First SOA'd Camping Trip (1 Viewer)

[Shinichi]

Here are some pictures of our first camping trip in our SOA'd 84 FJ 60.

Loaded down with mud from the road to Colbran

New camera does cool stuff

Gravel pit camping. Also about the limit of my wife's wheeling threshold(so far), She says she's ready for Moab.


I will break down some of the details this weekend.

Over the winter, mostly this spring, I spent some time under the 60 get'n it done.

Front Axle:
Pulled out, disassembled, and cleaned.
Housing sent to Poffitt's for cut and turn and related welding
Hubs/Knuckles rebuilt with bearing and seal kits from Man-a-fre
'95 4-runner calipers from NAPA
Brembo replacement rotors, Man-a-Fre
Marlin hy-steer kit
Sky Manufacturing shock mounts
Rancho RS5000
Braided stainless brake lines
New custom bent(by me) hard lines
Spring packs disassembled cleaned and painted
Stock length greasable shackles and pins
Poly bushings
Flat black paint on what needed it

Not done to front (yet):
Rebuild, re-gear and lock diff
Extend front drive shaft
Add-a-Leafs
Bump stops
Rear Axle:
Sringpacks cleaned and painted
I will disassemble them when I add add-a-leafs
Perches welded on with correct pinion angle
Old perches cut off
Sky Manu. shock tabs
Rancho RS5000
New, stock length greasable shackles and pins
Poly bushings
Cleaned and painted
Extended stainless brake line

Not done to rear:
Rebuild, re-gear, lock diff
Rebuild brakes or disc conversion
Bump stops

Rebuilt stock brake Master

 

[bigndn]

I'll be the first to say, "This thread is worthless without pics." I can't wait to SOA my 60. What tires are you running? I'm planning on 37" MTRs when the SOA is done.

 

[cody c]

definately needs pics, how did you like the difference in drive of the new rig?

 

[macneill]

Uhhh... what pix?

 

[chicago]

Sinichi,
How did she handle with the stock springs and the rancho 5K's?
Did it feel pretty tippy? Did you keep the sways attached?
The wife and I were in the BLOTCH rig today, and she said it felt tippy, but I dont really notice it at all...
I was wondering how yours was handleing!

POST PICS!

Chicago

 

[Shinichi]

I just renewed my star this afternoon, so still no pics... I know worthless.

Chicago, I ended up running without the sway bar, I don't mind the roll, it's not bad. My wife did get a little car sick on one leg of our trip though. However, it drives way better with the RS5000 shocks and no sway-bar, than it did with no shocks and the sway bar connected. Without the shocks it felt real tippy, and scary going from turn to turn. With the shocks and no sway, the ride is significantly stiffer and the roll is nearly gone. Going from turn to turn feels fine, but I do notice stuff moving around in back(dog included) when I go through a long sweeping turns. I am holding on to the steering wheel so it is no big deel for me, but it is noticable for everyone else. All I can say about that is, try to climb over a berm (or anything) in your sports car. At least I can get through the turns...

I will get pics up as soon as I can, and I will explane some details of what I did as I can post pictures.

 

[Shinichi]

What tires are you running? I'm planning on 37" MTRs when the SOA is done.

I am still running 33s on 2.5" back spaced rock crawlers. I have the tires, and they are pretty new. I don't have the money for new gears, and the combination seems to work pretty good for now. I also don't really have to worry about breakage either. When I get more comfortable wheeling it, and clearance becomes a limiting factor, I will go bigger for sure.

 

[chicago]

Came out awesome bro!
I was just wondering what you thought about it after all was said and done!
I d/c'd the sways too, but I went with some stiffer shocks and AAL's...To me, the rig handles better than it did SUA, but the wife made comment about it and I thought I might be still on "CLOUD 9" after the build...ya know.

looking forward to the pics!

Chicago

 

[brokenparts]

man... we need pics!

 

[Shinichi]

Finally some pictures. I will try to explain some of my observations about doing the SOA this weekend, and post some more pics.

 

[D'Animal]

So you did the SOA yourself? Do you have pics of that? If not, what was the biggest challenge with it? Did you have to lengthen the driveshafts.

 

[DBS311]

Didn't you just throw on the OME lift not too long ago???

 

[Shinichi]

I did put on an OME med/heavy lift last summer. It was the worst ride unless I had all my tools in the back. I don't carry stuff that often. So I wanted another option. I found someone in Denver who traded me his stockers for my OME, the same way I got them in the first place. Since I already had new 33: tires and I liked how they drove, I comitted to the SOA.

I didn't extend the drive shafts yet. The front is definetly a little short, but I did a cut and turn which helps and it won't come close to seperating even at full droop. The stock springs I have are very flat, and I am not really wheeling it hard yet. I wanted to decide on a motor and tranny combo, tire size and such before I regeared and then extended the drive shafts. One side note. I have the short four speed(pre '85) and it has a CV joint, or Double Cardin I think, in the front. So the steeper angle from the tranny to the C&T'd front axle doesn't make any vibrations. Even at 40+ mph.

I will take some pictures this weekend of what everything looks like close up.

 

[Shinichi]

, what was the biggest challenge with it?

Initially the knuckle rebuild was the scariest to get into. But once I had them taken apart and cleaned, I came to understand how they work much better. Putting them back together took some time, but I think that the experience of the rebuild is what I got the most out of in the entire conversion.

Welding was a little scary too, but with a little practice it was not too hard either.

 

[intense1]

Shinichi: Did you happen to measure how much lift you got with the SOA?

 

[Shinichi]

Compared to our stock 62 it is 8 inches taller at the front fender. It actually doesn't look much taller than it did with the OME, and it sits more level.

I did not use AALs yet and only have 33s. It could go way taller much easier than with SUA lift.

 

[intense1]

8"... Looks great. Do you drive it alot? I mostly DD and I dunno how that would be. 6" sounds better to me, but all you did was SOA, on stock springs, right?

 

[goodtwin]

Rad dude. I have the same year and did almost completely what you did. Marlin high steer, Profitt's cut and turn, etc, etc. Looks great. I'm also in Colorado but I don't know where Basalt is. Maybe we'll cross paths sometime. I'm putting gears in mine right now, so I'll be wheeling again soon.......after I break them in of course. That'll take a couple of weeks.
Good job. I hope you continue to enjoy it SOA.

 

[D'Animal]

8"... Looks great. Do you drive it alot? I mostly DD and I dunno how that would be. 6" sounds better to me, but all you did was SOA, on stock springs, right?

Well?

If your other 62 has sagging springs then I can understand an 8" difference between them. I don't see how you can get 8" of lift by doing a SOA.

 

[chicago]

Cant wait to see the shots of the components and work done.
You SOA seemed to go really quick...Mine took FOREVER!

Thanks for the pics!

Chicago