Builds Early Fj40 Rock Crawler Gets a Refresh (1 Viewer)

[559Fj40]

No pictures to add at the moment but Rubithon Prep has been going about as well as it could go living as far away from the cruiser as I do. I live and work in the Bay Area and the cruiser stays at my parents house 3 hours away. This leaves weekends to work on it and Monday-Thursday to order parts. If I could tinker each day after work I think I would have been done by now but that is not the case so the crunch is on.

Did a bit of a tune-up via quadrajet and fresh plugs. Q-Jet should give me some better off camber performance and allow me to hold off on fuel injection a bit longer. I survived last year running the edelbrock carb but definitely not ideal.

New heavier wall driveshaft and ujoints from Driveline Service of Fresno. 1 day turnaround was great as well. Dropped off in the am and ready by 3pm. The cruiser runs down the road 100 times better now with fresh joints and no dents/candy cane striping.

The cruiser has had revolver shackles on it forever and even though the internet makes it seem like they will unload at any given moment causing me to crash and kill a bus full of nuns.... I don't really mind them. Are they the reason these leaf springs break? Maybe. Regardless I didn't feel like changing much up for now and someone local had a set new in the box so I snagged them to replace the hammered and bent ones currently on the truck. The shiny black shackles hanging out the back look a bit out of place but they will fade like everything else soon enough.

Pulled the trigger on a MORRFlate Kit as well so I'll finally have some on board air. Other trail repair items I have been working on include the premier power welder. This thing had a premier from the mid 90's and the alternator portion of it died around 2016. I have just been running a basic gm 1 wire since then (this means no welder) so I sent the welding unit to premier to have them test it before going in on a new alternator.

I have a rear axle rebuild kit I am considering doing before the trip but that could probably be put off. That is not much of a priority right now. Higher on the list is just an overall nut and bolt check, fluid check, collecting my trail spares, and getting my leaf pack down to betts spring to work on getting a new spare main made. I also need to find out if I still have a stash of old knuckle studs laying around or else I'll buy some fresh ones and my current ones can be retired. I gave me easy to grab studs/washers/nuts and bearings away at Rubithon last year to someone who needed them much more than I did.

I'll be back to work on the cruiser this Friday. I'm thinking this is my last weekend to figure out if there is anything else needed to order as the following weekend I will be in Tahoe visiting someone who is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. So this weekend and the weekend of the 22nd will be my final prep days....

 

[559Fj40]

Few pictures of some of the little things I’ve been up to.

Fresh “new to me” Revolvers to replace the bent up and 25+yo ones on the rig currently. Maybe one day I’ll switch things up but I really don’t mind these things.

City Racer LED upgrade. Kicking myself for not doing this sooner. Less than 15 minutes to swap and night driving is light years more enjoyable now.

Idk if it’s still going on but while playing around on prp I noticed that the SFI rated 5 point harnesses were only 100 bucks a piece. Idk if it was some unlisted sale, a computer issue… I don’t know. I took advantage, snagged some, and a harness bar. The 3” lap belt with the 2” padded shoulder straps are actually super comfy. Glad I did not do the 3” shoulders. I feel like I would the 3” would bother my neck.

Summit Racing Q-Jet. Still needs some dialing in at full throttle but idle and part throttle seem fine and should perform much better than the edelbrock 1406. Fuel injection is in my future but this should be fine for the time being.

 

[559Fj40]

Well now that its fall, I'll post about my summer that did NOT include much wheeling. Back in June the goal was Rubithon 36. Got to loon Wednesday night, aired down thursday morning and hit the trail. Cruised through gate keeper and the bowl, loved how the q-jet was performing compared to the edelbrock, and then promptly broke a pinion exiting the bowl. Then while being dragged out of where I was broken, a leaf spring was bent. New weekend plan became wrench, camp, and spectate.

The work space here is actually better than what I have at home so really not too bad. A spare leaf pack was in the tow rig so while my dad started tearing things apart I hiked out to grab the spring and an extra bottle jack.

Fashioned myself a sling to carry it on my shoulder.

Got a helpful tow out to the top of the bowl and then winched my way through gatekeeper. No front locker and no rwd made it a challenge but we made great time back to the truck on Saturday.

 

[559Fj40]

On Sunday while everyone was exiting the Rubicon, I was a home ordering gears and an anti wrap bar to help prevent this from happening again. Or atleast prolong it.

It is a miracle this coarse spline pinion made it this long behind a v8 and 37s. It was bound to happen.

I also managed to put a crack through the 3rd as well.

With gears being ordered and a spare third off to a friend to set up, I got to work on the rest of the list. Both original spring packs now had busted mains. The springs were originally from BTB when they were still in San Jose but they no longer offered the 4" spring. A little digging led me to Betts Spring in Fresno. I had them make me a couple copies of the main leaf and then a military wrapped second leaf. The cruiser had flipped and drilled springs to begin with so now the mains will be ready to mount in that orientation to begin with.

This was also a good time to install my marketplace ARB for the front. I ordered the small ARB Air Locker Activation compressor as I already have a MORRFlate compressor so no need for a large hard mount, just needed something to run the locker. About this same time Trail Gear started a huge sale so I drove down the hill to Fresno to pick up a set of longfield birfs and inner axles. The set also included chromo hub gears and drive flanges. Those are still in the bag and will be spares. These front shafts are now a good match to the longfield rears that I am Guinea Pigging.

This is what I mean by the Rubicon being a better spot to wrench than home^^^^^^ No concrete in sight. I never want to see anyone with a shop or garage complaining about their lack of motivation.

Finally, after a summer of occasional wrenching and travel for backpacking and weddings, I got to drive the Cruiser. The weather last weekend was great so I just enjoyed cruising around putting some miles on the new gear set. I couldn't resist 4 low though and did some real mild wheeling which was fun. Hopefully can get out some more in these next few weeks to feel out the front locker and learn to wheel with that. I need to add the anti wrap bar as well but with summer winding down I'd rather spend my weekends driving it than working on it. The t case adapter is also leaking like crazy. I lined my skid plate with pig mat and I'll keep things topped of. Adding that to the list of "winter problems"

 

[559Fj40]

Had to find something light while out hanging out with all of my 2wd friends.
My prerunner friend did recently pick up a '69 F250 so that he can build something for something besides going fast over bumps. For now we just rip forest roads and then I'll pull off for an obstacle or two and then on to something else.

 

[Firemedic831]

Look forward to seeing you make it all the way in 2025 for Rubithon .

 

[559Fj40]

Look forward to seeing you make it all the way in 2025 for Rubithon .

That’s the goal. 2023 almost went too smoothly for a first timer. 2024 made up for it. Still a great time even with the break.

 

[Firemedic831]

2025 will be a good year .

 

[archie73]

I’m curious on the 37’s with 4” SUA- how are you fitting them? I’ve got 4” of SR SUA goodness and I in trying to avoid more lift, but I picked up some 37’s and I having a hard time justifying the increase of lift/cutting the fenders(more). I’m far from stock, but I’d to avoid more surgery.

 

[559Fj40]

I’m curious on the 37’s with 4” SUA- how are you fitting them? I’ve got 4” of SR SUA goodness and I in trying to avoid more lift, but I picked up some 37’s and I having a hard time justifying the increase of lift/cutting the fenders(more). I’m far from stock, but I’d to avoid more surgery.

There’s a small body lift. I wasn’t the one to install it but I haven’t removed it either. I do get the tire into the front fender just a bit when really twisted up. It’s definitely a tight fit. I know without that body lift I’d have to cut for sure.
I keep the body lift in mostly because the the trans an t case are pretty flat with the frame the way they are mounted and I don’t feel like cutting my tunnel up to fit it. The sm420 doesn’t like coming in and out as it is.

 

[559Fj40]

Updates and pictures have been lacking but there has been some work done on the cruiser.

I did finish the fall with a bang….

Sorry for the weird formatting, it’s a saved photo from an instagram story. Tight creek bed trail and I got leaned against some trees and tweaked the frame which cracked the glass. I tell my friends all the time how nice wheeling with the windshield down is…. Should have listened to my own advice.

After that I trailered it from my parents house in Central Ca to the Bay Area where I live and work so I could tinker on this more often. I’ve done very little tinkering since then but things are starting to happen as summer inches closer.

Premier Power Welder. The cruiser had one of these years ago but the alternator died and I never got around to talking to premier about a new one. Sent everything in for a test and they were in complete disbelief that the unit worked at all with how fried the internals were. Because they couldn’t repair they gave me a decent deal on a new setup.

