First start checklist?

[nickswan]

They were 33x12.5x15 and I'm going to 33x10.5x15

Went ahead and ordered a 4" lift and some anti-inversion shackles to bring the shackle angle back to a manageable angle. The stock springs are shot and these ridiculously long shackles make for a rough ride. I've had nothing but good luck with rough country and they were half the price of everything else out there.

 

[FJsnoozer]

what state are you in?

The reason I ask all these questions is that I have new 33x10.5s on my rig now. The body is cut so it clears now. I will be puting on a stock body and I doubt I will be able to clear y tires, so if you are ditching your shackles. I might make a deal with you. I too a going with a rough country, but I dont think I will have time to install it before my first road trip during thanksgiving.

 

[nickswan]

what state are you in?

The reason I ask all these questions is that I have new 33x10.5s on my rig now. The body is cut so it clears now. I will be puting on a stock body and I doubt I will be able to clear y tires, so if you are ditching your shackles. I might make a deal with you. I too a going with a rough country, but I dont think I will have time to install it before my first road trip during thanksgiving.

I'm in Florida and if you want these shackles you can have them.

 

[nickswan]

Forgot to post my best mod to date

No not the pintle or LEDs, look closer.

 

[nickswan]

Lift is in, wheels will be here Tuesday, now all I need is time to put it all on. Trollhole carb will be here in two weeks. Waved goodbye to my hardtop this morning. Now I just need someone to come pick these wheels up.

I'm gonna start pb blasting everything now, but I will probably just cut the u-bolts off. Hopefully the bushing aren't seized. I did a lift on an old YJ a few years back and fought seized shackle bushings for hours finally resorting to a smoke wrench.

 

[nickswan]

Houston, we have a very tall problem...

Looks like rough country's 4" lift is more like 7"

I've now got an 86" fj40 in a 82" garage

And my shackles are way too long not helping things. They are 5.5" eye to eye, I didn't think stock shackles would fit with the large eyes. Any ideas?

Even if I went with 2.5" eye to eye it would only drop 1.5" I need it like 4.5" lower. Will this thing settle if I take it around the block a few times?

 

[nickswan]

Front of the lift is done, took about 4 hours for the front and 5 for the back by my self. I doubt it would have gone much quicker with help, if anyone is thinking of doing it themselves.

Still a little tall at 5" up front and 6" in the back. I'm still about an inch too high to get it back in the garage.

I took it offroad for about an hour trying to get it to settle, but I think it will take a while.

I kinda like the look with no caps, kinda wish I held off on em.

Driveway is on a slope, 40 is actually pretty level.

PO included a full car cover with the sale, I'm going to try it out and see if it's water tight tonight. If it's dry tomorrow I'm going to keep trying to get it to settle. If it leaks the tops coming off until it drops an inch.

 

[edwjmcgrath]

Looking good. Throw those old tires and wheels in the back to help out with the settling.
Taking the top off makes a lot of sense. We're past the rainy season....except for T.S. Rina next week...
And I love the caps on my wheels, but yours is more rustic looks good without.

 

[nickswan]

I can't believe what a difference the 10.5 tires make. It's like I have power steering now. PS just dropped down a few notches on the list of mods to do.

 

[nickswan]

Went and did a little mild offroading this weekend to flex the springs a bit. Parked it in the driveway after and found a nice puddle of gear oil the next morning. Looks like a bad seal between tranny and xfer pumping oil into the tranny and venting. I ordered a bypass kit and some stock length anti inversion shackles. Should have em on this weekend.

I decided I ought to check the fluid in the diffs while I was pumping gear oil. Apperantly brown paint was cheaper than gear oil where my PO lived. It was nasty, wish I drained it the day I got it. Magnetic drain plug was covered in metal, filled everything with fresh oil and took my paki off to park it in the garage until I can get it down to 82".

 

[nickswan]

Put $OR's oil return kit on as cheap insurance. I also put the 2.75 anti inversion shackles on. They did real well in front and terrible in the rear. I thought I'd put the 40 up on some rocks to see how it was flexing. The front did real well.

The back, not so much.

