Builds 73 series wheeler project (1 Viewer)

[joekatana]

I finally started on a 73 series to build a wheeling rig for myself,after seeing all the awesome treads here like the 73's from the Eradicator,Alex Gee,Justdifferentials ..... just to name a few I decided to sacrifice a 73 to make it a 90% offroad wheeling rig and 10% use around town for fun.

I bought a 1991 HZJ73 a while ago that was destined to be parted out because the drive train was in excellent condition but the po had done a horrible hack job on the body to repair the rust on it to pass inspections in Europe.

Plan is to lengthen and widen the wheelbase so most of the sheetmetal will be modified so I don't really care about the current condition of that.

It is gonna be riding on 80 series axles with 5.29 gears and elockers that came from @Delancy , ORI struts from @redstang410 ,I am gonna install a 1HDT out of an HDJ80 in it with either a R151 or H55 but that will be decided by wich one is available at the time more then preference. For the 80 axles I have bought some Nitro gear axle shafts and birfs from @just differentials and a set of hellfire knuckles from @Capra .I think I am gonna order the link kits from Rufstuff but have not done all my homework on that.

Engine and transmission where already out of it for quit some time so now I need to start at stripping it down and removing the axles and all the assorted brackets that are no longer necessary.

This will not be something done fast as I can only work on it between the jobs that keeps the business alive but I hope to have it at least out on the rocks for the southern cruiser crawl but it will definitely not be "done" by that time.

 

[joekatana]

This is my fugly donor as I pulled it in the shop .

 

[joekatana]

Af few hours later it turned in to this

 

[FJ73Texas]

I remember the Alex Gee thread. I wonder what happened to his build?

Can't wait to see what you come up with.

 

[OGBeno]

Oh I like where this is going....

Indeed....

 

[joekatana]

Stripped the rest of the drivetrain and all the extra brackets on the frame.

The way it sits now will be almost the ride height, the front will be dropped another 2 cm to level it out.

Next step is to clean up the axles and strip all the brackets from them and then start reassembling.

 

[joekatana]

Disassembled and stripped the 80 series axles today.

 

[joekatana]

I also rolled some 37’s under the body to see what that ride height would look like.

I hope to be able to stretch the wheelbase up to 115” , wheeling HZJ73’s with a stock wheelbase I always had the feeling that on a steap ledge over 4ft deep on steep down hills they give you the feeling that they want to roll over nose down. Also with the stock wheelbase the rear bumper gets some nasty hits on that same stuff.

Now I need to order the 3 and 4 link kit but it looks like Ruffstuf has all that stuff on backorder now

Any suggestions for a different kit anyone ?

 

[The Eradicator]

Any suggestions for a different kit anyone ?

I used Barnes 4WD kits. Similar to Ruffstuff's but a bit cheaper and easier to convert to RHD. The trepadors look awesome under there. I wish they weren't backordered when I was tire shopping. What are your plans for the fuel filler, since the stock one is in the way of your trimming?

 

[joekatana]

I used Barnes 4WD kits. Similar to Ruffstuff's but a bit cheaper and easier to convert to RHD. The trepadors look awesome under there. I wish they weren't backordered when I was tire shopping. What are your plans for the fuel filler, since the stock one is in the way of your trimming?

Not sure yet what kind of fuel tank and the location of it yet, really want to make the wheelbase priority so after the suspension is in I will see wether I could use one of those 145 liter Stainless steel tanks that are arriving in my next container or if I should go with a smaller aluminim tank inside. I want to build a full rolcage and in the back a drawer system to secure spare parts and tools, picking up your junk after a roll get’s old pretty quick

 

[joekatana]

No updates on the Cruiser but I did order the PSC ram from PolyPerformance with their memorial day 20% off , gonna wait and see what Ruffstuff is doing for discounts before ordering the suspension parts .

I did build a stand for my tube bender and converted it to air/hydraulic. I used this bender manually on a big workbench that was always in the way somewhere, 3 years ago I dissasembled it and it stayed on a pallet untill today

 

[joekatana]

It has been superbusy here at the shop with 2 containers of new inventory coming in so I was actually glad I had to move the front axle out of the way ...... best excuse ever to work on it so it can be moved under the truck. Rotors are slotted and drilled Ebay purchases since this will be primarily used as a wheeling rig I did not want to spend to much on those .

 

[Tapage]

Your shop looks pretty much organized these days .. ! congrats ..

Well that was good excuse to follow this thread ..

 

[GLTHFJ60]

R151, you mean H151? R series went in minitrucks, H series went into cruisers AFAIK. Highly recommend the H151 over the H55, having driven and worked with both. H151 feels so much more modern.

 

[joekatana]

R151, you mean H151? R series went in minitrucks, H series went into cruisers AFAIK. Highly recommend the H151 over the H55, having driven and worked with both. H151 feels so much more modern.

R151 came on most of the 70 series from 1999 and up if I am not mistaken,got a brand new R in the shop and a rebuild H55 but one of these will go to a customer and I will use the one that stays behind.

The H150 and H151 where found in the 80 series but never in the 70's ,I have a H151 also but it is way to long to install in this.

 

[2fpower]

Excited to see how this goes. I have been planning to talk to you about parts to do this and slap it on 80 frame someday. Probably 5 years from that project though.


and....

I remember the Alex Gee thread. I wonder what happened to his build?

.

Fj73 Crawler build,

 

[Tapage]

R151 came on most of the 70 series from 1999 and up if I am not mistaken,got a brand new R in the shop and a rebuild H55 but one of these will go to a customer and I will use the one that stays behind.

The H150 and H151 where found in the 80 series but never in the 70's ,I have a H151 also but it is way to long to install in this.

They did for us and in Australia AFAIK ..

For us on HZJ70 ( after H55F was ruled out from 70 series for us in 99 the jump to H150 ) and in Aus for those HDJ79 with the FTE they got the H151 ..

 

[joekatana]

Slowly making progress. This week I got some work on the 1HDT done

Tapped and drilled the manifold for an egt gauge
New rear main seal, waterpump, timing belt and some cleaning up.

Need to go trough my stash to find the neccesary 24v sensors for the engine and the fuel cut off solenoid for the IP.

Today I took the R151 and started to put the 4/1 crawler gears in the split case, with a little bit of luck it stays quiet today and I can get the engine and transmission mated together.

 

[joekatana]

1HDT with the R151 went in this morning. Funny how much further back the transmission mount for the R151 is compared to the H55 mount.

I jacked the transfer case up about an inch to high but that will drop as soon as I either make a crossmember or maybe bring one from a late model 70 from Europe.

 

[joekatana]

I also swapped the stock 73 brake master and booster with a HDJ80 one , you can definetly see that both the booster and the master are upgrades over the 70 series model.