march/april 2007

On Safari with Toyota's 70 Series Land Cruiser

by Joe Coogan

The following feature is an excerpt from Toyota Trails, the official publication of TLCA. To read the entire article, join TLCA now!

 

In 1984, Toyota introduced a newly  designed Land Cruiser model to replace the venerable and highly respected FJ40 Series. Designated the 70 Series, the new model Land Cruisers had some big shoes to fill, and in the process have become the second longest running Toyota model still in production. For more than 20 years Toyota’s 70 series Land Cruiser has traveled more dirt roads than paved, and subsequently has evolved into one of the world’s most respected off road vehicles.

Unfortunately, this particular model has never been available in the United States—a fact that provides no end of frustration for the American market. But in Africa, Australia, South America and the Middle East, the 70 series Land Cruiser plays a major role, providing reliable transportation where few paved roads exist—and under the most rugged conditions.

I’ve guided safaris throughout Africa since the late 1960s—in Kenya, Botswana and currently in Tanzania. It’s been during this time that I’ve become familiar with and have come to love and respect Toyota’s various Land Cruiser models—the latest being the 78 series Land Cruiser.

I remember well when the new 70 series design was first introduced back in 1984. Ironically, it was met with a less than enthusiastic reception, for everyone who’d ever driven the enduring and dependable FJ45 trusted that venerable old workhorse and was suspicious of the unproven and unasked for newcomer. We groaned in unison at thoughts of working through new design hiccups, especially since the old tried and true 40 series we knew and loved worked just fine in the kind of conditions in which we operated.

When the new Land Cruiser finally emerged, it immediately appeared smaller and softer than its stout-hearted predecessor, and for a tough crowd of “show-me” types, we were unimpressed. But it wasn’t long before the first few customers bought the first vehicles. Within a short time, those early buyers were quick to declare that, although the new vehicles felt different, they liked their feel and the way they moved. And slowly the new body style began to grow on the rest of us. In the meantime, the 70 series, firmly locked in four wheel drive, deliberately pushed and climbed over, across and through the harshest of Africa’s proving grounds—something it’s done over and over very well for more than 20 years now.

Series 75 through 77 LWB—1984-1998

Toyota’s biggest challenge was transitioning loyalties from the 40 series to the 70 series. Why and how did all this change happen to the 40 series? Well, it goes back to 1955 when the first FJ25 rolled off Toyota’s assembly line and the name Land Cruiser was born. From that time, the body style of the 40 series Land Cruiser (introduced in 1960) and the earlier 20 series from 1955, remained more or less unchanged. When I say unchanged, that’s not strictly correct, for the Land Cruiser has undergone constant changes and improvements throughout its existence, but mostly related to the drivetrain, with few noticeable changes affecting the outer body design.

In the early 1980’s, Toyota’s chief engineer at the time, Mr. Masaomi Yoshii, began the orchestration that would lead to the end of the original style Land Cruiser’s 29-year reign, when he spearheaded efforts for the complete overhaul of the Land Cruiser design. While many Japanese thought that the original Land Cruiser was too heavy and overbuilt, customers in the Middle East, Africa and Australia expressed concerns that a newly designed Land Cruiser might be too delicate. To satisfy these seemingly conflicting needs, Toyota directed the new 70 series design in a way that ensured it could still handle serious off road conditions, while at the same time providing a safe and comfortable ride.

According to Mr. Osamu Shinoda, chief engineer of the LC70 Product Planning Division, the market still demanded heavy duty vehicles, but users with less demanding off road requirements were increasing—Toyota had to satisfy both types of customer with the same vehicle. One major transition would come as a result of rising world-market fuel prices, and most particularly in many areas where the price of gasoline was becoming exorbitantly expensive. In answer to that situation, Toyota chose as one of the power plants for the new Land Cruiser, a 3.4 liter, four-cylinder, diesel engine with a five-speed gearbox and a conventional two-speed transfer case. This diesel engine produced approximately 98 bhp at 3,500 rpm and excellent torque with more than 166 ft. lbs. at a very reasonable 2,200 rpm. Thus began the prevalent and common use of diesel engines in the new Land Cruisers.

The newly designed Land Cruiser’s chassis was constructed ladder-style from a box section and the suspension was outfitted front and rear with rigid leaf springs and double acting shock absorbers, which distinguishes the 75 series vehicles from the later models. The body plates were thickened by 1 mm for added strength, while the 40 series image was somewhat preserved, with modified external fenders and a curved glass windshield achieving a modern look. The 70 series was offered in three body types: the 70 short wheelbase (SWB) measuring 90.5 inches in length, available in soft top or van; the 73 middle wheelbase (MWB); and the 75 through 77 long wheelbase (LWB), measuring 102 inches in length.

When the first 75 series Land Cruiser rolled off the production line, Toyota claimed the new design still maintained the integrity and off road qualities of the seasoned 40 series. Time proved the designers correct as the 75 series Land Cruiser led the pack of off road vehicles by dominating the 4x4 markets in most countries.

The popular 75 series Land Cruisers were built from 1984 through 1998, and sold like hotcakes in most of the original 45 series markets such as Africa, South America, the Middle East and Australia. Most of the 75 series Land Cruisers were available in either pickup models or as two-door troop carriers. Used largely by commercial concerns and government agencies, these Land Cruisers saw heavy duty use in many of the world’s more remote areas where paved roads were few and far between…