Took the trans/tcase out tonight as well. Headed to Valley Hybrids On Friday for an Orion setup. I thought about doing it myself but I have kind of an oddball batch of parts and an uncommon adapter so I’m handing this one off to the pros.

Once I get this truck moving around again the plan is to re-do my broken rear spring packs from summer ‘24. I snapped one main and bent another. Currently my passenger side is a 2” lift main leaf with a bunch of extra leaves from a 4” lift pack, and then the driver side is a skyjacker 4” pack. Rather than whole new packs from somewhere like Alcan, I talked to Betts spring in Fresno who made a couple copies of the broken main leafs as well as a second leaf with a military wrap. I’ll end up with a bit of a bastard pack setup with the fresh main/2nd leaf and the well worn and soft 4” Leaves that have been on there forever.

Another goal I have before summer is getting this tool box dialed in. Currently it’s just one big space but id like to add some drawers (overlander AF) and create an upper/lower section to it. Currently it’s a pain in the ass to get stuff out when I have the camping gear and action packers stacked on top during trips like Rubithon. I’m thinking drawers with lots of commonly used tools/parts and then the big ticket items can be accessible by lifting the lid. I’m talking bigger spare parts/welding supplies etc… this obviously isn’t something that’s going to keep me from wheeling but it is a big want.

I’m also considering signing up for the Mud n yer Eye at Hollister Hills at the end of April… I better get to work.

 

[559Fj40]

Orion picked up a few weeks ago. All the little upgrades valley hybrids offers are done to it and got the twin stick kit for it as well. Been slowly tinkering here and there. Got everything in the truck, shifters dialed in, etc. Took a little bit of work to get the shifters set up because I used my existing bracket/pivot. The plate style adapter I have also meant lots of trimming of the linkage.

I have parking brake stuff on the way from Specter Offroad as well. Going to be nice to have some sort of brake again. I’ve been putting it off and telling myself I’d do el dorado calipers for awhile now. Irate4x4 also had a thread about people making brackets and repurposing tesla parking brake calipers on different applications. But I decided to take the easy way out and just order the guts for the factory brake on the 40.

Issue I’m going to solve today via a call to valley hybrids is my front output. They set me up with a new output flange in the box but it’s a different bolt pattern than what my t-case arrived to them with. The t case end of my driveshaft is the smaller 3 speed yoke to clear the reverse gear hump on the sm420. The large output I have from them won’t even install. Not enough room. Not a big deal as I’m a ways from driving the truck anyway and I know they will make it right. It just never even registered to me to check the yoke at pickup when it was mentioned to me they replaced it.

 

[archie73]

View attachment 3895859
Orion picked up a few weeks ago. All the little upgrades valley hybrids offers are done to it and got the twin stick kit for it as well. Been slowly tinkering here and there. Got everything in the truck, shifters dialed in, etc. Took a little bit of work to get the shifters set up because I used my existing bracket/pivot. The plate style adapter I have also meant lots of trimming of the linkage.

I have parking brake stuff on the way from Specter Offroad as well. Going to be nice to have some sort of brake again. I’ve been putting it off and telling myself I’d do el dorado calipers for awhile now. Irate4x4 also had a thread about people making brackets and repurposing tesla parking brake calipers on different applications. But I decided to take the easy way out and just order the guts for the factory brake on the 40.

Issue I’m going to solve today via a call to valley hybrids is my front output. They set me up with a new output flange in the box but it’s a different bolt pattern than what my t-case arrived to them with. The t case end of my driveshaft is the smaller 3 speed yoke to clear the reverse gear hump on the sm420. The large output I have from them won’t even install. Not enough room. Not a big deal as I’m a ways from driving the truck anyway and I know they will make it right. It just never even registered to me to check the yoke at pickup when it was mentioned to me they replaced it.

I think Valley also makes a top plate saver. It’s easier to install now than later. I don’t install one initially, but later had a need for one…

 

[559Fj40]

I think Valley also makes a top plate saver. It’s easier to install now than later. I don’t install one initially, but later had a need for one…

I built a top plate saver a couple years ago and then this build added the nose cone ring as well as a later model ribbed nose cone. Should be decently stout considering how little I really beat on this thing.