[chicago]

Hey all,
Im FINALLY gonna get started on the SOA of my FJ 62 this weekend.
I have a last minute request...Can I get some pics of where you guyz put your shock tabs front and rear...PAleeeeeZE?!
Im using the Ford shock tower up front, and I have the FJ 40 style tabs for front and rear. I ran a search on mounting, ford shock towers etc, but most of the pics were of 40's etc. I wanna see 60 series specifically.
Also, when relocating the upper shock pins in the rear on the x member...do you drill through and weld in new ones, or just weld surface to surface?

Thanks,

Chicago

[CaliCruiser]

Dude good luck on the build, keep this thread updated. If i get a chance i will snap a picture of a new crossmember i buily for the rear upper mounting.


Dylan

[Mark W]

just put your "FJ40 style tabs" onm the front axle... jst like an FJ40.

Don't use those n the rear axle. Your shock need to extend lower.

For the upper rear mount, weld the pins on.


mark...

[Fatkidrb]

i think im useing the same towers on my 60. the super duty shock towers? right? if you bet me to it, could you post some pics of your mounting to help out.

[chicago]

Originally Posted by Fatkidrb

i think im useing the same towers on my 60. the super duty shock towers? right? if you bet me to it, could you post some pics of your mounting to help out.

You bet!
Im gonna do a write up and try and include some of the more obscure info that is deficient in the search threads and tech with pics!
Looking at it, I may try to use the factory holes from the stock towers and turn the tabs facing backward so it lines up! Ill find out when I get there. I have a few more items that I need to pick up before I can get started, and Ill get those this week. My hy steer is on its way...I got the Marlin hy steer!

Chicago

[chicago]

Originally Posted by Mark W

just put your "FJ40 style tabs" onm the front axle... jst like an FJ40.

Don't use those n the rear axle. Your shock need to extend lower.

For the upper rear mount, weld the pins on.


mark...

Mark,
What should I use if not the 40 tabs in the rear?
What dimension are the pins when re locatecd on the rear x member?
About how much stress are those pins subjected too when wheeling?

Thanks,

Chicago

[chicago]

Any pics would be greatly appreciated for reference purposes.

Thanks,

Chicago

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by chicago

Mark,
What should I use if not the 40 tabs in the rear?
What dimension are the pins when re locatecd on the rear x member?
About how much stress are those pins subjected too when wheeling?

Thanks,

Chicago

Just weld a set of pins to the axlwe housing or (better yet) the original spring perch.

Dimensions?

when wheeilng, not much. On the road, sometimes a real lot.


Mark...

[dieselcruiserhead]

Here's a photo of the 40 tab on the 60 axle.. Mark is right on the money.. I put 14" travel shocks front and rear last time. Next time I would probably do 12" travel in the rear with the shock more vertical. I couldn't say for sure whether you'd lose articulation but it would probably ride better and the shock would work a little. You would probably still have to weld on new pins a hair narrower than stock... Here are some photos.. The front axle, with the 40 tabs on it. Look very closely at the ends of the axle.

[dieselcruiserhead]

Some little welds I added on to keep the u-bolt in place when you sinch it up...

[dieselcruiserhead]

Then the rear axle shocks, which I think have angles that are too extreme if you ask me. Again, I would use shorter shocks more vertically if I had the choice again...

[chicago]

Diesel cruiser head,

YOU RULE!!!! Thanks for showing hooking me up with those pics! that really helps A LOT!!!

Chicago

[chicago]

It looks to me, like the pins through the tabs are welded...
Is this correct? I was of the impression that you would just run a bolt and nut from one side to the other...

Here's another question...Can you just use the stock upper pin set for the rear? is that gonna hurt anything? In otherwords, do I HAVE to move the upper pins in? If I dont have to mess with those, I really dont want to, cuz they look to be like a nice sturdy mount... Further, it looks like it would be a BITCH to weld since you cant drop the x member to get at it.

Thanks so much for the input.

Chicago

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by dieselcruiserhead

Then the rear axle shocks, which I think have angles that are too extreme if you ask me. Again, I would use shorter shocks more vertically if I had the choice again...

When I first started putting the rear shocks in the rigs at similar angles I too felt that it was kinda steep. But I have had no complaints abpout the ride, handling or performance of the shocks mounted like this, so...


Mark...

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by chicago

It looks to me, like the pins through the tabs are welded...
Is this correct? I was of the impression that you would just run a bolt and nut from one side to the other...

Here's another question...Can you just use the stock upper pin set for the rear? is that gonna hurt anything? In otherwords, do I HAVE to move the upper pins in? If I dont have to mess with those, I really dont want to, cuz they look to be like a nice sturdy mount... Further, it looks like it would be a BITCH to weld since you cant drop the x member to get at it.

Thanks so much for the input.

Chicago

The tabs that we are talking about, cut off the front axle of an FJ40, are all welded. You could fab something up differently if you wanted to of course.


If you use the stock upper mounts, the shocks will be too short and the more verticxle alignment will accentuate this.

It is not difficult at all to weld the new pins on. Why would you want to drop the cross member to do it?


Mark...

[chicago]

Originally Posted by Mark W

The tabs that we are talking about, cut off the front axle of an FJ40, are all welded. You could fab something up differently if you wanted to of course.


If you use the stock upper mounts, the shocks will be too short and the more verticxle alignment will accentuate this.

