Builds Fj40 re-rebuild! (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Mar 12, 2005
Threads
284
Messages
3,043
Location
Littleton, Colorado
Well, wasn't getting a ton of feedback over on pirate, so I figured I'd give shot here!


Well, I've had my Land cruiser in about the same form for the last 8 or so years and its time for a change. I've had it for just over 11 years total. Its a 72 FJ40, that my dad and I rebuilt from the ground up when I was 15. You may remember the build from ih8mud, we had bought an fj40 on ebay that had been completely disassembled, and the owner was deployed so sold it. The whole thing turned out to be nothing as described and needed a ton of work/rehab, but in just about a year or so, my dad and I fanangled it together without a lick of experience in the land cruiser world.

Here were the original specs from when we first built it
-Refresh F engine
-Fj40 axles with all 4 drum brakes
-3 speed with early tcase

Worked great in this setup and I probably should have never changed it. Over the next few years my dad and I parted out some fj60s for cash and parts. So we changed it up a little bit, here are the next set of specs

-fj60 axles
-Detroit rear
-Lockrite front
-FJ60 transmission and split case

This also worked great other than the annoyingly high low range on the fj60 splitcase. Over the next few years I added TBI fuel injection to the F engine and also sprung over and stretched the rear with xj springs

So this is the Current stage its still in. Since I first tackled this project with my dad in 2005, Ihave learned a tremendous amount about cars and fabrication. which leaves me to much disappointment about my somewhat agricultural fabrication when I first started tackling projects... Which is why I call it a "re" build. Because most of my time spent on this turd is redoing s*** that I thought I was doing well the first time.

Here are my next set of build specs until I decide I'm financially stable again and want to throw it all away.

-Splitcase 4:1 gearset
-4.88 with Detroit rear and Lockrite front and fine spline pinions
-Widened FJ60 front axle with dave's axle sleeve
-Rear FF fzj80 axle
-low as possible spring over with XJ springs rear and stock springs in the front
-Shackle Reversal
-MasterCraft seats
-Tuffy console
-Some kinda bling wheel so then maybe my wife will like it.

I picked up an sbc and 700r4 for next to nothing and was considering using them, but my wife and I would like to start a family soon and I didn't think I could swing it figured financially. So very distance to future plans would be an ls and 4l60e with splitcase but well see!

Here are a few pics over the years of different versions! And last is the most recent.
7bf32437179f8ea88a5c0addba8524c6 (1).jpg
71f17a98fd1dd9db233be4e1c62e9467.jpg
FB_IMG_1472434816157.jpg
1cb3ed7ba18393f102513ab2bcb88447.jpg

f64dd54045a69575a720e3e3993be80b.jpg
 
Front axle is almost done, I swapped out the hard lines to the caliper for soft lines for easier serviceability (is that a word??). Mostly small things left, shocks, with f250 towers, drill pinion flange, etc.

Also, built a seat frame out of 1" hrew sleeved with 3/4" hrew. Should be plenty stout. New seats and seat belts were in order.

20160628_204821.jpg


20160701_201609.jpg
 
That's about where I'm at now, although I don't have any pictures, I put a fuel cell in the back, and ran all push lock fuel line with AN -6 fittings in the tbi. Turned out pretty awesome. Also installed a new fuel pump with 15psi max, for some stupid reason I was running a 90psi fuel pump with tbi and no external regulator. I think it was part of the reason for my idle issues with tbi. Well see!

Here's a currentish photo. Will get some better ones next time I can get into the garage!

20160717_114924.jpg
 
Looking good!
 
YEARS ago!!!

Been driving Bob around ever since :)
 
Haven't decided on skid yet, I'll probably build my own out of 1/4" steel and some tube. Well see. Will definitely need to protect those 4:1 gears in that thing walled splitcase! If I get lazy, I will go with the IPOR skid.

I didn't mount the shackles through the frame, i mounted them below. in hind sight, I should have used fj60 springs for the front SO, but I used the fj40 springs, and where the hole needed to go through the frame, there was something in the way, I don't remember what it was now (early onset dimentia:lol:).
 
I know there has been some talk here and there about rear quarter panel protection with custom cut to order wheel well openings, I know bud built has some but they are standard cutouts.

Does anyone know of vendors that may do this?
 
60 and 40 front springs are the same length... the 60 axle pin is centered, thus pushing the axle forward about 1.5".

How much are the 4:1 gears? If you are extended wheelbase in the rear, why not keep the stock gears in the t-case and add a toybox for the additional gearing options?
 
60 and 40 front springs are the same length... the 60 axle pin is centered, thus pushing the axle forward about 1.5".

How much are the 4:1 gears? If you are extended wheelbase in the rear, why not keep the stock gears in the t-case and add a toybox for the additional gearing options?



Yes but if he's doing a S/R he can rotate the 40 springs short side forward pushing the front axle forward more than the 60 springs allow
 
If you're trying to run larger tires with as low a lift as possible, Shannon Campbell at Campbell enterprises makes a 40 hood/fender combo
from fiberglass that deletes the aprons thus bringing the fenders about 4" higher. You can stuff 37's with a long travel suspension with just 4" lift. You can do the same in the rear by lifting the wheel wells, inside, to the box rib that the hardtop bolts to. We ran 38.5 Swampers that way with a spring under 4" lift with no detrimental rubbing issues for a couple seasons of ARCA.

I haven't checked in a while but Jason Paule of Twisted Customs also made a hood like Shannon's but a little heavier
 
I cannot wait to see more out of this! Keep updating us!
 
If you're trying to run larger tires with as low a lift as possible, Shannon Campbell at Campbell enterprises makes a 40 hood/fender combo
from fiberglass that deletes the aprons thus bringing the fenders about 4" higher. You can stuff 37's with a long travel suspension with just 4" lift. You can do the same in the rear by lifting the wheel wells, inside, to the box rib that the hardtop bolts to. We ran 38.5 Swampers that way with a spring under 4" lift with no detrimental rubbing issues for a couple seasons of ARCA.

I haven't checked in a while but Jason Paule of Twisted Customs also made a hood like Shannon's but a little heavier

Dave, definitely would like one. The old guys I work with have been friends with Shannon for years and both run campbell hoods on their CJs.


Got any pictures of that 40?

I guess nows a good time for a shout out on the axle extension sleeve. The initial sleeve Dave had sent me never came, suspect went to an old address, without question, there was another one in the mail the very next day and I received it a few days later!
 
I know there has been some talk here and there about rear quarter panel protection with custom cut to order wheel well openings, I know bud built has some but they are standard cutouts.

Does anyone know of vendors that may do this?

I used Smittybilt TJ flares. I did cut and reweld the rear (took about 2" out). As for the front, I run metaltech fenders - they clear 38s with the equivalent of a 3" lift





and no, they are not touching. The axles are basically a stock width...
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom