A US-French rig aka Toy Soldier (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Threads
3
Messages
86
Location
France
Hi everyone,
I've been following you for years and this forum have been a real inspiration for me!
I've owned 4 80 series : a 1991 turbo diesel, 2 1997 FZJ80 on gas and my last baby :)


So, what about the name : I'm a soldier, she is a US veteran
I wanted to have an universal 80, capable of using the highway to get to the North African desert, capable of rockcrawling and to go into the mud here in France.
Here are the general specs, I'll put the pics as one goes along... :flipoff2:
It's a full option 1996 FZJ80 with 10 000km on the engine.
She'd been parked for 3 years when I got her with all the goodies possible, including a Kazuma supercharger! The dealer used it as a showcar to catch the eyes of the customers.
If everything was new or rebuilt, the work on the suspension was very very bad


Engine : stock for now but tuned / ODB I (that's a good thing)
Stainless admission pipe + Wit's End MAF sensor + air filter facing forward
Stainless steel 2,5" free exhaust
Magnecor ignition cable
Wit's end blue fan clutch

Transmission
A442F Stage 2 Wholesale auto valve body + torque converter
DC front and rear drive shafts
DBA disc brakes + EBC green 100series pads
ABS switch
7 pin mod + CD switch
35x12,5 R17 cooper STT tires on MT classic lock rims
Nitro Gear 4.88 overhaul kit front and rear
Nitro Gear axle shafts front and rear

Suspension and chassis:
Front :
King Spring 4"lift springs + 12" fox 2.0
Custom front radius arms (OEM bushings on axle + JJ on the chassis)
Sway bar disconnect kit from Landruiserphil
Custom currie universal swaybar (on going)
Front chassis shortened

Rear :
King Spring 3"lift spring + 14" Radflo 2.5 + coil retainer
Custom rear wishbone (OEM bushings on the chassis + TG 1.25" on the axle bolted on a ruffstuff pre-runner carrier)
Custom rear LCA (polybushings on axle + JJ on the chassis)
Custom currie universal swaybar (on going)
Rear chassis shortened to match the lower panel

Body :
Custom paint (paint was free :flipoff2:)
All the rubbers are brand new from M.TOYOTA
Rear quarter panel cut and capped :smokin:
Dynamat all the way around inside
AC drier relocated inside the engine bay thanks to Delancy
No audio, my engine sings for me maybe a bit loud for now

pretty much all for now.
It's a never ending project but come on, all the fun is here !

when I got her :
IMG_2212.JPG


fullsizeoutput_114f.jpeg
 
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Damn!! Nice 80! :flipoff2:
 
You can't deny the guys worked on those stainless tubes but... not efficient and not my thing:flipoff2:
 
Love the paint! Any pics of those custom radius arms by chance?
 
Well, it's been a while. So, let's start with front. It's quite simple.
I had 2 main goals in mind :
1/ keep the OEM design but remanufactured to have a correct caster angle (around 6° for a 3,5 lift) and play with panhard and steering angles to match :)
2/ more flexibility offroad and maintain good road manners at the same time

So I ended with OEM bushes on the axle and a beefy JJ on the chassis.
In the future, I intend to go with a 4wheelunderground based front suspension link
we all love pictures right?

here we go
12924529_469122346623852_1338694659148377302_n.jpg

12321529_469122356623851_4022775139972502344_n.jpg


12928236_469122369957183_8835529086232230994_n.jpg


IMG_8226.JPG

IMG_3887.JPG


It works super great.
But in the future I intend to go with a 4wheelunderground based front suspension.
 
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Nice welds and nice design (is there more bracing in the inside of your boxed arms? What material did you use?). Looking at your rear bushing... are you using a flex joint of some sort? If so, is it the same size OD as stock? I've been playing around with using flex joints in the control arm to frame location.
 
Thanks :)
The material used is 4mm thick. It's boed inside as well.
By rear, do you the chassis side? if so, it's a JJ modified to fit into the OEM brackets. Everything is pretty much a bolt on setup
 
Thanks :)
The material used is 4mm thick. It's boed inside as well.
By rear, do you the chassis side? if so, it's a JJ modified to fit into the OEM brackets. Everything is pretty much a bolt on setup

Yep, that's what I was wondering about. I'm planning to do something similar... I'm looking at Axis Sealed Flex Joints, because of all the road salt in the winters here. Do you happen to know what the outer diameter of the stock bushing is in that location? It looks like 2" to me but I'm not sure what the real spec is...
 
Good looking rig!

Since nobody else has said it... even better looking girl!
 
Yep, that's what I was wondering about. I'm planning to do something similar... I'm looking at Axis Sealed Flex Joints, because of all the road salt in the winters here. Do you happen to know what the outer diameter of the stock bushing is in that location? It looks like 2" to me but I'm not sure what the real spec is...

I think it's more like a 2 1/2 or 2 5/8
I need to check though:smokin:
 

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