Builds Fj40 Daily and Wheeler build

[TractorDoc]

Stripe,
I am just getting caught up on your work -- sorry it has been such a headache to get to where you are. My truck came with the aqualu 3/4 already mounted on it (that was about the only work that was done to it) and I remember it looking right; going back thru the pictures things look even as well. There were some mods made to the hard top sides to get them to fit (or the bottom rails were rusty), and I remember an odd looking assortment of washers behind the front door catches but the doors latched fine. I am getting closer to putting the tub back on for realignment and I know you've already done all the hard work to get to where you are at. . . but if you need or want any pictures of how my cowl, tub, etc. is/are set up just let me know -- happy to try and help if I can.

Seems you'll be back on the road (or trail) in no time though at the rate you are going. . . keep up the good work! Maybe I will be looking back at your posts when I do not how to move forward with mine!!

 

[White Stripe]

Stripe,
I am just getting caught up on your work -- sorry it has been such a headache to get to where you are. My truck came with the aqualu 3/4 already mounted on it (that was about the only work that was done to it) and I remember it looking right; going back thru the pictures things look even as well. There were some mods made to the hard top sides to get them to fit (or the bottom rails were rusty), and I remember an odd looking assortment of washers behind the front door catches but the doors latched fine. I am getting closer to putting the tub back on for realignment and I know you've already done all the hard work to get to where you are at. . . but if you need or want any pictures of how my cowl, tub, etc. is/are set up just let me know -- happy to try and help if I can.

Seems you'll be back on the road (or trail) in no time though at the rate you are going. . . keep up the good work! Maybe I will be looking back at your posts when I do not how to move forward with mine!!

Thank you sir. I got a email from aqualu today and they said 3/8 is a typical door gap for their tubs. I did have to space out the striker from the b pillar about 1/4" to engage the door latch. I am curious how much your striker is spaced out and what your door gaps look like.

 

[TractorDoc]

Couple of pictures for ya:

This is how my cowl looks as far as where the tub connects at the front. I added the extra little lip on the floorboard as the previous installer cut too much out (or maybe it was never there to begin with) and the predrilled mounting holes on the aqualu tub had nothing to connect to on the cowl floorboard. They used some sort of pop rivets in the three holes forward of my addition; I left them there for now to help me re-align when I put the tub back on.

Picture of the door catch. The tub is leaning against the wall, sitting on its backside so I apologize for the orientation.

I remember the doors latching nicely/easily. As crude as the washers look they provided good placement; I may fab up a better looking spacer plate keeping the same dimensions.

Hope this helps some. . . I know you've already done most of the work and this is probably all afterthought.

 

[White Stripe]

Couple of pictures for ya:

This is how my cowl looks as far as where the tub connects at the front. I added the extra little lip on the floorboard as the previous installer cut too much out (or maybe it was never there to begin with) and the predrilled mounting holes on the aqualu tub had nothing to connect to on the cowl floorboard. They used some sort of pop rivets in the three holes forward of my addition; I left them there for now to help me re-align when I put the tub back on.
View attachment 1434548

Picture of the door catch. The tub is leaning against the wall, sitting on its backside so I apologize for the orientation.
View attachment 1434549

I remember the doors latching nicely/easily. As crude as the washers look they provided good placement; I may fab up a better looking spacer plate keeping the same dimensions.

Hope this helps some. . . I know you've already done most of the work and this is probably all afterthought.

Thanks! That looks to be about the same amount my strikers are spaced out as well. So I guess my tub is alright for a aqualu. Thanks for giving me additional piece of mind. Thanks for the cowl picture. I wish they designed the aqualu with more bolt points at the front of the rocker, I think their is more room on the a pillar for this. With my roll cage braces though I think it will be pretty strong. I think their is room to drill another hole on the bottom of the rocker on the aqualu to install a bolt into the a pillar if the rockers aren't cut like mine. That would give a little more support.

 

[ryanwk628]

Thanks! That looks to be about the same amount my strikers are spaced out as well. So I guess my tub is alright for a aqualu. Thanks for giving me additional piece of mind. Thanks for the cowl picture. I wish they designed the aqualu with more bolt points at the front of the rocker, I think their is more room on the a pillar for this. With my roll cage braces though I think it will be pretty strong. I think their is room to drill another hole on the bottom of the rocker on the aqualu to install a bolt into the a pillar if the rockers aren't cut like mine. That would give a little more support.

