Land Cruiser 2.8 upgrades: more pull, better shifts, everyday comfort

Build the Cruiser around your needs

A 2.8 Land Cruiser can be a working bakkie during the week and a touring vehicle over the weekend. At Boostech Bloemfontein, we bring engine tuning, gearbox refinement and practical cabin upgrades together to make it better suited to both. Whether you tow, carry a load or run larger tyres, we can build a package around the way you use it.

GR and Prado-style steering-wheel upgrades

We offer compatible GR and Prado-style multifunction steering-wheel upgrades for these Cruisers. Along with a more modern feel, the appropriate wheel and integration can add cruise-control operation and convenient volume, track-skip and other supported audio controls on vehicles that lack them.

The result is less reaching across the cabin and easier control on long journeys. We confirm the wheel, wiring and audio-system compatibility for your particular vehicle, so the functions included in your installation are clear before fitting.

A gearbox that holds the right gear

At light throttle—roughly 0–30% accelerator input—the standard automatic can shift from third to fourth, or fourth to fifth, too early. That leaves the engine labouring at low revs, only for the gearbox to downshift again when more acceleration is needed. At full throttle, the opposite can happen: it holds the gear longer than we want before shifting up.

We developed our custom gearbox calibration through extensive road testing and R&D, refining both light-throttle and full-throttle shift points. We spent time assessing each upshift and downshift, how the engine responds after the change, and how smoothly the gearbox moves through its ratios.

We can also tailor the calibration to your preferences, towing requirements and fitted tyre size. Larger tyres alter the effective gearing, so we account for that when refining the shift strategy. The result is a gearbox tune matched to your Cruiser and the way you drive it.

Stage 1 or Stage 2, with gains you can use

Stage 1 is a good starting point for owners who want stronger response with the standard exhaust. Our typical software-only improvement on suitable 2.8 Cruisers is around 25 kW and 120 Nm.

With a suitable performance exhaust and matching calibration, there is potential for around 40 kW and 160 Nm above the standard setup. We select Stage 1 or Stage 2 around your needs and coordinate the engine tune with the available gearbox calibration. These are indicative gains; the vehicle, hardware and test conditions affect the measured result.

An exhaust matched to the tune

The standard Cruiser exhaust follows a long route beneath the vehicle, with multiple bends and components along the way. When planning an upgrade, we assess the complete system rather than choosing a pipe on sound alone.

A suitably designed performance exhaust can reduce exhaust-flow restriction and support the increased output of a tuned engine. We offer Viper and De Graaf options and match the system to the calibration, aiming for useful flow, appropriate sound and good fitment.

We match the exhaust upgrade with the fuelling and boost calibration, paying attention to how the engine performs under load. Managing exhaust-gas temperatures and maintaining efficient operation are part of that complete setup. The final effect on temperature and consumption depends on the vehicle and how it is driven.

Additional software options

On supported applications, we offer electronic EGR closure, stopping the commanded recirculation of exhaust gas through that system. We can also adjust or remove the factory speed limiter where fitted, including the approximately 150 km/h setting on applicable models. These options are confirmed for the individual software and intended use; road speed limits continue to apply.

A result from our dyno

The supplied before-and-after sheet records 149 kW and 494 Nm in the stock run, and 191 kW and 686 Nm in the modified run: a measured difference of 42 kW and 192 Nm. This is one vehicle’s result, rather than a promise that every Cruiser will produce the same figures.

The graph is useful alongside the road test. We want a Cruiser that responds well in the gears you actually use, with diagnostics and logging helping us assess the calibration before and after the work.

Plan your Cruiser upgrade

Send Pieter your model year, transmission, tyre size and existing modifications. Let us know whether you want better towing, stronger everyday performance, steering-wheel controls or the complete package. We will explain the available options and put together a quote for your vehicle.