Build '74 FJ40 Build: My 1st Cruiser

[gpfj40]

Here is my 74 FJ40. I bought it in September, drove it until early November when I decided to put a mild OME lift on it and start repairing the body including the POs fibreglass over layer. Shortly after putting the front OME springs in I realized it was not going to be tall enough for 35s. I came across some axles out of a 93 FJ80 and decided to swap them under my cruiser, including the front coils and radius arms.

Here is a list of what I've done or will be doing shortly:
-purchased missing bezel
-made a temporary rear sil, then replaced PO's plywood end gate with a drop down tail gate
-patch the PO's former roof vent
-replaced battery
-repaired rust on hard top rain gutter and b pillar
-fabbed a new front and rear bumper
-repaired rust in rear frame rails
-purchased used 8274 warn winch and rebuilt it
-fabbed rear spring hanger and shackle hanger for rear leafs
-moved the rear springs back 6 inches, which lowered the height a few inches to keep the SOA from making it too tall.
-cut all of the brackets off the FJ80 rear axle, mounted perches and installed.
-Next up is the front axle/suspension swap

Once the axle swap is complete I will be dealing with the PO's rattle can paint job and doing all of the body work, which may include a new 3/4 tub. I'd also like to swap a 1HD-T into it.

 

[cult45]

Nice one! Have you completed both axles or just the rear? Love the idea of the 80s axle under a 40.

 

[gpfj40]

The rear 80 axle is in and the front 80 axle is in the works, here are some pics of where I'm at right now on installing the front axle. I have tacked the radius arm brackets to the frame, tacked together coil buckets, tacked some frame reinforcing gussets in place and mocked up a Fj60 power steering box. The front axle is about 2" forward of the stock location. I'm waiting on installing some castor correction bushings in the FJ80 radius arms which should keep my front pinion angle ok and acquiring the steering shaft/u joints to adapt the 60 box to the steering column. The next steps will be to tack the buckets on to the frame, get it sitting on its own weight, then deal with the pan hard bar and drag link.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

 

[gpfj40]

Next up was installing the FJ60 power steering box, steering shaft and a steady bearing. This required removing the rad and mounts which will get cleaned up and painted before reinstalling. I then finished the welding the frame reinforcing plates in place, then welded the coil buckets and radius arm frame brackets to the frame. The 80 front axle is now installed and it is sitting under the the cruisers own weight. I was a little surprised how much the springs compressed, I was expecting about 1" less compression than I ended up with. In order to see how the ride height was going to work out I installed the new stock Toyota front fenders. The pan hard bar and drag link are not built or installed yet. As I bounce the front end up and down sitting in the garage I can get the bump stops to touch and there is about an inch between the tires and the fender. The axle is installed under stock FJ80 coils and bump stops, I may need to get some heavier rate lift springs to level the cruiser and keep it from bottoming out on every little bump.

Can anyone out there tell me distance between the front bump stop and the axle coil mount a FJ80 with stock coils? My 40 with an 80 front end is sitting with about 4" of up travel and I'd like to know how that relates to a stock 80.

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

Hi all,

Cool build, thanks for sharing with us!

What are you gonna do for front shocks?

Regards,

Alan

 

[gpfj40]

Oh how it is evolving

Its been a while since I updated this build thread, lots has gone on.

To answer the question about how I intend to mount the front shocks, I'm 100% sure yet. I'm thinking about building some shock buckets and attaching them to the back of the coil buckets and modifying the stock front FJ80 shock mounts. This will require cutting hole though the inner fender through upper mounting support. This will likely work but I'll have to reinforce the fender support. I bought some new OME nitrocharger sports back when I was use planning on doing a 2 inch OME lift. They have 9" of travel. Any opinions whether this will be eoungh? I only have 4-5 inches up travel and the radius arm design of the FJ80 front end is not known for its flex. I can alway buy longer shocks if they are too limiting.

The next step was going to be ordering body panels, this is where things changed. I decided the tub and floor are too far gone, I'd end up replacing fenders, front floor, sil, rockers, and rear floor so I decided I might as well go for a new tub and front floor. I called EBI in Vancover and Steve told me he sells both 40 and 43 rear tubs. Being a cruser newbie, I didn't really even know what a 43 was. Some internet searching and searching here on mud, I came to learn they are 14" longer and the wheelbase is 6" longer. This was very intriguing. The further back rear wheel cut out would solve one of my newly encountered problems, I was un happy with how my 5.5" stretched rear axle looked on my 40 with 35s, and it would ad some much appreciated room to the cab. Here is the 40 with the 5.5" rearward placement and 35s:

I figured I could easily add 14" to my frame, my frame patches and rear bumper were only tacked in place. I could also move my axle a little further back to keep the 43 tub from having too much rear overhang. I bought a new 43 tub, front floor and rocker patches from EBI, Steve was super helpful with advice on how to do the body work, I am a sheet metal body work rookie. Next up was build the rear frame extension. The easiest way I could see to do this was cut the tub and front floor out to make room.

