Biography of a Bull

[Carp]

Since I acquired my 60 series in May, I've had a lot of ideas swirling in my head regarding what I wanted to do to the truck. I don't have the resources (read money) to put this truck through a complete tear down and rebuild, plus that won't fit with my plans for the truck. I'm hoping to use this thread as a running diary/biography for what I do to the truck, and what I plan to do. I just hope it isn't boring for you all.

The Mission Statement:
To build a reliable Cruiser that I can take the family to football tailgates, fishing trips, camping, and use to wheel!

The History:
Bought the truck from a guy in Atlanta who had owned it for quite a while and taken good care of it. It had a laundry list of recently replaced items, ran good, and had MINIMAL rust! It was a 1987 FJ60 with 201,xxx miles, brand new Toyota carb, OME 3" Dakar lift (med front, heavy rear), and 33x10.50R15 BFG All-Terrains on stock rims. I was in hog heaven driving the Cruiser the 2 hours home.

The nicknamed it Bull, "'cause it looks like a Bull Elephant", so it stuck.

As she sat when I got it.

More history can be found in the thread Lurker finds his own Cruiser

 

[Carp]

The Plan (Short Term):

Install Dash Grab Bar - done
Put tires on wider wheels - done
Buy sliders and put them on - done
Get a winch and winch bumper - done
Install CB - done
Install New radio - Thanks Turkeypen!
Build platform and drawers in the rear area (Similar to K. Rowlands low profile) - stage 1 done
Desmog - done
Big Off-Road Lights
Black out Grille
Repair Gutter Sealant

The Plan (Long Term):

Remove all rust, and rustproof frame to preserve it
Work on paint (it's faded, maybe repaint)
Build a rear bumper with swing out.
GM TBI (megasquirt is an option)
4.11's from a 62/80
Lockers
Dual Batteries
62 Mirrors
Retint windows
Replace front door speakers (hitting glass on roll-down)
Upgrade front leaves to heavys (add-a-leaf)
Extended Shackles for additional clearance
Look for a higher clearance front bumper
...

As we all know the plan will change as we progress, but for now, that'll work.

So, I'm going to keep posting in here when I get things modified.

 

[Carp]

Dash Grab bar installed...

Check here Dash Grab Bar Install in a 60 for the whole write up.

 

[marting]

Hey! sounds like a good plan... all fun and games when you have something that nice to start with...Congrat's

I would turn the priorities around though.. Fix the frame and remove the rust NOW or you might never get it done..
"nah.. it's all dirty and dinged up"

Why do you want wider rims? Just makes it easier for the tire to fall off and/or damaging the rims..

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Why not get a rear locker when you regear before winch? Don't need a winch if you don't get stuck as often...

 

[Carp]

Hey! sounds like a good plan... all fun and games when you have something that nice to start with...Congrat's

I would turn the priorities around though.. Fix the frame and remove the rust NOW or you might never get it done..
"nah.. it's all dirty and dinged up"

Why do you want wider rims? Just makes it easier for the tire to fall off and/or damaging the rims..

The current stock wheels are too narrow for the 10.50s. They are wearing really bad on the shoulders. Wider wheels should help my tires wear longer. If I'm going to 8" wheels, I doubt I'll have a debeading problem, especially at 18psi, which is where I typically run.

The frame will be cleaned and painted this winter, so it's a sooner long term project. As for the other rust, I will try to POR it this winter, and may try to cut it out and replace next winter (baby on the way = little time for Cruiser)

 

[Carp]

Why not get a rear locker when you regear before winch? Don't need a winch if you don't get stuck as often...

Because I traded an old Warn 6000 lb winch even up for a Warn 9000xdi winch, and it's sitting in my garage, with a Warn winch bumper I got at a good deal. I would love to get a rear locker soon, just can't afford it right now.

Thanks for the input!

 

[plumber3dad]

Get a skinnier tread tire. Better ride and cuts through the mud. Give it that foreign military look.

Good lookin truck.

 

[Nigel]

Nice looking wago. Looks a lot cleaner than my '87. Really like that dash grab bar too.

 

[bull]

Nice 60! Now I need to go find a sand dune beige one and name it Carp..

 

[marting]

Yeah.. 8" wheels wont be any problem.. I thought you were going w i d e Good luck with your new babies both human and machine.

 

[IndianDoc]

Twins

Hey carp my rig and yours could be twins, If I need before shots may swipe one of yours. However as I tore down the BT I found lot's of rust in tiny spots that I am so glad (even as it has caused the rebuild to drag on forever) that we are fixing now.

Was hopeing to get to OTMT but did'nt work out. Will be at the crab boil at hunting if I have to break a leg or something to get off work. Cant wait to see your rig and Smokmtn.'s there are some nice rides in the Upstate Club and yours is headed there on a fast track. Still hoping to have BT up and running by GSMTR next year. If you need muscle some weekend a mini hammon or such send me a PM i'll try to be there, believe me I know how frustrating it is to need a hand on a sixty fix and not have any one there.

 

[89s rule]

If you are wearing the tires on the outside too much then you are running too low of an air pressure. 18psi is very low. 10.5 is actually just right for a poor mans bead lock.

Loving to see the build!

 

[IndianDoc]

Yeah.. 8" wheels wont be any problem.. I thought you were going w i d e Good luck with your new babies both human and machine.

Wow!!! just noticed Oslo bet you have some awesome pic of wheeling in that country. Beatifull to say the least, sorry hijacking again sorry my mind just runs that way. If you have some photo's posted on a thread let us know Norway is awesome. back at ya! Hyjack over, sorry!!!!

 

[IndianDoc]

If you are wearing the tires on the outside too much then you are running too low of an air pressure. 18psi is very low. 10.5 is actually just right for a poor mans bead lock.

Loving to see the build!

Me thinks you got the numbers backwards how can 10.5 be ok when 18 is very low. Sarcasim over, I do the same thing all the time. Or did I miss something, I do that all the time too.

 

[Carp]

If you are wearing the tires on the outside too much then you are running too low of an air pressure. 18psi is very low. 10.5 is actually just right for a poor mans bead lock.

Loving to see the build!

Sorry for the confusion. I only run 18psi on the trails, most of the time on the road it's 32-35. I did the chalk test, and it has good contact throughout the contact patch. Because the tire is on too narrow a rim, it is more u-shaped outta the contact patch than a flat surface. When it goes into the contact patch, the outer part of the tread actually scrubs to a flat surface, thus producing the heavy wear I'm seeing... (sorry for being a tire nerd).

I do understand the benefits of the 10.5 on a 6.5 rim off-road, but it's just too much of a penalty in on road tire wear to me.

 

[sirenmoses]

larger mirrors... it is SO nice to actually see behind once you put the 62 style on. nice looking rig!

 

[BMThiker]

Sorry for the confusion. I only run 18psi on the trails, most of the time on the road it's 32-35. I did the chalk test, and it has good contact throughout the contact patch. Because the tire is on too narrow a rim, it is more u-shaped outta the contact patch than a flat surface. When it goes into the contact patch, the outer part of the tread actually scrubs to a flat surface, thus producing the heavy wear I'm seeing... (sorry for being a tire nerd).

I do understand the benefits of the 10.5 on a 6.5 rim off-road, but it's just too much of a penalty in on road tire wear to me.

Not sure if it will work, but the FJC/Taco steelies are 17 x7.5 rims, a nice "in-between" and I run 34 x 10.5 LTBs on the trails, 285/70 Wrangler S/A daily.

 

[smkymntn]

Carp,
When you are ready for frame cleaning/treating let me know- I learned alot from doing mine.

 

[Carp]

Sliders!

I ordered the Trail-Gear sliders from Ebay (thanks Tkinze!) and got those installed before my trip to Tellico at the beginning of August. I know, they're not the best slider out there, but limited funds and wanting to preserve the rockers on Bull lead me to them.

My neighbor has a MIG and is really good with it, so we spent a few nights and came up with this.

Squares welded as diamonds on the frame

That was the easy part, the hard part was getting the angles right on the legs. Complex angles and a portaband don't make for quick work, but we got them cut and welded to the sliders. We had extra material from the frame plates, so we made gussets for each leg, which you can see in the pics. Time for paint!

We mounted the sliders 21° from horizontal to give me enough room for a step, but keep them angled up and tucked in. Looks good in my opinion.

A side shot, a little difficult to see. I'll work on a better pic.

All in all, they turned out great! And just so you know they weren't for show, here's a pic in action, doing what they're supposed to, keeping Bull from gaining more scars.