2022 HZJ79 to a 2022 HDJ79 (2 Viewers)

[Broski]

So COOL

 

[SNLC]

After we picked it up I installed some @TRAIL TAILOR rear extended sway bar links. I also did our first oil change, went to full synthetic at 1,050 miles on the new FTE.

Did sixty miles in it after work up over the mountains and along the river. It’s such a joy to drive and rips hard! No lack of power at all on any type/style of driving. Super good stereo, sound deadening we did rocks as well.

Hand full of things to wrap up and I may be delivering it myself to the owner in the next 7-14 days!

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

This too!




Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Oh ya, last thing for today, I weighed it. 5,780lbs with nearly 3/4 tank of fuel, 3,000lbs rear and 2,780 front, split at the B-pillar.

Cheers

 

[cahill]

Nice - it will be evenly weighted front and back when you add a driver and passenger up front.

 

[SNLC]

Nice - it will be evenly weighted front and back when you add a driver and passenger up front.

Surprisingly, yes.

Here is one thing I can say from experience now, this truck with rear leaf springs and a different track width front to rear does not handle or ride as nice as a 70-series on an 80-chassis. I don’t think they are even comparable really, especially when you factor in the wider track of 80 axles as well.

Don’t get me wrong, this Cruiser handles nicely, especially with the Superior Engineering suspension but what I find driving it, you run out of suspension before anything else.

Cheers

 

[locklaw]

Surprisingly, yes.

Here is one thing I can say from experience now, this truck with rear leaf springs and a different track width front to rear does not handle or ride as nice as a 70-series on an 80-chassis. I don’t think they are even comparable really, especially when you factor in the wider track of 80 axles as well.

Don’t get me wrong, this Cruiser handles nicely, especially with the Superior Engineering suspension but what I find driving it, you run out of suspension before anything else.

Cheers

Go for 30mm spacers on either side of the rear axle. It comes closer to correct the tracking and was even signed off by the factory for a special edition we did a few years ago. If you are not going to weigh it down in the back, try running without the rear sway bar. Frees up the back packs and makes it less bouncy when unloaded. Another OEM option.

 

[SNLC]

Go for 30mm spacers on either side of the rear axle. It comes closer to correct the tracking and was even signed off by the factory for a special edition we did a few years ago. If you are not going to weigh it down in the back, try running without the rear sway bar. Frees up the back packs and makes it less bouncy when unloaded. Another OEM option.

Sure there is a bit more that could be done, tweaking it to as good as it gets. Could remove a leave or two as well. I did rear spacers on a SWB 70 when I did a front coil conversion due to a bit of track width gained up front.

I am just comparing it from my experience since we haven’t set up a new 79 yet, it’s all been 80 chassis swaps. I have driven HZJ76/79 a fair amount but that was years ago. It’s far better than when it came in and I have no doubt it will please the owner or most people for that matter.

It’s just not the same, the 80 suspension when you stretch wheel base gets even better. I am also talking road manners here, the 80 design is not all that great when you start flexing it but we all love it because of how it handles on the road.

When you put the power down on the 80 suspension in 2wd it tends to “squat”, the 79 with leaves tends to feel skippy not squatty. The 80 suspension feels more stable at 10-20mph faster in corners. That’s what I mean by you run out of suspension on this Cruiser.

Cheers

 

[cruiserdan]

Elegant.

 

[locklaw]

Sure there is a bit more that could be done, tweaking it to as good as it gets. Could remove a leave or two as well. I did rear spacers on a SWB 70 when I did a front coil conversion due to a bit of track width gained up front.

I am just comparing it from my experience since we haven’t set up a new 79 yet, it’s all been 80 chassis swaps. I have driven HZJ76/79 a fair amount but that was years ago. It’s far better than when it came in and I have no doubt it will please the owner or most people for that matter.

It’s just not the same, the 80 suspension when you stretch wheel base gets even better. I am also talking road manners here, the 80 design is not all that great when you start flexing it but we all love it because of how it handles on the road.

