Out on the trail, we could...
Out on the trail, we could not be happier with the results from the lift, lockers, axles, and gears. In the next installment, we'll discuss what trails Project 80 has tackled and how the modifications we chose have helped us.
If you're in the market for an 80-series Land Cruiser, you might be able to locate one with factory lockers. We were not so fortunate, but in our case it was a blessing in disguise. There is one potential design flaw on the 80-series Land Cruisers with factory lockers: the rear locker. If you are able to snap the rear axle with the rear locker engaged, you run the risk of twisting the rear axle splines. By doing this, you are effectively locking the rear axle into the carrier. In order to replace the broken axle, you have to first remove the third member. With the splines twisted and the rear axle locked into place, there is no way to pull the third member to fix the problem. Although this is an uncommon occurrence, it could be a disaster on the trail. Luckily, the ARB rear Air Locker doesn't have this problem. The ARB Air Locker doesn't operate at all like the factory unit.
Slee Off-Road has a really cool trick up its sleeve when it comes to installing ARB Air Lockers on 80-series Land Cruisers: Slee's technicians are able to wire the ARB Air Lockers to work with the factory locker controls. Such wiring makes for a very clean install that uses the OEM locker switches and OEM indicator lights on the dash. The only nonfactory addition to the dashboard is another switch that's installed to operate the ARB air compressor. This switch is installed above the factory locker's rotary dial.
Here is the complete rear-suspension...
Here is the complete rear-suspension setup showing Slee's adjustable Panhard bar, 6-inch-lift coil springs, and bumpstop drops.
Lastly, we wanted to address gearing. We contacted West Coast Differentials for a set of its 4.88 Sierra Gear gears. Here we had to compromise. Ideally, we should have selected the 5.29 gears - they would have been a better match for the 37-inch tires we will eventually install. However, since this vehicle is still a daily driver, it needs to be street-friendly. Most 4x4s spend the vast majority of their lives on pavement. We believe one needs to be realistic when building a vehicle and take things like highway driveability into consideration when selecting components. Running around on 37-inch tires all the time isn't necessary and puts excessive wear and tear on driveline components. Project 80 will run around town on 35-inch BFGoodrich A-T tires but will hit the trail on 37s. Hopefully, the aftermarket will step up and produce some lower gears for the transfer case. Until then, we'll be a little tall on the gearing when we hit the trails.
Special thanks to the crew at Slee Off-Road for burning the midnight oil and getting Project 80 up and running.
 Here is the CV Unlimited inner...  Here is the CV Unlimited inner axle and Newfield assembly packed full of grease and ready to be installed. |  This is a Slee Off-Road air...  This is a Slee Off-Road air manifold, which allows for remote mounting of ARB solenoids and a pressure switch for the ARB Air Lockers. |  The ARB air compressor was...  The ARB air compressor was mounted in the engine bay using a Slee compressor-mounting bracket. |
 Project 80's dash with the...  Project 80's dash with the factory-locker rotary dial installed (1). The button labeled "ECT" (2) is now the ARB air compressor switch. |  Here are the factory-differential...  Here are the factory-differential locker-indicator lights showing that the front and rear lockers are now engaged. |  This is the 2-inch front bumpstop...  This is the 2-inch front bumpstop spacer on the coil tower. |