Builds Cruisermatt's FJ62 Build-up (5 Viewers)

[cruisermatt]

Whats the story with those wheels? Looks like house paint. I mean I know it's Florida, but even so, that was never a good choice.

They’re 16x7 Tacoma steelies sprayed with Krylon Almond, in about 2014 I think? No prep and only once coat if I remember. And lots of wheeling and rock rash on them.
I have a set of 80 wheels to put on to give me another 2” of width all around.
They’ll get a dark grey I think.

Just for reference, what year did your springs come from?

No clue. Well, I should know but I don’t remember. I DO know (was told anyways) they are pretty new, they look fresh besides wear and tear from being stored for a few years.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

No clue. Well, I should know but I don’t remember. I DO know (was told anyways) they are pretty new, they look fresh besides wear and tear from being stored for a few years.

Just curious-are the front bolts 9/16 or 5/8?

Newer ones have 5/8 front bolts I believe. My springs are from 2007 and have the larger bolts for instance.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Running spacers on those wheels?

 

[cruisermatt]

Just curious-are the front bolts 9/16 or 5/8?

Newer ones have 5/8 front bolts I believe. My springs are from 2007 and have the larger bolts for instance.

I’ll check when I go back outside after it cools down. I think they are both 9/16”. I have 1/2” bolts in the hangers at the moment, I forgot to order the right bolts ahead of time. I guess I should run to the hardware store and grab two 9/16” bolts while I’m not doing anything.

Also, how can you tell the front vs rear of these springs? It looks like one of the spring eyes are a little bit bigger, but it may be an illusion.

I want to say I think the seller said these were from a 2005 or 6.

 

[cruisermatt]

Running spacers on those wheels?

Yes I run 2” wheel spacers up front. None in the rear because of the wider 80 rear axle.

 

[cruisermatt]

@Cruiserdrew
Thanks for the question about the bolts, it looks like I’ve got 5/8 at one end and 9/16 on the other.
Are you running the 5/8” at the fixed point? Can’t find any other indication that there is a front or rear on these springs.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Yes. The larger bolt up front

 

[cruisermatt]

Yes. The larger bolt up front

Cool. Thanks.

In other news, I got the H3/“muscle car” oil pan swapped onto the motor, and I got the serpentine belt figured out for the idler pulley relocation after three trips back and forth to the store.

I also started getting the engine bay reassembled after the paint.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Motor looks great. I can't wait for @FJ60Cam to make his west coast move.

 

[cruisermatt]

Motor looks great. I can't wait for @FJ60Cam to make his west coast move.

It might be expensive to move my Bridgeport there.

Which I love, it makes operations such as enlarging holes come out perfectly, whereas drilling them by hand might wallow out the hole. AKA, unacceptable.

Make a quick jig for repeatability, indicate to find the center, put it in low range (just like a Cruiser!), engage the quill feed and get a perfect 5/8” hole.

 

[cruisermatt]

Got some cooler temps today so welding in my frame box isn’t completely miserable today.

 

[cruisermatt]

Well that was a lot of work, but rear springs has are done besides the axle perches, shock mounts and some brake lines. I think I’m going to end up with the lowest SOA 60 out there. Only went up 3” inches from were is was before (super worn out 2” springs, basically flat), and it hasn’t settled yet and the gas tank is empty.
Haven’t touched the front yet, it’s still SUA, but sitting level because there’s no motor/bumper etc.
I’m going to go back to the motor swap now, install that with the clutch and flywheel hopefully for the last time (???), and then do the front suspension.
The goal for the front suspension (and whole truck really) is for it to sit at the height the front does when it doesn’t have any weight on it. Looks like I’m going to make that happen. Super happy with how the rear turned out.

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

Well that was a lot of work, but rear springs has are done besides the axle perches, shock mounts and some brake lines. I think I’m going to end up with the lowest SOA 60 out there. Only went up 3” inches from were is was before (super worn out 2” springs, basically flat), and it hasn’t settled yet and the gas tank is empty.
Haven’t touched the front yet, it’s still SUA, but sitting level because there’s no motor/bumper etc.
I’m going to go back to the motor swap now, install that with the clutch and flywheel hopefully for the last time (???), and then do the front suspension.
The goal for the front suspension (and whole truck really) is for it to sit at the height the front does when it doesn’t have any weight on it. Looks like I’m going to make that happen. Super happy with how the rear turned out.


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nice looking welds!!

 

[cruisermatt]

nice looking welds!!

Thanks, not too bad for overhead and under truck, awkward positions etc.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

please forgive my ignorance - but what is all that frame welding and extra steel for?

 

[NookShneer]

Yes I run 2” wheel spacers up front. None in the rear because of the wider 80 rear axle.

You need mini-truck hubs up front to even that out.

Stance looks great on the side profile shots. Nice work!

 

[cruisermatt]

You need mini-truck hubs up front to even that out.

Well, yes, that would do the same thing as the two inch wheel spacers, just a bit more refined.
What is the brake upgrade that goes along with that? Tundra or Tacoma? How are you liking it?
I have these super nice 60 brakes that are kinda keeping me from wanting to upgrade them further. I’m actually pretty happy with them too, and now I’ll have the hydroboost.

 

[NookShneer]

Well, yes, that would do the same thing as the two inch wheel spacers, just a bit more refined.
What is the brake upgrade that goes along with that? Tundra or Tacoma? How are you liking it?
I have these super nice 60 brakes that are kinda keeping me from wanting to upgrade them further. I’m actually pretty happy with them too, and now I’ll have the hydroboost.

View attachment 1722625

I’m about to do that. I’m hoping on Saturday. I need to get a 4.10 front diff before I pull swap those in.

Those are the monster TLC calipers. Look likely they have more brake surface area.

Supposedly the brake surface area combined with the Tundra rotors extra mass (less brake fade) make all the difference. Torfab which is really close to me does that swap on most of the V8 swapped cruisers it does now a days. I joke with them that I’ll be able to stop 10x faster than go with the 2F. I hope to do a motor swap and trailer build way down the line and working on the pieces I can build up to that point.

I’ll let you know what I think of the brakes once I wrap them up.

 

[cruisermatt]

please forgive my ignorance - but what is all that frame welding and extra steel for?

These are Chevy 3/4-ton springs which are quite longer then the stock length rear springs. So, front hangers needed to move forwards and rear hangers needed to move back.

I boxed the rear-most of the frame where it is open C-channel to facilitate running my upper shackle bushing through it, rather then below the frame like almost everyone does.

Here’s some pictures for comparison: