Gumby's 1973 FJ55 buildup...

Gumby · 06-21-09, 03:57 PM

Pig at play

pics courtesy of Mrs. X.

Gumby · 06-21-09, 03:59 PM

more.

it flexes a little bit.

1973Guppie · 06-21-09, 10:05 PM

great pics! looks tough, great to see a piggy wheeling, looks like you could use some wheel spacers?

Gumby · 06-22-09, 05:14 AM

Doesn't rub.

1.5" spacers on the 55 axle in the front.

80 axle in the rear is about 1.5 total wider still.

Gumby · 07-07-09, 03:53 PM

The 50 was a bit too flexy for a full body. I did the PYS tour across MO with WC and HC with undercharged shocks. The next weekend I did McCaslin park in N. WI all charged up. It did way better, but still a bit too much body roll.

Jeep Wrangler springs are about 175 lbs/in. From an excellent post in this section I found that stock 55 springs are about 300 lbs/in. Some googlin' found that Bronco and F-150 springs are about the same diameteras the Wrangler springs. EB springs are the right rate. Late model Bronco and F-150 springs are a bit too stiff. (~ 350-450 lbs) A junkyard search found that Exploder springs are the same diameter , but not as stiff as F-150 and they are progressive. Called my parts guy. New springs were cheap enough to just order them rather than fight old springs at the boneyard. Got 'em sitting in the rig today. The lower mount is really small on a Ford, so I'll need to do a little fabricatin' tomorrow.

Gotta re-fix the winch and a couple of other little things.

Speaking of the winch. The in cab winch got a few nice big pulls on it. It's the cat's ass. Just being able to watch it spool is worth it. Being able to reach the controls, having it in out of the weather, mud, theivin' eyes, etc. are real bonuses.

Put in a late model booster and the brakes work great again. Still thinking hydroboost to get the underhood room back.

I wish I had the fundies to take off for BHCC next week, but it doesn't look to promising right now.

LC_Hamma · 07-07-09, 09:53 PM

How tall is your

? Mine's just under 7 ft.
You thought about running sway bars? I lowered mine back down to try & avoid them w/ a lower stance.
I'm fine tuning mine as well finishing up my steering right now.
I'll see if those stock rear TJ coils will flex enough. I really don't like how suatty they are - only about 3" of uptravel

I'm glad to see another linked

out there flexin it out

Gumby · 07-08-09, 07:24 AM

I haven't really thought about running sway bars, although I have a set from an 80 and a set from a pig. I prefer as low as possible with only a couple of inches of up travel.

The stock front TJs I was running squatted out about 10" which left a ton of stretch on the extension side, but it wanted to unload rather than being pulled into expansion by the down travel of the tire. We'll see how the Exploder springs do. They are much shorter overall and may need to be not captured to get good droop. I really like how captured springs pull the body back level.

I'll measure stance when I get to the shop this morning. I'm takin' it slow today.

Gumby · 07-08-09, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LC_Hamma

How tall is your

? Mine's just under 7 ft.

7' even to the top of the exo.
about 21" to the lowest point on the rear transfer which will be the lowest point on the skid. That should go up when I upgrade from the 36s.
Wheelbase is what I get asked about the most. 111" Just a little over stock.
Overall length is 153"ish bumper to bumper not counting the stinger.

Gumby · 07-08-09, 11:53 AM

The old bumpstops were mangled. They were nowhere near sturdy enough and didn't guide the spring well enough.

So I needed something with about a 4" wide bell or cone on the end and a long stub coming out of it, preferably with a threaded end so I could bolt a rubber stop on.

Fortunately, I have about a dozen of these around the shop.

GLTHFJ60 · 07-08-09, 12:50 PM

genius.

Gumby · 07-08-09, 02:33 PM

And they say I don't have any Toyota parts on my rig.

On jackstands about the right height for 39.5s. I wouldn't put these on. They are junk. I got them to check stance and clearance for new tires. The 36s just look too small on this rig.

LC_Hamma · 07-11-09, 10:09 PM

So, you added 5" from the stock WB, all up front? Mine's right at stock WB 106". Are you running FJ60 axles? Looks like you need some width w/ that ride height. I'd really think about the sway bars seeing the pic of that body roll all unloaded like that. Love that action pics, can't wait to do the same

Gumby · 07-12-09, 05:20 AM

80 axle in the rear. 1.5" spacers on a 55 axle on the front. added a couple of inches on each end as I did the links to give me space to trim fenders. The 111" measurement was by myself. I could be off a couple of inches too.

I'm going out today to check out the new front springs.

D'Animal · 07-12-09, 09:58 AM

Nice Bump Stop.

Rig looks great on the shake down run.

Gumby · 07-12-09, 06:05 PM

Thanks.

The new coils did great today. Stable as a rock. I'll have to wait and see how well it flexes on a less muddy day. Lots less front end hop on climbs.

The bump stops are too long. I'm going to section an inch or so out of each one so I can keep the threaded end and the splines.

The cage is taking a lot more abuse than I'd hoped, but almost no body damage yet.

Goebeler · 07-14-09, 11:34 AM

The cage is taking a lot more abuse..... Did you actually think you wouldn't beat the crap out of that thing? Just having it translates to abuse. Just imagine if it wasn't there.

55 started this am again, drove it this weekend all over the place... Time to drag it up north and try again... Thanks again for that repair bud!

Gumby · 07-14-09, 02:11 PM

My thought was that I would learn to wheel like a professional like yourself and keep it off the body.

Goebeler · 07-20-09, 07:51 PM

You hit the nail right on the head...

Once you understand it all starts with my vast level of mechanical skills, you will be ready for the next steps...

Gumby · 07-26-09, 06:12 PM

Well, I'm an utter failure at learning how to drive better.

I am only saved because the cage is really working well. I had it flat on its side and had to drag it a ways. no body damage visible yet.

The suspension is making me very happy right now. Stable, good flex and good low and mid speed manners.

Lots of use out of the inside winch and no complaints.

I spent some time doing some minor improvements this week. Center console, back up and rock lights, cooler mount. Then three days of wheeling with no major breakage.

Hopefully pics to come. I didn't take any. I really wanted one with it next to the GPINW, but I don't think we got any.

LC_Hamma · 07-26-09, 09:16 PM

Then three days of wheeling with no major breakage.

Heck yeah dude! Sounds like you're dialing in the

just right - dragging on it's side

You need to take some finished interior (back of cab) & suspension pics. What trails are you wheelin?

RHINO · 07-26-09, 10:54 PM

it came together great gumby,,,, very well done.

Gumby · 07-27-09, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LC_Hamma

Then three days of wheeling with no major breakage.

Heck yeah dude! Sounds like you're dialing in the

just right - dragging on it's side

You need to take some finished interior (back of cab) & suspension pics. What trails are you wheelin?

I'll get some more pics up.

Chicago Toyota Jambo at the Cliffs

Ran a some pretty hard trails. Only really ran into trouble on the one. Lost the bolt that keeps the steering shaft tight to the box and took a bad line into a deep hole.

Goebeler · 07-27-09, 08:37 AM

I sure hope someone took more pics. I didn't have a camera at all. Woody took a bunch and has some great ones of some shoeless dude standing on the 55.

That thing did amazingly well Todd. I am now fully torn about the exo.

Might just stick to beating the 40.

Thanks again for curing my running problem on the pig. I still have full wood from actually wheeling the thing a bit.

LukeZero · 07-27-09, 10:54 AM

Eric- I'm glad your wood went down before you were riding with me. Or is that what you call full wood.

I got just a couple of pictures with the cellphone camera- so I'm hoping Woody's pictures accurately show how messy Saturday was. That was a sloppy good time.

Luke

And that shoeless guy was Al.