5 Build Tips For Off-Road & Overland - Budget Build Challenge

[@TinkerersAdventure]

Very well balanced and practical build!

[@j_mars_cars]

Now that’s a high water mark. Having tinkerer himself come any compliment a Toyota build.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Tinker did an amazing review breaking down the real science on the Iron man shocks... was one of the reasons I actually went with them.

[@TinkerersAdventure]

@@OutdoorAuto Thanks! Now I feel bad not getting them for my tundra build🫣

[@TinkerersAdventure]

@@j_mars_cars lol thanks, but I learned many things from Nathan too

[@BiO811HazarD]

On the locker discussion, thank you. You are completely right that most people (like myself) would never be able to install that without hiring a pro. Choosing to leave that off was the right choice in my opinion. Looking forward for the next video!

[@andyloucks]

Kept checking the channel for this video, excited!

[@OutdoorAuto]

Yeah, sorry about how late it is… I had some family stuff come up that delayed my edit.

[@andyloucks]

@@OutdoorAuto We're lucky to get any of your videos, no apologies necessary! I'm running a 2006 Toyota Sequoia that I also use as a daily so this is super relevant. Thank you for all the though and work you've put into this.

[@elektro3000]

You know, I get it about the ARB air lockers for a solid axle Land Cruiser, but for any Cruiser with IFS and ATRAC, I think front and rear helical differentials make more sense in 95% of use cases. Helicals are way cheaper than air lockers (although I agree they're still a very intimidating DIY). They work together with the ATRAC instead of being an alternative. They're not vulnerable to air leaks. Most importantly they give you the resistance to wheelspin 100% of the time, including in situations where you can't safely activate the air locker, such as on wet, snowy, or icy pavement, or in the case of a front locker, on steep downhills or very tight turns on rocky surfaces. Helical diffs (especially in front) make an IFS Cruiser a better off-road AND on-road vehicle, whereas lockers only make it a better off-road vehicle.

[@360Swurve]

In off-road oriented vehicles, damage is very probable. I endured way too much pain and stress by daily driving my jeeps without a back up vehicle. Gimme that LC with less mods and less capability for my daily, and have that XJ for more extreme, dedicated wheeling. Love your vids and your style.

[@OutdoorAuto]

They honestly are a very good combo for someone that could afford to own both...

[@andrewshinabery8039]

Looking forward to the next video. I also have a 80 and 100 series Landcruiser.

[@AdventureBraten01]

I love the fact that you talked about all of the hidden costs that come up when chasing bigger tires because I have been trying to put 37s on my F150 and man are there a ton of little things you need to worry about

[@explore_off_road]

This is a pretty cool challenge. And actually keeping it simple. You talk of tools in the Slider segment, and those are tools folks should get anyway... even the welder. I got a welder and now wonder how I ever lived without it.. bit of a learning curve, but worth it ... I'm an XJ guy so I'm trying to be partial, then there is an XJ sitting on the lift behind you and I'm wondering how he did the rear fender cut. Hahaha ... I TOTALLY agree o the locker part. Alot of us want one, but we just can't afford it. And now you have to go on driver skill, not buy your way through a trail... think that's more fun anyway.

[@OutdoorAuto]

The Story on the XJ in the back will be in the channel soon… but that one is a VERY different build… kind of a junkyard build… but it is getting 1 tons, V8, homemade doubler, 42’s and of course lockers… it will be a beast capable of some the hardest trails out there… front and back are pinched and Zeph made a whole frame for it.

[@kennethlafferty4929]

I’m an xj guy myself, have a Comanche aswell. But I love all that wheel and camp, glad I found your channel brother🤘

[@OutdoorAuto]

Comanches are pretty cool… thanks for watching 🙏

[@xploring2083]

My money's on the LC. Great video Sir.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Thanks! 🙏

[@GorillaPolar]

Interesting, I am preparing a 100series for an Africa trip, or expedition I guess. I also ran into wanting to build such a robust offroader that I didn’t spend enough attention in making sure that the journey will be tens of thousands of miles of comfortable miles on pavement. The different categories of performance are certainly very relatable in this journey! I’m tagging along for this series my LC brother

[@OutdoorAuto]

Your Africa trip sounds Epic... I spent a bunch of time over there and you are going to have the time of your life...

