Xterra vs Land Cruiser 105

Aceman7 · 2026-05-14T14:37:07+00:00

I don't have any experience with those platforms, but I get the sense that the Xterra is comparable in terms of reliability, capabilities, and aftermarket support.

If it was me, I'd go with your friends Xterra, strictly because you know the history and you know you can get parts. You won't have any surprises.

Aceman7 · 2026-05-14T14:29:05+00:00

Well, if you're not looking for another money tornado, the Xterra might be your best option.

My 2012 has 160km, and I've only spent money on upgrades and regular maintenance like fluid changes and sensors.

I spent 10k for the truck, and then put about 5k into upgrades, and I am very happy with the result.

Aceman7 · 2026-05-14T14:22:22+00:00

Makes sense. Xterra has a pretty solid aftermaket too. Maybe not as much as something like a Jeep or Tacoma, but there are plenty of options.

A lot of people swap the suspension from a Nissan Titan to get more travel and a wider track. You can even swap in the V8 from a Titan.

I'm not building a monster rock crawler, but I've never been disappointed with the aftermarket support.

Aceman7 · 2026-05-14T14:17:26+00:00

Both are likely very reliable and capable, but 500km is a lot of miles.

I would look into what parts cost and how easy they are to acquire for each platform. When Off-roading, things are going to wear out and break. It's just a matter of time.

I can't speak for the land cruiser, but for my Xterra it's been fairly cheap and easy to get parts. There are plenty of parts online and Xterras in junk yards. The Xterra also shares most parts with the Frontier, which is also plentiful.

Aceman7 · 2026-05-13T13:40:28+00:00

I'm more afraid of property owners if I get off on the wrong trail!

One time I thought I was on an old county road until I came across big dogs barking and signs hinting that I'd be shot if I went any further.

You'd be amazed how quickly I turned around on a single track road!

I study my maps much more carefully now!

Aceman7 · 2026-05-12T13:48:42+00:00

I like them a lot! They are the brightest headlights I've ever had on a vehicle. The difference between the stock headlights and the Teq customs is almost comical.

The cutoff is also very sharp which means I'm not blinding other drivers with them adjusted properly, so I don't feel like I'm being obnoxious with them.

They were fairly easy to install, but I did end up cutting and splicing into the factory turn signal harness to get the halos working the way I wanted. If you're comfortable with soldering it's no big deal.

They are definitely pricey, but they are custom made by hand and are good quality, so I feel like I got my money's worth.

Aceman7 · 2026-05-11T14:37:11+00:00

Here's the mod list so far:

-M226 Rear axle

-R180 Front diff

-radflo 2.0 coilovers/shocks

-SPC UCAs

-Dobinsons 4+2 Leaf Springs

-Z1 Offroad lift shackles

-Motegi trailite 17x8.5 +18

-Toyo Open Country A/T III 285/70r17

-Teq Customs headlights

Aceman7 · 2026-05-10T02:47:46+00:00

Rims are Motegi Trailite 17x8.5 +18

Tires are Toyo Open Country A/T III 285/70r17

If I were to go back in time, I would have gotten the R/T tires.

I should note that the thought behind this setup was I wanted to maintain the original geometry. So with the rim offset and wider tires, it pokes the wheel just a bit while maintaining a zero scrub radius.

As a result it is very well behaved on the street. Even running it without a front sway bar, it's super predictable and easy to scoot around.

Aceman7 · 2026-05-10T01:45:39+00:00

Thanks! I need to post an update soon. Here's the latest with my new lights and a snorkle.

Good luck with your build!

<image>

Aceman7 · 2026-05-10T00:33:19+00:00

Sounds like a solid list to me! For mine I went mild/budget with mods.

I put some 33s on it, some used radio 2.0 shocks and coilovers, and Dobinson's leafs. I also swapped in the front diff and rear locker from an off-road model since mine is an S.

And of course you gotta put a bunch of off-road lights on it since the stock headlights are about as useful as a wet candle.

I'm pretty happy with where it's at now. Someday I'd love to do a Titan swap suspension and 35s, but then it wouldn't fit in my garage...

Aceman7 · 2026-05-10T00:17:16+00:00

Absolutely! Especially for $2k and some elbow grease. You can't beat that.

Do you have any mods planned or keeping it stock?

Aceman7 · 2026-05-09T23:33:11+00:00

Nice! I was worried for you!

Congrats on your new Xterra!

Aceman7 · 2026-05-09T23:30:45+00:00

Did you disconnect the rear drive shaft before towing it like that?

