehicle, but I attribute it to the fact that it was lighter and sat on much wider tires. It had nothing to do with the open axles or the solid axle front.

[Edited on October 12, 2010 at 12:50 AM. Reason : l]

10/12/2010 12:47:51 AM

is the e-lockers an option or only certain year come with them? Also, do they ever come in manual? Most of the ones i've seen are automatic.

10/12/2010 1:40:39 AM

OH God! SKACK is an expert offroader guys. Sounds like he has copious amounts of experience offroading bad ass stockers. He has driven on the most gnarly sandy roads NC has to offer. YOU BETTER LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.



No fucking comparison, I dont even get how you keep trying to. Fuck any IFS yota, especially since this is not a DD. Like has been said, get a '95+ 80 with elockers and rock and roll.

10/12/2010 7:33:45 AM

Re-read the thread idiot. Eleusis is the one who claimed you need some solid axle flexing to cross the OHV entrance at the Oregon Inlet. I was merely pointing out that you don't.

10/12/2010 9:38:12 AM

i have three solid axle 4wd vehicles (2 of them Yotas) and the solid axle debate is so played out. IFS is fine for 99% of any driving, on and off road, you will encounter in NC. FJ80s were all autos, but you can get 5speed 4runners.

10/12/2010 9:47:13 AM

Quote :

"Eleusis is the one who claimed you need some solid axle flexing to cross the OHV entrance at the Oregon Inlet. I was merely pointing out that you don't. "

I never claimed that you couldn't get through the entrance to Oregon Inlet in your 4runner. I merely pointed out that I could be doing donuts around you in a landcruiser while you're trying to maneuver that piece of shit through the soft sand.

10/12/2010 10:29:56 AM

Not if it was stock.
You'd probably sink it up to the front pumpkin and I'd be pulling you.

10/12/2010 10:45:51 AM

lol

10/12/2010 10:51:04 AM

lol at a 4runner being able to pull anything at all. The anemic inline-4 doesn't have enough power to pull it's own self, and the V6 would blow a head gasket before you got the tow strap hooked up.

10/12/2010 12:23:30 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkjcynLDsRQ

Runnin' circles around those IFS rigs, lol

10/12/2010 12:36:09 PM

Quote :

"lol at a 4runner being able to pull anything at all. The anemic inline-4 doesn't have enough power to pull it's own self, and the V6 would blow a head gasket before you got the tow strap hooked up."

While the 5VZ-FE V6 has had its problems, I think it's a great engine. Pops got 420k miles on his...and that baby got abused.

4-banger's got plenty of power. That's what low range is for. Ask Jeepman about 4 cylinders bein' able to do awesome shit. Fact is, I've owned nothing but 4's and 6's my whole life. Never owned a V8. Can all y'all believe that shit?

10/12/2010 1:02:28 PM

that is in fact pretty hard to believe

10/12/2010 1:03:47 PM

cant be true

10/12/2010 1:23:59 PM

The OP hasn't said anything about going to drive on the beach. Even so, you can do a lot of beach driving with a lot less vehicle than a FJ80.

10/12/2010 2:17:36 PM

im going to take my f150 in the sand. fuck it.

straight 6's for the win.

10/12/2010 2:37:33 PM

Six in a row, makin' it go.

I was about to say I had never owned a v8 anything either, but forgot about my old shitter of an 82 bronco.

It's all about the straight 6 in my world though. got two 6bt cummins and two 4.0 jeeps in in the fleet currently.

10/12/2010 5:12:42 PM

Quote :

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkjcynLDsRQ Runnin' circles around those IFS rigs, lol"

you had to find some dumbass in another country to prove your point. If he was smart enough to turn his wheel to the side of the rut or air down the tires, he could have kept from burying it.

10/12/2010 5:18:50 PM

Quote :

"The OP hasn't said anything about going to drive on the beach. Even so, you can do a lot of beach driving with a lot less vehicle than a FJ80."

yep, down here in FL, they don't let you drive on the beach. Anyway, I'm planning to use it as my backup vehicle/haul some home improvement stuff/ and possibly going mudding once a month. My main concern is reliability and maintenance cost. I won't be driving it much, so gas mileage is a minor concern.

10/12/2010 9:50:28 PM

10/13/2010 6:54:03 AM

a third gen. 4 runner sounds great for you then. get the 3.4 V6.

10/13/2010 12:28:19 PM

Quote :

"Get the 95 and up. I dont remember exactly when but they gave them more oomph 95 ish and the 91 was a true dog. 13mpg road trips on the highway those were fun. The electronic lockers were fun too. REally small on the inside for what they are"

1993 was the first year of the 1fz (FZJ) 91-92 had the 3fe (FJ)

I have a 96 FZJ. I love it.

ih8mud.com is a good resource
slee has alot of good tech articles and a good buyer's guide
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbie100.htm

10/19/2010 11:58:55 AM