[dieselcruiserhead]

finally, I am a little disappointed in the truck but the photos told the story for the most part so it is my fault. Also pigs are hard to clean... But at the same time it is still clean and way cleaner than my last pig, that is for sure (see thread link in sig). I am now looking into the hot bath and/or media blast options to bring it down to bare metal. I am hoping to have at least the 80 series chopped up this week some time and the frame ready to go. Then have the 55 removed off its frame and all torn down sometime next week if all goes to plan. Plan tonight is to completely clean up the shop and liquidate the hundreds of weird spare parts and you name it all over the place and sell them here and ebay and a big dump run as well... Look for a thread shortly with all this stuff for sale


Some more random pics:
Some Utah "contriband" that we snuck accross the border. Managed to stop by the Full Sail brewery twice actually, also the beer was on sale. And we can't get two-buck chuck in Utah (three buck now actually) so we scored up. Also my buddy with the BJ42 was also loaded down with all sorts of booze from his old man, for some reason we have a bad rep of beer and booze being hard to get here

Also random pic of yours truly in one of the massive tree farms on the way home, growing millions of poplar trees for TP and paper and pulp and lots of other consumables. Pretty trippy, this forest literally went back miles and miles in a perfectly straight row about 12 miles wide. Literally millions of trees...

[dieselcruiserhead]

Finally, mileage calculated, I drove over 1600 miles there and back, 1800 including buying the trailer and bring it up from SLC. In the end it turned out I drove farther and spent more money getting this old ass pig than my friend who brought back the clean BJ42 from Kentucky. I figure I spent about $1000-1200 on the trip making this a $2200 piggie. But at the same time the trip to Portland was awesome enough so how do you put a price on that... Anywhoo, enough rambling. I hope to get you guys some actually mechanicing photos here at some point

[dieselcruiserhead]

Also, I wheeled with MArk Hawley from MetalTech and a bunch of other Oregon guys and from discussion turns out there are some great photos of the '71 pig now sold (but the new owner reading this thread hopefully)... So here are a few that I thought I would share. Keep forgetting how sick the articulation was on that thing...

[dieselcruiserhead]

More...










All photos here...
http://metaltech4x4.com/cruisemoab06/index.htm

[Wayneraintree]

wow, very impressive series of events... seems the choice to take on the sophisticated pig project returned dividends in the form of a cool experience and a mostly clean body.

Damon's 42 is sweet. Does the 71' 55 have some further mod than a simple SO? Flexes pretty well : )

oh, and you'll have to change the name of your thread because your day has gotten much happier : )

[Guyute]

Hey DCH. It was a pleasure having you guys in the northwest. You're welcome anytime.

I just caught up with this thread. Looks like you have a little work ahead of you. best of luck with everything and keep us updated!


Cheers.

Brian

[dieselcruiserhead]

thanks Brian forgot what your handle is because there is a nother "Brian in the NW" in portland or something like that out there. Yup got my work ahead of me. Yes definetely enjoying the 'thrill of the build' LOL Same with my last piggie, it took me and Carrie to San Fransico. But we tried to pack it all in in only a day or two, caught a huge snow storm on the way home (bumper to bumper traffic - 13 hours to Reno aka miserable). But this last trip was a blast...

[dieselcruiserhead]

Originally Posted by Wayneraintree

wow, very impressive series of events... seems the choice to take on the sophisticated pig project returned dividends in the form of a cool experience and a mostly clean body.

Damon's 42 is sweet. Does the 71' 55 have some further mod than a simple SO? Flexes pretty well : )

HEy Jeff sorry forgot to reply to this. It had a simply SOA with stock springs and add a leafs, 14" travel up front (which is great) and 14" travel in rear which is overkill, 12" with more vertical shocks would have been better. Leafs are opened up so it ramps and flexes really really well. I think its better and safer and less prone to bending a leaf that way then if the wraps are closed, puts too much pressure on the top leaf... Here is an ols school ramp shot of it. I don't know if this new coil sprung piggie will be able to out flex it honestly.. Bottom pic here, keep in mind I am 6'6 - I couldn't belive how well it flexes. Also 35" tires seem about perfect, fit perfectly in the wheel wells as seen in the back stuff picture...

