[Mikesta]

great thread!

[buckroseau]

Took exactly 50 minutes to take the pile of steel you see on the cart and turn it into my body rottisseri. Took about another 20 minutes to cut it up. Total time, 1 hour 10 minutes, total cost about $150 steel and I had the castor wheels.

Adjustable in length. The rottiserri's I have seen for sale are also adjustable in height at the pivot point, I imagine to find the center of gravity so it rotates easily. I am going to make an educated guess on the C.G. , so my pivot point will be fixed. Bolt one x-member to the firewall and then weld to that. I plan on bolting 2 pieces of Angle iron in the hinge bracket holes where the tailgate fastens, then weld the x-member to that.

What you see in the pics is 14' long at the longest point and 4 ft high. and 6 feet wide.

Should work and I think I can get somewhat close? If it's a little heavy on 1 end when it rolls, I still should be able to roll it.

Matt

[Poser]

Lookin' good Matt.





Get your goodies?

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by Poser

Lookin' good Matt.





Get your goodies?

Thanks, yes I did. Did you get the funds?

Matt

[buckroseau]

It's late and I just walked in the door from the shop so I will have to fill in the blanks later. Pics from this evening.

Before you pass judgement, try to share the vision.

Things I am concerned about, but most will read this tomorrow after I have completed them. Motor mounts a little high, Bob Firestein mounts. I'm pretty sure I'm going to weld them instead of bolt them through the frame, although some people have said they have welded them.

T-case as high as I think as I can get it.

More later

Matt

[buckroseau]

more

[buckroseau]

couple more for now

[Landpimp]

dang thats cool to watch

question, in this pic, whats the "stuff" on the bottom of the floor pan? is it bondo or ? because from the inside the floors look solid(ish)

[cruiser_guy]

Not using a "T" case saver? There's going to be a lot of torque on that case!

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by Landpimp

dang thats cool to watch

question, in this pic, whats the "stuff" on the bottom of the floor pan? is it bondo or ? because from the inside the floors look solid(ish)

Undercoating flaking off. Floor's pretty solid, although I'm finding bondo all over the vehicle from what looks to be like fender benders.

Matt

[buckroseau]

Got out in the shop in the morning and picked up where I left off the night before. Had the drivetrain pretty much where I wanted, so with a little tweaking and double and triple checking, motor and t-case mounts were tacked in.

I then pulled the entire drivetrain out, rolled the chassis outside, sand blasted around the mounts again, rolled back in and started welding. I am using the Bob Firestein motor mounts and I chose to weld them instead of bolt them. I just personally felt this would be a stronger set up and I don't ever plan on taking them out? I welded everything solid on the motor mounts and t-case that I could get at from the top and sides easily. I then spent the next 2 hours stripping the frame down, axles and other misc. chub, anything with a bolt was removed. I flipped the frame over on the floor and finished welding my mounts from the back. My buddy Chad and I picked up the frame and set it outside along with the axles and anything else we took off the frame.

Now it was time to mount the body to the rottisserri . As I said in a previous thread, the rottisserri I built was fixed at the pivot point so I could not adjust the CG once it was mounted. I was going to have to guess as to the balance point, once in, pretty much no changing it. I must have guessed pretty good. It is heavy on the top, but I would say by only 5 to 10 lbs as it rolls around. I can easily turn it any direction by myself and the 1/2" bolts I have for set screws seem to hold it easily in any direction I set it at. The rottisserri is going to be handy once I start sandblasting, it should go quick and I should be able to do the body work fairly fast and easily.

The only thing I did not get done as planned is the saginaw steering plates welded in. The ones I bought do not fit worth a shit at all , I chose not to cobble them in and instead just get the right ones. I am going to get on the horn to BTB monday morning and have them red labeled to me. I should have them Tuesday and welded in Tuesday night. I have to have them ASAP if I am to stay on schedule.

I blocked out the entire weekend for what you see in the pics, so I am a day ahead of schedule. I think tomorrow I am going to do a little clean up on the frame: Drill and tap out busted bolts, grind some areas smooth, wash it up for sand blasting, etc..... Then I think I will see if I can get those axles out of the 79. Get them degreased either tomorrow or this week so they are ready for blasting. Should go as planned.

Assuming I get my plates welded in on Tuesday and axles out, I should be on track for some next weekend sandblasting.

More to come, Matt

[buckroseau]

more from today

[buckroseau]

Even more from today

[buckroseau]

Some more from today, again.

[buckroseau]

Last ones from today

[Mikesta]

Wish I had the time, money, space, tools and expertise! Great pics... thanks for sharing!

