Land Cruisers are renowned for their off-road chops. Toyota has been building these trucks since the 50's, and although the appearance of each generation differs, every Land Cruiser has the guts to survive in the toughest terrain.
Ever since I drove my friend's FJ40 Land Cruiser in high school, I've been smitten. We'd take it for jaunts through the desert on lunch break and try not to get stuck. On weekends we'd run it through washes and the back roads of Tucson. I've since owned numerous four-wheel drive vehicles, from a 1970 Bronco to a 2001 F-150, but the classic FJ62 Toyota Land Cruiser never left my bucket list. Now, I've finally got one.
Why Four-Wheel Drive
Growing up the Southwest, the roads were always clear and we could always wait out the occasional thunderstorm. You didn't need four-wheel drive for daily motoring. But if you had any interest in exploring the vast desert that lay just beyond the pavement, then you had to have a 4X4.
After my first, a 1976 Honda CVCC, nearly fell apart on a washboard road, I ended up with a 1984 Mitsubishi Montero. I loved the square body style. The inclinator dial and suspension seat may have been gimmicky, but they were endearing. This truck allowed me to explore more than any other vehicle, and the thrill of ascending a road that would be tough to climb on foot is part of what makes four-wheeling so fun.
After living in New York and now L.A., I crave any opportunity to explore wide-open spaces—I prefer rock crawling in 4-low than crawling on the 405. Fortunately, Southern California is blessed with a ton of trails within easy reach and the options for camping in solitude are abundant. Being alone in nature is just so much easier with four-wheel drive.
My Land Cruiser
From squatty all-wheel drive Subarus to race-ready Ford Raptors, there's no shortage of capable four-wheel-drive vehicles to choose from. Which one is right for you all depends on what you plan to do. But the current crop of modern four-wheel-drive SUVs and trucks are either too large for many trails and have a rounded crossover styling that just doesn't appeal to me. The Jeep Wrangler has maintained a distinctive style and is still the best performing 4X4 you can drive new off the lot . But if you seek a classically styled truck that is easy to wrench on and has a ton of aftermarket products, dealer support, and a thriving community of drivers, then you've got to take a close look at the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 and FJ62.
The FJ60 and FJ62 are nearly identical, with the FJ62 being the more modernized truck that was sold from 1988 to 1990. The FJ62 features fuel-injection, automatic transmission, and power windows and door locks. The easiest way to distinguish between the two are the square headlights in the FJ62 as opposed to the rounded one on an FJ60.
Jonathan Ward of ICON 4X4, which specializes in restoring early model Land Cruisers, gives a great rundown of the FJ62 in this video:
I love both models, but even the newest ones are almost 30 years old. Land Cruisers are known for being extremely reliable, but as with anything used, it's all about what the previous owners have done or neglected to do. My target was an FJ62 that had the signature styling and capability but was a bit more refined, and had an automatic transmission that's crucial for stop-and-go Los Angeles freeways.
After about a couple years of casual looking, I got serious for a few months. What I found was initially disheartening. Prices for all classic 4X4s has spiked and people are asking $10,000 or more for rust buckets. Just a few years ago, early Broncos, Scouts, Jeeps, and Land Cruisers could be had for less than $2,500 to $3,000. Nowadays if you do find one with lowish miles and no rust for under $5,000, then you've scored.
I found my truck on Craigslist after using SearchTempest, which searches Craigslist everywhere. The truck was an 1988 FJ62 with 207,000 miles located in Tucson, Arizona, which meant I could take a road trip home to pick up the truck. The CARFAX report indicated the vehicle had lived its entire life in Arizona, which was a good thing, and that it had a clean title and no major accidents. The current owner had only had it for about a year and drove it once a week. It seems like the vehicle was a bit too rough around the edges for himself and his family.
I met the owner in a McDonald's parking lot right off the freeway for a first look at the truck. It was starting to get dark, which is the worst time to look at a used vehicle, but I had my flashlight which allowed me to fully inspect underneath the truck, under the hood, and throughout the interior. Everything was stock: No lift or larger tires. No engine or exhaust mods. It was basically a blank slate, which I was betting could get me the 500 miles back to L.A. with no problems. It did.
