Lifted Land Cruiser 60 Off-road Build on 37″ Tires Done Right

Lachlan Palmer, the owner of a 1981 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ60 desparately needed his rig to handle advanced backcountry off-road trails of Victoria, British Columbia, and decided to outfit it with massive 37 inch tires. To do this he implemented numerous other supporting upgrades to make them work effectively on this old-school rig.

In this build feature we will uncover how he addressed the complex mechanical challenges caused by massive rotational mass of the 37s with reinforced drivetrain, Spring-Over-Axle (SOA) conversion, and heavy-duty high-crossover steering.

If you’re planning to build a truly capable LC60 that still drives safely at highway speeds on 37s – this build can serve you as a perfect example to follow. Read on!

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Key Specs

Feature	Spec
Vehicle	1981 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ60
Engine	3.4L 3B Inline-4 Diesel (Turbocharged via TD04L-13t)
Tires	37×12.50R17 Goodyear Wrangler MTR/K
Wheels	Custom 17″ Steel Rims (3.75″ Backspacing)
Lift Style	Spring Over Axle (SOA) Conversion

The Build

Given the factory wheel size and suspension construction Installing 33″ inch tires on a Land Cruiser 60-series is relatively easy, but going with some heavily oversized tire size like 37s fundamentally exposes every weak link in the steering and drivetrain departments of this vintage rig.

That’s why installing 37-inch tires on a classic FJ60 or BJ60 without completely re-engineering the geometry can easily cause rubbing, violent bump-steer, and even snapped factory Birfields.

Suspension Modifications

With such a big tires, you can’t just use spacers and call it a day. To clear 37×12.50R17 Goodyear Wrangler MTR/Ks, Lachlan went with a proper 60 series Land Cruiser spring over axle (SOA) conversion, which implies relocating the leaf packs on top of the axle housing.

An SOA (Spring-Over-Axle) conversion on a 60-series naturally introduces axle wrap (where the torque of the axle twists the leaf springs into an “S” shape under acceleration or braking), especially when turning massive 37s.

Up front he used the FJ62 leaf springs, which give a slightly better ride and shackle angle than the stock 60-series leaf packs. On the back he utilized Chevy 2500 63″ rear leafs, a radical, but tried and tested solution LC60 owners use to maximize the wheel travel, and ensure proper suspension geometry with 37s that tuck deep into the wheel wells on compression, instead of crushing into the fenders.

The Steering Upgrade

Using something as big as 37-inch tires with stock 60-series push-pull steering, can easily cause violent bump-steer. Because the stock drag link end up at a pretty sharp angle after the lift, the axle pushes against the steering linkage and physically yanks the steering wheel right out of your hands every time your front tire hits a dip at 50 mph.

To make this LC60 more safe and predictable on the highway Lachlan swapped the stock steering with 4×4 Labs high crossover steering kit and heavy-duty Chevy 1-ton tie rod ends. The new setup also utilizes heavy-duty multi-stud high-steer arms that bolt directly to the top of the steering knuckles over the steering axis.

Moving the links above the springs accomplishes two massive wins for an off-road build:

• Flawless Geometry: It returns the drag link to a perfectly flat, horizontal angle parallel to the axle.
• Trail Clearance: It pulls your vital steering linkages out of harm’s way, protecting your tie rod from getting bent or snapped by low-hanging trail rocks.

The Axles – Built to Turn 37s

Big tires with significantly increased rolling circumference, put serious rotational stress on old axle shafts, that’s why the owner has upgraded to Longfield Chromoly front axle shafts (honestly the ultimate “done right” mod for anyone running tires bigger than 35s on a vintage Cruiser). He also converted to a full-float rear axle, which spreads the load and handles the rotational mass of the 37-inch rubber the way the stock semi-float setup never could.

In addition, 37-inch tires on factory 3.70 or 4.11 differential gears would completely bog down the low-horsepower 3B diesel engine. Without addressing this massive change in gering, fourth gear becomes virtually useless on the highway, forcing the drivetrain to struggle, but aftermarket ring-and-pinion gears with 4.88 ratio from Nitro or Yukon helps to address that.

The Powertrain – BJ60 3B Turbo Setup

The stock 3.4L “3B” four-cylinder diesel is famous for being exceptionally reliable, but on the other hand, it’s just as famous for being slow. The owner addressed the low HP output with a fully custom TD04L-13t turbocharger setup that allowed to squeeze much more out of the bj60 with H42 4-speed manual transmission to actually turn those massive tires when stepping on the throttle.

The 3B can handle boost, but it is an indirect-injection engine with pre-combustion chambers, meaning it can run hot if pushed too hard.

The TD04L-13t is safely wastegated to a modest 7 to 10 PSI of boost to prevent blowing the head gasket. An EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) gauge in the cab helps to monitor thermal loads when climbing steep mountain passes and otherwise flooring the Gas.

Body Armor & Recovery

To withstand the trail pumishment, the onwer has outfitted this Land Cruiser with subtle, yet functional protection from all the sides. The front end is rocking the custom fabricated front winch bumper with a tried and tested Warn 8274 winch. Up on the sides are rock sliders welded directly to the frame.

The rear custom bumper features dual swing-outs for the spare tire and a fuel can. Flush-mount LED lights are tucked into each bumper, and an ARB safari snorkel relocates the air intake up high for water crossings and dusty trails.

Overland Gear

For sleeping up top, there’s a cozy ARB rooftop tent that sets up quick and makes a perfect camp spot on the Cruiser’s roof. Simple, durable, and exactly what you’d want on a rig that’s lived in.

Budget Estimate

Estimated cost for the rooftop tent: roughly $1,000–2,500 depending on the option you choose. If you’re looking for a light and durable RTT setup for your LC60, I’ll recommend you to check out the Falcon 3 EVO Air Walk Thru version or the Condor Overland 2 models. They are relatively compact and lightweight to mounted on the roof of this old-school 4×4.

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Conclusion

This 1981 Land Cruiser BJ60 off-road build is the ultimate blueprint for those looking to turn this vintage 4×4 into an ultimate performer and safely run 37″ tires.

Mounting them does require a lot of modifications, but in the end you get the rig that analog classic 4×4 that features solid 4×4 tech and can go head-to-head with modern Broncos and Jeeps running the same 37″ tires.

On our 70-point scale, this BJ60 earns a solid 50 out of 70, which comes from its full suspension lift with heavily oversized 37-inch tires (30 points), body-on-frame construction (5 points), low-range gearing (10 points), and steel body armor with skid protection (5 points). What keeps it from climbing higher is the lack of front and rear locking diffs, but with this much articulation and a properly geared diesel, Lachlan rarely needs them. As he puts it, Land Cruisers are the heavy-duty version of every Toyota – expensive, but indestructible.

Watch the progress and find out more about this Toyota Land Cruiser BJ60 off-road build by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @lennypalm!

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