Finished remodeling my house so I decided to buy an old cruiser to eat up all this damn free time. Basic details: 1985 FJ60 purchased in WA from a retired submariner at the end of October 2022. Came with a Navy Base Kitsap sticker and some matte black primer over the original paint. 188k miles, stock with the exception of the radio. Minor rust around wheel wells (previously repaired) and a bit of rust at the bottoms of the doors, ripped driver seat, no carpet, missing tailpipe after muffler, rusty floorboards, no glove box... I went and looked at the truck about 50 miles north of my location with the intention of trailering it home. After a test drive I decided to return the next day and just drive it home. Made the trip down I-5 with no problems.
Front end had some recent work. Rebuilt knuckles and brakes.
Springs were pretty toast as well as the shocks. The shocks were OEM and I don't know if they were original but maybe. Some rust along the frame. Planning to do the C channel when I can find a kit. Had my assistants check things over. We decided first order of business was the suspension.
It has been about 17 years since I last replaced the suspension on a 60. That was in 2005 or 2006 and was an 84 FJ60. About a 21-22 year old truck at that time. While cursing this 38 year old truck it occurred to me that my "new" '99 LX470 is 24 years old... which means something but I'm not sure what. Anyhow the front springs came off pretty easy with a long pry bar. U-bolts mostly snapped but whatever. The fixed pins on the rear springs were another story. It took a combination of grinder, air hammer, sawzall, and drill to remove them. In the end it was easiest to cheat outboard with a sledge hammer just enough to get a cutting wheel in between the perch and the pin, then cut the head off the pin and drill out the old rubber. Took a long time.
I wish I was a little bit taller...
Front end had some recent work. Rebuilt knuckles and brakes.
Springs were pretty toast as well as the shocks. The shocks were OEM and I don't know if they were original but maybe. Some rust along the frame. Planning to do the C channel when I can find a kit. Had my assistants check things over. We decided first order of business was the suspension.
It has been about 17 years since I last replaced the suspension on a 60. That was in 2005 or 2006 and was an 84 FJ60. About a 21-22 year old truck at that time. While cursing this 38 year old truck it occurred to me that my "new" '99 LX470 is 24 years old... which means something but I'm not sure what. Anyhow the front springs came off pretty easy with a long pry bar. U-bolts mostly snapped but whatever. The fixed pins on the rear springs were another story. It took a combination of grinder, air hammer, sawzall, and drill to remove them. In the end it was easiest to cheat outboard with a sledge hammer just enough to get a cutting wheel in between the perch and the pin, then cut the head off the pin and drill out the old rubber. Took a long time.
I wish I was a little bit taller...