OldmanTan Sequoia

[OldManTan]

Welp. For the past 2-3 years I’d been wanting to get back out and do some off-roading and camping. Had a TJ wrangler before but not the most friendly daily. Looked into a Disco 2 and decided against the “most reliably unreliable car made to go off-road” after longing for one for nearly a year. After more study finally settled on a 1st gen sequoia due to price, looks, and because it wasn’t as popular as the series 100 land cruisers and would make for a good daily.

Been about 6 months since purchase and have been slowly studying and working on a daily driven overland build Sequoia.

Started off getting the car safe by changing out fluids, replacing the valve cover gasket, tune-up and also replacing the brown radiator before it busted on me.
Upgraded to later style sequoia front brakes and calipers along with new brake lines as well as Bilstein 5100s and a 1” rear level kit. Currently sits at 2” front and 1” rear lift more or less which is about all it really needs. Threw on some 285/75 16 BFG AT2s on the stock wheels (yes it rubs and I have aftermarket wheels with lower offsets to remedy soon enough).
To get the wife to come along and be happy on longer trips, I decided on a RTT setup. After browsing I decided on a 23 Zero Walkabout Bundaberg (queen size) RTT with their new LST (light suppression technology) and a Off-Road Custom roof rack along with slim LED bars front and rear, and 4 3” work lights for the sides of the rack.

Following this we went on our first excursion to test out the truck, and see where it did well, and what would need to be done before our planned Moab trip in 2021. We decided to test the truck out at Uwharrie National Parks UTV trails and camp ground. Outside of some small traction issues due to non-locking diffs, and hitting a tree or two avoiding rocks puncturing the sidewall the trip was a great success and let me know where to take the truck next.

Since then I’ve added Brute force fab front and rear bumpers with a single swing arm, and have been deciding where to next take the suspension to get better articulation and a better ride with the added weight of the bumpers, 3 Plano boxes, the eventual drawer system and water system and a few more goodies later on down the line. Rock sliders are sitting in the garage waiting to get welded on and have been refinishing a set of old SSR Auswuch wheels that are period correct for the vehicle. 16x8 -1 in the original anodized finish. Can’t wait to get these on and finish up the last bit of wiring for the new off-road fog lights going onto the new front bumper.

 

[916z06]

Sweet looking truck, keep us updated. Love the SSR wheels!

 

[Chrisgeorge54]

Looks great!

 

[OldManTan]

Thanks for the words. As it turns out, I’ll be having to fit some 5mm spacers for the SSR wheels and inner bolts to clear the upgraded calipers I have on the Sequoia, which means I’ll also be fitting some longer wheel studs since I’m not happy with 4 1/2 turns on the lug nuts. Hoping to fit some ARP studs since I’ve run them on all my track cars with success.

Also in the process of acquiring 04+ spindles for the larger ball joints and will be having gussets welded to them along with new ball joints, lower control arms, and wheel bearings to freshen the front end up whenever the new suspension makes it in.

 

[2002SEQUOIA]

Sweet ride looking forward for more contents.

 

[916z06]

What brakes did you end up going with?

 

[OldManTan]

I ended up using 05 Sequoia brakes with the thicker caliper and rotor. Was always planning to stay with a 16” wheel due to tire cost and for better footprint when deflated.

All I had to do was trim the rotor shield to fit the larger caliper. Braking feels better now, probably not as good as the larger 4Runner options but again; didn’t want to run 17” or larger wheels.

 

[j.hollis]

Awesome Rig! What type of rock sliders did you go with?

Welp. For the past 2-3 years I’d been wanting to get back out and do some off-roading and camping. Had a TJ wrangler before but not the most friendly daily. Looked into a Disco 2 and decided against the “most reliably unreliable car made to go off-road” after longing for one for nearly a year. After more study finally settled on a 1st gen sequoia due to price, looks, and because it wasn’t as popular as the series 100 land cruisers and would make for a good daily.

Been about 6 months since purchase and have been slowly studying and working on a daily driven overland build Sequoia.

Started off getting the car safe by changing out fluids, replacing the valve cover gasket, tune-up and also replacing the brown radiator before it busted on me.
Upgraded to later style sequoia front brakes and calipers along with new brake lines as well as Bilstein 5100s and a 1” rear level kit. Currently sits at 2” front and 1” rear lift more or less which is about all it really needs. Threw on some 285/75 16 BFG AT2s on the stock wheels (yes it rubs and I have aftermarket wheels with lower offsets to remedy soon enough).
To get the wife to come along and be happy on longer trips, I decided on a RTT setup. After browsing I decided on a 23 Zero Walkabout Bundaberg (queen size) RTT with their new LST (light suppression technology) and a Off-Road Custom roof rack along with slim LED bars front and rear, and 4 3” work lights for the sides of the rack.

