What? You don't surf Lake Erie?
Builds '78 Refreshtoration, what next? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Goldbug
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Catching Neutral
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That’s what we on the gulf refer to as @TheHardWay 
Goldbug
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Goldbug
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- Thread starter
- #165
Put in new tie rod from Man A Fre/BTB, drag link from Lance at Iron Pig Off Road and steering arm and 80 series drag link end from Low Range Off-road. Toe still seems too wide. Drove it quickly in the neighborhood before the snow arrived and it drove well, but wheels still seem toed out. Measurements are a bit inconclusive as I’m struggling to get something really accurate. Great parts though from the vendors.
Chestcutter
SILVER Star
I picked up a toe alignment tool from TMR Customs suggested by @wngrog Toe alignment tool
Steering linkage just arrived from Cruiserteq. Project for next weekend so will let you know how it turns out.
Steering linkage just arrived from Cruiserteq. Project for next weekend so will let you know how it turns out.
Goldbug
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- Thread starter
- #167
Nice! Yeah, I saw that again in his latest instagram post. I'm probably gonna do the cheaper route and steal the angle iron from the grinding box I built for my son and his scooter buddies and drill some extra holes in it! I'm in NYC for work for a bit but looking forward to getting back to the 40. Would be so nice to get the steering dialed in. I think 4" shims from Valley Hybrids are in my near future. Having trouble really determining my current caster though, lots of semi conflicting not super helpful suggestions on here.
Goldbug
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- Thread starter
- #168
Well, I grabbed the angle iron off of the grind box I built for the kids, cut a triangle out of them and drilled some holes to create a poor man's version of the tool from TMR that @Chestcutter mentioned. Worked great. New vice came in very handy, thanks for all the vice tips @FARMAN33
The new tie rod from BTB/Man A Fre is great, but I found I had to tighten it way down, just past the point of the TRE threads disappearing in order to get it to toe in. It now does and next up is caster angle. Plan is to measure the pinion flange and perhaps the trunion bearings (helpful pic/link below). Then order the right shims from Georg at Valley Hybrids. My bet is 4 degree. Gonna maybe pull the trigger and be a baller and get the U bolt flip kit from 4 Plus like @Catching Neutral, at least for the front axle.
The new tie rod from BTB/Man A Fre is great, but I found I had to tighten it way down, just past the point of the TRE threads disappearing in order to get it to toe in. It now does and next up is caster angle. Plan is to measure the pinion flange and perhaps the trunion bearings (helpful pic/link below). Then order the right shims from Georg at Valley Hybrids. My bet is 4 degree. Gonna maybe pull the trigger and be a baller and get the U bolt flip kit from 4 Plus like @Catching Neutral, at least for the front axle.
Chestcutter
SILVER Star
Looking good man! TRE's on my agenda this weekend if I manage to get the clothes dryer pulled out and fixed after work...
That's easy - it's either a broken drive belt, a fried temp sensor or burnt out heating coil. You're welcome - no charge!
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just now seeing this but thank you for fixing your steering the right way. That looks much better.
Goldbug
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- Thread starter
- #173
I completed the shim install to fix the caster problem, and also installed the 4Plus U Bolt Flip Kit. I got the 4Plus from Man A Fre rather than 4Plus just because I've been buying a bunch of stuff from them lately, and ordered the anti-inversion shackles at the same time to combine shipping. I went with steel shims from Georg at Valley Hybrids, which were great @orangefj45. For anyone doing the shim install in the future: they came with nice long bolts to use as new spring pins, but the hole in the shims is actually too small for the bolts. This is apparently because if you are keeping your stock springs and spring pins, that's the right diameter. If installing the new bolts/spring pins from Georg, you'll need to enlarge the hole in the shims with a 3/8" cobalt bit (thanks to @imyahucklbrry and @A10Driver for the timely install help).
Install was pretty straightforward, took me a weekend, but wasn't working on it all day either day. Trickiest part might have been lifting the body and axle the right way to take the load off of the springs and shackles. Putting jack stands under the frame rails and then having the floor jack under the axle seemed to work best so I could easily adjust the axle height for UBolts and for shackles. I measured my caster by removing the front drive shaft and putting an angle finder on the pinion flange. It read right about 6degrees. You can see in the pick below, it's now level.
I did this to address loose steering and because my U bolts were in rough shape from wheeling. I also wanted to lower the back end a bit. I bought Goldbug almost 2 years ago now, with a 4 inch lift that I now know is on Hellcreek springs and was on Rough Country (aptly named) shocks. It was always very loose and replacing TREs, tie rod, drag link, new rims and tires didn't really make much of a difference. The shims DID make a difference. Steering is much better now, not the 1 finger on the wheel at 80MPH like @wngrog got on the '78 Mustard he did, but much better. It no longer wants to jump all over the road at 50MPH +.