The Build
My new truck was in decent shape, but first thing I needed to do was baseline it so I knew the history and condition of the most integral pieces. That means changing all the fluids including the engine oil, transmission fluid, transfer case oil, and front and rear differential oil. All belts and any worn hoses would also need to be changed immediately.
The truck did have a badly leaking steering box that required a rebuild. This repair wasn't cheap ($500 for rebuild and install), but it was necessary, and I knew going in to budget for it. While the Toyota was in the shop I also had them check the compression at each cylinder because that's a good indication as to the health and strength of the motor. Surprisingly, the Land Cruiser had near factory quality compression levels at each cylinder, which was great news.
Once the baseline repairs were completed and the steering box was fixed, I could consider future mods that needed to be done in order to turn it into a more respectable off-road vehicle. These include:
- Auxiliary transmission cooler - Hayden 679
- Larger wheels and off-road tires - BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
- 2 to 3-inch suspension lift - Old Man Emu
- Rear differential locker - ARB Air Locker
- Upgraded bumpers front and rear - 4 Plus
- Rock sliders - White Knuckle Sliders
- Winch - Warn
- Onboard Portable Fridge - SnoMaster
- Onboard air - VIAIR
- Roof rack - Front Runner
- Driving Lights - Rigid Industries
To tackle such repairs and upgrades yourself, you'll need a proper set of automotive tools, which is best to accumulate over time. Must-haves are a socket wrench set in both standard and metric, torque wrench, screwdriver set, voltmeter, oil filter wrench, and plenty of shop rags. You also need some friendly help from people who have been there.
Anyone who has owned a Land Cruiser is familiar with IH8MUD.com. Its forums are the single greatest resource for questions about repairs and modifications on Toyota Land Cruisers. For example, early on I was searching for help on repairing a broken horn. This is a common problem for Land Cruisers with 200,000 miles on them, and the DIY fix is simple and unique. A metal pin underneath the steering wheel plate gets worn down, and to fix it you simply drop an empty .22-caliber shell casing over the pin. Voila! You've got a connection and a working horn again. It's repairs like this that the community is more than welcome to share with you, which make owning a Land Cruiser that much more enjoyable.
After baselining the truck and having the steering box repaired, I felt more confident driving the truck, but I didn't quite feel it was trail-ready. The stock 15-inch steel wheels are capable but the tires were light truck street tires and very worn, which is not what you want when climbing steep hills or traversing rocky terrain.
I decided new rubber was a top priority and went with the well-reviewed BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s. I like the look of black wheels, so I painted my stock chrome 15-inch wheels and with with 32x11.5 BFGs.
I also went up in tire size, which is the only way to gain more ground clearance. The larger wheels and tires are more of a drag on the suspension and drivetrain, and it does make the truck drink a bit more fuel, but the off-road performance is much improved and the truck looks much better with the larger set. This upgrade set me back about $1,200, but it had to be done.
To make my rig more adventure worthy it needed a proper roof rack. I started out with a Yakima Mega Warrior, but that didn't have the suitable strength or design to handle a roof top tent as well as extra fuel, water, and gear. There are quite a few heavy-duty off-road roof racks available, but I finally settled on the Slimline II from Front Runner. Front Runner hails from South Africa and has stood up to the harsh conditions of expeditions and safaris around the world. I'm fortunate to have their North American headquarters nearby, so I stopped in to have them install the rack as well as their lightweight roof top tent that features their new quick-release tent mount kit.
The buildup of heat is a killer with these automatic transmissions, and with my truck sitting at 207,000 miles, adding more strain via a larger set of tires is not advisable without adding an auxiliary transmission cooler. The transmission fluid is already cooled via the factory radiator, but you can add a secondary cooler to bring your transmission fluid temperature down even more.
I went with a Hayden 679 transmission cooler that is connected downstream from the radiator and then flows out directly back to the transmission. It is a fin-style cooler that attaches to the front of the radiator behind the grill, which is preferable over the S-style coolers. This is an inexpensive upgrade that can be done in your garage with basic tools. At the same time I changed out the transmission fluid and dropped the transmission pan and cleaned it out. I ordered a gasket from the dealer beforehand for reinstalling the pan.