[cruiseroutfit]

Originally Posted by dieselcruiserhead

...Also random pic of yours truly in one of the massive tree farms on the way home, growing millions of poplar trees for TP and paper and pulp and lots of other consumables. Pretty trippy, this forest literally went back miles and miles in a perfectly straight row about 12 miles wide. Literally millions of trees...

We drove past those same fields on the way to Portland a couple weeks ago... cool & trippy!

Pig looks great!

[Wayneraintree]

that looks alot like the flex on my 55 honestly, simple SO with around 14".. .tucks so well it is a hard to beat set up... wish I could wheel in the wide(er) open country out west sometimes though... the little trail dings are mounting up from the tightness of the trail here in the east. Oh well, get that project rolling and let's see the flex, I think it will compete well with the SO. I have seen some 80's really twisted as I am sure most people have. I think it will ride nicer on the road for sure... will this new project see to the trail and on the trail action?

[FJBen]

Nice pics....SOA's can definitely be flexxy! You can make that coil sprung setup work pretty dang good. I'm actually trying to get more flex out of the front end of my 80 right now. There are some threads in the 80's section about it.

For springs, I would look at Christo's 4" springs if you are going to be loaded heavy. i've heard the J are a little "wallowy" under lots of weight. I'm running 4" fronts (slee) and J rears...and the rear with weight is a little squishier than the front IMO...I'll prolly switch to his 4" springs in the rear soon.

You can make those 80's flex too! Most of the flex is in the rear, the front needs some more, but in my RTI thread I've got it to gain a decent amount in just minor changes. let me know if you have any questions on the 80's stuff...I'm diving right into it!

My old pig, SUA Alcans on the ramp (dunno the degrees, way above 30 for sure)

And then my 80 on the same ramp (shocks maxxed out f&R...I may tinker with different shocks to see if that helps.

[dieselcruiserhead]

Originally Posted by Wayneraintree

that looks alot like the flex on my 55 honestly, simple SO with around 14".. .tucks so well it is a hard to beat set up... wish I could wheel in the wide(er) open country out west sometimes though... the little trail dings are mounting up from the tightness of the trail here in the east. Oh well, get that project rolling and let's see the flex, I think it will compete well with the SO. I have seen some 80's really twisted as I am sure most people have. I think it will ride nicer on the road for sure... will this new project see to the trail and on the trail action?

Of course, trying to keep it real that way definetely no trailer I am loving all these badass rigs but I think the old style cruiser where you actually have a wagon, use it, load it up etc is sorta where its at IMO versus a lot of the trailer only rigs. Not that there is anything wrong with that but sort of the big thing that got me into 55s and 60s and cruisers in general... I agree about the coils, there is no way hands down it will ride any worse and will probably flex similarly... But one thing I started really diggin was how much you could load this last leaf sprung pig and no matter what it basically sagged the same amount, maybe 1-2" at most.. So that was pretty cool, I was pretty proud to have set that up the way it came out because that was a big feat with me and SOA rigs...

[dieselcruiserhead]

Cool

Good to know about the Slee springs. Everything over at Slee seems so expensive that I was having a hard time justifying buying anything there particularly when I can get a lot of the same great stuff cheaper at Cruiser Outfitters (Kurt, Cruiseroutfit above ), but I have a feeling I might end up with those springs

Originally Posted by FJBen

Nice pics....SOA's can definitely be flexxy! You can make that coil sprung setup work pretty dang good. I'm actually trying to get more flex out of the front end of my 80 right now. There are some threads in the 80's section about it.

For springs, I would look at Christo's 4" springs if you are going to be loaded heavy. i've heard the J are a little "wallowy" under lots of weight. I'm running 4" fronts (slee) and J rears...and the rear with weight is a little squishier than the front IMO...I'll prolly switch to his 4" springs in the rear soon.

