Builds Doc's 1978 FJ40 Rebuild (3 Viewers)

[TractorDoc]

Just a quick tip for more room of the driver seat: Flip the rear mounts 180, then flip the triangle mount 180. All the holes should still line up and you should have about 3" or so more leg room. At least from what my memory tells me of the stock seats which I haven't had in my rig for some time. That was with a stock tub too, so not sure if the aqualu thicker metal will allow it as far as fenderwell to seat bracket clearance.

Thanks for the reminder on that topic. I remember reading about it long ago now that you mention it but the memory was quite dusty.

I have managed to drill a few more holes into the tub. The fuel neck filler/vapor system cover is taken care of and the front/rear holes of the gas tank cover are in place. I need to make up a spacer/adapter to fill in a gap between the passenger side sill/tank cover side that does not line up due to Aqualu tub differences before I can officially call the gas tank cover done. Most of the bolts will have a nut on the opposite side -- I have however been drilling/tapping these holes in the aluminum to compensate for areas not accessible from the backside. Oh how I appreciate captive nuts found on the original panels -- reaching the seat bolts in the center of the body from the top/bottom at the same time is impossible even with my long monkey like arms.

The roll bar was easy enough; as the above picture shows pilot holes were present where the bigger holes needed to be.

Yes, the tub is a catch all for tools, beverages, chemicals, parts, and anything else that needs a temporary resting place.

The holes that have been keeping me up at night are those needed for the spare tire carrier. I lined everything up as best I could using the chain hoist to hold the carrier in place (with a vice grip at the bottom hinge) and even pulled out the DS Ambulance door to check clearance with the cushion block/catch hook. Because my sill has been modified I have less room to mount those two pieces -- I think I will have to weld extra mounting tabs to both the cushion block and hook but should just be able to squeak by getting the carrier mounted.

I had considered using the 4Plus tire carrier setup but then would not have been able to use the bumperettes. . . and I like the bumperettes/think they are one of the 40's distinguishing features from the backside. I will probably dig out and mount the DS hardtop side so I can mount the ambi door with both top and bottom hinges for a more accurate fit before I start drilling any holes or welding any additional mounting tabs to the cushion/hook.

Still need to drill holes for the trans hump, jump seats (should be easy to center now that the roll bar is in place), side marker lights, and of course the tire carrier.

To switch gears a bit I installed the light harness with relays to test out the headlights. Took a picture as best I could of what the harness consists of. . . probably common knowledge but it was new to me before reading up on it.

The inline fuse connects the positive battery terminal to the relays. The original H4 connector plugs into the new harness (original Driver Side H4 is not used/gets taped off). The new H4 connector then plugs into your higher output bulb. . . or in my case a H4 to H13 adapter (adaptor/adapter -- couldn't edit the picture) for my H13 bulbs.

Hooked everything up, turned on the switch, and then there was light.

At first I could not get the fog lights to come on. Had the wires pulled apart, test light out, etc. Eventually I stumbled onto the fact that the ignition switch needed clicked on to send power to the lights. . . seems I can make a problem out of nothing if given enough opportunity.

Still a lot to do. I will keep drilling away and hopefully by next time I will have the spare tire carrier figured out. Just need to take my time. . . Measure 25 times, Drill once, Right?

 

[mrboatman]

That is looking good dave, Looks like it is getting close for another one of those celebratory drives !!! LOL Really is comming together nicley. !!
JP

 

[TractorDoc]

A quick Friday update.
Most of the day was spent changing crusty brakes on the work truck. Seventy percent of the time was spent trying to get everything apart -- they were not as bad as the brakes on the 40 but it was clear they had not been touched for a long time.
Several more pieces were also fitted to the tub including the side markers:

And the Jump Seats; still need to add the fold down leg to each seat but today's goal was to simply get the installation holes in place.

Started some work on the transmission hump. Using tape to try and line up the receivers in the cowl to where holes will need drilled in the aluminum. The on/off test fitting of the trans hump has left my transfer case lever scuffed, but nothing a little touch up cannot fix.

Also been doing more thinking about the rear tire carrier mounting. Fitted the driver side hardtop panel so I could mount the ambi door to both hinges. I should mention the tire carrier is coated in some type of bedliner material and will be sandblasted/painted as it should be when all is done.

The cushion block will impede the opening of the driver side door if placed in what I think is the correct location.

I have been thinking of different ways to compensate for the lack of clearance. One thought is to make the cushion block removable from the sill by having it mount on pins with another pull pin to hold it in place. The other thought is to mount the block to the tire carrier itself. When the carrier is secured with the hook the block will be pressed against the sill in the correct location (probably apply a thin sheet of rubber to the back of the cushion block); when the carrier is opened the block will move away from the sill and allow the door to open.
Not certain which way to go yet. . . perhaps another idea or thought will show itself.