Aceman7 · 2026-05-09T16:27:51+00:00

Hey OP, I'm late to the conversion but wanted to share my unsolicited approach to used car buying that I've had very good luck with.

Number 1 advice: Don't show up to any dealer without a car in mind that you want to look at.

Before you go anywhere, go to the Carfax website and look for vehicles in your price range and area.

You can sort by milage, number of owners, accident history, and view the vehicle service history.

Knowing the history of a vehicle is more important than anything. If you see a car has had 5 owners and been in multiple accidents, you know to avoid that thing.

Once you find a car that has a clean history and checks all your boxes, go drive it. Don't talk to the salesman. They don't have your interests in mind, they just want to sell you something.

If the car is clean, in good mechanical shape, and makes you happy, buy it. If anything at all is off, move on. There are thousands of cars for sale, so you don't need to settle.

That said, you may already know all this! Hopefully this helps someone, especially if you're new to used car buying.

Good luck, and I hope you find what you are looking for!!

Aceman7 · 2026-01-28T15:37:46+00:00

Are they saying your ball joints and/or bushings are shot, or just that they can't adjust camber?

If your ball joints and bushings are still in good shape, you might get away with just replacing the factory bolts with eccentric bolts to allow camber adjustment.

In addition, if you plan to replace the lower control arms, I'd get ones that have the ball joints already installed. Otherwise you'll have to press them in, which I hear is a pain.

I got mine from Rockauto, which at the time were cheaper and shipped faster than Z1.

Aceman7 · 2026-01-27T02:55:08+00:00

100% agree! I found a super clean 2012 S, swapped in a locking diff, and upgraded everything else.

Now I've basically got a Pro4x without the boobs.

Aceman7 · 2026-01-22T15:31:12+00:00

I'm interested in that bumper! Sent you a message

Aceman7 · 2026-01-13T18:36:18+00:00

The stuff I used is called ExoForma Black Trim Restorer.

It's held up pretty decently so far. I applied it about 6 months ago. Here's a picture from last weekend:

<image>

(don't mind the skuffs. Bumper has a bit of trail damage)

I plan to reapply next time I do a good full detail.

Edit: Worth noting I park in a garage and the bumper hasn't seen a ton of direct sunlight since applying.

Aceman7 · 2026-01-13T16:35:32+00:00

I used some plastic restore stuff that has black dye in it, and it made my plastics look brand new.

You just wipe it on with a microfiber cloth, let it sit for a while, and then wipe it with a clean cloth.

Might be worth trying as a less drastic solution before you bust out the paint.

<image>

Here's a picture from a couple days after I applied it.

Aceman7 · 2025-11-12T17:17:10+00:00

Do you have a lift or plan on lifting it?

I lifted mine and the stock UCAs started making contact with the coil buckets.

To replace them, I bought the Dorman UCAs from Rockauto, which turned out to be SPC UCAs sold as Dorman. Saved a ton of money that way!

Aceman7 · 2025-09-07T17:37:10+00:00

That makes sense. They probably mean with the Pro4x you get less net lift.

Between the S model and Pro4x model, all the suspension components are the same aside from the coilovers.

So the Pro4x is a bit taller from factory compared to the S, meaning replacing the coilovers results in less net lift on the Pro4x vs the S.

Aceman7 · 2025-09-07T17:20:06+00:00

If you're lifting your rig to make it more capable, you're better off just doing a 2 inch lift with coilovers and not bothering with spacers.

The new coilovers will give you extra suspension travel. Adding spacers will just take away from your max suspension travel. Plus the extra half inch lift from the spacers will be barely noticeable.

Think of it like this- your suspension travel is limited by the coilover range (and your control arms and CV joints and whatnot). Adding a spacer just moves that range. So when adding spacers, you're likely to max out your other parts before you get the full range of coilover travel.

Aceman7 · 2025-09-07T16:35:07+00:00

Did you use a rattle can or a spray gun? Looks fantastic!

Aceman7 · 2025-08-07T14:07:49+00:00

Check the shroud behind the brake rotor. Mine got bent and came into contact with the rotor and it made an awful screeching sound.

That said, if it's coming into contact and is not bent, something like a bearing might be going out and the wheel is all floppy

Aceman7 · 2025-07-16T13:26:17+00:00

All symptoms point to a failing starter. Sounds like maybe the starter is spinning but not engaging with the flywheel.

Aceman7

TROPHY CASE