Once the rear frame was extended, I mocked the tub on the frame to see what the rear axle placement looked like.

I felt I should move the rear axle back 4 more inches. This would get the tire centred or just a little to the rear of the wheel well and it would lower the ride height a 1-2 inches as I slid the spring hanger back along the frame. Off came the tub and back went the axle. I'm pretty happy with how it looks.

Next I needed to build some new shackle hangers since I ruined the other ones I built and welded to the rear bumper when I removed them. I was going to use some 2x4x.125 tubing to make the hangers, which lead me to the thought: If this is the same tubing as my frame extension why don't I use french them into the frame? 2 hole saws and a little plasma cutting and I had frenched in shackle hangers. I forget to take a close up pic of them, you can see them in one of the pics below.

Next up I put the tub in place, levelled it out on the body mounts and welded the tub to the be pillars. Then I built 4 more mounts under the mid rear floor for the extra hat channels that included on a longer 43 tub.

Next up was to lift the tub and cowl up so could finish welding the spring hangers and body mounts and grind/wirewheel the rest for the frame. This required unhooking the rest of the wiring, brake line, clutch line, steering shaft, speedo cable, throttle linkage and choke cable. Taking the dash pad and wind shield proved to be the biggest PITA, I hate spending 2 hours trying to drill out seized fasteners! I also built a little wood cart to set the body on for the body work, hopefully my design works out and I will be able to set the tub on this cart upside down.

Any thoughts on whether or not I should box the rest of the frame?

 

[fjgoober]

I installed a fzj80 e-locker axle in the rear of my 40 and love it (went leaf springs and now wish I would have done coil! I will go to coils on the rear at a later date). Full floating axles, wider stance and bigger beefier axle altogether. I bought both the front and rear e-locking axles from a buddy. I've been wanting to put the front 80 e-locker in but haven't had the time.

I was looking at it earlier this evening and decided on how to do it. Went on mud and stumbled across your thread. The way you are doing the front is exactly how I envisioned just 45 minutes ago sitting on a 5 gallon bucket drinking a beer!! The only difference is that I was thinking of getting the adjustable buckets as I thought it might provide flexibility in ride height as well as on and off road driving.

I have to say that I am very impressed with your ingenuity and fabrication skills. Great Job. I am subscribed to this thread. Would love to see more pictures of the front end suspension and attachments. Did you cross brace from frame rail to frame rail the panhard attachment on the frame as Toyota did on the 80? Would love to see pictures of what you did in that area!! After viewing your thread I think the wisest thing for me is to follow you a week behind you!!!! Let you solve all the problems and I would provide you the greatest flattery of all and copy it!!

Love what your doing!!

 

[gpfj40]

Front Shocks

I was able to put a little time in tonight. I trimmed down the factory axle shock mount and welded a pre fable shock tab on which I ordered from Ruff Stuff. For the top bracket I decided to cut out some brackets with the plasma that will attach to the top of the bucket. I'm getting a little nervous I may have not used heavy enough material for the coil bucket (1/8"), especially since I will be anchoring my shock to it now as well. I will need to ad some gussets to the coil bucket. The pic below is mock up with the shock I plan on using at full extension, which will be full droop, if you look close you can see the coil is about 1 inch below the bucket at this position. Its not going to give me extreme flex but I think it will suit the factory 80 radius arm system.

I also got the drag link measured so I can order it. The angle of the drag link will be 5 deg at ride height, I'm pretty happy with that. Looks like the pan hard bar should be pretty easy to mount. This axle came out of a RHD so I will be starting fresh with the axle mount. tonight I cut off the PHB mount on the drivers side I will not be using. It will mount on the frame next to the front crossmember that the bib mounts to so I will not be adding any more frame rail to rail support, to answer an earlier question from fjgoober.

Next up is to finish the passenger side front shock, do the driver side front shock, then the pan hard bar.

 

[Pacer]

Nice work.
Are you able to turn your shock pins 90° so that the shock eye can pivot as the axle articulates, rather than have the bushing fight the movement?

...via IH8MUD app

 

[gpfj40]

Nice work.
Are you able to turn your shock pins 90° so that the shock eye can pivot as the axle articulates, rather than have the bushing fight the movement?

...via IH8MUD app

Well I did consider the 2 different directions the shock pins could be mounted. I figured the arc between the shock and radius arms was actually a shorter radius than to the coil on the opposite side. If this is the case general wheel travel would stress the bushings on every up and down of the wheel and the movement would only be less restricted on twisting wheel travel if i mounted the pins 90 deg to how I did. I figured there will be far more axle up and down when compared to axle twist. I flexed it with my overhead hoist to if my theory holds true. After flexing it, which is hard to get a good flex going without the body on weighting it down, I decided it wouldn't matter. I only got the driver side front tire 14" off the ground before the driver rear came off the ground. The radius arm bushings were bound up, I can see what others have said about the stock 80 radius system not offering a lot of flex. Take a look at the pics, I think that amount of bushing flex is acceptable. Thanks for the input, it did make me reconsider my plan and test it out which I likely wouldn't have bothered with.

 

[yOHda]

Very cool build!! 43 body is awesome!!!

I also have a 40 on 80 series axles. stock rear housing with leaves, front is a 9.5" Ruff Stuff housing with a 3 link. I love the width and the large brakes(80 master, soon to be a complete 1fz swap). On 37" tires, I'm 20" to the frame with 5" uptravel on 14" coilovers in the front. 100" wheelbase. I'm getting ready to purchase 40s and will probably redo a few things to stay at 20" to the frame on 40s.

I agree with fjgoober, I should have linked the rear from the beginning as well.

As for the front flex, you could throw an upper link on there and pull the back two bolts on the front of radius arms.

 

[gpfj40]

Very cool build!! 43 body is awesome!!!

I also have a 40 on 80 series axles. stock rear housing with leaves, front is a 9.5" Ruff Stuff housing with a 3 link. I love the width and the large brakes(80 master, soon to be a complete 1fz swap). On 37" tires, I'm 20" to the frame with 5" uptravel on 14" coilovers in the front. 100" wheelbase. I'm getting ready to purchase 40s and will probably redo a few things to stay at 20" to the frame on 40s.

I agree with fjgoober, I should have linked the rear from the beginning as well.

As for the front flex, you could throw an upper link on there and pull the back two bolts on the front of radius arms.

My frame is sitting at about 21" off the floor. There is not much room between the front diff and the frame at full stuff so I doubt I could may mine any lower. Is the diff your ruffstuff housing a little closer to the 40 location than the further offset 80 diff? Good idea on adding a link and unbolting, but I'm going to stick with my plan for now, until I get it finished and find flex to be a limitation.

 

[yOHda]

My diff is in the same location as yours, but it is larger due to the 9.5" diff and the shape of the aftermarket housing. The rest of the axle uses all stock 80 front components and 60 series manual locking hubs.

 

[hudyhue]

Nice , I'd been thinking of doing the same ... Did I miss what's your wheel base at now , I saw your about 21" frame hieght...

Thanks

 

[gpfj40]

Wheel base is 100" now, I pushed the front forward about 1.5" to keep the mounting brackets for the 80 stock radius arm ahead of the front tub /body brackets, but far enough back to keep the 60 p/s box behind the bib. The rest of the length was gained in the frame stretch for the 43 tub. I think I read on mud a stock 40 wb is 89" so I guess that means my rear axle is 9.5" further back of a stock 40.

 

[gpfj40]

Over the past week I have boxed in and gusseted more of the frame, wire wheeled most of the remaining rust off the frame and started brushing POR 15 on to the frame. I also have lengthened and cleaned up the hacked up rear wiring harness and installed a new trailer plug into the rear bumper. I'm a little confused about what the green/orange wire is supposed to be connected to, and since the tub is off the frame I can't test it to figure it out. I searched online a bit and came to the conclusion it is an extra wire for a trailer harness. I left it in there so if I find I need it I will not have to run a new one. I'm going to reuse my tail lights, they seem to be newer than original, the rust is only on the surface and not inside. The PO must have replaced them some years ago, and at that time cut out the tail light plugs and hard wired it. I've wire wheeled and POR'd the outsides of the light housings and they look alright. I've asked a local sheet metal shop to build me a new 125 L fuel tank. I plan on mounting it in the rear between the frame rails, I'll have to move the filler on the tub to behind the wheel well but the larger tank and getting it out of the cab will be worth it.

 

[gpfj40]

I had a local sheet metal shop build a fuel tank for me. Actually they would only build me a 'water tank', but it is pressure tested, checked for leaks and exactly how I ordered it. Now I need to figure out how to mount it. I'm thinking of mounting it by welding tabs made from 2" angle, I figure since it is made from 12 ga that should work and I can avoid straps.

 

[watrob]

With your fuel tank did they baffle it?

 

[gpfj40]

Watrob, yes they did baffle the tank at my request. I asked for 2 - 6 inch tall baffles running front to back and 1 baffle between those two. In the first tank pic the baffle weld heat distortion marks are hidden by the red and blue tie straps. The idea was to create a 10" x 10" sump like box where the fuel withdrawn from the tank, the fuel return also feeds back into this sump like box. Time will tell if this is an adequate design.