All you long-distance FJ40 drivers (1 Viewer)

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Hey There, ... Shout out to DomSmith!

If you're deaf as a post (like I am) then a high volume rock and roll session cuts off most road noises!

I regularly run 200-300 miles in my 40 on the highway, but I get more concerned about reliability as I get older. Helps that I'm retired and if I get hung up, patience is golden (along with AAA if on a county road or better.)

Best bet, ... a travelling partner with a separate rig.
 
Noise is a big one as suggested. Surefire in ear plugs work great. Or the ever trusty airpod pros with noise cancelling these days!
I worry that a good sidewind would be the end of one of my ear buds. Im looking at the rugged radios Bluetooth headset. Sally but would be ultra quiet for books on tape, taking phone calls and keeping the sun off my ears!
 
At night I run Bose over ear noise cancelling headphones with a hoodie pulled up.

Wish I had been smarter about protecting my hearing as a young man. Drove my 40 with no top and doors for 20+ years with no regard for ear protection. Even the foam plugs would’ve been nice. With a bad ass stereo you can still hear tunes through the hearing protection.
 
At night I run Bose over ear noise cancelling headphones with a hoodie pulled up.

Wish I had been smarter about protecting my hearing as a young man. Drove my 40 with no top and doors for 20+ years with no regard for ear protection. Even the foam plugs would’ve been nice. With a bad ass stereo you can still hear tunes through the hearing protection.
Precisely. I wasnt good about it either. Add in work in the construction industry and here I am complaining that I cant hear anything. So, now I’m ultra sensitive to my hearing because I want to keep what I have left. You are right about the stereo as well.
 
I bought some NoNoise Moto earplugs. I don't use them often but for long stretch of highspeed monotone roads they are a real help to limit tiredness.
You need to get used to install them correctly in the ear but then they lower a lot transmission and tires noises, and completely cut wind noise, it's impressive. You can still talk with them as sound is not distorted, I haven't tried music but should work fine and it's a lot easier to understand GPS instructions with them, I even hear better all the little sounds of the engine.

For long journeys, when I can, I avoid at maximum the freeways and take the secondary roads. Even if my FJ40 will drive 130kph when asked nicely it is a lot happier at the 80-90kph limit of the secondary roads (particularly with mud tires). And what makes the biggest difference is the non monotone speed, better views, and frequent village crossings.
Generally my plan add 1-1.5 more hour of drive per day than theoretical fastest but the trip feels faster and less tiring.
 
Like others have said I think driving a 40 is more about aligning expectations as much as it is about capability. For those doing Interstate at 70 mph plus have you ever tried to stop your 40 at those speeds as stopping and swerving etc is not really a strong point for a 40 either so I prefer to stay with my 60 mph and do it in comfort.

Ironically 60 mph is pretty close to Max speed in Australia and it has always felt like a comfy 40 speed. I use to think going fast was safe then had to get some modifications approved and had to do a "lane change" , "Swerve" and "Brake Test" make you realize that doing speed comfy is one thing but stopping safely when cars around you can stop and turn on a dime is another. With a lot of the 40's being lifted, larger tires etc gives you food for thought.

My BJ46 is a comfy driver and you can happily talk to the person next to you and I guess it is fair to say was as close at Toyota ever came to making a Luxury 40 with interior panels, 5 speed trans, factory A/C, P/S etc. I am running 2" OME with 2.0 Fox Shocks and a 3B with a Turbo with 33" x 10.5 x 15 on Stockies. It is still no 70 series though lol :)

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At night I run Bose over ear noise cancelling headphones with a hoodie pulled up.

Wish I had been smarter about protecting my hearing as a young man. Drove my 40 with no top and doors for 20+ years with no regard for ear protection. Even the foam plugs would’ve been nice. With a bad ass stereo you can still hear tunes through the hearing protection.

Its funny you say that 10 years ago I bought an FJ40 in Reno and flew up there to get it, paid the guy and jumped in it and drove it back to San Diego. Was on a time schedule and had my head phones on to stay entertained and was pulled over by Highway Patrol and told it was illegal ... I asked why and he said cause it stops you hearing anything, without thinking I looked him in the eyes and said " Have you driven a 40 " he looked back for a second and then laughed and said nope but it isn't illegal to drive a loud vehicle just one with head phones on and gave me a warning.

I never knew it was illegal ... but there ya go . Got a cool picture along the way .. was a 2F 4 Speed Gas, only Gas 40 I have ever owned

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Like others have said I think driving a 40 is more about aligning expectations as much as it is about capability. For those doing Interstate at 70 mph plus have you ever tried to stop your 40 at those speeds as stopping and swerving etc is not really a strong point for a 40 either so I prefer to stay with my 60 mph and do it in comfort.

Ironically 60 mph is pretty close to Max speed in Australia and it has always felt like a comfy 40 speed. I use to think going fast was safe then had to get some modifications approved and had to do a "lane change" , "Swerve" and "Brake Test" make you realize that doing speed comfy is one thing but stopping safely when cars around you can stop and turn on a dime is another. With a lot of the 40's being lifted, larger tires etc gives you food for thought.

My BJ46 is a comfy driver and you can happily talk to the person next to you and I guess it is fair to say was as close at Toyota ever came to making a Luxury 40 with interior panels, 5 speed trans, factory A/C, P/S etc. I am running 2" OME with 2.0 Fox Shocks and a 3B with a Turbo with 33" x 10.5 x 15 on Stockies. It is still no 70 series though lol :)

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You have a very nice FJ.
You are quite right about the handling and breaking of an FJ40 these are not sports or road cars. But once they had disc brakes on the front axle it was a vast improvement over 4 wheel drum brakes.

