My First Landcruiser: 78' Frame Off Resofication

90 Weight · 09-17-06, 09:37 PM

Hey everyone, if figured its about time I got with the program and started a buildup thread. This is my first Land Cruiser, and I am in the process of a off body resoration/modification. I got the cruiser from a friend...traded it for my Heep. Its a 78, and when I got it it was in semi running condition. The rear portion of the tub (firewall back) was full of rust, and the interior was non existant. It had allready been converted over to a chevy 350 along with; MAF lift/shackle reversal, custom driveshaft, custom shroud, and a new (1200 miles) turbo 350 tranny. The engine on the other hand was on its last leg. It had just enough steam in it to drive it to my buddy's garage, where we began to take it apart. Three days later it was all in pieces, with the frame ready to be taken down to the local sand blasting shop. I am a highschool student, and up until now I had never really worked much on cars. Sofar it has been quite the learning experience! I have a 4 month time frame in which it must be fully finished and on the road (moving for college), but in the mean time I still have school, so I find time to work on it after school and on the weekends. I'll try to figure out how to post pictures....

Here is where I am now (bout 1.5 months later)

Frame, Axles, Springs and various other parts have all been sand blasted and powder coated.

New crate 350 is sittin in the garage ready to be put in.

New poly bushings and various nuts and bolts were put in

The tub and all steel tub parts (hood, top, ambulance doors, etc.) have been media blasted (soda blasting) down to bare metal.

I just ordered and am waiting for my 3/4 Aqualu aluminum tub, which I plan to mount up to my RUST FREE cowl.

Before we dissasembled it:
Attachment 93477

gettin the frame ready for sandblasting
Attachment 93478

After sandblasting and powdercoating
Attachment 93481

Thanks for checkin it out

Eli

my64fj40 · 09-17-06, 10:03 PM

Good lookin cruiser, and nice frame..

Is that heep in the background the one you traded?

90 Weight · 09-17-06, 10:09 PM

Thanks, no not the same heep but close enough....

corsair23 · 09-17-06, 11:10 PM

DANG Eli that is one ambitious plan!! And for a high school student to boot

Good luck with it all...Oh, and you don't really need to go off to college, you got one right there in town! Pay no attention to what people call it, it's just a nick name afterall

Think of all that $$ you'd save which you could put into the 40...

90 Weight · 09-18-06, 07:09 AM

yea thanks..ive got my fingers crossed just hopin itll all come together in time... haha i think all that college money i would save by stayin here...is.... already gone!

apeterson · 09-18-06, 07:31 AM

Hey... looking good... I am doing the same thing with the alum. body... I will keep watching your progress...

90 Weight · 09-18-06, 09:02 AM

I should have more up to date pics with last weekends progress up tonight.

camcruiser13 · 09-18-06, 10:50 AM

good luck and keep the progres and pics rollin

rabid · 09-18-06, 11:04 AM

looks good. Non-alcoholic

to you for the efforts!

Volunteer · 09-18-06, 11:52 AM

Nice job. Keep up the good work.

90 Weight · 09-18-06, 07:09 PM

Alrite so here are some up to date pics.

The first one actually was taken a month back just so you would see the dash, and the rest are current. After spending all of last week putting in last minute orders to MAF and my local NAPA shop, we finally got the shackles and springs on.

The dash, before being taken fully apart. (im selling all of the pull levers and the spedo gauge in case ne one is interested)
Attachment 93609

My buddy trying to pry a rear shackle hangar open just a little bit more with a *broken* scissor jack, as I watch and laugh...It worked
Attachment 93610

All of the springs on! Yesss.
Attachment 93611

Hugh Heifer · 09-18-06, 07:35 PM

Wow - great work. I have had mine longer with the same basic plan but it still hasn't been taken apart!!
BTW - what did you pay for blasting and powder coating or did you get a deal? (Curious cause I am going to have mine done.)
And...
What kinda lift you got going there?

90 Weight · 09-18-06, 08:39 PM

Thanks. I had the blasting done at a local shop... To get the frame, axles, springs, shackles, and varioius steering stuff sandblasted and powdercoated it ran close to $750. I did get a bit of a deal.. a little off here and their, but normally I think the price was close to $850-900. (somthing like $350 for the frame and then it went up from there. If the funds are available its definately somthing I would reccomend.

Eli

90 Weight · 09-18-06, 08:44 PM

Oh almost forgot... In terms of a lift, I have the same as the PO put on it- the MAF shackle Reversal kit, and I believe a 4" lift. It easily fits 35' 12.50's and I am planning on putting on a 1" body spacer kit just for added tire room. It appears to be a pretty solid setup.

