The Elephant, a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser

Ok, got this done.  Holy crap is it a LOT of work!   I did have to modify these brackets that fit into the frame rails.  They must've been jigged up wrong, as they were too thick where the nut is to fit.  So I ground them down.

Both ends, plus beveled the sides

Anyways, once I modified those brackets, they slide right in and then threading in the rods wasn't nearly the PITA I was dreading it'd be.  After that stuff bolted on fairly easily, the most recent instructions posted are pretty good.  Getting the wings to line up properly took several times per side.  I have them in front of the headlights completely, with molding not hitting the headlights at all and a 1cm gap against the fenders.

Then it was just a huge pita tightening all the bolts, getting the upper Rhino skid to play nicely with my existing ARB skid, removing the front, lower fender/wheel liners (Did everyone else do that too? There was no mention of it in the instructions), getting the little filler plates in, zip tieing up all the wiring, etc. 

I do wish they'd given us black bolts for the upper skid plate as well as black screws for the fog lights.  I might replace all that silver stuff with black but right now I have ZERO motivation to mess with it.  It took my friend and I 7 hours start to finish to get it on, although we spent some time messing around with the winch.  I'm happy with the way it looks but am not enthused about taking it partially apart to install the winch at a later date.

Mounted the control box for my SmittyBilt winch and connected all the wiring.  They recommend doing this on the bench. 

So, just like all the other instructions I've seen for off road products, SmittyBilts instructions are, well, crappy.  They have a series of thumbnail, very small, black and white pictures to show you what to do. They don't identify the brackets and hardware you're going to use.  It's very disappointing.  I think I'm a decent amateur wrench, I've done a bunch of work on various cars with some success. 

However, when I went to clock the clutch portion of the winch, I totally screwed up.  The instructions (see above about crappy pics) weren't very clear on which bolts to remove so you could clock it.  So I ended up actually taking apart the clutch portion vs removing it from the winch portion.  Then it decided to sorta pop apart and my friend and I struggled to get it back together, as there are multiple gears inside that have to mesh together properly.  Here's where SmittyBilt kicked some serious bootie.  I called their customer service line and explained what was going on. They requested pics, which I sent and then I called back a few days later.  They reviewed the pics over the phone with me and then just sent me an entirely new clutch assembly.  I was 100% up front with them that I had taken it apart wrong and they still warrantied it.  I did point out that they should include larger, color pics, or maybe a link to an install video in their instructions.

So I should have that part late this coming week and will install it.  Next step is I have to modify the 200 a bit to get the winch to fit.  There's a cross brace that runs along the bottom of the headlights, the bottom of the grill also mounts to it.  I need to section it out, sadly.  Then the winch will fit and as a bonus, I won't have to remove the bumper to install the winch, plus will have access to service the winch in the future.  I might have to make a few braces for the remnants of the cross brace so the headlights don't vibrate, I'll have to see.  I'm not thrilled about cutting out a part of the truck, but figure if I make a nice, clean cut and keep the piece, if I ever revert to stock I can just weld it back into place.

So I didn't put the front tow points back on when I installed the bumper, instructions didn't say to and I noticed some other Mudders hadn't.  Well, I kinda think front tow points are useful, so I took a look and sure enough they'll work with the bumper.  So today I went to install them.  Of course it couldn't be as easy as removing the old bolts and putting in the tow points with their bolts.  The bracket shifted a bit and I had to clearance it with a dremel so the back bolts would line up.  Got em installed, but I might pull the red ARB one and paint it black to match the stock one on the other side...

Next up is the winch....

Also installed a set of sequential LED turn signals in the mirror covers.

Still haven't installed the winch, although I trip over it on the garage floor all the time, so at least there's that.  I'm just not all that enthused about cutting out that metal section on the 200...

So took the LC200 down to Base, as I had a field exercise to do.  I played with the idea of driving the 911 instead but decided since it would sit out in a parking lot for 4 days I'd rather just leave it home.  Good thing I did!

Yesterday afternoon a tornado touched down right near the base and pummeled the base with hail.  Including all of our cars, several people cars got hit so hard their front or back windshields were broken.  Mine are fine but the rest of rig?  Not so much.  Really heavy damage to the top surfaces but damage to every single panel.  Several large hits on the rear C pillar/3rd quarter panels too.  PDR should be able to clean up the doors, I'm not sure about the hatch.  Pretty sure it's going to need new fenders, maybe C pillar/3rd quarters and definitely new hood and roof skin.

