Thanks Drew
Cruiserdrew,
Thank you for the long winded response. This is the type of information I need to consider to help me get this done right and in a decent timeframe.
I don't know where to start, so here are some random comments.
If your axles you bought were set up and run in a truck, then a cut and turn will be more complicated then you think. Ideally, you will want to cut the perches off, and weld on new ones that give you the pinion angle you want (I recommend pointing straight at the t-case). With that done, then rotate your knuckles back to avheive the proper caster. You need to know what geometry is built into the perch/pinion relationship now before you can really plan your attack. So, get the old axle out, swap the new one in under the spring and see what it looks like before cutting or welding anything. You may decide to use your existing housing since the stock pinion angle is better than a stock FJ60 pinion angle.
--------The axles I am purchasing are mounted on a 60 frame with a 40 tub on top. The drive train that was used was a standard automatic FJ62. The front axle was setup for a shackle reversal which I think I will not be doing. I agree that rewelding new perches for the front should be done to get a proper pinion angle. I may use my virgin housing and transfer everything over.
Your comment about the longfields is not clear. Do you mean the inner axles are stock and the birfields are longfields? Exactly what Longfields are they? If they are early generation (ie not ChromeMoly) then they are not much stronger than stock. Ideally, you want 30 spline Longfields with the new CroMo inneraxles. It's called the "superset" on the Longfield site.
--------The axles came with Bobby Long birfield inners. This vehicle was made before the outers were available to the public. I am not sure if they are cromo or not.
Cheapest, easiest and least esthetically pleasing option for the shocks are the Ford towers. They work great. They are super strong. Did I mention they are cheap? Like $30 cheap. I have them on my FJ40 and literally installed in 1 afternoon. I used 4x4 Labs shock hoops on the FJ60 because they are beautiful and look like wheelwell art. A bit of a splurge, but really, really nice. I think PismoJim has Allpro hoops and they work well and look OK.
--------Do any of the above hoop options install and weld in without trimming the inner fender wall? I don’t care about looks, I care about performance.
The "fancy" rear shaft is likely a double cardan shaft. That's really great, and a major bonus of your purchase, but it means that the pinion must point exactly at the t-case output or you will get vibes. My guess is that you will need to reweld the perches on the rear to achieve that geometry and then have the shaft sized properly for your truck. Go out now and make sure the bolt patterns on the shaft match the existing ones on your truck. If they don't, then that's one more extra step you will need to consider. That rear geometry is VERY important, and you need to decide whether you want to run a standard shaft or a double cardan shaft before you get going. In my opinion, a DC shaft is desirable as it allows you to rotate the pinion up and out of harms way. It's only 2-3 inches but it's very beneficial in terms of the number of rocks your shaft hits.
--------It may be a DC shaft but it didn’t look like a DC shaft. It had an extra U-Joint on the tcase output.
The frame to axle housing brake soft lines will be roughly 25 inches in the rear and 22-25 inches on the front. On the front, I relocated the "t" fitting to the top of the differential, since otherwise it gets in the way of the perch. That has the added benefit of moving it closer to the mount so the line can be a little shorter. Then you need to make and flare new hard lines to run to your caliper soft line mounts.
--------Can you point me to pictures or threads going over this? I think I saw the parker P/N references in your thread.
Your steering linkage needs some thought. Did the stuff you bought come with tie rod and drag link? If not, remember that the Allpro kit *I think* uses 80 series tie rod ends for both the tierod and the drag link, so you'll need to plan accordingly with new linkage of the proper length and threading. Also, the taper of your pittman arm will be wrong for 80 series ends so it will need to be reamed to the proper taper.
---------The Hi-Steer comes with the tie rod and drag link. How do I check to make sure that the lengths for the previous vehicle are the same for mine?
You will need all new spring bushings unless yours are new. You really can't afford any slop now that you'll be way up in the air. MAF has lot of choices depending on the shackles and pins you plan to use.
---------I agree with you here and poly bushings will be ordered. I will be using stock shackles. I also hope to use the existing stock pins in front and the greasable pins that come with the axles in the rear.
If you get a good pinion angle up front, you won't need a front track bar. If the pinion is flat, that gives a very awkward lower u-joint angle which gets worse under load(pinion rotates down under load). That's why IMHO you want to start with a good pinion angle.
---------I agree with starting with a proper pinion angle.
What are you going to do about the front backing plates? Keep them if you want to run the hardline from the junction down to the caliper.
---------Can you elaborate here? I don’t know what else to do but keep the front backing plates.
In the rear, you'll need to watch out for the e-brake cable. It tends to get tight with that much lift and you need to extend the mounting brackets to improve the geometry. How do you plan to hook up the e-brake to your disc brakes? Personally, I like the FJ60/62 drum brakes and you may consider staying with stock to make the whole e-brake thing easier. This will sound like heresy, but doing the spring over in the rear is really easy, so to keep things simple at least consider using your existing axle, welding new perches to the top and swap in the ARB locked 3rd member.
---------The rear disk brake axle comes with the e-brake cable setup that I can hook straight up to my e-brake handle as I see it.
Ruffstuff's track bar bits are really great. I've used them on my 40 and I'll do the same on my 60. Just remember, that the track bar can be done later, so save your energy and get the rest of it right first. The track bar will mean you need a new rear crossmember to weld the shackle end to, so lots more fab work and I'd save it for a separate project.
--------I don’t mind having my truck down for a month if necessary, it’s not my DD. I want to get the traction bar done before it ever hits the pavement. I also don’t expect this SOA to happen over a week. Christmas break is just the starting point.
The stock FJ62 skid plate is a joke. If you really plan to wheel this truck, which I assume you do, then a new skid plate needs to be built and installed to protect those expensive aluminum bits (tranny and t-case) in your drivetrain. FC Fabrication makes great ones and can integrate the track bar mount into it. SO save that whole part of the project for later.
--------I hadn’t taken this into consideration and I think you’re right. It shouldn’t be hard to make my own.
Sorry for the long post, but I have just gone through all of these issues in the last few weeks and it's still pretty fresh. I wish I could come down and help because there is still more info you will need as you go through this. Don't expect to do it in a weekend. I did it in 4 days only because I've done it before and kind of knew what to expect. Your toughest problems will come from things you didn't even consider at the start. Read Chicago's long build thread-there is a ton of great info there even though it's like 37 pages. Good luck, it's going to be great.
--------Lots of people from Trailcrew as well as a few of my friends will be stopping in to help me with this build. I could never accomplish a SOA without ih8mud and my local club support.
One last thing, for technical experience, Ross Kuzma is a very smart dude, and can help with a lot of real time questions. He's part of the Trail Crew and a good guy to know.
