Builds FJ40 buggy re-fresh

[too tall]

It's been quite a long time I've been wheeling this rig pretty hard. I bent a few thing last year at a bush competition I was involved in so I tried to straighten it out a bit with my excavator...
Ended up screwing it up more to the point I have to fix it now.
It has had leaf springs in the front up until this point. I plan on 4 linking the front, re-mounting the engine/tranny toward the rear quite a bit, full hydraulic steering with 80 series hellfire knuckles and dumping a bunch of weight. Currently running 40" Sticky Trepadors planning on staying the same tire size. Here are a few pics . I'll post up specs in the next few visits here. So far up until this point, I would have called it mostly just a landcruiser .

 

[too tall]

I got a bit carried away with the plasma cutter.

 

[Mike Shull]

That is a minor adjustment? Ha! Cool Cruiser.

 

[too tall]

So as far as drivetrain I have been running a 3fe/sm420/3spd case with 4.88's in the diffs. I am planning on staying with that setup for now. I have lowered the rear 3" which I planned when I initially 4linked the rear but the leafs forced me to add 3" to the back to even it out with the front.
Losing the leafs in the front will allow me to lower it that 3". I am planning on moving the drivetrain toward the rear approximately 10" from the stock location. That may change a bit as I progress. I'm raising it slightly so I can have a flat belly (planning a skid plate of 3/16 hardox).
I've been having bad luck with bell housings lately so my son suggested the new one should have a Gold paint job. Maybe a little bling will help it hold up better? Ha Ha
This is pretty close to where I feel I want it to go.

 

[74fj40]

10” is pretty significant, I’d imagine a big change in the way it handles! A flat belly would be nice. Mine hangs down quite a bit with the split case. Definitely a draw back to stay all Toyota on a crawler. No clocking

 

[too tall]

I'm clocking the whole works a few degrees to get it a bit lower. Also lowering the front of the engine so the whole works sits more level front to back. 10" is a lot but I'm confident it will handle better throughout its whole range of driving characteristics. Its a big chunk of weight to throw around. I'm sure it will change things a lot in this car.

 

[too tall]

I decided to cut some channels for the base of the new tubes to replace the original frame so that I would have a flat spot for the new skid. This is the idea. I drilled holes and welded nuts to accept a flange that I will weld onto the hardox so I can attach it to the chassis with bolts for removal when servicing from the underside. This is the basic idea. As you can see, the old remaining frame is tweaked even this far back. Everything new I'm putting back is as close as I can get it to ensure symmetry when I'm finished.

 

[too tall]

The channel and tube is not where they will end up as far as length. They will shortened and tweaked to fit the engine/chassis tube frame structure as things progress. I am going to use a narrowed grill and doved hood with a full width cowl.

 

[too tall]

Got a couple new rails in place. I'm going to start fitting the new cowl and make sure I have the front bib in the correct place. Gonna be able to start figuring out tube structure for the front soon.

 

[Mike Shull]

This is looking very nice. Excellent work! Is the 40 for your profile icon the same as this one?

 

[too tall]

This is looking very nice. Excellent work! Is the 40 for your profile icon the same as this one?

No that was another, I think I'm going to do a bit of a colour change though to the same as that one. Most of the panels I'm using are the lighter shade of green.

 

[too tall]

Finally got a bit of time to test fit the new cowl. Still needs some fine tuning as far as fit and position. Hopefully have more time with it soon.

 

[too tall]

Got a bit more work done fitting the new cowl. Threw the hood on and cut the holes in the bib to see how its gonna line up. I cut the hood a number of years ago for the doved front idea. I wanted to keep all of the factory windshield hold down brackets and vents to retain the factory look. Still have to work out the front corners but I like the amount of chop so far.

 

[too tall]

Started building the new engine/transmission mounts. Using real rubber bushings and .188 wall 1.75 DOM as the sleeves. Planning on using 18mm bolts. I made the bell housing mounts so they pickup the weight closer to the bell housing itself. Hope fully be a bit stronger with less leverage on them. Planning a 5th point at the back in the centre to better carry the t-case load.

 

[too tall]

Haven't had much time to post lately. My son and I are heading down to sand hollow at the end of the month for trail hero. We've been busy with his car getting it ready to wheel around while we're there. It's Toyota based buggy with an 80 rear dual cases custom front 9.5" axle and a 2RZ engine. Maybe see some of you guys down there? Feel free to come chat if you see us.

 

[EWheeler]

Haven't had much time to post lately. My son and I are heading down to sand hollow at the end of the month for trail hero. We've been busy with his car getting it ready to wheel around while we're there. It's Toyota based buggy with an 80 rear dual cases custom front 9.5" axle and a 2RZ engine. Maybe see some of you guys down there? Feel free to come chat if you see us.
View attachment 3732164

Looks like a killer ride!

 

[Broski]

Haven't had much time to post lately. My son and I are heading down to sand hollow at the end of the month for trail hero. We've been busy with his car getting it ready to wheel around while we're there. It's Toyota based buggy with an 80 rear dual cases custom front 9.5" axle and a 2RZ engine. Maybe see some of you guys down there? Feel free to come chat if you see us.
View attachment 3732164

I wanted to go but were hitting the Dusy Ershim taril that weekend

 

[too tall]

Managed to get a few things done today. Leaving Friday morning early for Utah. Had to cut quite a bit of the firewall to get the engine into its final spot. Hopefully won't have issues afterwards pulling the drivetrain when all of the support tubes and structure is in place. Its pretty far back as far as the engine goes but I think it's the place where it should go. It ended up kinda "in there" with me and I think my gas pedal foot might get a bit warm on certain days but I'm excited to see what it does with weight centered as best I can in the chassis. Pardon my leaky old 3fe. It'll get re-sealed and cleaned up at some point during this re-do I'm sure. The oil cooler got in the way so it will be deleted. Hoping to have enough room for a radiator and a winch inside the engine compartment in front of the motor.

 

[cruisermatt]

cool to see a Cruiser engine but I am surprised you aren't going with something lighter and shorter for the amount of work

 

[too tall]

cool to see a Cruiser engine but I am surprised you aren't going with something lighter and shorter for the amount of work

Maybe I should put an LS in it?