Sun has been out last couple days. . . still too wet to start cutting the hay fields but that task will be here soon. Last couple years dad has moved to making round bales which makes me happy -- I was always the only one up in the wagon and I do not stack the bales as quick as I used to!

 

[samc2447]

The tire cushion serves as a point of contact to reduce the bending effects of the moment arm created by the weight of the tire on the hinges. It limits the up and down travel that reduces stress on the hinge mount locations, so it's kind of important to have that extra support since the latch only pulls that side of the carrier down to lock it in place.
If you're not going to do serious off roading, I would look at modifying the cushion by removing the top portion that restricts the upward travel. At least you would have the lower portion in place and the carrier would be snugged down into it by the latching force. This would reduce the up and down moment that occurs at the hinges. And by the look of your picture it would allow the rear door to clear with the modified cushion in place.

 

[TractorDoc]

The tire cushion serves as a point of contact to reduce the bending effects of the moment arm created by the weight of the tire on the hinges. It limits the up and down travel that reduces stress on the hinge mount locations, so it's kind of important to have that extra support since the latch only pulls that side of the carrier down to lock it in place.

That was one of the concerns I had in regards to solely mounting the cushion to the tire carrier itself. I thought that mounting the cushion to the sill in a way that it could be removed would be the more appropriate (closer to as designed) route to take. . . still working thru the needed modifications/design to make it work.

Your suggestion of removing the top section of the cushion is another good thought. No new ideas came to mind while I was asleep last night but I will settle on something. I'm starting to run out of holes that need drilled. . . soon the tire carrier will be all that is left!

I do not plan on taking the 40 out for regular trips to the grocery store (not at this point at least) and the rear doors will probably not be opened frequently. . . I will run without the top on in the near future anyway while I take the time to do body work and paint on the hardtop pieces. The correct thing is to have the doors open as they should though. I don't want some guy/family member in the future to be saying "look at what this idiot previous owner did with this tire carrier. . . "

 

[samc2447]

It's hard to tell from your close up photo, but if there is enough room to move the cushion down so it clears the door, you could lower the tire carrier by the same distance. I suspect you have looked at this and there is either interference with the rear frame cross member or the holes on the cushion wouldn't pass through the rear sill. It's just hard to see for certain from the picture.

The removable idea could be done relatively easy, but in my mind I think of how quick it is to simply unlatch the carrier and swing it open. The rear doors are just as quick, now add a step in where you have to unscrew some bolts or some type of quick release mechanism to remove the cushion and it doesn't become as practical.

A cut cushion won't look stock to us 40 nerds, but it would provide the majority of the support your carrier needs. Keep up the great work!

 

[DSB345]

Just got caught up on your build. Your coming along nicely. Your doing a great job.
Dave

 

[TractorDoc]

That is looking good dave, Looks like it is getting close for another one of those celebratory drives !!! LOL Really is comming together nicley. !!
JP

A cut cushion won't look stock to us 40 nerds, but it would provide the majority of the support your carrier needs. Keep up the great work!

Just got caught up on your build. Your coming along nicely. Your doing a great job.

Thanks for all the positive reinforcement! I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. . . its just a really long tunnel. @DSB345 your engine looks spectacular -- looking forward to seeing more of your progress.

Moved a few feet closer to the end today by finishing up drilling holes and bolting the transmission cover in place. It actually fit in a respectable fashion after tightening everything down considering it is covering over two very different pieces.

Once that task was done I put the gas tank and cover back in place. The cover does not meet up as it would on a stock body along the passenger side door. Of course I could not just leave things looking like this:

So I dug thru my pile of scraps and found a piece of square tubing leftover from this past year's greenhouse addition. These metal tubes formed the skeleton/frame of the greenhouse.

Measured, cut, welded, ground, etc. and ended up with this piece:

I had to weld two pieces together because I could not find a piece of tubing long enough for my needs. Test fitting the new spacer in place looks good I think. . . almost factory! If nothing else it will stop some loose change from rolling down below the tank.

I am able to bolt the side addition to the main cover before installing; otherwise it would be near impossible to reach the nut from the underside unless I welded one to the cover.

I do have another idea that I will try and implement with my tire carrier situation. . . . but I will better try to explain it when I have more time to focus/work on it.

It's hard to tell from your close up photo, but if there is enough room to move the cushion down so it clears the door, you could lower the tire carrier by the same distance. I suspect you have looked at this and there is either interference with the rear frame cross member or the holes on the cushion wouldn't pass through the rear sill.

