Build Cruisermatt's FJ62 Build-up

[Hojack]

It’s amazing what parts you can add/ remove to totally customize your 60 into what you want it to be. At least it drives safely. With the mods I’m making thats what I’m curious about.

 

[74fj40]

Thanks. I'm looking into Jeep YJ springs for the front which are about 3" shorter overall then the 60 rears so I can have a shorter shackle up front, these are really too long. That would move my front axle back about an inch, and although I really like it where it is, one inch back won't really take away from the massive approach angle improvement I made.

Oh, I'm also pleased to report the truck drives nice and straight with no steering wander or vibration at +100mph.

Look at YJ SOA springs. I think rubicon express makes them, they are reverse eyelet so it lowers it.

 

[Hojack]

Look at YJ SOA springs. I think rubicon express makes them, they are reverse eyelet so it lowers it.

I looked at these just now and it looked like they are primarily for Jeep or FJ40 applications. How long are the springs?

 

[74fj40]

I looked at these just now and it looked like they are primarily for Jeep or FJ40 applications. How long are the springs?

IIRC they are around 45” with a centered pin

 

[cruisermatt]

IIRC they are around 45” with a centered pin

Yup, i think they’re 44” but you’re right about the centered pin.
I looked into the reverse eye springs but I think they would lower the front more then I’d like. It’s actually perfect where it is now the shackle is just too long. I put the frenched bushing too far forward on the frame. Complete nightmare to change it which is the big caveat to that mod.

 

[Hojack]

You moved your rear stock springs to the front, correct?

 

[cruisermatt]

You moved your rear stock springs to the front, correct?

Right. Well, they are 2.5” lift springs, but they are super worn out and I pulled 3 or 4 leaves out. Should be pretty much the same as stock springs.

 

[cruisermatt]

Added another few feet of exhaust, and a cheap hi-flow cat. I had it dumping right behind the rear axle under the truck for clearance but a ton of fumes were coming into the cab like that. It was kind of a puzzle figuring out how to get it out the back without it going under the frame (crunch!) but luckily there’s just enough room to put a 3” tube between the tank and rear sill over the frame.

Then I was dumb and fit and welded the whole thing at midnight and in a thunderstorm so I rushed and didn’t see that the entire taillight harness was resting on the exhaust, so at 6am on the roadtrip the next morning everything went black completely melted through, and I guess there’s some shared grounds from the dash.
One more thing to fix!

 

[cruisermatt]

Oh yeah, thing cruises at 85-90 effortlessly with two fingers on the wheel. NV4500 is howling like crazy though so that’s a bummer especially since I just rebuilt it. It has a touch more body roll then I’d like and it has a bit more understeer then I’d prefer so I’m going to to alleviate both those with some rear airbags as a quick easy fix as opposed to sway bars, because I do sway bars then I’ll be doing them correctly which will be a lot of work.

I parked the truck Saturday evening after getting home from
a short road trip, hopped in it yesterday to move it and wasn’t getting voltage to the starter solenoid, or not enough voltage anyways. Just a solid click with the key. Jumped the starter and it fired right up, but I need to fix this. Any ideas? Should just be a straight shot from the key to the starter but I hadn’t looked at the schematic yet.

 

[BMValentine]

Just looked at the schematic. It is a single wire from the ignition switch to the starter. Check your grounds the starter should be grounded and the switch is also grounded separately.

 

[cruisermatt]

Yeah, the ground for the ignition switch probably vibrated loose or something like that. Might be why I lost all my dash lights without the fuse blowing too.
I’ve got great main grounds and power off the battery, they’re fresh when I did the motor swap.
Starter turns over nice and strong when the solenoid is jumped with a screwdriver

 

[BMValentine]

Sounds like the ground on the switch, it’s a common ground so that sounds like the issue.

 

[BMValentine]

Check the fusible links too.

 

[cruisermatt]

It’s been awhile since I looked at the FL schematics but I believe the body electrics and ignition are on the same FL. Body electrics work, just not the gauge lights when the headlights are on.

 

[White Stripe]

Do you miss the character and the feel of the 3fe?

 

[cruisermatt]

Do you miss the character and the feel of the 3fe?

Yeah, I think the 5.3 ruined my truck. I should have just bought a Suburban.









I should have done this years ago instead of rebuilding four 3FE’s.. although if my 16 year old self had done this swap I’d probably be redo-ing everything right about now.

 

[Hojack]

On the rear 63s what’s your distance on the bolts through frame, center of bolt to center of bolt.

 

[cruisermatt]

What do you mean? Like the center to center distance of the fixed point mount and the shackle mount?

 

[Hojack]

What do you mean? Like the center to center distance of the fixed point mount and the shackle mount?

Yes

 

[Hojack]

I’m wondering what your distance is compared with mine.