Builds 77 FJ40 Build, It begins...and may take a while

[White Stripe]

lol. my welds are improving but not going to win any beauty contests!! the frame will look good but more importantly hopefully last in the canadian winters.

i figured i’d just welt them up. those homes are just for the bumperettes anyway right? i’m hoping to get a 4 plus bumper or build something like it anyway so it’ll be covered. i like the Awl Teq ones for sure. my metal is still pretty good otherwise and i don’t really feel like pounding out more rivets and cutting some welds i’ve made.

Yeah thats all they are for. Once you get the 4plus bumper on you won't even see the crossmember. I really like the 4 plus bumper, I almost got the 4x4labs bumper though. Its pretty cool too and you can get the kit and weld it up yourself as a cheaper option which is cool.

 

[franklin40]

ruff stuff brackets are soo beefy!! it’s coming along . i found another weak spot in my frame that i’m blowing through so ill have to cut it out and rebuild it. just a small area infront of one of the spring hangers but that’ll be a stress area so best reinforce it properly now!

welded up rear cross member. i think it’ll be good

 

[SMG]

Nice!

 

[64Rotorhead]

ruff stuff brackets are soo beefy!! it’s coming along . i found another weak spot in my frame that i’m blowing through so ill have to cut it out and rebuild it. just a small area infront of one of the spring hangers but that’ll be a stress area so best reinforce it properly now!View attachment 1888424View attachment 1888426View attachment 1888427

welded up rear cross member. i think it’ll be good

I did notice on some of my RuffStuff hangers that there were very small distress cracks on some outside radius of bends, from whatever machine did the bending. Nothing that a wee bit of blending out couldn’t handle

 

[franklin40]

everything is welded up!! i just forgot to cut that one bracket off so i’ll do that next chance i get. otherwise it’s ready to get galvanized (i hope!!)

 

[franklin40]

so apparently the branch of this galvanizer doesn’t have an in house duplex system. he’s looking into it but i may just paint it myself after having it galvanized. it’ll be about $500 to have it done which isn’t too bad as far as i’m concerned!

 

[bikersmurf]

You’re wise to be doing your welding on the frame before zinc plating. Welding through zinc releases nasty toxic fumes. If I knew of an option to galvanize my frame locally, I’d have done it when I replaced my frame (in ‘93ish). I sandblasted it and painted it, and it has held up very well with only minimal touching up... given it has been 25+ years.

If I had time and energy, I’d like to replace the rear member of the frame, the diagonal braces, and the rear spring mount triangles... having given them some maintenance, they’ll likely last another 10 plus years, but the perfectionist in me would like to replace the tail end of the frame. If I suddenly had no other time commitments, I’d stretch the rear wheelbase by 5ish inches, and tack about 12” onto the rear of the frame. After stretching the tub to match, I’d also stretch the hardtop... adding an ambulance door window on each side (turning it sideways for a better fit). I’d love to have the first “43” in town, but alas it’s not in the cards this decade... perhaps next.

Keep up the good work,

J

 

[64Rotorhead]

everything is welded up!! i just forgot to cut that one bracket off so i’ll do that next chance i get. otherwise it’s ready to get galvanized (i hope!!)View attachment 1890819

Great progress! Now I gotta race you a bit and catch up!

 

[64Rotorhead]

I'd be very curious to know some measurements from you. Assuming your on level floor, level the rear frame laterally, level the bottom center of frame fore and aft, then measure from each rear corner to floor. Then measurement the front corners to floor, and compare. On mine, this is where I would say I have some frame twist. My front driver side about ½" low when I did this.

I recall Chicago's build when he had issues setting his rear shackle angles and it was driving him nuts. So if you have some twist, when you settle the rig weight on, even if you had the rear angles dead nuts equal, it will change with the weight.

So really, is this where some of the "Cruiser Lean" comes from? I've been very careful welding to keep heat down and spread out. Unfortunately, I didn't do these measurements before welding so will never know. I boxed the rear frame but any other welding was just engine mounts and shackle mounts

 

[franklin40]

i didn’t measure height from ground to corners. i leveled the frame and made my measurements based on triangulating and measuring from specific points on the frame. if anything was out more than 1 mm i cut the tack and repositioned it. all my shackle angles ended up being the same by doing that so i feel it should work out. i guess i’ll see when all the weight is back on it. i tried getting it close putting the body on and some weight in the truck but i’ll only really know when i’ve flexed the springs out and got them to settle

 