Volunteer · 09-18-06, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOUNTAINCRUISER

Oh almost forgot... In terms of a lift, I have the same as the PO put on it- the MAF shackle Reversal kit, and I believe a 4" lift. It easily fits 35' 12.50's and I am planning on putting on a 1" body spacer kit just for added tire room. It appears to be a pretty solid setup.

I did the 1 inch body spacers on my 70 model frame off and wouldn't do it again. It was more of a pain than anything. Go with a new poly mount kit and save yourself some headache. The 1 inch won't yield much gain. I ran 35X12.50 BFG on an eight inch rim with a 4 inch OME lift with 2 inch anti inversion shackles. If you stuff the tires to much they will rub in the rear, of course I didn't have the reversal kit which may help with that. My fenders were not cut either factory lines.

90 Weight · 09-19-06, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volunteer

I did the 1 inch body spacers on my 70 model frame off and wouldn't do it again. It was more of a pain than anything. Go with a new poly mount kit and save yourself some headache. The 1 inch won't yield much gain. I ran 35X12.50 BFG on an eight inch rim with a 4 inch OME lift with 2 inch anti inversion shackles. If you stuff the tires to much they will rub in the rear, of course I didn't have the reversal kit which may help with that. My fenders were not cut either factory lines.

What about it made it a pain? I have both the spacer kit AND the poly mount kit. I figured it was as simple as putting the two together and mounting the tub?

90 Weight · 09-19-06, 07:09 AM

Allrite, so today- after school we are going to attempt to get it from its current condition (with just the springs on) to rolling on wheels. So this means putting together the axles, and trying to figure out how the steering links all go together.
Ill post some pics once I'm done, with our progress.

Eli

Volunteer · 09-19-06, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOUNTAINCRUISER

What about it made it a pain? I have both the spacer kit AND the poly mount kit. I figured it was as simple as putting the two together and mounting the tub?

If your familiar with body lifts it 'll leave a one inch gap from the frame to you tub. Which takes some creativity to hide to look decent. Moving from the rear bumper section where you'll have 4 1 inch blocks you have to fab some support spacers under the tub cross-members from the frame to the tub to support any kind on weight you would have in the tub. At the fenders you'll have to align them and weld them to the frame or re-drill the frame to rebolt them. Then fab or cut out a custom center spacer to align the front bib at the front center point to the frame. You gain nothing for alot of headache. It was my first FJ40 fram off too. Lessons learned. You can't tell in the pick, but if I had one of the rear or rear fender wells you could see where I had to get creative.

90 Weight · 09-19-06, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volunteer

If your familiar with body lifts it 'll leave a one inch gap from the frame to you tub. Which takes some creativity to hide to look decent. Moving from the rear bumper section where you'll have 4 1 inch blocks you have to fab some support spacers under the tub cross-members from the frame to the tub to support any kind on weight you would have in the tub. At the fenders you'll have to align them and weld them to the frame or re-drill the frame to rebolt them. Then fab or cut out a custom center spacer to align the front bib at the front center point to the frame. You gain nothing for alot of headache. It was my first FJ40 fram off too. Lessons learned. You can't tell in the pick, but if I had one of the rear or rear fender wells you could see where I had to get creative.

Thanks for the advice
Eli

Hugh Heifer · 09-19-06, 07:20 PM

I have done a few body lifts in my time - never on and FJ - true pain in the back side. Usually they ended up looking good but were not real functional and it was hard toget some important parts to fit just right - seats, steering, pedals. I will never do that again. Save your money and invest that in xtra suspension mods that will increase wheel travel and/or improve ride. (my 2%)

90 Weight · 09-20-06, 09:28 AM

Thanks for the advice...sounds like the body lift is goin back to MAF.

90 Weight · 09-20-06, 05:31 PM

Well yesterday 3 buddies and I put in a few hours and made a bit of progress....Sealed the front axle and mounted it to the springs...did alot of sanding to get misc. parts painted last minute, but most of the time was spent realizing how many small parts had been lost or swept up during dissasembly. So back to MAF and the local auto parts store to replace rusted or missing bolts and random parts. Do all of you guys that do this amount of rebuilding go through this level of frustration over stupid small and VERY landcruiser specific parts that held you back from re-assembly..?.or am I just challeneged lol. Once more noticeable progress has been made I'll post some pictures. In the mean time, keep the advice rollin. Thanks
Eli

my64fj40 · 09-20-06, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOUNTAINCRUISER

Well yesterday 3 buddies and I put in a few hours and made a bit of progress....Sealed the front axle and mounted it to the springs...did alot of sanding to get misc. parts painted last minute, but most of the time was spent realizing how many small parts had been lost or swept up during dissasembly. So back to MAF and the local auto parts store to replace rusted or missing bolts and random parts. Do all of you guys that do this amount of rebuilding go through this level of frustration over stupid small and VERY landcruiser specific parts that held you back from re-assembly..?.or am I just challeneged lol. Once more noticeable progress has been made I'll post some pictures. In the mean time, keep the advice rollin. Thanks
Eli

Yes there is tons of frustration..