It is not difficult at all to weld the new pins on. Why would you want to drop the cross member to do it?


Mark...

Mark,
If it is going to make a big difference in the performance of the SOA, I will do it (move the rear pins in). It (to me) looks like it would be a hard spot to weld, adequately, since it appears that you would not have a good visual of the top of the pins to make sure youre getting a good enough penetration. It is for this reason, I mentioned dropping the x member...to ensure a good weld. Thats why I asked earlier, how much stress the shock pins endure.
So, do you drill through the x member, run the pin through and then weld it? I hope this makes sense.
These are issues that are not addressed when running searches, and Im glad that you are helping me with this, cuz I honestly do not know the answers and is why I ask so many questions...I dont want to do a hald assed hack job on my rig, that my wife will be riding with me in.

Thank you,

Chicago

[chicago]

How far in do you move the pins? As in, how many inches?

BTW, the 40 style tabs I got are from cruiser outfitters and they are just tabs, without hardware.

Chicago

[Mark W]

Like I mentioned, on the road ( or rallying off road) the shock mounts can take a lot of stress.

Just gotta make sure your welding is done right.
If you don't have any experience, then that may be a tough spot to get a good weld. If you are not sure, find a buddy who has more trigger time than yiou do and talk him into doing it.
I guess that you could drill thrpugh the xmember for the pins. But that would be a lot of work that really isn't required. Just weld them securely and move on.

There's no specific measurement for where to mount the pins Mount the bottom points high enough so that they won't get torn off on obstructions. Mount them far enough away from the spring pack that they will not hit them as everything twists under articulation. At the top, mount them far enough in board to make room for the length of the shock when it is compressed. off the top of my head about 6 inches apart would be a good number to start with.



Mark...

[chicago]

Thanks for your input Mark!
Ill be posting questions as I come to them while Im doing the build!

I really appreciate your time

Chicago

[lowtideride]

and where are the photos of the build, ya cant say your starting a SOA with out throwng some pictures up

[astr]

I'm about to start exactly thhe same project on my FJ62 so I'll be watching this thread carefully.

Dieselcruiserhead: Whose high steer did you use and are you happy with it? Did you turn your knuckles? By the way - great pictures!

[chicago]

Just got the rig up on stands last night (Friday) and started dismanteling the front end, so nothing picture worthy yet. Hopefully by the end of the day today, the axel and housing will be out, I can run it down to the steam cleaner and clean it, then start hacking stuff off.
I ended up having to soak the drive shaft bolts cuz thyere on there pretty good.
More later.

Chicago

[chicago]

Originally Posted by astr

I'm about to start exactly thhe same project on my FJ62 so I'll be watching this thread carefully.

Dieselcruiserhead: Whose high steer did you use and are you happy with it? Did you turn your knuckles? By the way - great pictures!

Dieselcruiser head used 4x4 labs hi steer kit...
He did a really great write up on his build in Toyota trails several months back, that I reference quite a bit.
I went with Marlin Crawler's hi steer (which Im still waiting to recieve). It came highly recommended, and the price was decent too.
4x4 labs (Ive heard) is the superior system to the other hi steers, but its a bit too pricy for me (550.00) where the Marlin kit was 423.00 with shipping. I also like that they used CNC'd steer arms, and not the casted type.
I got my parts from Curt at Cruiser Outfitters...Another awesome thing about Curt is, he takes the time to talk to you about ANY questions you have regarding the SOA. I was on the phone with him for over an HOUR yesterday, picking his brain with small questions I had about the SOA process. He takes time with the customers and he is very knowledgeable on the subject.

Chicago

[astr]

I looked at the 4x4 Labs high steer and it looks great. I like that they moved the tie rod behind the axle. However, someday I would like to swap my 3FE for an Isuzu diesel and am afraid that the rear tie rod location may interfere with the oil pan on the Isuzu.

Did you consider the All-Pro kit that includes forged steering arms?

[chicago]

So I started tearing in to the front end for my first time, and this is an AWESOME learning experience. Im feeling that I should not have even been wheeling the rig because if I had busted an axel, I would have been screwed out on the trail.
Everything was FILTHY, rusted, siezed, you name it...So as Im pulling parts off, im taking a few moment to clean things pretty well. The cone washers were the biggest pain in the ass so far. Here are some pics of the front end disassembly!

Chicago

[chicago]

Here's some more.
Im making sure to label everything as it comes off the rig, putting the smaller parts into ziplocks and keeping them in designated boxes. For example...all of the right knuckle assembly parts are in one box.
The wife came out to supervise for a bit!

Chicago

[chicago]

If anyone catches anything that I might be doing wrong, or has any suggestions, please post up. Im not opposed to constructive criticism. This is my first BIG project on my rig, so its a learning experience as much as anything!

Thanks,

Chicago

[lowtideride]

Lookin great man, Only thing i can think of off the top of my head would be to order some new knuckle studs from C-dan and lock tight them in once you torque to speck.

I have a new set for toyota I have been waiting to put in, til I get the marlin arms for ram assist....


keep up the good work

[calfj60]

just wonderin but will the garage door close???

I really enjoyed the work I did on mine...all new stuff made me feel better since who knows what the POs had done with the truck

[Advent]

On the front, you might look into a set of Marlin's knuckle gussets. They have a shock mount built in.