[64Rotorhead]

i already had alcan make my springs 1 inch lower than stock 60 springs. i don't want to go too low or ill start having interference with my oil pan but shaving a 1/2 inch here and there will keep it where i want it.

i'm moving my axle as far back as i can too. that'll help a little with the drive shaft angle.

here's a little more look at my cross
member. any suggestions please let me know soon as i'm almost ready to weld it to the frame!!
View attachment 1552261 View attachment 1552262 View attachment 1552263

Is this x member stock 3"x2"x3/16" wall? I'm finding on mine that my 2"x2" passes right under the Atlas fwd output, which doesn't give me much room for the frame attachment. It just doesn't look like I have the same room as you do the same on mine.

Also, it looks like you used a stock rubber mount?

 

[franklin40]

yeah its stock 3x2. i don't remember wall thickness to be honest. mine sits forward of the atlas housing but right under the output flange. i needed to go vertical with my frame attachment to get clearance. im also using that tall transmission mount thats designed for the nv4500 so that probably increases my clearance under the output flange. the down side is that my cross member hangs down a little lower than id really like under the truck but if i went any higher my rear driveshaft angle would be too steep. little compromises i guess

 

[64Rotorhead]

yeah its stock 3x2. i don't remember wall thickness to be honest. mine sits forward of the atlas housing but right under the output flange. i needed to go vertical with my frame attachment to get clearance. im also using that tall transmission mount thats designed for the nv4500 so that probably increases my clearance under the output flange. the down side is that my cross member hangs down a little lower than id really like under the truck but if i went any higher my rear driveshaft angle would be too steep. little compromises i guess

Cool, thanks! I wanted to use a polyurethane one, but the Energy suspension that will bolt up is narrower, I like the width of the original. I just can't find a poly one anywhere.

And I like how yours mounts towards the top of the frame on drivers side. For me that allows a place for my exhaust

 

[franklin40]

l hope to run my exhaust along there too. only problem is mine starts on the passenger side so it’ll have to route under the engine at the back.

right now i have my engine in my trailer to drop off at my painter at the end of the day. excited to be finally moving this direction. it may not be the normal look but i’m going to give the mercedes it came out of a tribute and paint it moss green with black accessories. i hope it looks cool.

 

[64Rotorhead]

l hope to run my exhaust along there too. only problem is mine starts on the passenger side so it’ll have to route under the engine at the back.

right now i have my engine in my trailer to drop off at my painter at the end of the day. excited to be finally moving this direction. it may not be the normal look but i’m going to give the mercedes it came out of a tribute and paint it moss green with black accessories. i hope it looks cool.

Since I have an LS, I'll run the passenger side exhaust forward around the front on the engine then back to join the drivers side. That's how I've seen others do it with the LS.

Green and black on your engine, of course it will look cool! If that's what you like, then it's cool

 

[franklin40]

engine block is painted! i had it done by a friend who does body work and could mix what i wanted. again it’s a tribute to the car it came out of. i loved that car! ill do the motor mounts and valve cover plus accessories in black. it’s just too cold in my shop right now to paint. it needs to warm up about 40 degrees C before ill be able to do that! it’s too bloody cold right now to work on it

 

[franklin40]

i put the engine back in the frame to redo my tranny mount. so while waiting for the weekend to come around i figured i’d play with “red” a little. just changed tires and fired it up after sitting all winter. wouldn’t stay running but i’ll get it going this week and bomb around the land a little with the kids. i think the PO put the rear springs on backwards and then added longer shackles to make up for rear sag. i’ve got new springs to go on the spring some time.

before

after

ill put the white wheels back on when i buy new tires in the future. and i’ll get rid of the spacers!!

 

[Mace]

Why do you think the springs were put on wrong?

 

[franklin40]

the rear axle is actually sitting quite far forward in the wheel well and it looks like the helper spring leaf is longer out the front than the back. that being said the military wrap should be at the hanger end right? that’s where it is. the wheels just
aren’t sitting quite where they should be.


edit: rethinking things i suppose if the springs were on backwards the axle should move further back though not forward. the short end of the spring is forward in the stock configuration correct? maybe they are the wrong springs or just so saggy that the tire comes super close to the fender during normal stance (not flexed at all).

 

[Mace]

Lift springs actually move the axle forward. Military wrap is proper at the frame end (not shackle end). Helper spring will help prevent axle wrap.

It is likely exactly as designed. As the spring compresses it will move away from the front of the wheel well.