Following this we went on our first excursion to test out the truck, and see where it did well, and what would need to be done before our planned Moab trip in 2021. We decided to test the truck out at Uwharrie National Parks UTV trails and camp ground. Outside of some small traction issues due to non-locking diffs, and hitting a tree or two avoiding rocks puncturing the sidewall the trip was a great success and let me know where to take the truck next.

Since then I’ve added Brute force fab front and rear bumpers with a single swing arm, and have been deciding where to next take the suspension to get better articulation and a better ride with the added weight of the bumpers, 3 Plano boxes, the eventual drawer system and water system and a few more goodies later on down the line. Rock sliders are sitting in the garage waiting to get welded on and have been refinishing a set of old SSR Auswuch wheels that are period correct for the vehicle. 16x8 -1 in the original anodized finish. Can’t wait to get these on and finish up the last bit of wiring for the new off-road fog lights going onto the new front bumper.

 

[OldManTan]

Same as the bumpers; Brute Force Fab. Got them with the kickout and gussets for a bit more strength and better foothold. Been impressed with the quality for sure.

 

[916z06]

I ended up using 05 Sequoia brakes with the thicker caliper and rotor. Was always planning to stay with a 16” wheel due to tire cost and for better footprint when deflated.

All I had to do was trim the rotor shield to fit the larger caliper. Braking feels better now, probably not as good as the larger 4Runner options but again; didn’t want to run 17” or larger wheels.

OK, I ended up going with the 4runner brakes as I wasn't going to run anything smaller than a 16". What year is your Sequoia as the earlier models had smaller calipers than the 03+

 

[OldManTan]

Mine is a 2002; hence why I plan to upgrade to the later model spindles as well.

 

[OldManTan]

Small update. Finally got around to finishing up the rear tire carrier and accessories install and just in time for our next big trip. I’ll finally be updating over the next week as we test the soft soil/sand traction and our new “long expedition” hardware on a weeklong trip to the secluded Cape Lookout. We added new Dobinsons spring to help with the added weight, a new camp cooking set, relocated the RTT and have added on the matching annex so we can change or get away from inclement weather.

Excited to get away after all the Covid stress these past few months.

 

[OldManTan]

So, made the small updates of the bumpers, relocating the RTT more rearward with the addition of the new Dobinson's C59-345 coils in addition to my 1" spacers (still utilizing the Bilstein 5100s for now). Really wanted to ditch the 1" spacer, but with me unable to find a 1.5-2" lift linear coil and with the additional weight the rear end carries along with future additions it was the most sensible option at the moment.

So for our latest trip we headed out to Cape Lookout NPS for a weeklong stay. I was hoping to have updated all my suspension before this event, but with the COVID outbreak I preferred to hold back on some more pricey upgrades in case of layoffs etc... We had a 1500 mile round trip to the island, and even with all the additional weight (I'm still running stock front springs) the 5100s performed up to task very well. Is there room for improvement? Easily, and I will admit that the current body sway can be a bit discouraging but isn't uncontrolled even at highway speeds. Fully loaded down (didn't weight truck) but minus fuel in the Jerry cans we averaged about 15.6 MPGs running between 65-75 MPH. Not terrible considering the weight.

Anyway, on to the trip. After the ferry ride we were greeted by the park rangers, given our driving tags, and told to deflate tires. Having purchased deflators I was ready for this (19lbs was the sweet spot for us). Then it was off to the beach to find a spot. All I can say is, simply amazing. The island is around 50 miles tip to tip and almost the entirety of the Atlantic beaches is drivable and able to be camped on. The truck also performed superbly on the sand, despite not having the planned on lockers equipped just yet. We found our first camp site at the southern tip of the island and setup. Ocean breeze was great, and the 23Zero tent along with the new annex were a perfect addition. The weather couldn't have been nicer...for the first 2 days. Late in the evening of our second night the winds picked up to a constant 19-25 MPH and made sleeping difficult with the rattling of the tent. We moved location for the next two nights hoping to shelter near the dunes only to have the loose sand attempt to bury our camp. No rain, but the constant winds ended up making the later part of our trip less than dreamy.

Overall, I would highly suggest the islands as a great place to visit and for camping/fishing. I would suggest noise canceling headphones and a heavy duty tent to keep the noises down however.

On to the pictures.

 

[OldManTan]

Bit of an update. Although the suspension held up pretty well on the trip and the highway drive, it has become extremely unsettling on the roads since the trip with a lot of undampened side to side swaying. And so, with that in mind it’s time to do my hopefully final suspension upgrade.