[buckroseau]

Brought the frame into work today and lifted it up with the forklift. I stood on the fenders of the forklift and beat on the frame rails with a big hammer. The frame was pretty much packed with dirt and clay and I wanted to get the big stuff out before I softened it up with the pressure washer. After that, I hosed it off pretty good.

Took 2 to 3 hours of drilling busted bolts out and re-tapping. Also, someone had welded a hitch to the bottom rear of the frame. I cut that off with the torch and cleaned it up with the grinder. Also the rear x-member must have been pulled on at one time with a chain, it was bent up prett good. An hour with the torch and 2 hammers, I think I got it pretty good.

I got the axles out of the 79, that was pretty much it for today. Going to try to get the sway bar brackets cut off the old axle and welded onto the 79 axle. Then try to start de-greasing.

Matt

[buckroseau]

1 more

[cruiserbrett]

why not powder coat the frame? looks great, I am looking forward to seeing the final product!

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by cruiserbrett

why not powder coat the frame? looks great, I am looking forward to seeing the final product!

I plan on powdercoating the frame and some other parts that will be black and get bolted back on the frame. I do plan on painting the axles, I just don't want to strip them down to the housings if I don't have to. The axles will be painted with good stuff: PPG DP90LF primer and MTK single stage ureathane for the top coat.

I can't powdercoat anything with rubber in it. 400F for 42 minutes, melts all things plastic and rubber. When it comes out of the oven it will be smoking because of all the oil and grease inside the frame rails will get baked out.

I should have the frame and other parts powdercoated next Monday, April 11th if everything goes as planned.

Matt

[buckroseau]

Funny how you think some things are going to be hard and take a while, and then they don't.

And then like tonight, how I thought I had a quick job, and then it wasn't. The goal was tonight was to cut the sway bar brackets off the old axle and weld them onto the new 79 FJ40 axle. I also wanted to presure wash the axles, especially the front one and then start tearing some of the parts off. We'll I got the swaybar bushings off and welded on, and I did get to presure wash and degrease the axles.

Boy it was a pain in the ass getting those brackets off. The boys at Toyota back in the 60's did a hell of a job welding those brackets on. By the time I got them off, straightened out and welded onto the axle, it was over a 2 hour job.

At least it's done, hopefully will get to tear apart some front axle chub tomorrow night.

Matt

[TJDIV]

Dude...you're kicking ass on that Cruiser.


Keep the pics rolling. You know those of us who don't actually 'read' Playboy are enjoying this....

[Poser]

Lookin' great Matt!




Should have you part Tuesday....left today.




Oh-


Nice 66 on the lift.



-Steve

[treerootCO]

Don't cut off the exhaust bracket...I was wrong It is stock...

http://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/40361-65-lv-bracket-stock.html

[buckroseau]

Worked on the axles last night, got them stripped down to the spindles. I'm going to stop there, that's where there going to get blasted at this point. Rotor and hub will be blasted seperately.

Tonight, got the saginaw plates welded in. Took a little fabbing on both. A lv x-member is tilted back at the bottom vs a 40 front x-member is totally vertical. So I had to add a sliver of metal to the plate that holds the sector and the other box in plate had enough material I was able to grind the angle in and it was still long enough. Basicly added a triangle piece that went from about 5/8" to nothing over 3 1/2". I ground it down on both sides of the plate so you can't even tell I did it.

Some pics of tonights progress.

Getting pumped for Sandblasting this weekend!!

Matt

[buckroseau]

3 more

[buckroseau]

Left the house this morning at 5:30 am, rolled into the Sandblasting place at 9 am down in Fargo. The guy blasted for 3 hours straight, I think the pics should show the results.

Pretty happy with the job he did, he missed a few little areas in some nooks and crannys, but overall very happy. I have a smaller blaster at home, so when I get home tomorrow afternoon I might spend and hour or 2 and do a little touch up work with my blaster.

My wifes parents live in Fargo so spending the night. Should be home around noon tomorrow and I'm going to try to get those axles, fuel tank and a couple other misc parts that can't be powder coated hung, primed and painted.

Frame and other parts should be powdercoated Monday night.

Matt

[buckroseau]

2 more

[Mikesta]

Curious as to how much 3 hours of this guy ran you... getting ready to do the same. Did you sand blast it or use other media! Great Picks!

[Radd Cruisers]

When we did the FJ45 pickup, the frame was near mint with almost no pitting.

I see you have a fair bit of pitting the frame that will show up after powdercoating. Also I have heard thier are fillers you can used like body filler that stand up to the head??

Looks great.

Rob