Builds Cruisermatt's FJ62 Build-up (5 Viewers)

[matzell]

mic check, mic check. Things are happening...

Well, you have a little over a month before Fall Crawl, if you are coming!

 

[cruisermatt]

That's right, I decided to register and commit to going to Fall Crawl so I had to get into action.. the truck is pretty much completely wore out in every area, it would be fine if I trailered it there but I am dumb and want to drive it everywhere so I had to get it back into it's prime.
The short list:

Front suspension/Steering issues I wanted to fix:
-front springs and bushings wore out
-all steering heim joints wore out
-front spring hangers bent/cracked
-offset shackles grinding against leaf spring during flex (also my frame rails are still bowed a bit so now my springs were not parrallel anymore, also causing tire to rub against leaf spring at full lock)
-Ram assist shaft rubbed AC compresser tensioner at full bump
-Ram assist shaft rubs axle housing all the time
-Ram assist hoses not routed ideally
-Ram assist still "temporarilly" mounted in single shear off a U-bolt
-U-bolt plates both bowing/bending
-Tie rod rubbed on U-bolt plates at full lock preventing full steering
-Tie rod and drag link contact each other at certain situations
-Drag link end at pitman arm hit the left leaf spring at certain situations
-drag link and tie rod ends didn't clear each other on passenger high-steer arm so I had to grind the heim joints to install, no ideal
-Tires rubbed on leaf spring at full lock
-Front edge of tire still rubs on core support
-Bump stops too short
I also wanted to rotate the lower shock mount bolts 90-degrees to be inline with the axle travel. Don't know what I was thinking there.

..Etc etc etc you get the idea. Everything rubs and contacts everything all the time. I never really took the time to fully cycle everything, on a lift, with just the main leafs where I could really see what was going on, or I was always in a huge rush to drive to work or school the next day or whatever

 

[cruisermatt]

Can't really tell in this pic but there's a huge gouge in the tie rod from the drag link end hitting it. 2nd to last pic shows where the outer shackles rubbed the leaf springs at full flex and they were grinding away on each other. Last pic, one of my knuckles the upper steering arm bore was oblonged. I elevted to replace both knuckles which were still original to my truck with a set of used replacements.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Classic case of not giving a flying **** lol

 

[tmxmotorsports]

So what is the plan of attack?

 

[cruisermatt]

New front spring perches, my previous ones were from Ruffstuff and didn't fit the 60 springs at all despite being advertised. They were also 3/16", mine are made from 1/4" and actually the correct width for my springs. I also boxed them on the front and rear. First picture shows 3D printed welding fixture to keep alignment

last pics show my new U-bolt plates. Upgrading from 3/8" Ruffstuff plates to 1/2", the second part is also 1/2". The big tab off the end is a landing pad for the hydro-bumps that are going in. Going to bolt a delrin plate there.

 

[thatcabledude]

You still have the turbo on it?

 

[cruisermatt]

1st pic shows lower shock mount as I set it up when I first did the SOA in 2018, 2nd pic shows new arrangement mockup 3d printed, I am going to drill a hole in the knuckle gussets I made to be the forward tab. this will prevent the lower shock bolt from binding against the suspension travel. It didn't really seem to be a problem affecting travel but I am sure it's not great for the shock longevity to be forced like that

Last two pics show the hydro-bumps from my new friends at Locked Off-Road (another Florida-based small business!), and proposed mount location. I have about 3" of straight up travel, so should have a 1" gap before the bump pad contacts and then the bumps are a 2" travel body

 

[cruisermatt]

You still have the turbo on it?

yes. I will glady switch to an LSA blower though if someone wants to donate one

 

[cruisermatt]

After I installed the ram-assist I started breaking the upper knuckle hardware every other trail ride.. I've had these keyed steering arms from Front-Range on the shelf for about three years now. Time to finally install them. I bought them undrilled so I could set my own ackermann and make sure my heims all cleared each other perfectly
Also upgraded to billet lower caps and 25mm bearings

 

[thatcabledude]

yes. I will glady switch to an LSA blower though if someone wants to donate one

Jesse took his off his K5. Just made the truck “complicated”

 

[cruisermatt]

Moved to the back corner lift out of the way.. part of the hold up from working on this truck (or any of my other cars is available shop space. One of my teachs had to take a bit of a leave for the month so I jumped on the opening to use his bay)

Cycling and checking clearances.
You can also see I cut the bent leading edge off my old U-bolt plates to simulate the new ones that are going in. I am moving the tie-rod tube back approx. 1" from before, and with the off-set heims the pivot point (steering ratio) is getting even tighter (1.75" back from previous)
We also ground the back of the knuckles out and are redoing the steering stops to get maximum steering angle.

 

[cruisermatt]

New proposed ram-mount.. (heim is just a temp spacer).

Ram cylinder moving back and up about 1.5” each way.
New clamp and lower profile tabs and having up on top of the axle will keep it from rubbing the housing. The other issue was the AC compressor directly above it but we came up with a fix for that too

 

[cruisermatt]

Next issue.. pitman arm hardware would contact the leaf spring at full flex preventing full steering. Also had no room go higher without notching the frame. So, design a 4130 sheet metal double sheer pitman arm to raise the heim joint approx .75" (this was NOT cheap to design and have made ).

 

[Malleus]

I like the nut capture solution.

 

[cruisermatt]

I like the nut capture solution.

On the pitman arm? That's for the bolt head. I always design for bolts to sit upright in case the nut unthreads

 

[cruisermatt]

Solid steering stops cut from bar stock on my bandsaw

 

[BurntToast]

Next issue.. pitman arm hardware would contact the leaf spring at full flex preventing full steering. Also had no room go higher without notching the frame. So, design a 4130 sheet metal double sheer pitman arm to raise the heim joint approx .75" (this was NOT cheap to design and have made ).


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Are you getting custom splined parts made or cutting and reusing the OEM splined part?

 

[cruisermatt]

Are you getting custom splined parts made or cutting and reusing the OEM splined part?

Sky's Off-Road sells a broached insert that I ordered. I did attemped (by hand, and scrapped) this same project a few years back and cut down a used Toyota arm and it remember it welding quite nicely, I would do the same here if I was more budget limited.

 

[cruisermatt]

Next issue.. the moving side of the ram assist would just hit the bottom of my AC tensioner.
I learned the later model LS’s got rid of the tensioner and just use a stretch to fit belt, so I got one of those and had one of my guys cut the bottom off my compressor bracket.