depressed..driving on the freeway

[patride71]

i know i drive a 60, so i can't expect much from it on the freeway with a 4 speed and a 2F, but man it was depressing having everyone zipping by me today. i rarely take it on the freeway because of this and it doesn't perform very well at higher speeds (bouncy).

it feels and sounds like the engine is going to fly out from under the hood once i get it going up around 60mph .

i don't like to push it past 60mph due to the rpms are around 2500 at 60mph. i have not done a tune up on it yet, but it seems to run very well other than on the freeway or at high speeds

another thing i noticed today was it sounds like the fan kicks on every now and then too while i was driving down the freeway. wouldn't it usually cut on when stopped (idling) or is this normal on the freeway? 1st time for me to notice it.

sorry for the rant, but just wanted to see if what i am going through is "normal".

once i hit the lotto i'll just drop a diesel and 5 speed in it

 

[lovetoski]

Instead of being depressed, smile because you're driving a cruiser!

Do you plan to do a lot of freeway driving? If not, don't worry about some of the problems.

Speed - no matter what you do, the cruiser will never be a speed demon. It was designed for rougher roads where top speed wasn't needed. However, bigger tires (rubber overdrive) can help on the freeway. 31's are a common switch, and these help. You could go bigger, depending on tire width, and suspespension lift.

Noise - could be just the nature of the beast. Are your valves adjusted - though this won't make a huge difference on the freeway. 60's respond well to noise abatement.

Bouncy - could just be worn shocks? Depending on the state of your suspension, could be a lot more.

Fan - some have noted it can cut in on the freeway. If your cooling system is otherwise up to par, and engine temp stays normal, then I wouldn't worry about it.

Hope this helps!

 

[patride71]

thanks for the pep talk lovetoski.

got 31s on it right now.

question the suspension though. i am posting some pics of it this weekend on here to see what is up.

need to adjust the valves

the cooling system seems to be ok from what i can tell. all the gauges were ok while driving. temp gauge usually is at the 1/2 mark. it doesn't take long to get there though, so it could be in need of at least a new thermostat at some point.

i think i am a bit paranoid driving it on the freeway because it broke down on me on the freeway when the igniter crapped out.

luckily the need for driving on the freeway is very limited, so i won't have to deal with any of these issues or my paranoia.

i am very happy i'm driving a cruiser regardless of any frustrations!

 

[Mike S]

I had the same problem, and a desire to travel long diistances at acceptable rates of speed. I spent a bunch of money, and now drive at acceptable speeds on the freeway - when not towing or going up steeper hills. Bigger tires help, tune up helps, OME suspension helps, 5 speed OD tranny really helps. Style points take thye sting out of being passed by KIA mini UTEs.

If you could cruise at 70 or so, would you be satisfied? There are no real easy answers, unless you are very handy and have a nice GM V8 laying around...

 

[patride71]

my 3 strikes....NOT HANDY, NO $, and NO V8 or 5 speed OD


of course i know the answer to my problem...STOP YER GRIPING!

oh well, i'll learn to live without driving 70 and enjoy the fact i got the 60/62 that i envied for so long to have.

anyway, it just gives me something to work towards.

 

[TJDIV]

Dude...I feel your pain. Driving my 68 45LV around town is a bitch. It is TOO TRUE that my truck was designed back in the 60's...when speeds of 45 MPH on s***ty roads was NORMAL.

Not anymore. And I'm still driving it though....even with everyone flying up on my ass like they actually have to get somewhere...

Losers.

 

[VTCruiser]

its easy to cruise 70-75 with the H55F, the ol' diesel chugs along great, unfortunately i have no tac #s for you as the tac doesn't work..... Even at those speeds though, there's always some passing you, everybody just needs to slow down. And the bounce is 100% normal unless it bucks like a mechanical bull....but even then.....

 

[archie]

When my brother got his sports car he said, jokingly, that he would drive around really slow so everybody could notice him driving it. You just have to sit back and let everybody check out your truck. I just hate it when a cruiser (or another cool car) goes by and I don't get a chance to check it out.

 

[overhanger]

my 3 strikes....NOT HANDY, NO $, and NO V8 or 5 speed OD


of course i know the answer to my problem...STOP YER GRIPING!

oh well, i'll learn to live without driving 70 and enjoy the fact i got the 60/62 that i envied for so long to have.

anyway, it just gives me something to work towards.

