Builds Cruisermatt's FJ62 Build-up

[cruisermatt]

Also, PSA, anyone who buys parts from me gets bonus Little Debbie snack cakes

 

[boots4]

37 x 12.5 r 17 test fit.
Looks like the front axle needs to go back the other direction a bit to keep it out of the front of the inner fenders and core support.
I'm not really sure how but these seem to clear my front springs at full steering lock in either direction, when 35's on wheels that are dimensionally the same rub a little bit, not sure how that's possible but I'm going to roll with it.

Hopefully this GME stock pays out and I can buy a whole set of rims and tires

View attachment 2571833

What about cutting out the front area that it would rub against? I like how far forward the tires are... great approach angle.

 

[cruisermatt]

What about cutting out the front area that it would rub against? I like how far forward the tires are... great approach angle.

Moving the front axle back an inch and going from a 35 to a 37 means the approach angle stays the same as it was and I honestly don’t have the need to improve the approach, at least not with how I use the truck. not where doing a bunch of cutting would be worth it anyways. Also my drag link and tie rod rub a bit when flexed out and steered so moving the axle back quickly and easily fixes that issue as well

 

[cruisermatt]

Been wanting to try this for over a year now and I finally got the guts to do it. This morning I took my front springs off (stock Toyota rear FJ62 springs), disassembled then and re arched the main leaf in the opposite direction to make my own reverse-eye spring pack. I inadvertently over arched it a little but I think that will actually work out in my favor.
Still have to do the other pack and add a little clearance to my front spring hangers but it looks like it’s going to work great.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Interesting

 

[cps432]

Ballzy!

 

[cruisermatt]

Got the other spring done and got it all bolted back up. The front dropped about 2" as expected. Just need to swap my shorter rear shackles back on and it should sit level at 20" Ground-to frame height on 35's, 21" on 37's

Now we go hit a speed bump at 50mph and see if the springs instantly snap or if it soaks it up like a dream like it did before.

60 rear springs have center pin offset, I had the short side forwards before, and the center pin in the forwards perch position, so I flipped around the spring and went to the rear perch position which moved my front axle back 1" to keep 37's from getting all up in the core support. I also had a tie-rod/drag link rubbing issue that should fix as well. Should be great with 37's. Same approach angle as before, an inch of ground clearance gained under the axles, but lower ride height then on 35's.

 

[cruisermatt]

before pic for comparison

 

[dad4x4]

Nice! definitely curious on how this works.
I need that tube bender you have too

 

[cruisermatt]

Nice! definitely curious on how this works.
I need that tube bender you have too

Me too, I have not been able to find anyone else that has done this on any kind of 4x4, or anything that has a lot of spring travel for that matter. One guy on Pirate did this to his Jeep but parted his build out before driving it, so no results.
You can buy reverse eye springs for Jeeps, or custom springs, the big question is how do springs hold up when cold-arched completely the other direction
So hopefully we all learn something.

 

[White Stripe]

So what size tires are on it now?

 

[cruisermatt]

So what size tires are on it now?

Currently 35" Toyo All terrains with 30% tread on the 17" Toyota alloys. They're temporary until I get some 37's ordered.

 

[White Stripe]

So is that the height you want now or are you trying to go lower?

 

[cruisermatt]

So is that the height you want now or are you trying to go lower?

This is what I wanted and planned for when I first decided to do the spring over. ~20" Ground to frame. Obviously it will go back up an inch with 37's but that's fine, the big goal with the reverse springs was to keep the same ride height and gain clearance under the axles with bigger tires.

 

[cruisermatt]

I still need to bleed brakes (I swapped out my front calipers for some other used ones to try and diagnose a brake shudder I've been having, I also replaced the hardline on the rear axle i had to seal for a clutch line in Tennessee in December), and bleed clutch since I also fixed that correctly.