[@michaellehman1549]

This a really good video and much more practical approach for most of us than the much more numerous ones that depict squeezing the last bit of performance out of their trucks. The very first point made about being miles ahead of most builds simply by it being a Land Cruiser may rub some fans of other makes/models the wrong way, but it's something to consider if you want an affordable, capable package. Then choose what and how you mod carefully and it becomes something that will be an investment that holds its value. Heavily modified vehicles can be a hard sell to anyone not a hardcore enthusiast, while ones that sport more practical mods appeal to a wider range of buyers.

[@motorhead_jt21]

I really appreciate this video on multiple fronts. I’ve been shopping 100 Series lately, and that detailed list of maintenance checks that you provided will definitely give me some confidence for my search. I’m glad you talked about that Ironman lift too. As someone coming from the Jeep world, IFS sometimes seems a little complicated, let alone the LC100 setup. I’m definitely subbing to follow along your build! Have a great weekend.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Good luck with your shopping... there are quite a few 100's out there so definitely hold out for one with good service records.

[@4runr]

rooting for the yota

[@dcwn45]

I have a gen5 4Runner without a locker and I lean on the atrac and it works well for the wheeling I do. Great video!

[@nathanielfurman529]

33s are perfectly fine. We did put 34's (285/75r17) on a buddies 100 series with stock wheels and it clears perfectly under articulation. On a Ironman FCP kit as well.

[@garretlewis4103]

The lift on the Land Cruiser looked good. Plus the cost of the Ironman 4x4 lift wasn’t too bad either. Glad you are doing your budget build like someone at home was doing it themselves. That is what I like to do. Do it myself. Good job on the budget.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Doing the work yourself is so key to being able to work on it if stuff goes wrong on the trail...

[@J.P.__]

Hugely interesting. I love keeping it honest.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Editing final video right now… will be out soon.

[@choicemojave6655]

Nice video. Great to see you aren’t tainted by sponsorship money like so many other channels. Sponsorship by Falken, yet first image of “after” vehicle shows the LC shod with BF Goodrich. Mistake? Maybe, but shows you are not jaded and hyping up sponsor products. 👍🏼

[@OutdoorAuto]

It’s actually because we hadn’t got the tires yet… this whole comp was Will and my Idea… we actually started it with no help/sponsorship… as we got going, companies we determined were the right ones for the build, we reached out to… so the sponsors are pretty much what we were using anyway…

[@orlandodelcastillojr.8049]

100 Series checks all the boxes

[@OutdoorAuto]

Yup… it is a well rounded vehicle.

[@pn312]

My 4Runner on 33s with a hitch skid has gotten me to a lot of places. The departure angle on a lot of Toyotas can be problematic, but the hitch skid helps.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Yeah, I agree 100%. Especially when people are just getting into off-road… everyone should start in 33’s and learn to drive their vehicle first… if you like it… you can always go crazy later when you know what you are doing.

[@dimibri02]

The driver mod! HA! Good video!

[@OutdoorAuto]

Most annoying thing about driver mod is you have to relearn it a bit on every new vehicle to really get a feel for it.

[@UnderAchievrLP]

Excellent, brakes vs breaks... Land cruiser or just older vehicles in general with lots of owners. Coastal offroad for toyota stuff Canadian(strong us dollar) and they sell weld together kits for bumpers and sliders etc

[@OutdoorAuto]

Thats funny you bring up Coastal... we just did two of their weld together bumpers for a Tundra... our conclusion was that it was a nice product but didn't really translate to much savings... I do think they are a good option for some of those vehicles that are really hard to find bumpers for.

[@SavageDot001]

It's funny that you mentioned the $14 Warrior Angle grinder. I actually love that grinder because of the price. As a part time welder I like to keep dedicated grinders (cutting, grinding, flap disk, wire wheel). The $14 price is perfect and these have actually lasted longer for me than their more expensive models. If it breaks? Oh well! It was $14, lol. I love that HF's quality has been getting better and better, but for some items, they have all but blurred the price line between themselves and other stores.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I use a lot of HF stuff... I just got their 50 ton press and was pretty blown away with how nice it actually is.. that seems to happen quite a bit with their tools...

[@andyloucks]

I was strongly considering getting an LX470 as well, but ran into the same wheel issues. They're kind of oddball sized and limited my tire options if I kept the stock wheels.

