Builds building a landcruiser for overland expedition (2 Viewers)

[rideglobally]

installing firestone ride rite air bags

i got the firestone ride rite air bags and will install them on the rear. my diamond axel is on the way and should be installing it in a couple of days, i hope. here is my question on the air bag. what happen when the axel extends beyond the length of the air bag? how do you install the air bag so that it does not tear the air bag apart, or how can the air bag be installed so that it will accommodate this situation.

Nice build, I wish I had your four door body to put on my 95' Dodge cummins diesel chassis.
Diamond axles rock, you should have them build you a front one also.

I would use air bags, take out one leaf spring, or two from the pack, and then use airbags for a 1 ton truck.
Way smoother ride. The bags will be able to handle anything you can put them through.

All the semi trucks I`ve been driving for the past 20 years, have airbags on them. I work for the largest freight company in the US, and all of our trucks have airbags.
Our trucks might blow one airbag out at 500,000 miles or so, thats nothing.

When I get my new rear springs, I will take one leaf out and run airbags on my 95' Dodge cummins diesel. The airbags let you ajust your suspension for different levels of weight you are carrying.

I would have used a dual wheel setup for your type of driving. A lot of poeple don`t get it, you have two more wheels on the ground, a lot more traction, way more stability. I would use 4 narrow tires in the rear, excellent for dirt, mud, and sandy roads.
Two more tires on the rear, equals more floatation, pushing you through the sand, mud, or snow.

Keep up the good work.
Scott

 

[Scottb]

i got the firestone ride rite air bags and will install them on the rear. my diamond axel is on the way and should be installing it in a couple of days, i hope. here is my question on the air bag. what happen when the axel extends beyond the length of the air bag? how do you install the air bag so that it does not tear the air bag apart, or how can the air bag be installed so that it will accommodate this situation.

Good question.

Actually they are called air springs, I always call them airbags cauce that is what we use to call them years ago on our semi's before the airbags in cars came out.

Most airsprings are installed on trucks with leaf or coil springs, so in most cases the springs limit the airbags travel. I would check the specs on the airsprings you have, they should give you a range of motion.

Firestone should have the specs, and it should tell you the collapsed mesurement, and the max extended mesurement. That will be your range of motion. If your landcruiser has more range of motion than the airsprings, then you can make some limiting straps so the airsprings don't extend to far. And if they do extend to far, I wouldn't worry about blowing one out, they are tough.
Hope this helps.

 

[haystax]

Wouldn't it have been easier to just walk to wherever you were planning to go? I'm sure you would be there by now....

Keep up the good work, nothing like making it up as you go along. Perseverance is a good quality to possess when working on old junk.

 

[rideglobally]

installing diamond axel .... finally

it is worth the wait, Custom Off road Fabrication is installing the my rear axel and reinforcing the chassi, they will also install the air spring. here is their website Custom Off Road Fabrication - HOME we are happy to be working with an off road fabricator in Los Angeles. i was driving to work one day saw a sign that say "Custom Off Road Fabrication Landcruiser" made a u turn drove to the back of the shop and found four landcruisers being worked on.

enjoy the pictures. this axel is 14 inch wider that the OEM. our goal on this phase of the build is to widen the axel to create more stability, minimize the swaying and reinforce the chassi.

 

[Scottb]

this axel is 14 inch wider that the OEM. our goal on this phase of the build is to widen the axel to create more stability, minimize the swaying and reinforce the chassi.

Excellent choice of axles, and going wider.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Wouldn't it have been easier to just walk to wherever you were planning to go? I'm sure you would be there by now....

Keep up the good work, nothing like making it up as you go along. Perseverance is a good quality to possess when working on old junk.

I guess playing with the rig is half the fun. I'd rather be on the road than turning wrenches and standing over a welder myself, but that's just me.

 

[rideglobally]

front axel 14" wider

Cook's machine works about a block from custom off road fabrication in los angeles did the work on extending my front axel 7" on each side a total of 14" wider than the OEM. when my tires are installed the front will also be 82" wide, which will bring my front and rear axel same wide.

as you can see by the pictures below an inside sleeve was inserted inside the axel to add to the strength, also Cook's machine works did not grind off the welding, this is because i did not want to compromise on the strength of the axel, in other words strength over beauty. Cook's also build my drive shaft. Cook's machine works number is 323 268 6571.

both rear and front axels are at custom off road fabrication for the installation. enjoy, hope you all had a great holiday!

 

[lulo]

Great axles...

 

[tlc_4play]

I built this FZJ105 exclusively for overlanding
I have owned it since 2001 and it has completed a multitude of overland trips throughout Southern Africa.
Only trouble I have ever had while on an overland expedition was;
1. Pushed a stick through the radiator in the Okavango Delta, managed to fix it with epoxy putty. On this trip with the damaged radiator, the engine overheated so badly that the alloy inlet manifold turned yellow in color, but the engine has never been opened and is still running trouble free. 4500cc Straight six 1FZ-FE rulez
2. I have lost the Air con V-Belt twice - I always carry a full set of spare v-belts


Here are some pics of my FZJ105
and a friends FZJ105 and another friends FZJ79 during a recent (Dec 09) trip from South Africa to Namibia - when we went in search of (and found) the desert elephants

