Been using the website for quite some time getting answers for most any Land Cruiser questions I had as I’ve been assembling parts for my dream fj60 build. The plan has changed and evolved a couple times but is now past the point of making major changes and well into fabrication. This won’t be your normal fj60 restoration as my friend and I that are working on this project are a little more into off-roading and adventuring but I definitely think it will be a one of a kind FJ60 by the time it’s done.
for a little back story, my buddy and I bought this 87 Land Cruiser in maybe summer of 2020 with the intention of using for hunting in Alaska so we spring it over, put a lunch box locker in the rear and went on an Alaskans moose hunt some 80 miles off-road each way. By the time we returned the back portion of the frame was wrecked form some poorly added bump stops last minute and it was established that while the original motor was a fun motor to run, it wasn’t up to the task. When we returned front the hunt we started collecting parts.
For axles we elected to go with fusion 4x4 custom fabricated axles using a gearworks high pinion 10” diff in the front and gearworks low pinion diff in the rear. 5.43 gear ratio, chromo 35 spline axle shafts inner and outer, Reid kingpin knuckles, northwestfab hydro steer arms, warn hubs, arb air lockers. Differential offset to match original FJ60 output on each, 69” WMS (was planning to keep fj60 t case in the fold so we matched the diff offset front and back, but plans change and my rear driveline just has a extra bit of angle)
Motor we decided on is a 5.3 L LS motor, sub15,000 miles, th400 trans with reverse pattern, manual shift valve body with engine braking and for a transfer case, instead of using the stock Land Cruiser tcase and the black box from northwestfab, we decided to get an atlas 4spd t case.
For the rear suspension we are putting in 63” Chevy leafs, 2.5” king triple bypass shocks, and 2.5” x 2.5” king bump stops. Leaf springs will be outboarded as will the shocks (extensive reworking of wheel wells and tub)
The front will be a 3-link with a panhard, 2.5” x 14” king coilovers, psc full hydro steering
For wheels we are running 17” method bead locks, with 43” Mickey Thompson Baja Pro XS tire.
We are upgrading to hydro boost brakes as well.
Shout out to Cruiser Matt’s off road, his engine mounts worked out great
At this point we are sitting at engine, trans, t-case mounted, 3 links and the pan hard are fabricated, and working on the shocks and bump stops. Will post some pictures below to get everything up to current. We’ve been saving and collecting for this project for a long time and it’s great to actually get it going. Neither of us is rich by any means, we are both construction workers, we’ve been collecting this pile of parts for what seems like a lifetime and it’s exciting to finally be making visual progress.
for a little back story, my buddy and I bought this 87 Land Cruiser in maybe summer of 2020 with the intention of using for hunting in Alaska so we spring it over, put a lunch box locker in the rear and went on an Alaskans moose hunt some 80 miles off-road each way. By the time we returned the back portion of the frame was wrecked form some poorly added bump stops last minute and it was established that while the original motor was a fun motor to run, it wasn’t up to the task. When we returned front the hunt we started collecting parts.
For axles we elected to go with fusion 4x4 custom fabricated axles using a gearworks high pinion 10” diff in the front and gearworks low pinion diff in the rear. 5.43 gear ratio, chromo 35 spline axle shafts inner and outer, Reid kingpin knuckles, northwestfab hydro steer arms, warn hubs, arb air lockers. Differential offset to match original FJ60 output on each, 69” WMS (was planning to keep fj60 t case in the fold so we matched the diff offset front and back, but plans change and my rear driveline just has a extra bit of angle)
Motor we decided on is a 5.3 L LS motor, sub15,000 miles, th400 trans with reverse pattern, manual shift valve body with engine braking and for a transfer case, instead of using the stock Land Cruiser tcase and the black box from northwestfab, we decided to get an atlas 4spd t case.
For the rear suspension we are putting in 63” Chevy leafs, 2.5” king triple bypass shocks, and 2.5” x 2.5” king bump stops. Leaf springs will be outboarded as will the shocks (extensive reworking of wheel wells and tub)
The front will be a 3-link with a panhard, 2.5” x 14” king coilovers, psc full hydro steering
For wheels we are running 17” method bead locks, with 43” Mickey Thompson Baja Pro XS tire.
We are upgrading to hydro boost brakes as well.
Shout out to Cruiser Matt’s off road, his engine mounts worked out great
At this point we are sitting at engine, trans, t-case mounted, 3 links and the pan hard are fabricated, and working on the shocks and bump stops. Will post some pictures below to get everything up to current. We’ve been saving and collecting for this project for a long time and it’s great to actually get it going. Neither of us is rich by any means, we are both construction workers, we’ve been collecting this pile of parts for what seems like a lifetime and it’s exciting to finally be making visual progress.
