A thread about a white bread, stock 1976 FJ40.

[cbmontgo]

The time has finally come for some front axle love.

 

[CondeCruiser]

How do you like the Dick Cepek's? Looking at those and the General x3

 

[cbmontgo]

How do you like the Dick Cepek's? Looking at those and the General x3

I’ve been happy with them. They are very quiet on the highway. Hard to say how they will wear, since they won’t see more than maybe 1,000 miles/year.

 

[cbmontgo]

Been working on the axles in my spare time over the last few weeks. Fronts are finished. Knuckles are rebuilt with Koyo bearings (thanks, Cruiser Outfitters), new brakes/calipers/OEM hoses. I also installed new 555 tie rod ends to tighten things up. Everything is torqued to spec and ready to go.

Next are the rears. Going with new wheel cylinders and pads. Also installed an OEM extended center brake hose the for the rear axle and got things torn down today. Haven't driven this 40 in what seems like forever. Can't wait to adjust the new brakes and get 'er back on the road.

 

[wngrog]

Satisfying job if done correctly as you have

 

[Goldbug]

Been working on the axles in my spare time over the last few weeks. Fronts are finished. Knuckles are rebuilt with Koyo bearings (thanks, Cruiser Outfitters), new brakes/calipers/OEM hoses. I also installed new 555 tie rod ends to tighten things up. Everything is torqued to spec and ready to go.
View attachment 2945870
Next are the rears. Going with new wheel cylinders and pads. Also installed an OEM extended center brake hose the for the rear axle and got things torn down today. Haven't driven this 40 in what seems like forever. Can't wait to adjust the new brakes and get 'er back on the road.
View attachment 2945871

Nice work. Would you happen to know the part number on the OEM extended center brake hose?

 

[cbmontgo]

Nice work. Would you happen to know the part number on the OEM extended center brake hose?

Thanks. Part number for the longer rear brake hose is 96940-34705. It was a couple inches longer than stock and gives the rear axle a bit more movement for the 4" lift.

 

[cbmontgo]

Got everything buttoned up today and went for a short drive. The 40 stops, but the brake pedal is hard. Feels like my booster isn't working, so I'm going to have to do some troubleshooting when I get time.

On another note, I installed some nice jewelry with the knuckle rebuild.

 

[wngrog]

Got everything buttoned up today and went for a short drive. The 40 stops, but the brake pedal is hard. Feels like my booster isn't working, so I'm going to have to do some troubleshooting when I get time.

On another note, I installed some nice jewelry with the knuckle rebuild.
View attachment 2948690

Are the warrens still available new?

 

[cbmontgo]

Are the warrens still available new?

I had to call a few places (Summit, Napa, O’Reilly all show them on their Web sites but are back ordered), but Vatozone came through. Had them in about a day. Around $275 IIRC. I’m kinda shocked that anyone still makes a direct bolt-on Warren for the 40.

 

[wngrog]

I have a course spline truck here with discs that I need to find some better looking hubs for

 

[sogncab]

I had to call a few places (Summit, Napa, O’Reilly all show them on their Web sites but are back ordered), but Vatozone came through. Had them in about a day. Around $275 IIRC. I’m kinda shocked that anyone still makes a direct bolt-on Warren for the 40.

I struggled like heck to find lockouts for my 76. Only place I found was Spectre, they were bonkers expensive. To the point I'm ashamed of what I paid.

 

[mrboatman]

I have a course spline truck here with discs that I need to find some better looking hubs for

@wngrog this thread might help with your search for hubs 6-spline/30-spline Interchangeable on Warn Hubs

 

[Homey15]

My daughter and I had a busy afternoon. I helped a friend winterize his boat engine in Woodland Park while she stayed inside and baked cookies with her buddies.

She drifted to sleep as we headed west on Highway 24 and got closer to the house. Today was very chilly, but it was sure nice to be cozied up in the 40 with the heater going. We had this perfect vintage cocoon of warmth driving through the woods home.
View attachment 2474326

The "vintage cocoon of warmth driving us through the woods home" line is almost poetic, and really resonated with me. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Goldbug]

I have a course spline truck here with discs that I need to find some better looking hubs for

I got a set from amazon a few months ago. They were even in the "Warehouse" section and something like 60% off.

Amazon product ASIN B000BQRS94
Note: they don't come with the thin gaskets, unfortunately.

 

[cbmontgo]

My son and I bled the brakes again, and still a very hard pedal. I also went through some of the basic booster troubleshooting and everything checks out okay, but I am still convinced that it has to be the booster. So, got a new one on order from City Racer.

The old master cylinder had leaked for a long time, and I suspect that some of that old brake fluid finally ate into the diaphragm while it sat on my lift for a couple of months. Guess we will find out.

Also started framing the joists for the log cabin porch and finished up the tongue and groove roof decking, which took several weeks. Hoping to have the cabin complete mid-summer.

 

[wngrog]

Man. If you touch it on a 40+ year old truck then you likely need to go ahead and replace it

 

[fyton2v]

That's a wonderful truck. Same color as mine, and I feel pretty lucky to have acquired mine in a similar era ... when you could find a stock, unrestored FJ40 in decent condition for like 8 grand.

Hey ... I rarely see that color combo. A couple of paint questions that have been puzzling me these last many years:

1. Does anyone know the color code of that bezel?
2. Is your top the same color as the body?

That night, I dropped it off at a friend's house in Scottsdale and flew back to Denver, anxiously awaiting the shipper to pick it up. Two days later, my auto shipper called me and said that he couldn't get it to start. Made no sense to me at all. This thing ran perfectly before. Anyway, he gave up and left, so I had to wait two more weeks for another shipper who could haul a non-running vehicle. Found out later that shipper #1 had pulled the choke so hard that it bent part of the carburetor linkage.

In the meantime, my buddy Rick, had a good time trying to diagnose the issue as the 40 waited for a shipper #2. Rick was a CJ-7 guy and got a kick out of pointing out a non-running FJ40 in his driveway.
View attachment 1917802
It was finally loaded up and headed north.
View attachment 1917804View attachment 1917805

 

[cbmontgo]

That's a wonderful truck. Same color as mine, and I feel pretty lucky to have acquired mine in a similar era ... when you could find a stock, unrestored FJ40 in decent condition for like 8 grand.

Hey ... I rarely see that color combo. A couple of paint questions that have been puzzling me these last many years:

1. Does anyone know the color code of that bezel?
2. Is your top the same color as the body?

@fyton2v, I am pretty sure that all of it is Cygnus white.

 

[fyton2v]

Is your color code 031 or 012? They're pretty similar, but 031 (which I think is what you've got) isn't Cygnus white. There's some controversy and uncertainty on the color relationship between the top and body of trucks that are 031 white. When I redid mine, the top appeared to be really close, if not the same as the body. I couldn't be certain though as the top color ages differently than the body. I chose to go with the same 031 because a two-tone-white vehicle didn't seem (to me) to be the most right choice. Some have gone 031 on the body and Cygnus on the top.

Anywho, I could never figure out that grayish-tanish color on that bezel. I painted mine silver, but I'd like to put it back the way it was, someday.