Do you have more photos of the installation process and where you ended up? Could you perhaps summarize what had to move in which directions and by how much? I saw the adjustments you made to the top but am trying to understand what direction it was off to begin with.

 

[White Stripe]

Do you have more photos of the installation process and where you ended up? Could you perhaps summarize what had to move in which directions and by how much? I saw the adjustments you made to the top but am trying to understand what direction it was off to begin with.

Basically the rear of the hardtop sides had to move outward by about an 1/8". They also had to move forward to line up with the b pillar by about 1/4". The tub when first set on the frame had a distance measured between the a pillar and the b pillar that was 1/2" greater than stock. By using ratchet straps and cranking on the cowl as seen in my pics I was able to reduce this to 1/4" greater than stock before drilling the mounting holes and installing the cowl to tub bolts. The doors should be mounted while doing this as they help a great deal in eyeballing the door opening gap as you crank down the ratchet straps. One ratchet strap just goes from door to door to keep the doors closed since you don't want to drill the holes for the strikers until you have all the gaps lined up.
This is what I ended up with once stuff was bolted down...

 

[ryanwk628]

Here are the two videos I sent to aqualu showing the issues I had...




Basically the rear of the hardtop sides had to move outward by about an 1/8". They also had to move forward to line up with the b pillar by about 1/4". The tub when first set on the frame had a distance measured between the a pillar and the b pillar that was 1/2" greater than stock. By using ratchet straps and cranking on the cowl as seen in my pics I was able to reduce this to 1/4" greater than stock before drilling the mounting holes and installing the cowl to tub bolts. The doors should be mounted while doing this as they help a great deal in eyeballing the door opening gap as you crank down the ratchet straps. One ratchet strap just goes from door to door to keep the doors closed since you don't want to drill the holes for the strikers until you have all the gaps lined up.
This is what I ended up with once stuff was bolted down...
View attachment 1435127

Thank you so much!

 

[White Stripe]

Narrowing the trans tunnel is taking me a while. The gummy undercoat I sprayed on a couple years ago is hard to grind off and messing up my welds. After this pic I took the torch to the whole tunnel and burned it all off. But I should have about 2" more driver footwell clearance.

 

[cruisermatt]

Awesome. What are your paint plans?

And if these tolerences you're working with are driving you mad I would never touch a LR Defender if I were you, panel fit-ups on some of them are worse from the factory then how you are describing your Aqualu tub!

 

[White Stripe]

Awesome. What are your paint plans?

And if these tolerences you're working with are driving you mad I would never touch a LR Defender if I were you, panel fit-ups on some of them are worse from the factory then how you are describing your Aqualu tub!

Haha well I guess I'll stay away from defenders. It's going to have the same paint scheme as before with the old tub but I'll Raptor liner the inside and ceramic lizard skin underneath.

 

[cruisermatt]

Are you going to tear it all down again after you get everything fit and do the firewall/doors/etc or just try to colormatch the tub? I know you can never really tell in pictures but what you aren't replacing looks like it's in really nice shape.

 

[White Stripe]

Are you going to tear it all down again after you get everything fit and do the firewall/doors/etc or just try to colormatch the tub? I know you can never really tell in pictures but what you aren't replacing looks like it's in really nice shape.

It's just going to get color matched. The guy that's going to paint it is good at that.

 

[White Stripe]

Got the trans tunnel all welded up. Much better for my gas pedal foot room. I have to cut the floor as well to match. Next step is mock up the rear seats. Once that's done things will speed up. I think I'm going to have to cancel my cruise moab trip. Realistically I'm not going to be ready.

 

[White Stripe]

Started grinding down my ugly welds. On the right side the stock floor has a rise and so does the tunnel. So I added metal and flattened out the flange.

 

[gator25]

That fitting takes a lot of time, your moving right along. Looking good man.

 

[ryanwk628]

Is the steel you're welding in there galvanized? The patch in the shifter opening looks like it

 

[White Stripe]

That fitting takes a lot of time, your moving right along. Looking good man.

Thanks man, hopefully it wont be too much longer. Weather is getting nice so I want to get it out.

 

[White Stripe]

Is the steel you're welding in there galvanized? The patch in the shifter opening looks like it

Yea its galvanized. The scrap yard had piles of small sheets of it.

 

[White Stripe]

I've heard fancy new cars have bucket seats soooo.....

Seat brackets are tied into roll cage to limit holes drilled into tub.

 

[White Stripe]

Then I had to make up a roll cage mount to hook the seats to when folded up. I used these little stainless u bolts from the hardware store. Not perfect but seems to work.