electrical:
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Introduction
Batteries
Battery Cables and Terminals
Battery Trays
Dual Batteries
Alternators
Jumper Cables
Wiring Harness
Gauges
Switches
Lighting: Off road and Headlights

Introduction:
Land Cruisers are not known for having bad electrical systems. They are known for having bad previous owners. The majority of electrical issues are from age or the “additions” made by previous owners over the years. The quickest way to get stranded, either at the mall or on the trail, is a bad electrical problem. When you open the hood on some cruisers it looks like an electricians van was blown up inside there; wires going every which way, all the same colour, bad connectors, wires going no where etc… We can fix all of that.

At ULC we don’t mess around when it comes to your electrical system. We rebuild each part as required to better than new condition. All work is done using soldered, heat shrink protected connectors. The cheap-o crimp connectors from Wal Mart just won’t cut it for us.

A good project for every owner is to clean and seal all your connections. Buy some spray contact cleaner, dialectic grease and some emery cloth. Pull every connector, clean them up with the emery cloth, spray them down then seal them with the dialectic grease.

The following is a description of the most common electrical work we do. Generally, during just about every maintenance procedure we will fix or improve those connectors we need to deal with on that job and it is included in the repair price.

Batteries:
A cheap battery is a bad investment. We use either the NAPA Gold wet cell, the Orbital gel starting and the Optima gel yellow or blue top deep cycle. The NAPA wet cell is $95, the Orbital Red top gel is $180 and the Optimal range from $180-$225. Installation is usually included in the larger work we are doing for the truck.

Battery Cables/Terminals:
This is a very often overlooked part of your electrical system. The cables and terminals become loose and corroded. The cable itself becomes corroded on the inside creating more resistance. This can cause poor charging, hard starts, fried starters and eventually the embarrassment of being stranded.

We build the best battery cables that you can have. The cable is marine grade, multi stranded flexible 1 ought marine grade. The terminals are copper eyes that are tinned inside and then crimped to the cables. The entire assembly is protected by Mil-Spec heat shrink mastic with waterproof glue sealing out the elements. These will be the last cables you will ever buy. We make you the starter to pos, the neg to frame, frame to motor and on 60/80 series the body to head ground strap. These cables also include new Mil Spec terminals on all the main battery leads. The cost for the cable kits is: 40 and 55 Series $95, FJ 60/FJ62 $165, and 80 Series $135. To have us install them add $75.

Battery Trays:
The battery must sit on a firm foundation and be secured. We really like the bungee cord hold downs we often see! You hit a bump, the battery shifts and shorts out. If you are lucky it will only fry some of your harness, if you are not lucky you will be roasting hot dogs on your burning cruiser.

We used to only install Stainless Steel battery trays. They fit perfectly, would never corrode and would last the life of your truck. They are no longer manufactured if anyone knows where to source stainless steel cruiser specific trays please let us know!

We are now installing new OEM treys and holdowns. FJ 40 runs around $80 and FJ60/62 is around $95 installed. With the new trey you will want a new hold down as well. OEM hold downs are about $40 additional. We also use only stainless steel hardware for the installation of battery treys; why mess around. Plan on an hour or so for installation.

On 60 series we often need to clean/de rust and paint the fender where the battery sits. This is usually 1.5 to 2 hours of work. On 40 series we sometimes need to remove/clean/de rust/paint the battery trey pedestal. This adds about 2 hours to the job. We like to do everything 100%!

Dual Batteries:
So, you have a winch, a bunch of lights, a big stereo. a CB and maybe a fridge. Your stock charging/battery system just cannot keep up with the requirements. Adding a second battery can fix most all of these problems. The second battery can be used to run all the accessories or it can be used as a reserve battery to help out the main battery when it is drawn down. You can jump start yourself!

Most customers are happy with the most basic, isolated system. We install a 2nd battery and run both batteries to an isolator. The alternator sends current to the isolator which charges both batteries but will not allow one battery to draw from the other. The 2nd battery is further isolated by a waterproof circuit breaker. That battery feeds the winch and we install a custom fuse panel to run all of the accessories.

There are other, more advanced methods of separating the batteries and we can help you decide which plan is best for your application. We quote all dual battery installations on a truck by truck basis as there are many variables to consider.

Alternators:
Prior to replacement we load test every alternator. This can save you a few dollars to say the least!

