These guys are 'bulletproofing' their Toyota Land Cruiser to take on the US' toughest off-road trails
Published on Jun 26, 2025 at 4:54 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Jun 26, 2025 at 1:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
American YouTubers are bulletproofing their Toyota Land Cruiser to take on one of the United States’ toughest off-road trails.
The guys from the YouTube channel Donut are working extensively to make the Land Cruiser last as long as 1,000,000 miles, and that means making a lot of upgrades.
The plan is take take the car to the Gauntlet trail, one of the three most difficult off-road trails in the United States.
The Land Cruiser is an 80 Series model, and it already has over 200,000 miles on it, so getting it over this trail will be no easy task.
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How easy was it to upgrade the Toyota Land Cruiser?
Upgrading the Toyota Land Cruiser isn’t an easy task, as the YouTube video showed.
The transfer case, which transfers the power to all four wheels, is one of its most crucial components.
One item that needed changing was the viscous coupler, which allows the Land Cruiser to be in four-wheel drive all the time.
Finding new ones for the 80 Series is an expensive undertaking.
But Donut bought a new part-time spool for just $300.
That gives the Land Cruiser four-wheel and two-wheel drive, with the ability to lock it into four-wheel drive.
For just $300, that is a much better upgrade to buy.
The process also required a lot of odd jobs to be completed.
That included cleaning up parts, making sure they mesh properly, and also the reassembly.
With the transfer case in, the team was able to move on to both the front and rear axles and their differentials.
All the axles needed a total rebuild, which then meant the differentials needed regearing.
Replacing the axles was not an easy task
The team also added new, sturdier axle shafts, enabling the Land Cruiser to navigate the challenging terrain.
Getting the axles and diffs off was not easy, as they were seized quite solidly onto the Toyota.
That is one of the pitfalls of attempting to upgrade a car with so many miles on the clock.
The team did eventually get the new diffs on after a lot of work.
With more of the work completed, the next step is to eventually take it for a test drive.
That will confirm if this Land Cruiser really is ready for the Gauntlet trail.
Check out the video above if you want to see how they got on for yourself.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