I had looked at this option but I am about out of room dropping the hinge side down. Honestly I still need to bolt down the hardtop side to get the best appreciation of where the door will sit. The tire carrier is all that is left in terms of holes needing drilled in the tub (as far as I know) so I have no choice but to work on that next. Hope to have a positive report on the subject!

 

[Honger]

I do have another idea that I will try and implement with my tire carrier situation. . . . but I will better try to explain it when I have more time to focus/work on it.

I had looked at this option but I am about out of room dropping the hinge side down. Honestly I still need to bolt down the hardtop side to get the best appreciation of where the door will sit. The tire carrier is all that is left in terms of holes needing drilled in the tub (as far as I know) so I have no choice but to work on that next. Hope to have a positive report on the subject!

Progress is looking good man.
Don't give up on the tire carrier cushion. I don't think cutting the top off will work out so well. The metal C shape of it is what lends the rubber the support to prevent up/down movement and reduce stress on the mounts. I'm puzzled why it doesn't all line up. What's different about the Aqualu tub that makes things not line up?

 

[Vossie]

very nice build! just read through the whole thread... very jealous. keep it up

 

[FJ40Jim]

Why does the tire carrier not bolt on correctly?

 

[TractorDoc]

very nice build! just read through the whole thread... very jealous. keep it up

I appreciate you taking the time to read thru the entire post! You have a fine FJ45 yourself -- no need to be jealous of this little project!

What's different about the Aqualu tub that makes things not line up?

Why does the tire carrier not bolt on correctly?

What and Why indeed. (Good to see you back Jim!)
The rear sill on my tub has been "modified" by the previous owner. It looks like about 3/4" was removed/lowered -- likely to accommodate the ambulance doors.

This leaves less room to mount the tire carrier cushion in a way the driver side ambulance door will clear it when opening (the door). No luck in thinking this tub was made to a different spec at Aqualu, it appears to measure about 14 1/2" from the floor (before modification) to the top of the rear post -- just like in the factory tub that was measured out in the yard. The previous owner somehow shaved off some height from the hardtop sides and then hacked away at the back of the tub to make the ambulance doors fit.
Unmodified hardtop side: (almost 26 7/8")

And the modified '78 hardtop side: (about 26 1/8 ish")

Makes up for the 3/4" difference. Strange thing is the front of the hardtop sides measure the same on the modified '78 set and unmodified set on the truck out in the yard. The "before" photos (before I took the truck apart) do not reveal any obvious issues with alignment or gaps in the joining parts. I do not think the fiberglass top had ever been separated from the sides or center rear cross piece by the effort needed to disassemble everything.

A new/different hardtop is definitely not in the budget and I do not have the skill/tools to unmodify the rear sill anyway. As mentioned earlier I will plan to move forward with the parts I have on hand and see what we end up with. I know @White Stripe mentioned he had to make a few adjustments to get his hardtop sides to fit properly on his aqualu tub; perhaps my situation was part of the previous owner's attempt at mounting the sides but in a more extreme fashion.

As far as the tire carrier cushion goes -- an attempt to explain my latest idea.
The cushion itself will be secured to the tire carrier (have a plan for this, just no pictures at this time). When the carrier swings open the cushion moves with it and the ambulance door is free to open. When the carrier is closed the securing hook will press the cushion on the rear sill and two modified bolts (installed in the sill) will act as studs for the cushion bolt openings to slide over. Made a "temporary sill" with the modified bolts in place and the cushion in the "closed" position:

My hope is the modified bolts will compensate for the up and down forces that would otherwise be felt by the carrier hinges.

Not sure how clear my idea presents (clear as MUD, eh?) but it is the best thought Ive had yet to counter a ridiculous situation. I have spent enough time and effort with the 40 that I accept it as my own with all imperfections. . . wont change the way I hope to enjoy it down the road (literally!). As always, any other ideas or thoughts are welcomed -- some of my best ideas have been someone elses .

 

[White Stripe]

I have a feeling that is a pre 76 aqualu tub, and that's why it was modified like that.

 

[tlc762]

Doc,
Looking at the photos of your two hardtop sides/tubs I noticed a difference between them that MAY account for the difference in the measurements of hard top side heights. Photo #1 shows a factory tub/top side combination. Notice the top of the tub opening for the rear doors (the square corner) is stepped down from the rear height of the tub (the vertical lip) to the edge of the barn door opening. On the aqualu tub in picture #2 the step is not there- the top of the tub is one level all the way to the door opening. The second hard top looks to have been trimmed off to sit on the unstepped tub. (assuming they are two different hard top sides pictured and one was modified to fit the aqualu tub) This might account for the apparent difference in hardtop length. Try remeasuring the hard top rear heights in another location further from the barn door opening-like just inboard of the curved windows.
HTH,
Will

 

[handcannon]

I had one more wild idea about the spare tire rack cushion. Is it possible to make a mounting plate for the cushion, that would fasten to the bottom edge of the door, and allow the cushion to hang below the door in the proper orientation to supply support for the rack. The back side of the plate would have to be surfaced with rubber as it would contact the sill. The tire rack cushion would have a fixed height through the door and hinges, and thus would give the vertical support needed by the tire rack.