You can make those 80's flex too! Most of the flex is in the rear, the front needs some more, but in my RTI thread I've got it to gain a decent amount in just minor changes. let me know if you have any questions on the 80's stuff...I'm diving right into it!

My old pig, SUA Alcans on the ramp (dunno the degrees, way above 30 for sure)

And then my 80 on the same ramp (shocks maxxed out f&R...I may tinker with different shocks to see if that helps.

[dieselcruiserhead]

Originally Posted by Wayneraintree

that looks alot like the flex on my 55 honestly, simple SO with around 14".. .tucks so well it is a hard to beat set up... wish I could wheel in the wide(er) open country out west sometimes though... the little trail dings are mounting up from the tightness of the trail here in the east. Oh well, get that project rolling and let's see the flex, I think it will compete well with the SO. I have seen some 80's really twisted as I am sure most people have. I think it will ride nicer on the road for sure... will this new project see to the trail and on the trail action?

Oh yeah forgot to mention that is nice having the wide open space indeed. When I was east coast Vermont / New Hampshire / Upstate New York, moab for some reason didn't really look that appealing to me because the traction etc is so good, almost like it was 'easy' but of course now I love it. You can also really push your rig on some of that stuff that you would never be able to get up back east. One reason so many guys are into it out here... I have had some body damage but minimal. Northern Utah is also killer, lots of good wheeling and trees and stuff but it is still totally western. Almost all body damage up here and almost none in Moab other than lots of bumper stuffing and minor tweaking here and there.. Some of the stuff I wheeled in Vermont and a little biti n the adirondacks, body damage all over the place...

[lowtideride]

sick dude....awesome build.


If it ever stops raining i am going to get to work on ripping the 80 apart. I also am picking up a clean 60 in two weeks to plop on the frame. 3fe/h55/62case...my diesel money went out the window to buy the 62 to put on the the 80 frame maybe some day ill get a stinky to throw in it.

I am going with the 6inch lift though I have seen it at work on the trail and its nasty. My SOA can flex just as well in the front but the rear has somthing to be desired of. I know the 80 series coils will help from what I have seen on the trail.

Good luck brotha...

[RHINO]

Originally Posted by Wayneraintree

wish I could wheel in the wide(er) open country out west sometimes though... the little trail dings are mounting up from the tightness of the trail here in the east.

if you make it out to swine o rama you'll have to tell me about those wide open spaces after you have a look at my dents and dings.

[dieselcruiserhead]

Originally Posted by lowtideride

sick dude....awesome build.


If it ever stops raining i am going to get to work on ripping the 80 apart. I also am picking up a clean 60 in two weeks to plop on the frame. 3fe/h55/62case...my diesel money went out the window to buy the 62 to put on the the 80 frame maybe some day ill get a stinky to throw in it.

I am going with the 6inch lift though I have seen it at work on the trail and its nasty. My SOA can flex just as well in the front but the rear has somthing to be desired of. I know the 80 series coils will help from what I have seen on the trail.

Good luck brotha...

Thanks man... I am pretty tired right now (about 1:30AM) but I have been truckin along.. Tore into the FZJ80 tonight, got the dash all torn apart in search of keeping the harness in place. I am hoping to use the FZJ80 blower motor and heater core / control box for use in the 55, as well as all the stock wiring for the diff locks etc. A lot of work just to keep the harness in tact but I am either going to swap the 1FZ into a friend's FJ80 with a tired 3FE or sell the whole combo complete with necessary harness parts for a plug and play 1FZ swap for someone... Anyway, here are photos...

First photo - deep in the depths of the 80 series dash...
Second, all the shit in the back from the dash, removed.. Most of it still in tact for the most part...

[dieselcruiserhead]

Hood removed, and a lot of the front clip pieces waiting for a friend to possibly pickup otherwise I'll add it to the growing list of 80 series stuff that will soon be for sale... And a pile of mostly computers and various other boxes and amps from under the dash.... I am really learning a lot about 80 series, which I have never had before...