[@j_mars_cars]

I’m doing a budget build backup rig for my 4runner. 1999 Chevy blazer. 4.3, 4x4, and 382k miles. Runs pretty good! Just needs tlc and it’s ready to go. Brand new all terrains from Walmart came installed by prior owner. Paid $1000. I’ll probably have $1600-1800 when it’s registered insured and all fixed up.

[@OutdoorAuto]

That’s rad… great price too.

[@TylerPoppe]

I like the Ironman Bumper look, but has there been any crash testing for them like ARB or TJM?

[@OutdoorAuto]

Yeah Ironman is based in Australia where it is required so it has been fully certified, even has Crumple Zones built into the design.

[@OutdoorAuto]

great question btw.

[@TylerPoppe]

@@OutdoorAuto Thank you so much for responding. That's great to hear. I'm trying to build out my very used LX570 into a cross country "overland" and want to make sure we are safe on the highways before we get to the farm/trails. I need to do some research on Iron man as I did not realize they were in compliance with the Australian requirements.

[@BenCruisingAlaska]

Solid video! I think you're spot on with the use for the 100. It makes a great "jack of all trades" vehicle. Maybe the perfect one, but I'm probably bias. I've had my 100 for a few years so I've got a lot of yapping I'll do on this comment. 1. Partially true on the 35s thing. What I think could have also been mentioned is tire width. Don't need to do trimming or aftermarket wheels on a 100 series to fit 35s, if you go with something a little more narrow than 12.5". Idk if you have a relationship with Method so this might not make a difference for you personally but here's my two cents for the most budget friendy option that has worked for me with both my tire sizes on factory wheels with 295/70R18 (34.3" x 11.7") ATs and 285/70R18 (35" x 11.2") MTs. a. Hammer back pinch weld (easy) b. Throw on some BORA spacers (used on trophy trucks), in the front only 0.75", and trim the factory lug studs to fit the spacers c. Remove the washer res cover. Overall very minimal work. Definitely do not need a body lift. This is what I did to fit my 295/70R18 after researching on mud and doing some garage measuring. In cases of complete compression offroad, the only thing I occasionally come up against is the washer resevoir on the driver side. The few time it has happened, it just barely touches it, and that's only with the 285/75R18. Everything else fitment wise is fine with tire sizes up to "narrower" 35s. As you had I think alluded to, with the 100 series the further away you get from the factory +60mm offset, the more problems you can have. Plus, if we're talking about budget, keeping the factory wheels saves you about $1000 and they are extremely durable. I've beat mine up a ton and they've handled it well. I liked them so much that for my MT setup, I bought a used set of 200 series wheels off craigslist and those have been amazing as well. I know people who go for looks like aftermarket wheels and that's a different thing, but I think the Toyota factory wheels are really slept on overall. - Good point on the lift, worth mentioning the torsion bar setup, so you're basically lifting it yourself. And then you should have a 3" lift in the rear if you have 2" in the front for factory rake. - I'd look into seeing if you can strengthen the mounting points on the Ironman. I forget where exactly but you can see on the forums a few places where people have busted theirs. That closes my yapfest pending further replies though haha. I hope your 100 takes you amazing places. Mine has done awesome for me offroading and touring Alaska. I don't think we'll ever see another vehicle like it sadly.

[@OutdoorAuto]

A lot of good info in this comment. Thanks for sharing. I did reinforce the Ironman after the comp actually... it didn't have any issues but we went ahead and fabbed up a larger plate and did some welding... just in case.

[@BenCruisingAlaska]

@OutdoorAuto thanks! Sorry for spamming your notifications haha. So weird was YT randomly decides to block me from commenting about the brake booster with no explanation. That's smart that you reinforced it already though, probably won't have any issues I'd imagine. Fwiw so I dont sound like a hater, I have a few Ironman products I really like and their customer service is great. Sent me a replacement air compressor when mine had an issue without any questions. Just think that's the one thing on that bumper they probably could have beefed up a little.

[@bigcapt81]

Daily driving is so subjective! I daily drove my XJ on 35's for over a year with no trouble. They are comfortable seats and have everything you need. 15moh city and 19mph on hwy trips from KC to Arkansas multiple times! People just get it in their mind that XJ's aren't comfortable without ever really driving one.

[@rebelpatriot_nc_9156]

I learned from another KZbinr that exclusively runs 33's and travels all over the world that anything bigger is simply over kill, IF your goal is to just overland.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I would agree with that, especially for overlanding. A 33 can get you through a lot with good driving.