Took me 2 months to get a powersteering gear box return nipple that fit..

Which makes me think. Are you gonna run some sort of PS or does your cruiser have it already.

90 Weight · 09-20-06, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my64fj40

Yes there is tons of frustration..

Took me 2 months to get a powersteering gear box return nipple that fit..

Which makes me think. Are you gonna run some sort of PS or does your cruiser have it already.

I really want to run PS, in fact I really need PS (just finished having a 3rd shoulder surgery, so im not sure if ill even be able to drive it untill I get PS put on), but I dont have the money to buy one of those $900 kits, and right now I am on such a tight schedual to get it on the road I dont have time to hound for junkyard parts...(from what ive read it sounds like its a pretty involved hunt.

my64fj40 · 09-20-06, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOUNTAINCRUISER

I really want to run PS, in fact I really need PS (just finished having a 3rd shoulder surgery, so im not sure if ill even be able to drive it untill I get PS put on), but I dont have the money to buy one of those $900 kits, and right now I am on such a tight schedual to get it on the road I dont have time to hound for junkyard parts...(from what ive read it sounds like its a pretty involved hunt.

Yup. Running 35s your gonna want PS

I would start now, gathering a little part here or there. Depends on what type you want to do. Minitruck is pretty cheap and less work. Saginaw is better for the bigger tires, but has more work involved.

Cruiser is lookin great

90 Weight · 09-20-06, 09:06 PM

Thanks for the advice...so say I go the saginaw...would you reccomend finding one of some sort of chevy in a junk yard? or buying a new box? im clueless and some of the form's are quite confusing-what would you do?

90 Weight · 09-20-06, 09:12 PM

ALSO...anyone have an opinion about using pre formed axle gasket sealer, or the goupy stuff that you use a with a cauking gun?

Hugh Heifer · 09-21-06, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOUNTAINCRUISER

Thanks for the advice...so say I go the saginaw...would you reccomend finding one of some sort of chevy in a junk yard? or buying a new box? im clueless and some of the form's are quite confusing-what would you do?

I am going with Saginaw on my project because larger tires will rub on the Toyota Mini setup but then I have not done all the work to my frame yet. The Sag requires a good bit of welding to the frame horns and to the MAF SR you are running. This means fawking up your powder coating.

The mini truck stuff is basically bolt on and there is a great "how to" someplace in the FAQ - step by step with pics and it took the guy a long day. It is considerably cheaper then the sag set up once you figure in the welding and brackets and u joints, etc for the Sag.

The Sag is argued to be the tougher of the two set ups and more readily available due to the number of US cars in junk yard that ran a Sag box over the years.

Personal decision you have to make now. I would go mini truck at your stage and reduce tire size/width because the frame is already coated. Otherwise I would do a Sag AND THEN coat the frame.
Here are some helpful links. It took me a long time to figure out what I was going to do and understand the various ways to do it.

http://www.off-road.com/tlc/tech/saginaw/

Good brackets: http://www.deckersonline.com/

How to mount them: http://www.off-road.com/tlc/tech/psbracket/

This is the good Mini truck install from the FAQ I mentioned: romer's minitruck setup

This has all bee discussed here ALOT - don't opent he can of worms - LOL

There are alot of views - I hope mine helps. I have a whole bunch of other links I bookmarked on my comp. PM me if you want me to send them to you. They are vendors for U Joints/pillow blocks/ steering shafts and some other install ideas for Sag.

Cheers

(Root beer for U of course)

90 Weight · 09-21-06, 07:11 AM

Hugh... is there a way I could mount the mini setup, in a way that it doesnt rub the tires? because if not....the predicament would be- I have just about an equal amount of $ into both the powdercoating and the 35 12.50 MTR's so if possible I would rather not have to ruin either of them.

90 Weight · 09-21-06, 07:28 AM

nvm. after reading through romers post for the mini PS install I noticed alot of those guys are running 35's successfully and only had to add a PS cooler. I actually think that one of my muddies has a perfect parts 4runner that would have the pump still on it. Otherwize im sure I could find one at my local junk yard- old 4runners are very common up here. My only concern is that (according to his directions) I would have to remove my old Gearbox and drill out the rivets. In this case wouldnt that ruin my powdercoat? Thanks

Eli

yea...root beer!