Now you have a clue as to why FJ62s have a mighty strong following, pun intended, in some circles. At 70 mph, with stock gearing and tires, the 3FE/A440F combo is really starting to sing in the middle of its comfort range. Certainly not 1FZE territory, but much more adept at freeway speeds for lengthy periods of time when compared to a 60. Be very happy that you have a 60 series, nonetheless.

 

[lowtideride]

dude its a 60 learn to love it brotha....just wait to s*** floods or dumps a ton of snow then pass people...if not just chill out and lis to some good tunes...

 

[swank60]

You know, part of your engine noise could be coming from the fact that you don't get it up and on the highway that often. It's good to blow out the cobb webs and the carbon. It's hard on an engine to just make short jaunts here and there.

But I feel your pain - trust me - hadn't driven mine in almost 2 weeks and jumped in it tonight for a run up to the store and freaked out about how loud the damn thing is, not to mention the fact that the 2F sounds like a sewing machine...I've been driving only the Avalon and wasn't used to hearing any noise at all...

 

[briguy44]

I took my cruiser out on the highway to get to some prime off roading with my friends. They made fun of me the whole way out there. Then the minute I went of road, and showed them a real 4x4 i didn't hear them make fun of it anymore.

 

[Matador98]

Part of the reason you drive a 60 is the noise. Keep in mind, with 31s, your going faster than the speedo says. I cruise at 65 on the speedo, 3,000 rpm, and my wife clocked me in her new car at about 72. So if you kick it up to 70 on the speedo, your hauling. Mine is noisy as hell, but is fun to drive on the freeway. I am used to 3,000 rpm, so it doesn't sound to me like the engine is going to rip out. Your sounds are normal. It sounds good to me, I like it. And the engine isn't going to blow up or anything else, its a 2F tank tractor engine. If you manage that, you are better than I because I have had mine revved. Dang...I might have to park my Tundra and uncover and drive my 60 tomorrow with all this talk...

 

[gulp3000]

I love taking the Cruiser anywhere. Like Matador stated, your going faster than your speedo shows with 31s. My GPS says I'm doing 70 when my speedo is at 63-64. A new stereo took care of the noise issue. Slap in a good CD and enjoy the ride. The fact that its such a cool rig off-road or anywhere I go under 50MPH, makes up for it's hwy performance. I've been driving my F150 while the 60's been getting a makeover and I'm going through withdrawls!

 

[jhstatts]

Mine is my DD, so it goes everywhere with me. The highway is tough, but it is fun to see all the heads turn as they pass by the 60. I love that thing. I don't have A/C and it is 90-something and humid as hell in Savannah, but I'd rather sweat and be in my Cruiser than be cool and in my wife's Jetta.

 

[Jman]

On the highway, I keep it between 2500 and 3000 rpms, which translates to something between 55 and 65 or so--that's plenty fast for me. When I drive my other car, I go 75 pretty regularly. Would I want to go 75 in the cruiser? No, it's not as nimble, so if I got in a bad situation, I probably would crash it. With the kids in the car.

Keep it at 60 or so and enjoy the view--arrive ten minutes later for every hour of driving. All those other folks are actually breaking the law.

 

[TexomaFJ40]

I suggest reggee' music....Bob Marley always seems to make driving slow cool.

 

[AndyR]

Re: Bob Marley...

Agree w/TexomaFJ40, some good reggae and maybe a Bob Marley cigarette or two...it'll make 45 mph seem like you're flying, although you might occasionally forget where you are!

btw, I'm a rookie first poster. with an 88 FJ62 and 96 FZJ80...this is a great board!

Like overhanger said, I cruise my 62 (all stock) at 70mph at about 2500 rpms, and drop down to 3rd gear and 3000-3200 rpms for steep grades. I sometimes think I'm getting close to 20mpg on the highway, too!

Andy

 

[jhstatts]

Yep. 60-65 mph here at 2500-2800 rpm... and I have 31 inch tires, so I am actually going 70 or so. Plenty fast for the beast. And I look good doing it.

Bob Marley cigarettes? Pass 'em around.

 

[Bostonfj60]

MY FJ60 runs 5 1/2inches of lift, 35" tires, and 4.11 gears with the stock 4spd tranny...I still cruise at 70mph with the tac reading just under 3k...not sure I'd want to go any faster!!!

Just think of an FJ60 as an insurance policy...that safe guards you from ever getting a speeding ticket!!

JR

http://jrutherford.us