Builds Bean! The Adventure Continues (1987 FJ60) (1 Viewer)

[Bullzi]

Took some time today to make some new fender aprons. My old ones (which I had also made) had over-spray on them. I had some material left over from the first go around (It was a roll of rubber from Home Depot)… Super easy task - especially when I had ones to template.
The first go around when I bough the truck was kinda of tricky. I didn’t have any to template, so had to recreate them from pictures.

Part number for the clip: 90467-08011-83
I think there are 16 total.

 

[Bullzi]

One of my LED side markers was burning out (only one of the five individual LEDs was working), so I checked online for which light I needed to replace it. This sent me down the LED rabbit hole and I ended up ordering a Side Marker light, Glove-box light and HVAC Controls light from Superbrightleds. The side marker light is an exact replacement of what I had, but the glove-box LED replaces the factory style light that was super dim. That small LED in the glove-box cranks!! Now I can actually see in there!

Side marker Amber: 194-A5-CBT $2.95
Side Marker Red: 194-R5-CBT $2.95
Glove-box LED: 74-NWHP3 $1.95
HVAC Controls Illumination: 3022-CW4 $1.78

Then I continued down the rabbit hole and ended up at the Odd Iron Off Road website (@Gun Runner 5).
I kept reading that his dome lights were top notch and very bright...a little expensive at $60 (total), but "worth every penny" according to a few people on MUD. I have been wanting a brighter dome and cargo light...mine were LED, but still very underwhelming. So I took the leap and ordered some fancy dome lights!
They came in the mail today and were very well packaged with good instructions. They are super simple to install (10 minutes each) and very bright.
Here are some pictures!

Cargo Dome:

Main Dome (before and after):

It's a little hard to tell in the pictures, but these things are bright! So much better than the old lights...and yes, I do think they are worth the money.

Also, I got this info from Rob before ordering because I was curious about the amperage draw:

"The dome conversions pull between .021 and .024 amps."
"The cargo conversions pull between .011 and .017 amps."

Maybe it will be useful to someone considering this awesome upgrade!

 

[ntdb]

One of my LED side markers was burning out (only one of the five individual LEDs was working), so I checked online for which light I needed to replace it. This sent me down the LED rabbit hole and I ended up ordering a Side Marker light, Glove-box light and HVAC Controls light from Superbrightleds. The side marker light is an exact replacement of what I had, but the glove-box LED replaces the factory style light that was super dim. That small LED in the glove-box cranks!! Now I can actually see in there!

Side marker Amber: 194-A5-CBT $2.95
Side Marker Red: 194-R5-CBT $2.95
Glove-box LED: 74-NWHP3 $1.95
HVAC Controls Illumination: 3022-CW4 $1.78

Then I continued down the rabbit hole and ended up at the Odd Iron Off Road website (@Gun Runner 5).
I kept reading that his dome lights were top notch and very bright...a little expensive at $60 (total), but "worth every penny" according to a few people on MUD. I have been wanting a brighter dome and cargo light...mine were LED, but still very underwhelming. So I took the leap and ordered some fancy dome lights!
They came in the mail today and were very well packaged with good instructions. They are super simple to install (10 minutes each) and very bright.
Here are some pictures!

View attachment 2937701

Cargo Dome:
View attachment 2937706View attachment 2937705

View attachment 2937712

Main Dome (before and after):
View attachment 2937720View attachment 2937722

View attachment 2937704View attachment 2937724

It's a little hard to tell in the pictures, but these things are bright! So much better than the old lights...and yes, I do think they are worth the money.

Also, I got this info from Rob before ordering because I was curious about the amperage draw:

"The dome conversions pull between .021 and .024 amps."
"The cargo conversions pull between .011 and .017 amps."

Maybe it will be useful to someone considering this awesome upgrade!

I have the same ones! So bright. I wish they were a little warmer but these do make it very easy to find stuff at night.

 

[ObservrActual]

One of my LED side markers was burning out (only one of the five individual LEDs was working), so I checked online for which light I needed to replace it. This sent me down the LED rabbit hole and I ended up ordering a Side Marker light, Glove-box light and HVAC Controls light from Superbrightleds. The side marker light is an exact replacement of what I had, but the glove-box LED replaces the factory style light that was super dim. That small LED in the glove-box cranks!! Now I can actually see in there!

Side marker Amber: 194-A5-CBT $2.95
Side Marker Red: 194-R5-CBT $2.95
Glove-box LED: 74-NWHP3 $1.95
HVAC Controls Illumination: 3022-CW4 $1.78

Then I continued down the rabbit hole and ended up at the Odd Iron Off Road website (@Gun Runner 5).
I kept reading that his dome lights were top notch and very bright...a little expensive at $60 (total), but "worth every penny" according to a few people on MUD. I have been wanting a brighter dome and cargo light...mine were LED, but still very underwhelming. So I took the leap and ordered some fancy dome lights!
They came in the mail today and were very well packaged with good instructions. They are super simple to install (10 minutes each) and very bright.
Here are some pictures!

View attachment 2937701

Cargo Dome:
View attachment 2937706View attachment 2937705

View attachment 2937712

Main Dome (before and after):
View attachment 2937720View attachment 2937722

View attachment 2937704View attachment 2937724

It's a little hard to tell in the pictures, but these things are bright! So much better than the old lights...and yes, I do think they are worth the money.

Also, I got this info from Rob before ordering because I was curious about the amperage draw:

"The dome conversions pull between .021 and .024 amps."
"The cargo conversions pull between .011 and .017 amps."

Maybe it will be useful to someone considering this awesome upgrade!

Perfect timing for this post, because I am sitting here looking at getting a Toyota dome light, or the Odd Iron ones.

The thing I would love to find more than anything (when it comes to dome lights) is a muti-light dome light. One light could be standard, and the other would be a red light (like in police cruisers etc.)

 

[ObservrActual]

I have the same ones! So bright. I wish they were a little warmer but these do make it very easy to find stuff at night.

That is my exact reason why I do not like LEDs. Its not "warm" feeling like a good incandescent. I think these LEDs are on the "blue-spectrum" if that is correct? Whereas incandescent is on the red-spectrum? Something like that.

Dont get me wrong; I am considering buying Odd Irons replacements lol...but I just wish LEDs could be a little "softer" and not so harsh on the eyes.

 

[Skniper]

That is my exact reason why I do not like LEDs. Its not "warm" feeling like a good incandescent. I think these LEDs are on the "blue-spectrum" if that is correct? Whereas incandescent is on the red-spectrum? Something like that.

Dont get me wrong; I am considering buying Odd Irons replacements lol...but I just wish LEDs could be a little "softer" and not so harsh on the eyes.

This x1000.
LED 'color' technology has improved, but has a way to go. Theres only a few "warm" LED bulbs that we will put in our house.
Drives me crazy.

 

[ObservrActual]

This x1000.
LED 'color' technology has improved, but has a way to go. Theres only a few "warm" LED bulbs that we will put in our house.
Drives me crazy.

I actually refuse to buy any LEDs for my home what so ever lol. I will just buy incandescents online

 

[Bullzi]

That is my exact reason why I do not like LEDs. Its not "warm" feeling like a good incandescent. I think these LEDs are on the "blue-spectrum" if that is correct? Whereas incandescent is on the red-spectrum? Something like that.

Dont get me wrong; I am considering buying Odd Irons replacements lol...but I just wish LEDs could be a little "softer" and not so harsh on the eyes.

Yea, I agree completely. The warmth of an incandescent is really nice… but at least with the dome lights they are only on when the door is open or you are looking for something. With them being so bright, they won’t have to be on for very long - you’ll be able to find what your looking for fast

 

[ObservrActual]

One of my LED side markers was burning out (only one of the five individual LEDs was working), so I checked online for which light I needed to replace it. This sent me down the LED rabbit hole and I ended up ordering a Side Marker light, Glove-box light and HVAC Controls light from Superbrightleds. The side marker light is an exact replacement of what I had, but the glove-box LED replaces the factory style light that was super dim. That small LED in the glove-box cranks!! Now I can actually see in there!

Side marker Amber: 194-A5-CBT $2.95
Side Marker Red: 194-R5-CBT $2.95
Glove-box LED: 74-NWHP3 $1.95
HVAC Controls Illumination: 3022-CW4 $1.78

Then I continued down the rabbit hole and ended up at the Odd Iron Off Road website (@Gun Runner 5).
I kept reading that his dome lights were top notch and very bright...a little expensive at $60 (total), but "worth every penny" according to a few people on MUD. I have been wanting a brighter dome and cargo light...mine were LED, but still very underwhelming. So I took the leap and ordered some fancy dome lights!
They came in the mail today and were very well packaged with good instructions. They are super simple to install (10 minutes each) and very bright.
Here are some pictures!

View attachment 2937701

Cargo Dome:
View attachment 2937706View attachment 2937705

View attachment 2937712

Main Dome (before and after):
View attachment 2937720View attachment 2937722

View attachment 2937704View attachment 2937724

It's a little hard to tell in the pictures, but these things are bright! So much better than the old lights...and yes, I do think they are worth the money.

Also, I got this info from Rob before ordering because I was curious about the amperage draw:

"The dome conversions pull between .021 and .024 amps."
"The cargo conversions pull between .011 and .017 amps."

Maybe it will be useful to someone considering this awesome upgrade!

By the way; what is that black tailgate guard/mat you have?

 

[Roonie]

By the way; what is that black tailgate guard/mat you have?

it looks like wagongear.com stuff.

 

[ntdb]

It was a big afternoon for the Bean today ... Bumpers!

For some reason, I have been dreading installing these bumpers (especially the rear). The funny thing is that the rear went on without too much trouble, but it was the front that put up a fight!

View attachment 2930090View attachment 2930091

The powder-coating on the bumpers was really thick and it was extremely hard to fit the bumpers between the frame rails. For the front, I had to use a bottle jack and 2x4s to spread the rails about an eight inch for the bumper to slide into place. Then getting the bolts through the holes was another ordeal...I basically had to thread the powder-coating. The important thing is that they are on!!

Along with the bumpers, I installed the sliders and the air-tank. Everything is hooked up and ready to rock and roll!
View attachment 2930089View attachment 2930093

View attachment 2930087View attachment 2930088

Last but not least, I finished up the wiring in the engine bay - here is a picture of the finished electrical panel on the passenger side fender.
I still need to install the windshield washer bottle...

View attachment 2930086

Everything is working as it should! I even left the batteries hooked up this evening. If I get some time tomorrow, I may try to start the truck. I need to add fluids, bleed the fuel system and turn the key

Is the air tank tucked down near the drivers seat? That seems like a very clean install. I know you inherited the setup, I’m just curious.

 

[Bullzi]

By the way; what is that black tailgate guard/mat you have?

As @Roonie pointed out, it is the wagon gear tailgate lid. Allows me to store stuff in the tailgate.
I don’t have a good picture of it open, but here is the tailgate cavity and a better picture of the actual lid.

 

[Bullzi]

IMO

Is the air tank tucked down near the drivers seat? That seems like a very clean install. I know you inherited the setup, I’m just curious.

It’s actually on the passenger side. It’s located at the transmission crossmember and bolts from the transmission crossmember to brackets on the slider.

It’s a pretty slick setup…although honestly it’s capabilities are more than I will likely ever need. That extreme air compressor is giant. If I had my preference, I would have the twin ARB that could fill tires and run the lockers, not two separate compressors. It’s more weight, wires and complication. But it does air up tires rather quickly and with the tank will run air tools - at least for a little bit.

 

[staggrlee]

Did your HVAC bulb look like the one below? SB LEDs lists the 3022-CW4 as discontinued and replaced by this 3022-CWHP4-V2 part. Have my doubts this will fit. Also what color temp did you get on this and the glovebox one? 6000K, 4500K or 3100K?

Ordered up that dome light too, thanks. Hadn't seen the the Odd Iron kit before. I'll have an extra on the cargo one though. Already have a whole different fixture there.

 

[Bullzi]

Did your HVAC bulb look like the one below? SB LEDs lists the 3022-CW4 as discontinued and replaced by this 3022-CWHP4-V2 part. Have my doubts this will fit. Also what color temp did you get on this and the glovebox one? 6000K, 4500K or 3100K?

Ordered up that dome light too, thanks. Hadn't seen the the Odd Iron kit before. I'll have an extra on the cargo one though. Already have a whole different fixture there.

View attachment 2940993

Very Strange. The one I got is the discontinued one. I must have bought one of the last ones?
I’m not sure that larger SMD panel would fit behind the HVAC panel. I have an SMD festoon that looks similar (was previously in my dome light) and I can check how it fits tomorrow afternoon if you would like.

I got the natural white temperature (4000k)…I was going to do the 3300k, but was afraid it might look a little too yellow.

 

[staggrlee]

No need to check it, but thanks. Probably don't want something with that much directed light. The older one looks a bit more diffuse.

 

[Bullzi]

Installed mudflaps this week and I think they came out decently. I decided to go with some Amazon specials (Roadsport - Model 6416) instead of the factory flaps. My factory flaps are pretty rusty and I do want to run them someday, but they need some TLC before that happens. I know others have installed the Roadsports and they actually are very solid and have a surprisingly similar profile to the factory flaps.

The fronts were very easy to mount - I used the existing mounting holes and bent a piece of 1/8" ABS to act as a rear support.

The rears were a little trickier...When the rear section of the fender was replaced during the bodywork and paint, provisions were not made for the mudflaps. I wanted to make sure that the factory flaps would bolt up, so I had to figure out where to put the mounting holes. I ended up using rivnuts instead of the little plastic grommets because they were easier to mount. After drilling the holes, I painted them with rust encapsulator and then seam sealer to prevent any rust.

Next I bent up a support bracket out of plastic for the inner section of the flap. I wanted to use plastic here for rust reasons.
This flap was trimmed for the exhaust.

I also wanted to do something about that nasty little gap between the frame and mudflap that allows all sorts of moisture, dirt and grime into the rear undercarriage of the vehicle. I decided to make a secondary mudflap of sorts out of the same material that I used for the fender aprons (~1/8" sheet rubber).

I drilled a few holes, encapsulated them and used some plastic fasteners to secure them. I think they are going to help a lot! In fact, I think I will make some for the front as well.

 

[Bullzi]

Last night, I was finally able to finish putting the door panels back on! As is discussed back in posts 136 & 137, I did not want to put Dynamat back on the doors as a vapor barrier. For the inner door skins, I used Lizard Skin to cover the patch seams and then put Dynamat over the top (posts 136 &137).
For the vapor barrier, I used a product from Cascade Audio Engineering called VB-2HD. This is a nice product, but it is labor intensive and takes a lot of time to make it look good! This product is designed as a sound dampening vapor barrier. It comes as a sheet with a sticky back that you heat form to your door panel. It says it will stretch up to 70%, but I didn't find it to be quite that stretchy. Each door took almost 2 hours...this is a time consuming project!

Here is a series of photos for the DS front and rear doors:

Front
Before stripping the Dynamat (Winter 2021):

Door Cleaned and Ready for VB-2HD:

VB-2HD cut to the correct shape and ready to be installed:

VB-2HD formed to the door panel:

Rear
Before stripping the Dynamat (winter 2021)

Door Cleaned and Ready for VB-2HD:

VB-2HD before heat forming it:

VB-2HD after heat forming it:

Doors with door cards installed!

Two sheets of VB-2HD did all four doors with just a little left over. Each sheet is 37" x 54".

 

[Bullzi]

Here are a few more door related items that may be useful to someone:

The clips that support the door latch/lock rods are brittle after 30+ years and may break if you try to remove them. It is best to leave them in place and work around them...but if you try to remove one and it breaks, they are still available:

Part Number: 69749-12010

The little plastic rings that go around the window cranks are still available. Mine we all cut up from people trying to remove the window cranks over the years.
Part Number: 69266-22010-08

The small foam pieces that keep the lock/handle rods from rattling are still available. Mine basically fell apart when I removed them.
Part Number: 69759-30021

I decided to redo the aftermarket lock actuator electrical connections in the doors. I used Weatherpack terminals to keep everything water-tight.
Before:

After:

Last but not least, I was able to source some rubber loom for between the doors/body and the hatch/body for the wires to run through. The doors of the Bean didn't have any to begin with and the hatch ones were destroyed. They had been cobbled together with electrical tape over the years. @NookShneer gave me the tip on these and they worked out really well!

These are from: Electric Life Inc.
Hatch Part Number: 4301-70-011
Doors Part Number: 5050-10-099

The doors need grommets for each end - (8 total)
6 grommets that are 3/4" inner diameter and 1/14" hole
2 grommets that are 3/4" inner diameter and 15/16" hole (this is for the body side of the rear doors...the hole is smaller)

Installed:

Doors -

Hatch - (note that this picture was from a test fit pre-paint)

These are a good find and will hopefully help keep the water out and wires protected!

 

[Bullzi]

Back to the sound deadening one last time...
For the front of the truck I ended up adding two other products from Cascade Audio Engineering. I bought one sheet of VB-3, a moldable noise barrier and one sheet of VB-4.5, a flexible noise barrier.

Both of these products are Cascade Audio's take on a mass loaded vinyl. I bought the VB-3 for the transmission tunnel because it is very moldable and conforms to irregular shapes very well. I would have loved to buy more, but it was expensive. It has a layer of lead in it which is how it molds and keeps its shape.

For the floor pans, I used the VB4.5. This product is flexible, but needs to be used in flat areas, It would not work in an area like the transmission tunnel. I only bought one sheet of this as well, so only the front of the truck was covered.

Embarrassingly enough, I actually installed the VB-4.5 upside-down (shown in the picture above). I searched on the instructions and couldn't find anything that said which way should go up. Then after I installed it I was checking something else on the Cascade Audio website and came across the part of the instructions where it says the black neoprene side is supposed to be down...This makes total sense because the neoprene acts like a decoupling later for the vinyl. Luckily, I was able to flip it over and swap sides without it being a total issue. So DON'T install the VB-4.5 like the picture above. Light grey side should be up!