ROTW D'Animal 1976 FJ 40

[D'Animal]

I have a 1976 FJ40 that I bought it from the original owner 4 years ago with 66,miles on it. It has the usual rust. See Pic below.
I tuned up the 2F and replaced and upgraded things as I broke them. In the last 20 months I've upgarded my 76FJ40 quite a bit.

Installed a Centerforce Dual Friction clutch. Put a detroit in the rear and an ARB up front. When I had the front apart I installed some Boby Long Longfields. I continue to run the 4:11's. Also a 3" SOR lift.

I upgraded the seats to a pair of A1C wide back racing seats. installed a ARG 480 pump inside the left fender for the front locker and the two three gallon air tanks. I have them mounted between the frame rails in back. I ran the plumbing throught the frame rail.
I get directional assistance from AGR Hydraulic Rock Ram. I installed a high arm steering kit with beefy steering links from Marlin Crawler.

Since it was still not as slow as I wanted it for the rock piles I encounter (Sierra Nevedas). I installed a Rock box between the stock transmission and stock transfer case. I installed the new AA crossmember to support it. I also used custom longer and short driveshafts. I used a 1" aluminum body lift from Man A Fre so I would not have to beat on or cut the transmission tunnel for the AA twin Stick. I bought an 8" longer parking brake cable from BTB so my stock transfer case mounted parking brake would work with the added length and lift. I snapped the rear 10 spline input pinion on it maden voyage out of my garage. I upgraded to the 27 spline.

That all worked really good until the stock transfer case literally exploded while I was towing/pulling an IH Scout out of the mountains. The stock unit is Aluminum and is great for a stock rigs.
I went with an Orion and the 3:1 gear set. My final drive in 4xlow is 198:1. It is now slow enough that the rest of the Jeep guys in my four wheel drive club cuss me for going to slow. I can still drive it down the freeway in 2hi at 75mph with out making the 2F engine scream. Speed limit in some parts are 70mph.

It is not really my daily driver since I have a company vehicle. I drive every weekend that I'm home and love it. I roll on 36"s and have not cut the body at all.

My next project is a frame off FJ 40 that has been "professionally bobbed to a FJ45 cab length.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Bitchin' mods. Good luck with the frame off...but....More Cruiser porn please!

 

[D'Animal]

The way it looked when I bought it.

This is the way it looked when I bought it.

 

[D'Animal]

I'm still new to ih8mud so please forgive some of my picture postings. My rig is sitting in front of a 2006 Dodge pickup for measurement. The closest mountains in the background is were I go wheeeling.

Yes, it's across the road and it's 36 acres of pretty much what you all the type of terraine you see in the background.

 

[mikedickbek]

Nice truck. You got any action pics?

 

[Azrocks]

How much rubbing if any do you get in the rear?

 

[D'Animal]

I get rubbing two different ways. On the almost finished photo, if you look closely at the right rear fender corner right behind the wheel you can see were the paint is worn. This is actually caused by body roll while driving on windy mountain roads. It does not touch at all on the left side. I have never made contact with this area while wheeling.

The other type of rubbing I get is inside the wheel well. This is generally from extreme articulation while rock crawling or driving out of mirror lake. I get more rubbing in the front. I could easily prevent this with the right size bump stops. I am delaying making bumb stops until I feel my springs are broke in. Right now it has about 650 miles on it after most of the the modifications were done. About 500 of those miles are highway and 150 or so are off road.

 

[90 Weight]

nice rig...def need some more pics

 

[D'Animal]

My Today version disappeared so i posted it again.

 

[camcruiser13]

great looking truck

 

[rabid]

Nice. looks great, great list o mods.

 

[JJS]

Nice looking truck, man. I want that 3:1 Orion for mine.

 

[D'Animal]

Interior

Here is a picture of the inside. Imagine standing on the hood looking in.

 

[Leaping Deer]

How much lift? I know you said there was a two inch body lift but what else?

Nice looking rig.

 

[D'Animal]

How Much Lift

I used a 4" Spector Off road kit. There are better ones out there and there are more expesive one out there. It suits me fine.

How much lift? I know you said there was a two inch body lift but what else?

Nice looking rig.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

nice transformation. the way a truck shoiuld be... not stock!

 

[erymer]

very nice. I love the lift on it. just a nice stance.

 

[Idahofj40]

Nice, very nice. I wish I could afford all those mod$....

 

[D'Animal]

Make a list of everything you want to do to your rig. Find out the cost of each mod and then figure out the ones you can do yourself or have to farm out.

Make a budget while thinking of a payment book. If all of your mods are going to cost $6,000 how much can you afford per month. If you can afford $150 per month then you know that in 40 months or a little over three years you will have everything done they way you want it. Some months I did not spend a dime on the FJ just so I could buy the Orion.

I have a freind that cannot save money to save his butt. He is challenged at changing a flat tire. Don't even ask him about changing the oil. He wants the ultimate showx4 jeep. He told the 4x4 shop everything he wants to do to his rig. They gave him individual prices adn a package price. The package price is to do all mods at once ove the period of a month or so so they can work on it between jobs.

Every month he can afford it he buys a $50 or $100 gift certificate from the 4x4 shop. He just stacks them up and when he has enough he will take his rig in and get it all done.

 

[Adventure Teq]

Sweet Action!

I dig the color and the original paint, keep it that way. Looks like you're ready for some fun.