Build Billy's excellent FJ73-12HT - resto-modded - n that

[ozcrusier]

Wow they look good mate there's a post I read way back from one of our country mates who ran I think hilux outer hubs as they where thicker moving the wheels out from the tie rods. I will see if I can track it down when I get some time been flat chat at work over the last month.
All the best for xmas mate.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Thanks Ozzy,
That would be great.
Have a merry Xmas, catch you on the other side.

 

[Oldtoy74]

Hi. B

Hi 61Mk+

Thanks for the encouragement.
Can't wait t see how the 12HT performs and if I get anything like 10l/100km I'll be very happy. ( we talk in Km here )

I'm hoping to move on to something more entertaining than pages of unfinished panels.
Could be worse............At least I prefer photos over text.
Last thing anybody wants is for my thread to have more waffle than a Belgian street vendor.

Hi Billy, my hj61 I've been getting 10.7l/100klms, (hwy use ) although now I drive it a bit harder, still getting 11.2L, which still pretty good for old tank, P.s I found those brackets, if you want them, I put them into a container so I wouldn't loose them, and yep I lost them, but now they are found, let me know mate, ...... Your doing an awesome job on the middy, cheers & emery christmas, Off to vic high country couple of days, can't wait

 

[Oldtoy74]

To

The inner guards have yet to have the ute liner applied but some decisions have to be made about my wheels.

View attachment 1179750

View attachment 1179751

I may be able to purchase these wheels but apart from them sticking out 11/2" minimum past the factory fibreglass flares, the steering knuckles/TREs hit the back of the rims by maybe 5-10mm.
I think spacers are illegal in Qld so I am wondering if moving the steering knuckles is an option ???
or should I just let these beautiful, deep dished polished pieces of art go!!!...............Not that it bothers me.

View attachment 1179753

View attachment 1179754

I can get 4" moulded flares on Ebay.

View attachment 1179755

too much piss farting around to make those rims work, I've seen a few nice alloys on the Goldy via gumtree, very similar to those in pic,

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Hi. B

Hi Billy, my hj61 I've been getting 10.7l/100klms, (hwy use ) although now I drive it a bit harder, still getting 11.2L, which still pretty good for old tank, P.s I found those brackets, if you want them, I put them into a container so I wouldn't loose them, and yep I lost them, but now they are found, let me know mate, ...... Your doing an awesome job on the middy, cheers & emery christmas, Off to vic high country couple of days, can't wait

You found them, that's great. I'll drop you a line in the new year.
Lucky bugger heading off to Vic high Country, you will have to post some pictures. We are house boating for a week.
The photos do not do the wheels justice. I haven't seen any quite as deep as these. I'll have to have a better look, I'm in no rush.
These were at the tyre shop right next to my loading bay and sorta called out to me.
Have a Merry Xmas yourself and enjoy your holiday.

 

[coldtaco]

I have used a set of mickey thomson classic II, III on my bj-70 and they did not stick out much at all, I did not have any flares either.

 

[Oldtoy74]

I've st

You found them, that's great. I'll drop you a line in the new year.
Lucky bugger heading off to Vic high Country, you will have to post some pictures. We are house boating for a week.
The photos do not do the wheels justice. I haven't seen any quite as deep as these. I'll have to have a better look, I'm in no rush.
These were at the tyre shop right next to my loading bay and sorta called out to me.
Have a Merry Xmas yourself and enjoy your holiday.

I've started a thread under 60s forum, "Vic high country Oz,". To share with our cruiser friends abroad some of the vic high country, merry Xmas, lay & stay safe, cheers

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Happy Australia Day brudder’s of anudder mudder.

"Australians all let us rejoice
Na Na Na Na Na
Our home is girt by sea
Na Na Na Na Na
In joyful strains then let us sing,
ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR!!"

I’ve done nothin to the car in a month, been hard to get back into it actually. I’d walk out to the shed and think sh!t what have I done, this started off as a bit of a patch job and a rattle can.
I did spend plenty of time with “ma thinkin juice” just staring at the car working out my next plan of attack.

This was in between a week on a house boat and the usual family Xmas stuff.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Had to watch out for the roos, lucky we had an ARB front bar!

GOTTA LOVE IT!!

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

On Sunday I decided it was time to move forward and there were a few loose ends to tidy up like the patch I left thinking I would keep it smooth and now I’ve changed my mind. I also had to put the 2k ute liner under the wheel arches so I could assemble the fenders.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Not manually working on the car allowed me to look at my rollbar/roof rack situation because it could mean drilling some holes in the body.
(It was also something I could do with one hand )

Requirements:

1) I want and need a roof rack. Not bulky only 35 – 40% of the length of the roof.

2) It must be independent of the FRP top.

3) Rollbars that are close hugging smaller tube and laser cut flat plate for strength.

The rollbars main objective is to support the roof rack (carrying capacity 100KG??) and the front light bar, although having it there should help with ROP and I may brace the rear one when 4WDing?

Front pillar will have either a round tube supporting the light bar and the horizontal bar/plate going to the rear.

Or a flat bar hugging the pillar and supporting the light bar and the horizontal bar/plate going to the rear.

Sorry about the bad graphics but you get the idea.
Not sure if the back bar will be exactly as is but it gives an idea of what I'm talking about.

My first choice is to fix the rear rollbar where the old vents are but this is purely for aesthetics so I would sacrifice this position if it is not structurally sound.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

The 2nd option for fixing the rear roll bar is above the tub on a flat 5-6mm plate pressed in the shape of the tub top profile. Similar to the sports bars that sit on the tub of most modern utilities in Aust. Not as clean looking IMO and may cause a sealing problem if not designed properly.
Also the bars would have to hang further outside the body than the ones in picture below to be independant of the FRP top.

Sorta like like this..

3rd option is off the rear bar................. (yawn!)

I prefer the first option so my question is if I can design an elbow and a solid 8-10mm aluminium vent face and attach to existing or larger fixtures like pictures below would it be strong enough......I think so.

Vertical upright welded to elbow and curved base plate. The curved base plate is bolted to wheel arch with 2 - 8mm HT bolts and large body washers.

The 8mm aluminium face plate is either welded to the elbow with no hole in the face and bolted to existing 4 holes on out side of body then the rollbar bolted to the face plate or the elbow is separate from the face plate like my template and the rollbar is bolted to the elbow.

Either way I would obviously use stronger tape....

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Finally a thread that features duct tape. That along with wood shims comprises the bulk of my tool bag.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Righto so………………… I wasn’t after a thesis on metallurgy, just a “yeh looks like it would work to me”
Now 2 of the most untech guys on this forum have just designed the base for my roll bar/roof rack.

@1978HJ45 Thankyou sir for your input and I shall start looking into these wooden shims you speak of.


Maybe I can make it easier for the rest or you by having a multiple choice?

A) Crikey you gotta be pullin my leg, if you’re in a bingle you’ve got buckleys of living.

B) She’ll be right, depends if your welds are fair dinkum but.

C) Dead set cobber, I’m doing my lolly on this design, you’re a walking funk and Wagnall.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

..... And I thought I was the least tech guy on the forum.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Gotta hand it to Toyota these fenders were off a different car to the wheel arches and very little coaxing was required to fit them together and the subtle depressions in the sheetmetal married up perfectly to allow for the extra thickness of the plastic and steel caged nuts to slot in.

Some bolts are missing because I will be dismantling the fenders, bonnet and doors once I am sure everything fits.
I am using button head socket screws under the wheel arches because….well because I can. They do look neater and my wheel arches should never need to come off at least not on the side of a track.

Allen key driven fasteners get a bad rap in my opinion. Most problems arise because people use the wrong size key.(using imperial keys with metric bolts) “ but it fit?” …………..yup a 3/16” key will fit into a 5mm allen key hole and 6mm key will fit into ¼” but it will also bur the clean edges under pressure, you should also ensure they are hardened "hit key" allen keys not the cheap mild steel ones.

I will start on my radiator/headlight frame surround now and try and find a window surround over the next week or 2. I still have had no luck with the drivers door.

 

[Locked79]

Love the progress mate.

I'd go for option 1, I think it would be plenty strong enough and look the best.

 

[maat]

 

[FJ73Texas]

I love how this truck is coming out. Looks awesome.

 

[Billyfj7312ht]

Still struggling to find the hour’s atm, Until this weekend I think I’ve racked up 2 - 4hr stints which always feels like a waste of time to me. I’m more a “create a list, organise your sizes and hardware, order 90% of the material then schedule the trades” kind a guy. I can’t quite get this “just nibble at it” and “chip away at the edges” it does my head in. It is also our growing season here in the sub tropics and living on 7 acres has its maintenance issues.
Found my windscreen and driver’s door up north again and I kid you not my wife had another job up that way........ so naturally I drove.
I have done some more panel prep, brakes and started to disassemble of the motor.

Paint stripper