Ed Thomas, Metal Masseuse
Builds Chef's FJ45LWB-PU (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Chef
- Start date
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- Joined
- Jan 24, 2003
- Threads
- 144
- Messages
- 2,024
- Location
- Columbia, MO
- Website
- www.tornadoalleycruisers.com
- Thread starter
- #142
I bet they didn't leave the factory that straight
2fpower
SILVER Star
Somebody get Alan a clipboard so he can supervise correctly....
Pretty sure mine won't be that straight! I don't think i have the patience, skill or ..
Doors getting aligned in prep for tear down session tomorrow. Found a couple boosters in my hoarde. Some tie rod ends. A Flowmaster, some exhaust hangers and some mandrel bends. Bringing 2 cluster faces to get painted and a defrost vent which Chef is missing. All foward progress!
Doors getting aligned in prep for tear down session tomorrow. Found a couple boosters in my hoarde. Some tie rod ends. A Flowmaster, some exhaust hangers and some mandrel bends. Bringing 2 cluster faces to get painted and a defrost vent which Chef is missing. All foward progress!
Drivers door test fit. Needs a bit of work on the back top corner to get a perfect fit.
more door alignment prior to paint. Top rear corners are nicely aligned now.
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2003
- Threads
- 144
- Messages
- 2,024
- Location
- Columbia, MO
- Website
- www.tornadoalleycruisers.com
- Thread starter
- #147
Cool!!
middlecalf
SILVER Star
May I ask how you got those corners aligned?
@middlecalf ill post up the details on specific heights of each shim next week but was approx 1/4 " on the pass side under the body/cab. Couple fender washes to shim out the fender top bolts. And slotted the fender to adjust forward and back a touch. These were not oem fenders and the inner brace on the pass fender does not come from Taiwan in the correct spot. It had been moved prior to paint on initial mockup.
Work crew getting at it. Grill mesh first, new emblem. Then radiator hoop and support. New OEM radiator and painted shroud.
Transmission tunnel and gasket. Glovebox door, new visors, mirror and mount, tcase lever
We started hustling, heard the boss was coming! Exterior mirrors on. Got the pedal assembly in place along with the steering column. Firewall graft allows 78 pedals and steering column to be used. Done just in time for posterior testing by "The Dude" who brought awesome salad and cheeseburgers for his crew of minions. Pretty darn special moment for us. This is the first time @Chef has actually ever sat in this truck! Purchased in pieces so it has been a jigsaw puzzle since day one approx 20 years ago.
This week to keep the momentum going @theSherpa is dropping off stock wheels to get painted black. Body shop owner metal whisperer Ed of Thomas Restorations
6545 E O'Rear Rd, Columbia, MO 65202
(573) 696-1300 Thomas Restorations - Google Search
Is working on getting the doors into paint.
It was decided to use the bottom half of the doors in the previous picture and the top half of a set of bugcatcher frames with the shorter glass. The shorter bugcatcher frames have the lip up top for factory weatherstripping.
After the wheels are in paint @theSherpa will have some new 10.5×33 bfg ats mounted up. Sherpa is also working on acquisition of injection. I'll be doing more parts acquisitions to keep the momentum.
6545 E O'Rear Rd, Columbia, MO 65202
(573) 696-1300 Thomas Restorations - Google Search
Is working on getting the doors into paint.
It was decided to use the bottom half of the doors in the previous picture and the top half of a set of bugcatcher frames with the shorter glass. The shorter bugcatcher frames have the lip up top for factory weatherstripping.
After the wheels are in paint @theSherpa will have some new 10.5×33 bfg ats mounted up. Sherpa is also working on acquisition of injection. I'll be doing more parts acquisitions to keep the momentum.
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My first assignment from the project supremo was taking the OME heavies and making them flexier, so here’s how that went down. OME says remove top full length non-wrap leaf from both front and rear heavy packs to make them medium. OME offers CS001F medium and CS002F heavy for FJ4x in front, I removed the suggested leaf from the front springs. For the rear of an FJ45, my understanding is they only offer one part number, CS003R. Off to @wngrog ’s GOAT thread for wisdom, decided to replicate Nolen’s Super Squishy setup once I figured out what was going on in his pictures (which I posted here in post #99). Instead of the top full length leaf, I pulled the bottom FLL ... that is what reduces the ride height spring rate. Then I pulled the top and bottom of the *three* overload springs, since we’re not going to be hauling a bed full of wallabies, and buttoned it all back up. Ride height looks right, and hey, when you push down on the bed it moves! Truck will mostly be pulling a load instead of hauling one (Alan’s M416 trailer and RTT etc.). so this should work well, and if not, leaves can go back in.
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47coeman
Love those 45's
An excellent job of aligning and getting the reveals perfect, good job.