For my build I will have slotted rotors on the rear axle and 13" rotors on the front which will improve the braking power.
 
Its funny you say that 10 years ago I bought an FJ40 in Reno and flew up there to get it, paid the guy and jumped in it and drove it back to San Diego. Was on a time schedule and had my head phones on to stay entertained and was pulled over by Highway Patrol and told it was illegal ... I asked why and he said cause it stops you hearing anything, without thinking I looked him in the eyes and said " Have you driven a 40 " he looked back for a second and then laughed and said nope but it isn't illegal to drive a loud vehicle just one with head phones on and gave me a warning.

I never knew it was illegal ... but there ya go . Got a cool picture along the way .. was a 2F 4 Speed Gas, only Gas 40 I have ever owned

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I remember when mine looked like that.
 
So, in the quest to make the most of the space in the truck and considering a drive cross country I’m figuring how to make the most of it. Yesterday i welded up my jerry can carriers that will mount on the wheel wells. Also wanted to have somewhere to put my cooking set up without having to unfold a table etc. I come from a backpacking background where Mahatma Black Bean meals and summer sausage was a delicacy. Now that I roll with a fridge I can spend more time making tasty food. Its pretty amazing what basic spice rubs and hamburger helper can do for a camping trip.
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With all the talk about longer journeys in these tanks we own, I think the most uncomfortable aspect of both my ‘76 and less so my ‘78 is heat. Anyone else have this at the top of reasons to not take too long of a trip? In another thread also about heat and how to limit its ingress into the floorboards and past the firewall making the cab uncomfortable. Just my two cents👍
 
With all the talk about longer journeys in these tanks we own, I think the most uncomfortable aspect of both my ‘76 and less so my ‘78 is heat. Anyone else have this at the top of reasons to not take too long of a trip? In another thread also about heat and how to limit its ingress into the floorboards and past the firewall making the cab uncomfortable. Just my two cents👍
  • Kick vents !! They really help to refresh the lower part of the cabin.
  • OEM rubber mat, it is a small difference but it makes a difference in heat and noise.
  • Adding a piece of tire tube over the PTO hole, that thing is a heat gun on full blast pointed toward the driver leg.
  • Open the hatch, during summer I'll do it everywhere except on Freeway, combined with front windows open that will provide a huge continuous blow of air from the back, almost like driving a convertible.
  • Front quarter windows, they reduce a lot the wind turbulence around the front windows when driving at speed so you have less issue opening them.
  • Speed. If you don't move even the fresh air fan will ends up shooting you hot air in your face. If you drive on a slow trail for hours the floor may ends burning hot but if you are on road the heat move away from under the car. Sadly you generally can't do much to change this point in a given time x)
 
Heading out Aug 7th on an appx 3,000 mile trip from SC to MI and back in my SOA Pig on 35's.

She has a rebuilt 2F, 4.11s, 35's, Rancho adjustable shocks, new IPOR seats, 100 sqft of QuietCrap, Reflectix, new exhaust (needs to be a bit quieter) and a headliner will be installed before this trip. She's not whisper quiet, but she'll do!

Pics in my build thread in my sig line.
Please share as to how the Reflectix helps with heat in the cab. Looking to have a cooler environment in both of my 40’s. Thanks. Tom
 
  • Kick vents !! They really help to refresh the lower part of the cabin.
  • OEM rubber mat, it is a small difference but it makes a difference in heat and noise.
  • Adding a piece of tire tube over the PTO hole, that thing is a heat gun on full blast pointed toward the driver leg.
  • Open the hatch, during summer I'll do it everywhere except on Freeway, combined with front windows open that will provide a huge continuous blow of air from the back, almost like driving a convertible.
  • Front quarter windows, they reduce a lot the wind turbulence around the front windows when driving at speed so you have less issue opening them.
  • Speed. If you don't move even the fresh air fan will ends up shooting you hot air in your face. If you drive on a slow trail for hours the floor may ends burning hot but if you are on road the heat move away from under the car. Sadly you generally can't do much to change this point in a given time x)
“Tire tube over PTO hole”, ok where is that hole? Heat blasts right at my feet especially in the ‘76. I have also heard that insulating around where the steering column passes thru is helpful as well. Thanks, Tom
 
My 1978 was my daily driver and used it for some long distance travel. When I worked in the Portland, OR area, it would take me two days to drive from Green River, WY. And drove 1000 miles around CO for a long change weekend and I was exhausted when I got back to Green River. But I did do long distance driving with it, but I have not driven it since 1991 I don't remember the noise level being really bad, except when the valve needed to be adjusted at over 40K. I ran N-78 Ground Hawgs for a while and didn't notice the noise from them until I put them on a half ton Dodge.

Doing a reverse shackle on the front really helped when it wants to follow the ruts in the interstate highways.

During the build I will install an H55F and spit transfer case with a 3:1 low range for both highway and off road and will have the ability to handle the speed limits in Wyoming. I will update the steering to power steering and with 4 wheel disc brakes it should be more predictable on the highway. I may have to use my earplugs since I don't tolerate a lot a noise after a career of working on Steam Turbines.

I am looking forward to driving it again.
I also have reverse shackle up front on the ‘78. Different. I have considered reversing the reverse shackle.
 
“Tire tube over PTO hole”, ok where is that hole? Heat blasts right at my feet especially in the ‘76. I have also heard that insulating around where the steering column passes thru is helpful as well. Thanks, Tom
Obviously it's only if you have a PTO:
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Got it, no PTO on the ‘76 or ‘78. Thanks.
 

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