[@mightymikee]

20 years ago, 33s were the big tires and they still wheeled it. I agree 33s plenty for overlanding IMO.

[@droppedonce7502]

I have a 17 4runner and 32.5 tires with a 2 inch lift have gotten me through a lot. Plus, look at what the guides in and around moab use...basically stock landcruisers with 33s...

[@overlandtowater]

I was originally looking for a 100 series when I stumble upon my Suburban years ago for 7-9K less than the Toyota, other than resale value I couldn't be happier!

[@OutdoorAuto]

There are a lot of Suburban fans out there especially if you can get a diesel.

[@toyotatrailtrash]

I should have set a budget for my FJ build🤷🏻‍♂️$💪🏻💪🏻 I love the videos!

[@brandonwebb4221]

It would be nice to see a fuel economy test for a budget build, especially if it’s your daily driver

[@OutdoorAuto]

Not going to lie… fuel economy in 24 year old vehicles is rough…

[@dlansburg2673]

I just purchased a 2017 titan,and will be doing a few improvements, thanks

[@richardmoore7381]

I wear a dog collar most days, never been electrocuted 🌩 😃 - I like your logic on upgrades, though in reality most trucks are work in progress and never the finished article - which is the whole point really - just don't show the wife the bill of parts

[@BHaskins]

Love my 2006 LX470. Been building it for the last 6 months and man is it expensive…..rear bumper was $5k and heavy….. than I have to get new springs to handle the extra weight. Changing things makes you have To change more things. 🤣

[@OutdoorAuto]

The rear bumpers for Land Cruisers in general are just crazy... so expensive.

[@BHaskins]

Definitely, I got mine locally from Delta Vehicle systems. Dave and Patrick are awesome to work with.

[@elektro3000]

I love that Ironman bumper, seriously considering adding it this spring to my 261,000 mile 2000 LX470. I think you could have saved a lot on a comparable winch, though. I just picked up a Harbor Freight Badland Apex with synthetic rope for $360 on sale.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I learned a few things doing my first "budget build challenge" - one of the hardest things is I couldn't "shop" for deals how I normally do because I didn't have the time... I like badlands winches but timing it with a sale would have been rough. I do like the Monster winch too... it is a really nice winch... one cool thing was it came with the stuff to relocate parts of it to fit that bumper...

[@limixz28]

you had 16" wheels on your LC, its either going to be that or a 18 for the later years. 285/75/16 fit stock wheels with no lift without any rubbing as well.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Must depend on the tire… I tested and had rub on the inside of the tire when I ran it through a full bump, droop and turn test…

[@tumbleweedbikes]

I put 285/75r16 tires on my stock 100 series wheels, 33” and no need to blow build budget on wheels.

[@shaneseabolt6493]

i like your approach. i have a 80 series land cruiser that and had a it a year would love to see a budget build rear bumper for it. i love mu 80 series and couldnt imagive owning anything else but i always tell people there are alot more parts and affordable parts for a 4 runner

[@OutdoorAuto]

Yeah… I learned that… good 80 builds require fabrication or immense expense… but I love the platform so much.

[@coryrood]

This challenge, sponsored by Falken, then you mount up KO3's?

[@OutdoorAuto]

Points for paying attention... but yeah... I test tires and review tires as part of my job... I have a lot of them in the shop... the weekend I did the lift and the wheels I didn't have the Falkens yet to put on... Also, they weren't even sponsors yet... If you really need to know. WHen we started this series we didn't have a single sponosr. I think people have this perception that KZbinr's are all rich and making millions... this series won't even come close to paying for itself... so sometimes you work with what you have.

[@coryrood]

@@OutdoorAuto I get it, just thought it was interesting. figured it was something like fallen came on board afterwards

[@annnnonnymous]

@@OutdoorAuto I was about to ask the same question. Totally makes sense why/how you went about it.

[@scubadoober]

You are the off-road version of StanceWorks. Was your dad a traveling salesman in Southern California?

[@OutdoorAuto]

Dang… that guy does some cool stuff… that fixture table he has under that F 40 is crazy… my dad was a truck driver… then worked in Tech… 🤷‍♂️

[@scottlange3548]

Did you say what wheels you went with? Great series

[@OutdoorAuto]

Method 316's +25 offset..