FJ 40, FJ 55 and FJ 60 Land Cruisers we used to install hi quality aftermarket alternators and we were very happy with them for years. Recently we have found that the aftermarket have fallen in quality and we are back with OEM. Yep, it costs a lot more but it works and works for a LONG time!
 
On FJ 62 and FJ 80 Land Cruisers we only install OEM alternators. They are expensive but we have not found a cheaper aftermarket alternative that we like.
 
Land Cruisers with a 350 conversion can use either the stock alternator or a hi output GM alternator.
 
There are also some hi output aftermarket alternators available. They are not cheap and are not required in all situations. We do install the Mean Green Alternator and have great success with it. ULC can help you decide what is the correct application for your truck.

Jumper Cables:
Eventually you will need a jump or need to give another car a jump. Sure, you can go to K-mart and buy some el cheep-o cables for $20. They might last through your first use. We try to make everything better than it needs to be.

Our cables start out with the same 2 ought marine grade material as out battery cables. We solder ring terminals onto one end and they are permanently attached to you battery. The cables feed under the front grill and end in a female, waterproof connector just on the outside of the truck. Then, we build the male set using the same materials. There is a male connector then the cable ends at 2 100 amp Mil Spec jumper clamps. The male side of the system is 10 feet long giving you plenty of room to get to the other truck. To use: pull the male side from under your seat, attach the clamps to the other battery then plug in the connector. Not only are these extremely heavy duty and functional but they are pretty damn cool to use! The cable and parts are very expensive for us to buy so we must charge $265 for these installed. For those of you with more than one truck we can make and install additional female sides for $115 per set so you will only need to transfer your male side truck to truck.

Wiring Harness:
On many 40 and 55 series Land Cruisers the harness had been chopped, cut, mangled bypassed etc… over the years. This can cause a real nightmare to troubleshoot even small issues. We can fix this and it is not nearly as difficult or expensive as you might think. We evaluate the condition and then decide if we need to pull it out. Most of the time it is easier to pull the entire harness than to try and work on it in the truck.

We pull it out then hang it in the air and reconnect all the switches to the loom. All of the tape is removed and a battery is hooked up to it. We just start on one end and fix it all as we go. Any wire that needs to be replaced is done using the correct colours to ease troubleshooting in the future. All the connectors are cleaned or replaced as needed. The harness will still be stock and good as new. This service generally runs between $900-$1500.

There are many aftermarket harnesses available but we are not a fan of any of them. Generally, it is cheaper and easier to rebuild your stock harness. 350 Fuel injection conversions do receive a partial aftermarket harness that we have had great success with.

Gauges:
It is hard to believe how many trucks cruise around with non functioning gauges. There is just no excuse for it. Oil, temp and volts are required knowledge. Eventually, non functioning gauges will kill your truck. We can make them work. More often than not it is a simple wiring issue.

We install hi quality aftermarket gauges for those of you who want the most accurate information as to how your truck is running.

Switches:
Switches do wear out over time or get burned out. None are very hard to fix although the OEM switch itself can be expensive. We will give you an estimate prior to fixing any switch issue. ULC also stocks and extensive collection of used switches that can save you a few dollars.

LIGHTING

Off road lights:
There are many brands out there. We like Hella for the quality and price. We also carry IPF lighting products for those who demand the best. We can quote current pricing on IPF products. Hella lights are available most everywhere. Many times it is cheaper for the customer to order the lights and have them shipped to ULC for installation.

All off road lighting installs include hi quality relays and wiring. You can use the switch included with the lights or we can provide an OEM switch to preserve the looks of your interior. Most lighting installs cost $130 plus the cost of the lights per pair. We strive to make our lighting installs as good or better than your existing OEM wiring.

Headlights:
Prior to the advent of the 80 Series most Land Cruiser headlights left a bit to be desired. We install Hella halogen H4 lights into 40-60 Series Land Cruisers. We can keep the brightness of the lights within DOT guidelines or, we can boost the output for a LOT of additional light. ULC will help you decide which system is right for you. All Hella systems require the installation of relays to protect you existing lighting system. Our installed system looks like it came from the factory and will provide increased visibility and safety for night driving. The cost for this upgrade is $235 for FJ 40 through FJ 60 and $335 for FJ 62s.

The 80 series is lucky! We can install a hi output light harness that will just about double the normal stock output. It is a relay system that allows a full 12v to each light. You will be amazed at the difference! 80 series headlight harness upgrade $165.

Prices subject to change, please call or stop by for an exact estimate for your vehicle.