Next on the list is a suspension lift that will replace the worn-out leaf springs and add new shocks. The current leaf springs are almost flat and there is very little wheel travel, which makes for a bumpy ride. Old Man Emu suspension kits are a popular upgrade on this truck as they provide more wheel travel, increase the load capacity, and improve on and off-road handling. It lifts the truck 2 to 3 inches, which is perfect without adversely effecting the center of gravity. If you decide to run larger than 33-inch tires, then you may need a more extreme lift solution like going spring-over-axle. But for my needs the Old Man Emu kit is ideal.
If you are planning on doing a DIY suspension kit install, it's important to buy a suspension kit from a knowledgeable dealer who is familiar with your type of vehicle and can ask and answer the right questions to ensure that you are setup with a kit that fits your driving style and needs. The IH8MUD community raves about the service from Cruiser Outfitters so they will be the shop I reach out to when I'm ready for this upgrade.
Besides the larger tires and upgraded suspension, a rear locking differential will impact the Land Cruisers off-roading capabilities the most. When activated by a compressed air-system, a locked differential will provide equal amounts of power to each wheel at all times. So if one wheel is in the air or slipping, the other wheel will keep turning. An open differential which the truck has now, allows each wheel to turn at different speeds which is ideal for on-road driving but a liability when off-roading over slippery terrain.
As for tackling the interior, it's in decent shape but the headliner and a few door panels were dirty, so I used some a handheld steam cleaner which worked wonders on the stains. The outside corner of the drivers side seat is worn away and the seat foam is crumbling out, but I can live with it for now.
A great future upgrade would be a 12-volt refrigerator/freezer. They aren't much bigger than a large cooler, and the power draw is minimal. With an onboard fridge you don't have to deal with reloading your fridge with ice or having it melt and getting everything wet over the course of your trip. No ice also means you save precious space and can pack in more food and drink. We've got our eye on the SnoMaster 60 Classic which is available as a single fridge/freezer or double compartment so you can have a separate freezer area.
As I save up for the suspension and locker, I've tackled a ton of other smaller fixes such troubleshooting the buggy door locks, unclogging the wiper fluid canister, adjusting the throttle cable. Although I've still got plenty more mods to do, at this point the old Toyota is ready to hit the trails.
Get Off Road
It was perusing those Land Cruiser forums that I came across the inspiring build threads from Theron Humphrey and Mike Burroughs. Theron has traveled the continent in his 1987 FJ60 and fits the definition of an overland adventurer, spending months at a time living out of his truck and exploring terrain most of us only dream of seeing. From the depths of Mexico to the backwoods of New Hampshire, he and his truck have seen it all.
I don't have time to commit to an overland trip but Mike who also lives in Los Angeles, has inspired me to follow his footsteps and check out the local Southern California 4X4 trails that are doable in a day or weekend.
My first venture was spending a weekend at Sandy Valley Ranch near Las Vegas. While the family rode horses, I spent my days exploring trails along the outskirts of the Mojave Desert and got a glimpse of the legendary Mojave Road. It is one of the first paths settlers used to arrive in California and it's 138-mile stretch is now enjoyed by off-road enthusiasts. It requires two or three days, and it's definitely one of the longer excursions I want to make.
Next on my list for nearby day trips and overnight camping include Cleghorn Ridge, Anza-Borrego, and Joshua Tree. All of these areas are within a two-hour drive and have trails of varying difficulty for me to test and improve my off-road driving abilities.
Before heading out to any remote areas, make sure you are properly prepared. Bring plenty of water and check your spare. You should also bring recovery gear including a tow-strap and shovel. Other useful trail items include maps, first aid kit, CB radio, tools, hi-lift jack, and a fire extinguisher. Check out these 10 essentials for going off-road.
A truck build is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time getting to know your truck and discovering what repairs and upgrades it really needs, and be honest with how you plan on using it. Enjoy the journey of building your rig, and knowing that it's one-of-a-kind among all of the clones on the road.
Timothy is a lifelong DIY enthusiast who is fixated on smart home tech, beautiful tools, and wrenching on his FJ62 Land Cruiser. He’s the DIY editor at Popular Mechanics and also the founder of the home improvement site, Charles & Hudson, the Webby-nominated family site, Built by Kids, and Tool Crave. When not working, you’ll find him on his board or bike enjoying the LA weather with his family and friends. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