[@jakubstrumillo]

I would pick Isuzu Trooper with 3.2 SOHC, 4.56 gears and strong rear LSD its easier to fit 35" but it need 1 inch body lift (easy) and front diff drop.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I want to do an Isuzu project some time… good ones are getting harder to find though… always liked Troopers as a kid.

[@eighty6films]

Budget is in the eye of the beholder… gotta save $ for eggs now

[@OutdoorAuto]

Absolutely. Avg price for a new car last year was $47k… I feel like I see $200k Tacomas driving everywhere… so a $17k Land Cruiser feels pretty budget… but I grew up on food stamps and my mom drove $500 cars till they blew up (or burned up 😳)… so I know what you mean.

[@extrasocks]

How are you going to air up? Who has a compressor?

[@OutdoorAuto]

Bumper actually had a sale when I got it... it came with a free compressor. I think they are still running that sale now.

[@PhiLIdahoTaco]

I'm still waiting for the Lost Trail competition.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I’m finishing the edit right now… it’s a massive edit…

[@Constipatedoverlord]

Me watching with a fully built car: interesting what else can I do

[@koehnboy]

Iron Man foam shocks were a little stiff for me.. I switched to old man emu.

[@koehnboy]

33s on a 2.5 lift with no locker and you'd be surprised what you're able to get through.

[@OutdoorAuto]

I could see that… the Ironman are stiff but for off-road they helped the body roll of the cab a lot… that was a big deal in the final where I had the Body of the Land Cruiser about a Half inch off the rocks on the sides.

[@MountainSionnach]

Im actually surprised it fits 33s on stock ride height

[@OutdoorAuto]

The offset on the wheels is key… otherwise it would rub

[@stevenle1782]

Did you do the maintenance for your wife before this challenge? I find it difficult to find a lc for 10k. I don’t think that this is a fair comparison since you were the previous owner and can set the 10k price.

[@OutdoorAuto]

You must have missed the first episode... My wife had a tesla... we sold it to get rid of our last thing that had a payment on it... we bought this LC off FB Marketplace for the competition and to replace the Tesla as her daily driver... I was NOT the previous owner and did not set the price. Also this is a 100 Series Land Cruiser, You can pick one of these up for less then 10K about every other week on auction sites like Cars and Bids (5 sold under 10K since I bought this one) and Bring a Trailer... so not sure where you are shopping but maybe expand your search.

[@OutdoorAuto]

Maintenance I did was included in the build challenge total, I ended up replacing the alternator, UCA ball joints, Idler pulley and CV's... Again this is all in the first episode..

[@daimonddanous5817]

To much repeat information

[@bjlanders]

man, do a 2" body lift....it unlocks so much. The body lift is a breeze on the 100, it's no issue, you should have actually looked into it. Believe me, I know, and I have 2x 2" body lift 100's....and they routinely do 4" in Japan.....and wheel....just sayin. You should have done the body lift, no one does and videos them.

[@OutdoorAuto]

The 100 is a HEAVY vehicle for crawling and 2” body lift is only going to push the center of gravity up more and contribute to that body roll… that’s probably the main reason I didn’t do it… at the end of the day it is a daily driver and a well rounded vehicle still.

[@rmat9023]

paying 10,000 for a 24 year old car. Yeah, I dont care even that thing had 10,000 miles on it. Oh well.

[@droppedonce7502]

It's a Landcruiser....they go for 80-100k new dude...

[@rmat9023]

@@droppedonce7502 Sir, you must not understand the concept of depreciating assets. Even if it had low miles, after 24 years it would be less than 10k. Also, they dont even sell 80-100k land cruisers for years. They sell this new LC which starts at 56,000 (albeit its a smaller, less luxrious beast). Im not a jeep or Ford fan or anything either, Im just not going to defend a 2.5 decade old vehicle for such money. And putting MORE money into an old rig.

[@OutdoorAuto]

This guy is clearly not aware of the Toyota Land Cruiser Aftermarket… cracks me up when people say things this wrong when a simple Google search would show you 100’s of old Land Cruiser sales… even just Cars and Bids alone has 1000’s 😂… it’s easier then ever to educate yourself.

[@rmat9023]

@@OutdoorAuto Oh no, I am aware. That people are idiotic with their hobbies. There are plenty of newer, and cheaper used cars, but "Nah bro, it's gotta be a land cruiser" "Nah man, She's in great shape". Too much money, too little brains, it's alright man, I understand. This guy clearly doesnt understand good economic investments.