I also took the doors off since I'm still 1.5" too tall to put the top on and put it in the garage.

Took the hubcaps off too, I think it looks a lot meaner.

I'll give the rear springs a couple good work outs, then I'll either pull a leaf or put the old leaves on with the longer shackles to keep it level. Any other ideas?

 

[subzali]

lower your tire pressure going in and out of the garage ;p

 

[nickswan]

lower your tire pressure going in and out of the garage ;p

Not very practical but sounds like a good excuse for OBA!

 

[nickswan]

New trollhole carb has been the best money spent so far, bent the throttle cable plate to clear the air rail and adjusted the idle and it's starting instantly and running without any hesitation now, I couldn't be happier. I had to cut the front passenger side shaft to clear the PCV hose and bend the steel fuel lines to fit the different configuration.

It's a totally different ride now, I'm assuming the secondary on my stock aisin carb wasn't even functioning as I was topping out at around 50mph and now it wants to just go and go. The real test will be how easily it starts after sitting for a few days. Can't wait to throw the starting fluid in the trash and have a vehicle that reliably starts evey time.

 

[nickswan]

finally pulled the other dizzy with the crane cams fireball xr700 ignition and swapped it in. was pretty low tech, used a sharpie to mark where the old one was set and pushed the new one in. wiring consisted of two wires to the coil and a ground. all said and done maybe ten minutes and it started and ran better than before.

also this showed up today





powdercoat took a couple scratches during the trip but for the price i cant complain. it will go in friday and hopefully the frame tie ins and hip guards will be here shortly. i plan to fab a seat cradle up and put some scat seats in if i can find a good deal. i also need to fab some brackets to put the troop seats back in.

im heading down to check out a 92 fj80 tomorrow, if all goes well i can really start tearing this thing down.

 

[1973barnfind]

Hey man, nice 40, i'm jealous. If i had that kind of cash to dump into mine, i'd do it in a heartbeat.

P.s. how do you like your RCX lift? it gets better for sure! in a bout a year..... I drive my 40 on the bumpiest washboard trails I know, and it seems to settle the springs. i've also put 500 lbs of cinderblocks in the tub and leave it in the driveway while I'm working on it. it helps settle the rear springs. Fronts are great! rears.... buck. try stock shackles in the rear.

 

[nickswan]

Thanks! The fronts are great but the rear has still yet to settle. And these are stock length shackles unfortunately. I'm building a driver side cooler/can carrier so that will add a little weight along with the full MT cage, so hopefully it will settle more.

 

[nickswan]

about to go under the knife...

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/d8ce6d84.jpg

install was pretty uneventful, i used an engine hoist to lift it up, drove under, and dropped it in. it lined up really well, i just cut the carpet out from under the front feet, drilled the holes and bolted it down. once the frame tie-ins get here it will get unbolted and welded up.

damn you Rough Country! when will your stupid rear springs settle an inch? still too high

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/0e26f5eb.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/1679b793.jpg

really hoping i can fab up some brackets and feet for my troop seats, i refuse to go to a forward facing bench, the troop seats make it a 40! but they are going to be really close together...

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/86f11e8d.jpg

MT makes a hell of a product and i gotta thank fellow MUD member "Bang Bang" for such an awesome deal on this cage.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/9d54f1a9.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/4db2e679.jpg

i've got to dig the old three point harnesses back out and get em mounted back up.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/5f032740.jpg

I plan to get the Paki top put back on this weekend, hopefully the doors and bows dont have any fitment issues. the overhead bars stick up a lot higher than i expected.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/67b0520f.jpg

not sure if i posted any shots of the 10k waterproof wireless winch installed on CCOT's winch plate. this knock-off winch has paid for itself so many times and when it dies it will probably be replaced with an 8274.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/44661b49.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/nickswan/e51e2f7f.jpg

 

[nickswan]

Troop seats are in!

I built some storage boxes for under the seats

They should hold all my tools and recovery gear. They are not quite finished, I think I'll use a cheap truck bed coating for now until I get the whole tub coated.

 

[subzali]

Looks great! I'm not sure what to make of the "Safety Third" on the winch though...