Cam's FJ60 Gets Sprung (1 Viewer)

[FJ60Cam]

Bluff City Hybrids, aka Three-6 Hybrids, is taking on a new project in the carport. We're going to attempt to swap an 80 suspension under my 60, cut 'n paste style.

I'm pretty much just going to copy 88chevota's Flying Terd Project... Brown FJ60 + FZJ80 + Chevy 5.7 = THE FLYING TERD PROJECT!!!

Stay tuned for details...

(teaser pic)

 

[fountainhead]

Some test springs are right down the road.

 

[jynx]

Where's @pmccraney with the popcorn, this is gonna be good.

 

[wngrog]

I'm headed up tomorrow. Early. No springs sadly.

A certain brother in law of the spring donor was 5 miles from here and chose to not mention it until I saw pics so I have no springs


I'm going to Tupelo Wednesday......

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Subscribing, clock's tickin' brah...

 

[FJ60Cam]

The first of these 60/80 combos I remember is lowtideride's Project Uranus... Project Uranus

Then there was MANUCHAO's swap... FRAME SWAP

Then, of course, the infamous, no expense spared, 60/80/100 Project X²

Which, sadly, died just as it was finished...

These aren't the only ones, just the ones that stick out in my mind and had me lusting over the dream 60/80 combo.

These are all 60 bodies swapped on to an 80 frame....which is not really feasible for me... I don't have a post lift, or even a shop to work in. Plus I've already swapped the 5.3 in - I'd hate to have to start over on that. Then there's the part about this being my daily driver right now, so downtime has to be minimal.

Enter 88chevota's truck... In a matter of minutes, he cut the bits and pieces out from the donor 80 and grafted them under his 60. Easy.

So I filed that idea away in the back of my mind in case I ever came across a rolling 80 frame, free of the body and engine (yeah right, how often do those pop up...)

 

[pmccraney]

 

[OGBeno]

You got till May bro. Get on it.

 

[Nottajeep]

Big for taking this project on.
What are the big advantages vs just a sprung over 60 axle?

 

[Elbert]

you just swapping axle assemblies or entire suspension from the 80 to the 60?

 

[FJ60Cam]

Big for taking this project on.
What are the big advantages vs just a sprung over 60 axle?

A spring over would just be too huge. I'm only looking for an extra inch or so (that's what she said), which I should be able to easily do with coils.

I should also end up with better brakes all the way around, better steering geometry, and a full floating rear axle. Plus a better approach angle in the front, and less sh!t dangling in the back.

you just swapping axle assemblies or entire suspension from the 80 to the 60?

Entire suspension.

 

[southff4]

When does this party start. I have a set of springs to get to you from JT.

 

[Nottajeep]

E lockers?

 

[FJ60Cam]

So one day, I'm perusing Craigslist and a cheap '93 shows up. It's dirty and it has a bad motor. I dream of parting it out in my driveway, (feeding little bits of 80 into my garbage can to make it disappear) to get down to the parts I need.

But I had run out of political capital at home. The motor swap tested the patience of my family. And my neighbors . I just couldn't see a vehicle part out being very popular. And I'd still have to do the suspension swap after that.

I mentioned it to @heckler, who informs me that his friend has already bought the truck, for much less than the asking price. He and his friend both need parts from it, but don't need any of the suspension parts.

And the best part - his friend has access to a chop shop, so I should be able to walk away with exactly what I want and nothing more.

Months pass before our schedules line up. The chop shop (which is in a residential neighborhood btw) is in danger of being shut down by the code department. So a few weeks ago Mark, Dirty Rob and myself head over with Rob's trailer to rescue the loot.

We get after it Memphis style and flip the body off the chassis with a forklift.

In seconds, we have the motor yanked...

 

[OGBeno]

Professional pimpin!

 

[FJ60Cam]

Just so we're not tempted to do this properly and swap the entire frame, we cut it in half and roll each half onto the trailer, then peel out to Three-6 Hybrids, loot in tow.

We were told that a plasma cutter was available and were expecting to cut off what we needed. This would have had me coming home with a nice, neat pile of parts that I could stack in the carport and not scare my wife too bad.

But the plasma was inop. So we GTFO of there with the rolling chassis, now split in two. I wasn't sure how I was going to spin this to the wife and neighbors, but it was better than asking permission.

Just as me and Rob were rolling the hulks of metal off his trailer, my wife comes out... and is actually surprised that this was "all" I brought home. Whew!

(This is all visible to the street, and my next door neighbors have front row seats. They love this.)

 

[onemanarmy]

i NEED a forklift

 

[FJ60Cam]

When does this party start. I have a set of springs to get to you from JT.

We're going to do the front New Years weekend (gotta drive it to work on Monday). All are invited. There is even free camping in my yard.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Semi-float rear?

You mentioned you had a full float?

What's the plan regarding the axles? Why are you running the 80 front?

 

[FJ60Cam]

i NEED a forklift

Every man should have one