Unfortunately on the drive to Tennessee and back I am STILL getting the horrible high-speed gear grind noise that I had always attributed to my old NV4500. I guess it was never that, so I'm going to take the doubler apart and see what it looks like in there. It's the only piece I have never actually touched myself.
Also my current NV4500 grinds going into 3rd so I'll throw syncros at it I guess. I also have the much stronger bellhousing @meatloaf generously sent me that I never swapped because it didn't clear my exhaust, I think this lower ride height is going to have driveshaft clearance issues so I'll fix all that too I guess.
Never ends!

 

[Godfather90]

I feel obligated to tell you to be extra cautious with those re-arched front springs over the pavement. Especially without the second leaf having a "mil wrap"

It's not very expensive to have Deaver or a few other companies make you new main and second leaves. Deaver is local to me and we have been talking about doing this for a few years. They just want me to bring the truck in at full weight with the roof on and timing never seems to work out.

I just don't want anyone to get hurt!

Looks great!

Bummer on the gearbox.

Mike

 

[cruisermatt]

I feel obligated to tell you to be extra cautious with those re-arched front springs over the pavement. Especially without the second leaf having a "mil wrap"

It's not very expensive to have Deaver or a few other companies make you new main and second leaves. Deaver is local to me and we have been talking about doing this for a few years. They just want me to bring the truck in at full weight with the roof on and timing never seems to work out.

I just don't want anyone to get hurt!

Looks great!

Bummer on the gearbox.

Mike

Don’t worry, about 30 people have told me the same thing already

I talked to Alcan and they said they’d make me individual main leaves however I want for $120 a piece. I just need to give the free arch of the original springs which I recorded before I arched them the other way. So that’s my backup plan if I have a failure. I also told them about what I did to my springs and he said they wouldn’t make it around the block

So anyways, between yesterday and today I put about 60 miles on it. Seems fine so far besides a little bit of reduced caster from the rear still shackles still being 2” higher.

Unfortunately my brake shudder is still there so I guess it’s a rotor issue. I am probably going to abandon my FZJ80 front brakes and just do the 2010-2020 4runner 13.5” rotor setup since I’ll be going to 17” wheels soon.

 

[FJACS]

I’m not so sure they’re going to break, I think they’ll be fine, but might lose the added bend. A bunch of years back we bent the front main leaves of a farm duty YJ the same way. Re assembled the packs and added in some used leaves from a trailer as “overloads”. The u bolts were too short, so I added a couple of inches of all thread with a welder. Totally sketch, did it to support a 7’ plow. The Jeep moved a lot of snow for at least three winters.

 

[Godfather90]

Yea I don't know if they will break or not. It's just the risk vs. reward of spending a few hundred bucks!

You know you love that truck so much, wouldn't wanna have a nasty wreck of course.

I was quoted a little more than that from Deaver but I had asked for a lot of changes including new mil-wrapped second leaves.

They make the stuff in house but send them out for heat treat after.

There is also ATLAS spring right down the street from me as well. There was a place in Albany, NY that my dad used to bring his trucks to. They even do the heat treat then and there while you wait!

Fun to watch those guys make springs. Its almost worth it just for the show!


I have said my part, sounds like you have been warned enough haha

With that said, I have done exactly what you did with many leaves but never the main or second leaf out of fear. I made a little jig with 2 little 1.25" OD rollers on the bottom and one on the top. I just put a little pressure and them move it forward a little bit at a time. Never had one snap yet knock on wood. They definitely don't hold their arch as long I can tell you that much.

Mike

 

[cruisermatt]

I don't think they're going to break. I would not have done it if I thought they were going to break, even if one did it's not like all four leafs are going to break, or even two of them. The worst that happen if a leaf breaks is it hits the frame, and the axle and U-bolts, other mount are going to keep everything in place enough to come to a stop slowly (my rational anyways)

The question isn't whether they are going to go flat or not, of course they will, all leaf springs will eventually. The question is how long will it take? How much abuse? No one has actually tried it on a heavy wheeler. The front springs I was running went from 100K mile nice original springs pretty much flat with weight on them in about two years. So if these last at least a year, then win.
Keep in mind, I just reversed the main leaf. Everything else stayed the same in the pack.

If it's not obvious I have no aversion to trying new things even if they are risky. I'm missing whatever that "hesitant judgment" circuit is in my brain, clearly.