[dieselcruiserhead]

Here is a guy in a 55 who lives in St George Utah (way down south, near Vegas) and in Rock Springs, Wyoming, so I am near halfway between. He stopped to possibly buy some stuff from my cruiser yardsale...

He bought Cruiser Outfit's old 55 which kurt bought as a complete, utter, beater, that was once voted "most redneck" in the Wasatch Cruisers, and made it into a beautiful beast... Sprayed two tone with Rhino Liner or bedliner of some sort... Also pretty cool was when he stopped by he was in the middle of the 8 hour trip there, then is planning to drive it back through..

[dieselcruiserhead]

A couple of guys from Wasatch Cruisers stopped by to buy the springs off the 55. I had a "dibs" on the springs but these guys showed up ASAP and had cash so I let them go.. Trent Ashby and Dave Helm, Trent is the one mimicing the chimp here . It was a good thing because it encouraged me to start working on the piggie too..

[dieselcruiserhead]

Here is how the pig body sits now... My buddy with the BJ42 is picking up a Sawzall tomorrow for residence at the shop and I will get after the body mount bolts and hopefully have the body off shortly... Basically there is almost nothing other than the actual body mounts that needs to be done to easily remove the body. Then that gets taken apart and some cutting then off to the sand blasters... PS anyone want some '69 axles real cheap?

[dieselcruiserhead]

I also replaced the back right rotor and replaced the lug studs so the wheel could be bolted back on.. It was basically just sitting on the rear full float hub and that was it.. So it was a little tricky rolling it around. I am also waiting for Kliers to return home from vacation so he can mail me the keys for the 80, that has also made it a bitch to manuver around because the wheel is locked in place... Also, it wants to stay in park unless the battery is dead or disconnected...

Anyway, you can see here is the rear rotor from when it dragged for god knows how long against the pavement... You can also see the bottom shock mount has been ground to just barely the bottom of the shock mount.

[dieselcruiserhead]

Here is a photo of the other side for comparison to see how much metal was removed... I am still amazed that no one was hurt in the wreck...

[dieselcruiserhead]

The rear wheel was also ***completely sheared off** as in all 6 lug studs were snapped off in the wreck. Unbelievable.. Anywhoo, had to replace those too..


Also, some backing plate carnage. I trimmed this up with a cutoff wheel on the grinder tonight, I am probably just going to leave it like this..

[dieselcruiserhead]

Lug stud replacement teqnique. 1) Luckily, all the old stud pounded right out with a 2.5 lb hammer and one or two big wacks... 2), Use air tools to suck the new stud in. I also greased them and used a bigger nut as a spacer with a lug nut to suck them in.. Got them nice and snug, nothing like 6 new lug nuts. It was very easy to replace them all, probably the easiest of any vehicle I have worked on. Of course its easy too because it is only the rears...

[dieselcruiserhead]

all bolted up with the new rotors and studs..

[dieselcruiserhead]

some carnage to the inside rim that came off, not that bad and the rest of the rim is actually in pretty good shape, no major knicks or dings anywhere miraculously...

[dieselcruiserhead]

this was pretty cool. I pulled the original OEM spare from the 55, definetely original and definetely still in very good shape. Also under the piggie in rust free Oregon / Washington, somehow the rubber was also excellently preserved. It is a Dunlop, pretty agressive tread I thought. I think I am going to clean it up and hang it somewhere I think..

[dieselcruiserhead]

I also cleaned up a lot of the glass that was inside the truck as the windows, windshield, and rear window were inside completely shattered. Took me about 45 minutes of vacuuming with the shop vac to get most of it out and even then there is still plenty of glass in there. I also pulled the seatbelts and handles to probably use in the 55 as well...

[dieselcruiserhead]

So that is about it... Also my buddy with the BJ42 stopped by to fix his leaky primer pump hand-priming mechanism. It was so tight that he had to remove the battery tray to get at it.. . This was a few days ago... We also replaced his exhaust manifold gasket this afternoon as well...