Build Cruisermatt's FJ62 Build-up

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while waiting on a few things to come in for my steering/suspension, I decided to take more stuff apart.

Turns out my NV4500 is fine-ish.. what I thought was it being broken was the shift tower bolts all having fallen out... no wonder it was shifting so badly and dumping oil everywhere :lol:

Still going to put the Tr4050 in. Quite possibly the nicest single item I’ve ever purchased for myself so far. I’m looking forwards to never ever ever ever having transmission issues, noise, or leaks for a long damn time.



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Next up I decided to do a test fit with the new transmission, Blackbox, and a 100 series HF2A I got from my gracious friend Nathan (@roadstr6 what’s Nathan’s mud name?)

It fits really good. Better than my old setup in a lot of ways which is not what I was expecting.
first impression video embedded for anyone who wants to hear me ramble about nonsense like a lunatic for 6 minutes


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Shifter handle first test fit and ramble..




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that was all as of last night .. I think current plan is to run the Tr4050 but with my Np203/split case (will also bolt to my Tr4050, this was my original plan before the Blackbox fell into my lap) for upcoming Fall Crawl trip, that way I don't really have to change anything and I can take my time with designing shifter brackets and redoing the tunnel to accomodate the new setup, and move shifters to driver's side after the trip.
I will also have to figure out shifting the HF2a CDL motor with the FJ62 H4 dash switch, and I want to do a big cooler, remote reservoir and pump for the Blackbox fluid. So a bit of a project and I don't want to slap it together last minute.
 
continuing with small improvements.

Don’t know what I was thinking with this ram hose routing but it was bad. Going through this forwards opening the hoses are completely relaxed. Much better.
This week I’ll have one of my team print me up a nice full-surround edge trim for the opening.

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cruisermatt said:
Next up I decided to do a test fit with the new transmission, Blackbox, and a 100 series HF2A I got from my gracious friend Nathan (@roadstr6 what’s Nathan’s mud name?)

It fits really good. Better than my old setup in a lot of ways which is not what I was expecting.
first impression video embedded for anyone who wants to hear me ramble about nonsense like a lunatic for 6 minutes


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Click to expand...

Nathan is @Rushing
 
cruisermatt said:
Next up I decided to do a test fit with the new transmission, Blackbox, and a 100 series HF2A I got from my gracious friend Nathan (@roadstr6 what’s Nathan’s mud name?)

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Click to expand...

Glad that HF2A is getting put to use. I picked that up for my LX as a spare and then it went to Nathan and now to you.
 
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While waiting in some parts to come in to finish the front end I got the transmission swap about finished up, I put the NP203/splitcase back in since I only have to make a few very minor mods for the TR4050.

We took a bunch of measurements with the Blackbox/HF2a before pulling it and will work on that project later. Will do floor pan/relocate shifters at the same time. I just didn’t want to rush that swap and slap a bunch of things together and then hate it and want to re do it all later.
I’ve gotten really tired of explaining at events and such how my shop does such nice work but my truck looks like a rolling junkyard lately.

Cant wait to try out the new transmission! Very excited


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@cruisermatt Your signature is no longer correct... Did you have to make a larger hole in tranny tunnel to fit, I had to make some space to get mine to fit properly with the hf2a.
 
Lucky1386 said:
@cruisermatt Your signature is no longer correct... Did you have to make a larger hole in tranny tunnel to fit, I had to make some space to get mine to fit properly with the hf2a.
Click to expand...
Umm I cut and rebuilt the entire floor to fit the NV4500/203 combo in 2016
 
New U-bolt plates and bump can mounts tacked up. U-bolt plates are double-layered 1/2” steel. The section sticking out is where the bump stop is going to contact. Hopefully doesn’t bend too much, it is 1” thick there.


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Baby steps..

Got one bump stop can tacked in.

3D printed a snap-in edge guard for my steering ram lines

Also my new steering links (1.5” 7075) arrived from Wide Open Design yesterday!

Now I just need to buckle down and get all this done

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Inching along.. today was Redbull Roller Coaster spent the morning at that
Got a few hours in tonight,
New lower shock mounts and 2/4 steering stops done.

3D printed drill guide.. can you tell I love my new 3D printer?!


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Also, this is what a stock steering stop looks like after a decade-plus of abuse. It’s bent back about 1/2”

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More notes
1. Pro tip, the 80 series steering bolts are the same as 60 series other then the coating (dacrotized/geomet vs silver zinc/Cad), but 20% of the price ~$1 each vs ~$5 each. I can afford lunch now
2. Decided to try something a bit different with my steering links this time, instead of jam nuts I’m going to use OEM clamps, I noticed Delta VS does this on the links they make for 80 series and I’ve had issues with the jam nuts loosening up unless you tighten the hell out of them and that’s a pain.
I also really enjoy incorporating OEM style elements into my projects in the last few years



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One of my junior guys needed something quick to do for the last hour on Thursday so had him strip and paint all my front leaf springs with Slip Plate.
Also, going to replacing my 2nd leaf and one of the middle ones with new ARB leafs that I took out of some new packs, also going to delete the shortest leaf at the bottom.
Hopefully this boosts the front up like
3/4-1” and gets me another 2-3 years out of my front springs

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