When you put the power down on the 80 suspension in 2wd it tends to “squat”, the 79 with leaves tends to feel skippy not squatty. The 80 suspension feels more stable at 10-20mph faster in corners. That’s what I mean by you run out of suspension on this Cruiser.

Cheers

I agree, no comparison between a 79 on an 80 chassis to a sprung one, even a Jmacx coil rear kitted does not handle the same or imbue you with the same confidence. Heck, we go through 60 Cruisers a month (mostly VDJ79's) and most clients are happy with the handling. There are outliers however. 50mm thick front sway bar spacers instead of the normal 20mm is favored by some too.

Please don't think it is not a compliment on great work, just throwing it out there

 

[thatcabledude]

Elegant.

I was thinking more along the lines of, “good googly moogly!”

 

[SNLC]

I am going camping tomorrow so was giving my Cruiser a good once over today.

We are down to the wire on this build now. Plane ticket purchased to fly home after I deliver it to the owner next week. That will happen next Thursday!

Will do a complete walk around video(s) next week before I take off to deliver the Cruiser.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Currently this seems like the best place for this post. Something I have kind of wanted to mention on the forum but haven’t yet is…

Toyota absolutely dialed the cooling system in on wide nose 70-series. I have not seen a better cooling system in 35yrs of working on cars.

When they went wide nose and the v8, the radiator got really tall. It is really the tallest radiator I have seen in any Cruiser, we don’t work on 200’s or fairly new/modern Cruisers much so I can’t comment in comparison to those. When it comes to 40/60/70/80-series though, the wide nose 70’s absolutely slam dunk the rest in the cooling system.

Something I noticed on this build we hadn’t either noticed or paid attention to in our other 70/80 FT and FTE builds is just how good the radiator and cooling system works.

For example on this build, the top hose and cap on the radiator will certainly get hot, almost to hot to touch. About 1/3 of the way down the core on the radiator you can feel it go from hot to luke warm and 1/2 down the core it is literally cool/cold to the touch. I haven’t seen the bottom rad hose get above slightly warm yet, I mean barely above cold too. Like really I can go run this Cruiser up and over a mountain, shut it down at running temps and 350* EGTs, pop the hood and put my hand on the lower hose and it is much cooler than ambient temps, nearly cold even. This is when it is 80-90* ambient temps too not to mention 30psi and +30 fuel. That’s kind of crazy, never seen such good cooling on an engine especially a diesel.

Granted we did upgrade the orange OEM fan clutch to 20k fluid but we have tested this Cruiser and FTE with a stock fan clutch and with the 20k. Not sure what Toyota puts in the orange clutch but I do know Toyota used 3k, 5k and 10k fluid. We experience no difference with stock orange clutch vs 20k upgrade. I feel the 20k fluid will come into play more when it is 100-110* ambient but regardless it’s pretty obvious the cooling system on wide nose 70’s is absolutely stellar. I contribute a lot of that to the really tall radiator.

Cheers

 

[Indestructible 47]

I'll chime in and say that your opinion on the cooling system is shared over here. I cannot get my 1vd hot, and I've pulled hills towing with the ambient air temperature north of 45°c and it just does not get hot. The narrow nose FTE 79s also had huge radiators that work extremely well.

 

[SNLC]

The Cruiser is all cleaned up and ready to go! Final walk around videos.




Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

On the road for 3hrs so far. The Cruiser is rocking it!

80-85mph no probs at all, EGTs nice and cool. Comfy ride and the stereo is solid!

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

On the road yesterday.

Successful delivery and now home with its older brother!

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

The owner has sent me a few pics since I delivered the Cruiser to him.

First weekend he had it he took it up to 10,000ft to going fishing with the family. He reported no lack of power up to that elevation.

He also uses it for truck stuff!

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

The owner sent me these pics.

Window tint and OEM bug shield installed.

Cheers