Not happy about this at all!  All the body shops are really backed up and this is my sole winter driver.  I've already started the claim process, waiting to hear back from the adjuster and then see where I need to take it to get assessed.

I'm sorry to hear about this and I feel your pain.  We've had three damaging hail storms since late June and saw the tornado that overflew the Academy yesterday.  On Friday, our totalled (from hail) CX-9 left on a flatbed and my Fiesta ST is still in line for repairs.  I'll probably wait for the local shops to get less busy, say 2024.

I hope the LC ends up fine.

In reply to JoeTR6 :

I was at the Academy yesterday, at Jacks Valley.  That same tornado is what touched down and damaged all our cars

My step-daughter was driving down I-25 and got a photo.

Damn, bad luck with the hail. The new bumper and sliders look great though.

Sorry to hear about the hail! Hoping the claims process is quick and smooth and the Elephant is restored to her former glory.

In reply to docwyte :

Oh dang. Wonder if my old house got hit since it was just south of the base. That sucks though. Hope you can get it repaired.

In reply to bmw88rider :

Oh, it'll get repaired.  I'd be shocked it they total it, it's still worth a good amount of money.  I'm calling my body shop today and will see what they think.  It's getting assessed by the insurance company not this Friday but the following...

Update on my hail damaged 200. My neighbor runs a PDR shop and is really good at it, he came over and looked at the 200 yesterday. He agreed with me, at the very least, new hood and roof skin, as the paint on both got cracked and there's dents on character lines. He was pretty sure the rest of it could get PDR'd but would depend on the skill of the tech. Depending on how much they have to paint and blend into panels, it's possible the entire rig gets painted as it's metallic black. At that point I'd probably have them change the color of it.

Also need new window trim and a new 3rd quarter window as the trim on it is dented and it's part of the window. I'm going with the older 200 series black trim and will have the shop either paint the rear window trim (since it's part of the window) to match or have the clear bra guy wrap it in black to match.  Might as well do some chrome delete while I'm at it.  Will also probably buy a set of the script Land Cruiser badges the Heritage Editions have on the C pillars and have the shop install them too.  Turns out you can buy the FJ40 fender badges, cut off the little mounting studs, add some body tape and ta da!  Basically the same badges but under $100 for both vs $250 EACH for the Heritage ones.

He thought it was $20k+ of damage. It's getting assessed by insurance this Friday, then going to my body shop for their assessment (which will be far more accurate) the following Tuesday. I'm already on the body shops books, as they're out to November already. Hopefully they have a cancelation and I can get it in there earlier.  I really want to get this thing back before the snow starts to fly.  I'm a little concerned about parts supply for it.  Toyota imported around 40k of these over 13 years, so not a ton.  How many roof skins are there in the USA?  Not really a common part...  At least I've got my daughters Xterra (on snow tires no less) that I can use if I need to during the winter.

Hail assessment done by USAA.  New hood, roof, traditional body work on roof rails and 3rd quarters.  New window trim, new drivers 3rd quarter window.  New PPF on hood.  Lots of PDR on fenders, doors, etc.  Getting it assessed by my body shop this Wednesday.  My main questions for them is parts supply for things like a roof skin and also how much of it are they going to paint.  Given that it's metallic black they may end up painting the whole thing.  In which case I kinda want them to paint it the 4Runner TRD Pro blue...

Went to my body shop, he agreed with my assessment.  Said they'd be doing a supplement too.  He said my front bumper has to come off, so I told him to call me when it's off and I'd come by and install the winch.  Then he told me they'd install it, sweet!  Sent him pics of what they need to cut and brace, he said no problem.  So that's really nice.  They're also going to paint the "wings" or sides of the bumper for me, to paint match the SUV.  When I talked to him about having to paint the whole thing, he said they'd probably end up having too, or if they didn't, it's not a whole lot more to do it.  So then I talked to him about changing the color and he was much more open to it than I expected.  I also gave him the part numbers for the toyota black window trim that the earlier 200's came with.  Might as well delete some chrome...

Body shop wanted me to drop it off at the PDR place first.  That way they know what else they need to fix, ie, what PDR couldn't.  He also told me to expect the PDR place to crack more paint, which leads into them painting the whole thing. So I dropped it off at the PDR place this morning.  They reviewed the estimate while looking at the SUV and their faces just kept getting longer and longer.  Ha!  So they're reaching back out to my insurance to do a supplemental claim, then they'll get started.  Looks like they'll have it two weeks, one week to get the paperwork done with insurance and one week to pop out the dents. 

Then hopefully the body shop is able to get me in before my current appointment in early November.  They've already ordered the roof and hood, which should get to them by late September mid October. 

Showed my wife the 4Runner blue, she thought it was too bright.  So I then showed her the Tundra Calvary Blue, which she liked a lot more.  I'm waiting to get the quote back from the shop for a color change including painting the door jambs.  If it's not too much more I'll go for it. This is the color, which I think would go really nicely with the brown interior.

Since the body shop will be installing the winch for me sometime soon, I figured I might as well install the Flatlink I've got on the winch rope.  It comes with this huge hook...

Which I had to cut so I could get rope out.  Angle grinder made quick work of it...

Then I removed the snap ring and pin from the from flatlink and installed it onto the rope, then reinstalled the pin and snap ring.  All set for install now...

Still waiting to hear back from the PDR place to see if they've started on it.  They were waiting on my insurance company as they put in a supplement to the claim.  Hopefully they have and I'll get it back this Friday.  Then it's just waiting for the body shop, with any luck they'll get a cancellation in their schedule, otherwise I don't get it to them until early November

Much to my dismay, nothing has been fixed on the 200 yet.  I dropped it off at the PDR shop on 9/8.  They sent in a supplement 9/11.  I called the shop 9/18 to check on progress, then USAA.  Found out the shop's supplement never got to USAA.  The adjuster worked with the shop to get the supplement sent in properly.  Still not approved.  Something about the shop sending the supplement to USAA and not SolutionWorks, which is some 3rd party company that USAA is using for the hail claims?  I've been contacting USAA every few days, still no action.  Latest I heard this morning is USAA is checking with SolutionWorks daily and the claims "manager" is looking into it.

Meanwhile I've had a rental car for over 3 weeks and only get 50 total days of coverage.  After the PDR place works on it, it still needs to go to the body shop to have the roof/hood/whatever the PDR place couldn't fix done, plus paint.  I'm also getting worried that the supplement won't be approved in time for the PDR place to get done before it needs to go to the body shop November 3rd.  Body shop is backed up 3+ months, I made that appointment in early August.  So it HAS to go there November 3rd.

I'm going to return the rental car this morning so I don't burn thru all my days before it even hits the body shop.  This is all kinds of screwed up.

Got a text yesterday morning from USAA saying they'd paid on the supplement.  Sweet!  Then I noticed it was hardly anything at all, like a few hundred dollars.  So I called the shop and asked them, were we really waiting weeks and weeks for a few hundred dollars?  In classic insurance fashion (I deal with this in my business all the time), they paid the shop 25% of the amount that was submitted and called it good.  Well, ok, nice to see insurance screws all the businesses equally.  In other news the shop already started working on the 200 and it should be done tomorrow.  Plan is to pick it up Monday, then I'll have it for about a month before I drop it off at the body shop.

Would love too see that thing done in Calvary blue!

In reply to Placemotorsports :

So would I!  I'm still waiting for the quote from the body shop.  I ping him about once a week on it, haven't heard back

Happily the body shop has agreed to sneak my car in early!  They're going to run over to the PDR place on Monday, pick it up and bring it back to their shop to start working on it.  Somewhat worryingly they had to refuse the roof skin that showed up, apparently it was damaged.  The replacement roof skin should be there in another week or two.  They do have the hood and that's in good shape.  I might get the rig back before thanksgiving, which would be nice.  I'll run the winch over to them on Friday.

Still waiting for the paint quote tho.

Well, thankfully the body shop had an opening, they picked the 200 up from the PDR place this past Monday and brought it over to their shop.  How much work did the PDR shop do?  Just $4500 worth! 

Body shop had to refuse the roof skin, it showed up damaged.  Another one is supposed to show up in a week or two, hopefully it's not damaged.  The hood they got was fine, thankfully.  So they're going to start tearing it down, replace the hood, roof, fix the roof rails, fix everything else the PDR place didn't, replace the window trim, rear quarter windows (got the earlier 200 series black trim ones to replace the chrome), , front windshield (it'll break when they remove it to fix the roof), then basically paint the entire thing, then redo the PPF on the hood and fenders.  This is going to be another $14-15,000 worth of work...

I'm debating between Toyota Calvary Blue and Voodoo Blue.  I like the brighter Voodoo blue more I think.  Still waiting to get the quote from the shop, hopefully it's not too high, otherwise I'm sticking with black.

Will drop my winch off with them this Friday and check out the progress...

Calvary blue!!!

I like the Heritage blue that is on my FJC 2014 TTUE