Don

 

[waiting for time]

If it is tight enough and the mounting on the carrier is solid, 2 guide pins will do the job. You just need a tight fit on the pins.

 

[Vossie]

I appreciate you taking the time to read thru the entire post! You have a fine FJ45 yourself -- no need to be jealous of this little project!

no no, my 45 would benefit a whole lot if i had done half the things you have done with yours. builds like this are what keep me lieing awake at night saying "Im sure i can do it better, just need to start again"

if only the mrs would see it that way

 

[TractorDoc]

builds like this are what keep me lieing awake at night saying "Im sure i can do it better, just need to start again"

I lay awake at night thinking of how I could have done something different, easier, or better -- doubt there is ever such a thing as the perfect build no matter how many times you've done it!

Thanks everyone for the excellent feedback on the tire carrier.
I decided that I have lost enough sleep over the situation and moved forward with the installation today. I'd be lying if I said I did not have butterflies in my stomach when I started drilling hinge holes for the carrier; the process became a little easier as I focused on the details. Once I had drilled/tapped/installed bolts for the carrier itself I drilled/installed my modified "pin" bolts for the cushion in the sill. I temporarily secured the cushion to the carrier with zip ties (I have a more secure/substantial method than zip ties for the final product but they worked to prove proof of concept). Here is how things looked with the carrier open:

And from the back:

Swing the carrier into place and here is how it looks when closed:

I will need to shave a little off the top of the securing hook but otherwise everything snugs up nicely. I can pull up/push down on the carrier and the entire truck wants to move -- a good sign so far.
Full view of the entire carrier:

And of course I had to bounce the tire itself up on the carrier to see how things fit, looked, and functioned. Once I install better cushion securing straps I doubt the average person would ever know something was changed -- part of the goal of the modified design.

I admit that I walked a few steps around the shop with my arms up in the air in a triumphant fashion. My hair can return to turning grey at more normal rate now.
That should be the last of the major holes needing drilled into the tub. A couple small ones here or there for emblems and such should not be a big deal.
Now starts the process of taking everything back apart and prepping the body for paint. There are a couple internal weld seams that are visible from the outside that need flattened out. A few areas of light filler, an etch primer, urethane primer, and filler primer (external body) will follow. I will be using USC's Defender product (similar to Raptor) for the floor and fender wells. The floor will stay black but the internal sides, bottom, and of course exterior will be blue.

Thank you again to everyone for your suggestions -- I hate to think how little I would have accomplished by now without the help of this forum!

 

[waiting for time]

Nice job doc.

 

[TractorDoc]

Busy time around the farm this week -- the every other day rain showers finally let up and allowed us to get the hay cut. While I did not have to be in the wagon stacking bales plenty of work/time was involved getting all the equipment lined up, greased, etc. as well as making space in the barn for the new incoming hay.

I was able to get several hours in with the 40 here and there. I started by removing all the pieces I drilled holes for/bolted into the tub. To compensate for removing those pieces a new radiator overflow/washer bottle (from City Racer of course) was installed. I really did try cleaning up my original to reuse but found a large crack/hole in the washer bottle halfway thru the process.

Just when I thought I was done drilling holes in the tub I found myself creating one more -- for the fuel tank vapor line. There is a very small window to get the hole between major pieces of aluminum tubing in the tub but I managed to hit the sweet spot.

Sorry for the sideways picture.
I also started some bodywork. A protruding line/seam is visible from the outside where two aluminum pieces are welded together inside the tub. Tried to take a picture -- it is the horizontal line that I just touched with the grinder in the center.

Hitting it with 40 then 100 grit looks to have knocked the largest bit of it down. These seams will get a thin coating of the USC All-Metal Filler to smooth things out further.

And finally I test fitted the passenger side door before pulling the tub so I could tighten the door hinges on the cowl. You can see Ive started to apply the filler along the sanded seam.

I will try to get the majority of the filler work done while the tub is still on the frame. The next step will be removing the tub and flipping it/working on the bottom side first. The PO applied a black paint to the underside of the tub but must not have done any prep work as I can nearly scratch it off with my fingernail. The plan is to have the major prep work done and start to prime/paint the tub bottom next weekend. That is the plan anyway. . . anyone that has made plans before knows how easily they can change!