Some details on my solid front axle FZJ105

• TJM Alloy Bullbar
• Steel Dual Rear Wheel Carrier
• 180Ltr Aux Fuel Tank (total fuel 280Ltr)
• 45mm In Cab adjustable Tough Dog Shocks
• 4" Lifted Suspension
• Alloy Roof Rack
• Roof mounted EasyAwn Roof Top Tent
• Roof mounted 80W solar panel
• Side Awning 4,8mtr x 3.0mtr
• 2 x Chassis mounted 37Ltr Stainless Steel water tanks
• 12V pump for accessing the water in the 2 water tanks
• 3 x 12V Batteries - 1 x 75 AH cranking battery; 2 x 105AH deep cycle Fridge batteries
• Dual charging system
• 1 x 40Ltr National Luna Freezer
• 1 x 40Ltr National Luna fridge
• Kenwood VHF Radio
• Garmin GarMap276C
• Aluminium Roller Drawer packing system - 4 drawers
• T-Max 12500lb winch
• Rides on 285/75 x 16 BFG Muds
• Factory e-lockers front and rear
• Lightforce 170 Spot lights
• and much more, , , , ,

BTW - the canvas bag on the rear mounted sparewheel is a garbage bag - We carry out everything that we carry in.

 

[rideglobally]

front and rear wide axels installed

just want share pictures of my axels installed. my cruiser is now 85 inches wide. i am very pleased with the work that was done by Custom Off Road Fabrication, Diamond Axel and Cook's Machine Works.

tomorrow Custom Off Road Fabrication will be installing my rear air bags. Custom Off Road phone # is 323 568 6835

i will also be widening the front fender by 7 inches in the future. thank you to all of your suggestions and support ..... enjoy

 

[jaxonm]

Looks GREAT!!

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Well... it's definitely wider

 

[1tontoy]

You running chromoly or harden axle shafts, and do you have spares? Longfields? You may want to think about gussetting those axle tubes so they don't bend.

Looks more stable!

 

[rideglobally]

the rear axel shaft are from Diamond Axel they are chromoly, i don't know who makes their axel shaft. the front axel and birfield are longfields. i will get spares in the future, when i get some spare money, for the moment i will get the spec so that i can get them made in the future. the diamond axel shaft are suppose to arrive on monday. as i said above we are installing airbags today. i can not wait to take it for a test drive...... thanks all

You running chromoly or harden axle shafts, and do you have spares? Longfields? You may want to think about gussetting those axle tubes so they don't bend.

Looks more stable!

 

[hawkeye]

That looks good. When you widen the fenders, in the front it is going to look like one of those Artic trucks.

 

[1tontoy]

Looking at the pics, its hard to see. Is the exhaust outlet going to be an issue?

This rig is awesome.

 

[rideglobally]

why would it be an issue? i think it will be ok, i may bring it up more for going through water but that is easily done later.... thanks

Looking at the pics, its hard to see. Is the exhaust outlet going to be an issue?

This rig is awesome.

 

[soenke]

Hey,

any plans how to stabilize the widened fenders yet?

 

[1tontoy]

It looks like it could get hit/bent by driving over a large bump or log, or by something coming flying up off the road. Where you have the exhaust is usually where people put 'rock sliders' or rocker protection made out of thick steel. Not too mention, burning your leg when trying to access the rear door. Again, its hard to tell from the pics.

Seems like moving the exit to just between the cab and the camber, and up a little would be better.

Also wondering if your rear tires will clear/hit the cutouts in the camper, now that the axles are wider.

why would it be an issue? i think it will be ok, i may bring it up more for going through water but that is easily done later.... thanks

 

[rideglobally]

Hi Soenke, good to hear from you. just some very initial idea, which is a structure that is attached to the chassi then to the fender. i also like what you did, which is the tube attaching the two fender then going over the engine, however i have that intercooler on top of my engine, so i have not really though about it that much. but i know i have to come up with a design soon. ideas would help.

Hey,
any plans how to stabilize the widened fenders yet?

good point, if you look at the older picture of this thread i did have the exhaust exit going up and attaching to the "camper" higher almost above the rear wheel. i moved it because it blackened the side of the cab from the exhaust (maybe i just need to live with that). the other idea is putting the exhaust very high up at the 45 degree below the cab over and making the exhaust come out the side at that corner or continue the exhaust out to the side another 45 degree up to the top, then side angled with the exhaust facing rear (too much bends, too complicated and will not look good), see picture below, this is the location. i would then put a rounded panel/shield there with hole so that air can get it (just like the big trucks). keep in mind that this side of the top opens up when camping. the other reason for this is keeping the exhaust above water when crossing rivers. what do you all think of that? what i have learn from designing thing is that i usually start out with some wild complicated idea then ends up doing the simplest design.

on the rock slide, yes Custom Fabrication Off Road will put a rock slider there we are just trying to figure out he design. i want that area to also be use for storage space.

no the rear tires will not hit there is a lot of space there, but i do need to take it for a test run.

It looks like it could get hit/bent by driving over a large bump or log, or by something coming flying up off the road. Where you have the exhaust is usually where people put 'rock sliders' or rocker protection made out of thick steel. Not too mention, burning your leg when trying to access the rear door. Again, its hard to tell from the pics.

Seems like moving the exit to just between the cab and the camber, and up a little would be better.

Also wondering if your rear tires will clear/hit the cutouts in the camper, now that the axles are wider.