The new list will be as follows:
Updating to 04+ spindles, new wheel bearings, new lower control arms, new ball joints, ARP extended wheel studs and Total Chaos gussets.
Fox 2.5 0-3” externally adjustable struts (650lb springs)
Camburg Upper Control Arms
Dobinson‘s MMR 3-way rear shocks (made for the FJ80, I’ve got the 6” lift option for more articulation out back)
and Apocindustries rear upper and lower trailing arms.

The shocks just released, so I’ll be one of the first to try them out on a sequoia. Once everything has arrived and put together I’ll do a few updates on the ride quality etc... Till then it’s a waiting game and me getting the dimensions of the new storage box for the rear hatch. Trying to incorporate a Dometic 30L drawer fridge for longer trips.

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

Check out my build thread in regards to suspension. I've got all the part numbers listed. Very happy with the results. The adjustable rear shocks might really help with the weight, too.

2005 Sequoia Pre-Lander

I've always been a Ford guy and have built up a bunch of different platforms for prerunning, chasing, exploring and surfing around Baja (three F150'a, a couple of other Broncos, a ranger, two Expeditions, etc, etc). I'll post some links once I'm not deemed a "newb". Anyways, after coming to...

sequoia-forums.com

 

[OldManTan]

Check out my build thread in regards to suspension. I've got all the part numbers listed. Very happy with the results. The adjustable rear shocks might really help with the weight, too.

2005 Sequoia Pre-Lander

I've always been a Ford guy and have built up a bunch of different platforms for prerunning, chasing, exploring and surfing around Baja (three F150'a, a couple of other Broncos, a ranger, two Expeditions, etc, etc). I'll post some links once I'm not deemed a "newb". Anyways, after coming to...

sequoia-forums.com

The new OE parts as well as the Dobinson shocks are already sitting in the garage. But I do appreciate the offer. Just waiting on the other assorted bits to arrive and to test fit my wheels with the gussets mocked for clearance issues. Gonna run a 5mm spacer to clear the caliper, but I don’t want to run much more so I can properly stuff the tires. May be a deal breaker for the gussets or require some modification while being installed

 

[OldManTan]

So, went ahead and installed the Dobinson’s MMR shocks on the sequoia. Again, these are the 6-7” lift version for the LC80. Install itself wasn’t bad, but due to the MUCH larger size of the shocks, and the external reservoirs it was critical to pay attention to the install to ensure no rubbing or damage to the external line, fittings, or the reservoir itself. The fitment is quite tight, but so far I have no issues with the “fat man jump” on the rear bumper or standard street driving. Going to get maximum flex tests soon to ensure no issues but thus far no problems.

Impressions after my first ride: 95% of my undampened side to side movement is gone, and the truck handles much better over uneven road surfaces. Keep in mind this is still on 5100 fronts and stock springs, so I expect much greater improvement with the all new front end and Fox struts.

Few photos of the install, and a comparison of the old 5100 shocks.

 

[Jgrauman]

Nice work, need to disco that rear parking brake bracket for a little extra flex

 

[OldManTan]

Nice work, need to disco that rear parking brake bracket for a little extra flex

Already on that. Only didn’t cause I have new adjustable trailing arms...that arrived yesterday and I’m waiting on the new reservoir brackets so I can mount them on the frame and lessen my worry of interference when flexed.
Camburg uppers confirmed on the way, and also waiting on my last new lower arm as well as the new ARP extended studs. May end up skipping the gussets if they’re gonna force me to run huge spacers.

 

[OldManTan]

So recently went on our 11 day trip out to the San Juan mountains. After 5-6 trips we’ve finally (my wife and I) got things to a point where we aren’t over or under loaded down and can reach everything without much effort. This isn’t to be lazy mind you, but on these longer trips the least stress you can put on yourself the better you’ll be overall.

To lead; this is a 1,500 mile one way drive for us and even at that distance it was well worth the trip (avg 15.5-17 MPGs this trip). The trail we ran (used Gaia GPS) started in Silverton, to Telluride, Ouray, Lake City, and then back to Silverton. We did have a small snafu on our 3rd (twisted my knee from a small fall from the back bumper) and 4th day (punctured sidewall on a trail) that forced us to cut out a day earlier than planned but this has been our best and most memorable trip by far. It’s also nailed down some last changes to the rig before we hit Moab next Spring that really work with our style of overlanding; 35” MTs, the wheels finally getting finished, getting the front suspension redone (Fox has been on a massive back order), fixing the rear trailing arms (poor company design) and swapping out to a hard top rtt so I don’t injure my knee anymore (I have two ACL surgeries).

And now for the pretty stuff.


Should have more updates and photos soon, but I’d definitely suggest this trip.