If anyone needs some beefy 6" shackles...
Before:
Shims installed:
All done:
New stance (getting rained on because the little guy really wanted to get dropped off at pre-school in the WanCwetha)
Install was pretty straightforward, took me a weekend, but wasn't working on it all day either day. Trickiest part might have been lifting the body and axle the right way to take the load off of the springs and shackles. Putting jack stands under the frame rails and then having the floor jack under the axle seemed to work best so I could easily adjust the axle height for UBolts and for shackles. I measured my caster by removing the front drive shaft and putting an angle finder on the pinion flange. It read right about 6degrees. You can see in the pick below, it's now level.
I did this to address loose steering and because my U bolts were in rough shape from wheeling. I also wanted to lower the back end a bit. I bought Goldbug almost 2 years ago now, with a 4 inch lift that I now know is on Hellcreek springs and was on Rough Country (aptly named) shocks. It was always very loose and replacing TREs, tie rod, drag link, new rims and tires didn't really make much of a difference. The shims DID make a difference. Steering is much better now, not the 1 finger on the wheel at 80MPH like @wngrog got on the '78 Mustard he did, but much better. It no longer wants to jump all over the road at 50MPH +.
If anyone needs some beefy 6" shackles...
Before:
Shims installed:
All done:
New stance (getting rained on because the little guy really wanted to get dropped off at pre-school in the WanCwetha)
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Looks perfect
Goldbug
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- Thread starter
- #175
For some time, I'd been wanting to replace the aftermarket choke cable and the sketchy accelerator linkage setup. On Cinco De Mayo, in Providence with both kids with me, the sketchy accelerator linkage gave up. After waiting an hour and 45 mins for AAA to finally show up, I got it home and now had the motivation to fix it right.
After sourcing a new pedal and linkage setup from fellow YankeeToys member @cruiserland I went to install. Turns out the pedal was for a FJ55 and was identical in all respects to the correct 40 pedal, except the angle on the engine side of the firewall. Thanks to @gatorplator for identifying the difference. And thanks to @cruiserland for quickly sending out the right one. FJ40 pedal on Left, FJ55 on right. Also thanks to @ToyotaMatt for sending a second linkage rod after I buggered up the first one.
Got it all together, cleaned the parts up with evaporust and installed. Also installed the new OEM choke cable from @wngrog that came off of that rusty blue one he had. Running better than ever even though some of the angles seem a little off.
After sourcing a new pedal and linkage setup from fellow YankeeToys member @cruiserland I went to install. Turns out the pedal was for a FJ55 and was identical in all respects to the correct 40 pedal, except the angle on the engine side of the firewall. Thanks to @gatorplator for identifying the difference. And thanks to @cruiserland for quickly sending out the right one. FJ40 pedal on Left, FJ55 on right. Also thanks to @ToyotaMatt for sending a second linkage rod after I buggered up the first one.
Got it all together, cleaned the parts up with evaporust and installed. Also installed the new OEM choke cable from @wngrog that came off of that rusty blue one he had. Running better than ever even though some of the angles seem a little off.
Goldbug
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- Thread starter
- #177
Put on a 4Plus bumper from Dave Gore. Great product, and he was a pleasure to deal with as I debated winch compatibility. Decided to go whole hog and swap the M12000 for an 8274. Can’t wait to put the winch through its paces at the Fall Gathering up in NH in a few weeks.
Awesome thread! Really cool to see all the work you've done in such a short time.
I'm your neighbor down 95 not to far over the Connecticut line. I bought my first 40 this summer. It's a 71 but the same finish and hard top as yours. It's been fun a project, but I have nowhere near your expertise.
Anyway, I'll be following this thread and keeping tabs on your continued progress.
I'm your neighbor down 95 not to far over the Connecticut line. I bought my first 40 this summer. It's a 71 but the same finish and hard top as yours. It's been fun a project, but I have nowhere near your expertise.
Anyway, I'll be following this thread and keeping tabs on your continued progress.
Goldbug
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- Thread starter
- #179
Hah!! Sorry, had to laugh at the expertise comment. I’m just fumbling along. This site is awesome though, so many great people sharing great knowledge. I’ll send you a PM. If you can, come to the fall gathering of the Yankee Toys club. It’s mostly folks from New England including quite a few from CT. Great people and a great time.
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Both of those winches are beasts! However, if you can fit the 8274 nothing looks better on a 40 IMHO. That looks awesome. Side note, 4+ products are some of the best in the game and we are fortunate to have amazing fab guys like Dave still supporting these OLD rigs with great products.
You might consider some synthetic line when the wire rope wears out. It'll lighten the front end another 30ish pounds if you add an aluminum fairlead as well. It does make a difference being so far forward of the front axle.
