Stuff is going to start happening in July. I sold a kind of large item that gives me a lot of cash for this build. Will be buying my powertrain, coil overs, get steering box rebuilt with the 105 shaft and um ya just get the powertrain all in it and running. So that is wiring, exhaust, piping and hoses, a radiator, shroud work, fuel tank and on and on. I would also like to get my RS front housing since I have a spare housing to cut the knuckles off of and go. Not much else I need besides steel.
I played with the frame a bit this last weekend. Cut off the RLCA mounts, cleaned the frame all up and plotted where I am making my cut. I changed my mind a lot of the cut because 5" is coming out and I am cutting on an angle not vertical. There is really only 12" to work with here, I started out with a 45* angle but didn't like it so went to 30* and then finally 25*. Hence all the marks in the pic. At 25-30* there is plenty of room and I don't get into the flared section in the frame or the axle hump in the back. I am happy with it and ready to cut now, I just need to get set up in a good place in the shop. Once the frame is cut and welded back up I am ready to make my body mounts. Still haven't figured out how I want to be lifting the body up and down 30x but that is coming soon. I decided I am not going to paint the truck. The paint on it is good, especially if I touch it up, cut & polish and Monstaline here and there. It is just not my favorite color at all but it has grown on me a little. To much work and time + $$$ right now to re-paint the whole truck when it is rust free with very few small dents.
The frame I am using, like I said, I decided to not use the frame from my 91 FJ80 I rolled and use this one instead since it was mostly prep'ed. It is from an FZJ, nothing different though except, the vin #.
I realize it looks like the angle is not the same but it is simply because the pic is taken from an angle. I have a digital angle finder to plot this and no not an angle cube.
There is a bunch of different ways you could cut this and remove the 5". Obviously, you don't really want any vertical cuts, google it if you don't know I don't really want to get into explaining it here. Most of your hotrod shops would do this more in a "Z" but since I am plating the frame on both sides after with 3/16's I don't feel the need. I may also run a plate top and bottom of the frame rails. The real issue here is if you re-use the RLCA mount. It is nearly 12" long and this section is not 12" long once you cut out 5". The way I am doing it seemed like the least amount of work, the RLCA mount will be a bit past the hump in the frame rail (rear axle) but I plan to box it in. The other way was to have to cope the RLCA due to the bend and taper in the front of the frame. Any ways after 3-4hrs of playing around with this I am happy with my decision and how I am going to do it.
Oh ya, I plan to cut it with a sawzall. If I don't like that I will use my Metabo with a cut off disc. Got to get some steel before I can extend the rear frame rails or start in on body mounts, I already got all the 3/16's for plating.
Cheers
