Builds 1979 FJ40 Preservation-ish Project

[OPMACHINE]

150 miles in. Still leaning left, removing the spare tire seems to help a little. I am thinking about putting the spare on the passenger side.

Passenger side is almost dead level. Driver side is a little higher in front. So I will probably need a bumper and winch.

 

[cruisermatt]

I heard there's this guy in Jax that makes really nice 40 bumpers.

 

[OPMACHINE]

Shameless plug

 

[locklaw]

150 miles in. Still leaning left, removing the spare tire seems to help a little. I am thinking about putting the spare on the passenger side.

Passenger side is almost dead level. Driver side is a little higher in front. So I will probably need a bumper and winch.

I would start by swopping out the rear leaves left to right if removing the spare wheel does not make a significant difference.

I can't see from previous posts if Dobinsons have "+", "0" or "-" markings but if they do, the "+" has a slightly firmer spring rate than the "0" which in turn has a slightly firmer spring rate than the "-". The blade with the firmest test rate goes on the driver's side. Given the significant lean you have, you would want a "+" spring on the driver's rear side and no more than a "-" on the passenger rear. To fix the front, you would want a "0" spring on the driver's side and a "-" on the passenger side to correct the front to back misalignment.

If you have no choice of packs then you will have to add an extra leaf the driver's rear side, this might just help to move the COG forward to compress the front driver a bit more (which should be about 5mm higher than the front passenger side to compensate for the driver sitting in the vehicle).

 

[OPMACHINE]

Dobinson does not mark their springs to indicate +/o/- tolerance like OME. In the Cruiser Lean threads in FAQ there seem to be a wide variety of ''fixes''. For now
I am going to put 500 miles + on the suspension before I touch anything. I was rocking the truck by hand last night, I can make is settle pretty even if try.

 

[locklaw]

Ok, well, one of the easiest available sources would be to use a Trim Packer from Old Man Emu (TP02) on the high side to trim it more level, although that would take it down. Advantage being no change to spring rate. Extra leaf works really well but affects the ride quality.

Dobinson does not mark their springs to indicate +/o/- tolerance like OME. In the Cruiser Lean threads in FAQ there seem to be a wide variety of ''fixes''. For now
I am going to put 500 miles + on the suspension before I touch anything. I was rocking the truck by hand last night, I can make is settle pretty even if try.

 

[OPMACHINE]

Turns out I was sent the Heavy front spring HJ45-7L-F (7 leaf spring) instead of the medium HJ40-7L-F (7 leaf spring) that I ordered. The Rep. is telling me to pull a leaf out of the front pack and making it a 6-leaf pack. Dobinson is telling me the individual leaf springs are thinner on the HJ40-7L-F pack vs HJ45-7L-F. Both are 7 leaf packs.

Welcome to north Florida

 

[fjc-man]

Sounds like a good excuse for getting that winch and reinforced bumper

 

[OPMACHINE]

I am having a hard time compromising on this. I am going to order the standard weight HJ40-7L-F front spring and plow ahead with the original plan.

 

[Honger]

I am having a hard time compromising on this. I am going to order the standard weight HJ40-7L-F front spring and plow ahead with the original plan.

They sent you the wrong one and you are having to order the correct one?!?

 

[OPMACHINE]

Yes, vendor is saying if I remove a leaf it is close enough to what I ordered.

 

[EWheeler]

Yes, vendor is saying if I remove a leaf it is close enough to what I ordered.

Soo, when I go to order a dobinsons kit, who am I NOT ordering it from?

How often can you use that excuse in your day job?!? It's close enough to what you ordered, pay me!

 

[OPMACHINE]

DM sent

 

[Zjohnsonua]

Soo, when I go to order a dobinsons kit, who am I NOT ordering it from?

How often can you use that excuse in your day job?!? It's close enough to what you ordered, pay me!

I feel for the vendors here. Customers give varying descriptions about their intended loads and driving styles, and some end up happy and others not so much. Having the AAL already present and able to be removed if necessary is arguably the lesser of two evils.

 

[OPMACHINE]

Its not as simple as removing or installing an overload spring. The individual leaf spring designs are different, thinner in the standard 7 pack and thicker the heavy 7 pack. I am sure there is a reason behind Dobinsons design, and their choice to use a thinner spring in their standard pack. I would have appreciated a call from the vendor. I would have waited for the backordered springs to arrive and not accepted the heavy springs as a substitute. Moving on

 

[OPMACHINE]

Got the wheel flipped yesterday.

 

[OPMACHINE]

I am still leaning 1'' to driver. I am going to a 3/8'' spacer to kill the lean.


I am super impressed with the Auburn 546030 Grip-N-Loc LSD. I cant feel it on paved roads, but it really adds a lot of traction on the slick clay trails and firebreaks.

 

[OPMACHINE]

I hope this glass guide is not critical. It is responsible for about 90% of the squeaks in my cruiser.

 

[fjc-man]

Well if you never roll that window all the way down, you won’t need it…..

 

[OPMACHINE]

I always have the windows down. The upper trim and lower guide squeak together when the windows are down. I pulled the track out and no more squeak. Is the glass going to fall out?