[Cruiserdrew]

Thanks to Orangefj45, I have a bare frame for an FJ40. It's a 71, rust free and no weirdness. I also have a title and the vin plates. So, lots of potential. It's my winter project for this year once the wheeling season is over.

I'm looking for some advice as to which direction to go. The overall plan is that the basic parts of my '76 will become my "new" '71. It just so happens that it gets me out of the smog testing game here in California, so a desmog is possible.

I want to do all the cleaning, welding priming and painting while the frame is bare. So give me some suggestions...

How to prep frame-ie dip, vs sand blast(can't do at home), vs powdercoat?

Box the rear frame rails?

Springover is on my short list, but I'm undecided?

Move the rear wheels back a bit? How?

Reinforcement of the front end? I like Mudrak's approach. Others?

Shackle reversal ?? I have an old style LandCruiser Advanced Handling now-it's a rock finder but drives well.

Power steering set ups (Orange fj45 has a nice one)-and my old stuff would swap over?

I have an H42 + split case from an FJ60-use with Toybox? -or-

Keep the SM420/3 speed case plus or minus Orion from Poser?

Anything else you would do with a bare frame and medium budget.

Even this is a "frame off", it will still be my Rubicon Cruiser at the end. It won't be a show truck or even close. The frame is 100% solid.

Is there a market for a rust free '76 frame/title/vin that I will have left at the end?

Thanks!

[Soul_Man]

I had my frame blasted then dipped. May have been overkill. My thought on dipping is that it will get the boxed areas that you won't be able to reach with a blaster.

I also got mine galvanized Again, may be overkill, but will give you peace of mind if you are really worried about rust. Do all your welding and mods before you get it galvanized....

[Lil'John]

I'm in the process of starting with a bare frame.

I cut 3 foot off the back(sort of tubular beast in the works) Then I pulled every bracket left on the frame off except for the round cross member and the front radiator crossmember... the later I cut lengthwise so I could drop the radiator ~3" between the frame rails as well as move forward about an inch.

Then I got it sand blasted (~$120) and got same day service with it. It also included a good coat of primer. It looked pretty well considering how rough it started. Just a bit of rust pitting visible.

Now that I've got it back, I've been plating the frame. I've added two sets of tranny/tcase cross member frame tabs. I did a crossmember style motor mount bracket.

I still have a rear crossmember, body mounts, suspension link brackets, front bumper, and all the tubular stuff out the back. Also need to do the steering box

I would recommend doing as much of the frame related cleanup and welding with the frame bare. It has been a dream not being forced to do overhead welding and getting spattered on

Then I'm going to paint it up before I start adding anything back onto it.

[greenfox]

Crusierdrew if you need help with fab work pm me. When your up at Rubithon this year come check out my 40 it has all the goodies. And I am allso doing a full frame off this winter on my 45lpb.

[77TLCFJ40]

Furd F-250 front shock tower swap for longer shocks and more droop.

Good luck and bring the PICS!

[Archengine]

If I ever take my truck down to bare frame again, I will spend alot more energy getting things done. If I were in your shoes, I would move the front springs forward and the rears back. I would tie the front spring hangers all the way to the bumper, and have the shackle hangers pivoting on a pin going through the boxxed frame. The rear hangers would be smoothed in aswell, and relocated to where the shackle was as far rearward as possible. These new hangers would accomodate some longer springs custom made by Alcan. I would weld in my perches for a cage, along with a new rear bumper and another cross-member. The entire length would be boxed in, and would be stitch-weld so when I'm flexed out, my @#$@#$ fan doesn't grind into my shroud. I would fit everything up to get it figured out. Then I would pull up a seat, a six pack and a pack of camels and sit for around 8 hours trying really hard to think of anything I'd forgotten. These things I would have forgotten would be like welding on new nuts for all the holes where things attach, aswell as tapping all the old mangled threads. If I felt energetic then I would have re-peened all the rivets. If I felt like I was through with all the modifications, then I would have it galvanized and then painted.

[Cruiserdrew]

Interesting-two people thinking about galvanizing. I had not really thought of that. We really don't get rust here, so I probably won't do that. I am thinking about a "dip" to clean it and then some good paint. Here in California, powder coating is easier to come by due to the ARB regs.

I definitely like the idea of lengthening the wheel base.

I have Alcans now and like them, some no lift Alcans might do the trick if they will make the rears really heavy-I don't like sag, and I tend to carry a lot of weight.