Builds fj60 going to EV FJ45 (2 Viewers)

[workingdog]

So, looking for input on front lower link location.

Here's an option with the frame side on the side of the frame which is a little more up out of the way. 14 degrees of up angle, less triangulation than the second option, but there is a panhard bard.

The other option is the more traditional under the frame. It's 10 degrees up angle and more triangulation. I can also get it a little farther back along the frame making it a little longer, but the link is already at 35" to 37" , so were long enough.

The only reason I'm thinking about having a little triangulation is for when I rip the panhard bar bracket off the frame and I still want to be able to drive home.

 

[DangerNoodle]

If you rip the panhard off, you wont be able to drive it anyways. Personally, I would mount the links to the bottom of the frame just to be nicer to the joints. Are you running johnny or heims?

 

[workingdog]

Mostly Heims, there's one spot in the rear lower on the axle I'm using a Johnny because that's what was there. It's the only stock mount I'm using.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, yet more input.

Here's the rear axle at full bump - 4.5" above ride height. Where the upper link mounts on the differential would contact the bottom of the battery box defines full bump which is represented by the piece of wood. There's no impediment at either side for several more inches.

So, with the axle all the way up, you can still articulate the axle quite a bit more up on one side while the other droops. This picture is like 6" higher than full bump. But, without tires and a bed on the rig, it's hard to tell where I start to rub. the top of the battery box is 7.5" about the frame rail at it's highest point. So, the bottom of the bed is about 8" higher. So, I'm guessing that the tire would be into the bed at this point.

I figured out my coil over travel using the 4.5" number. so there's no capacity in 12" coilovers to use any of that that extra articulation. And even if I went with 14" coil overs, I'd have to move the tower up too, which puts it way above the top of the battery box and up into the flat bed.

I could put the bump stops farther in along the axle, but there's no travel in the coilover to allow it. So, I guess, there's nothing to do but live with 4.5" at the outboard ends and install bump stops to keep from damaging the coilovers. It just seems like I'm leaving something on the table.

 

[DangerNoodle]

Mostly Heims, there's one spot in the rear lower on the axle I'm using a Johnny because that's what was there. It's the only stock mount I'm using.

If it's mostly heims, up to you. They will eventually wear out no matter what you do, so it doesn't really matter. If you are planning on driving this a bunch, I would recommend switching to Johnnys for their rebuildabilty and greasability.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, here's the first coilover tower tacked in. Had lay it out a million time before I got it right. You can see the lower mount down low on the axle. It took an entire day to clean all the old brackets off the axle enough to get the axle bracket to mount. That was fun. I really hope I got the math right. Coilover (with springs) should go on today and I can cycle the suspension and make sure I got bump and droop right.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, The bump stops have arrived. But I need the landing pads here before I can put them in.

So, I'm looking at the sway bar. How much of the bottom of the tower do I need? How much can I trim off this to give some clearance for the sway bar arm.

 

[workingdog]

So, @bentntwisted came by and looked at both my rigs. We made a few changes to the suspension, Moving the lower links farther outboard on the axle and losing the last stock mount I was using. But also moving the sway bar in front of the rear axle and essentially through the battery box supports - and frame. This is the only place there's room. So, here's some bad fabrication porn as I notch the battery box supports for the sway bar tube. Now to get out the very expensive mag drill and drill 4 holes in the frame - such much fun!

 

[workingdog]

Okay, it's in. all have to do is mount the tabs for the bottom of the links and the rear suspension is functional (well, I should put limit straps in). But the rear is drivable. This sway bar is the most complicated piece of fab work I've ever done. Magnetic drill press and annular cutter made drilling the holes a breeze, but the still weren't perfectly lined up with each other, the frame rails aren't perfect vertical. A little work with the die grinder, and it slid in fine. I'm going to cut the last hole off the arm and mount the bottom of the link on the side of the bumps stop landing pad. That should allow me to move the attachment a hole or two more in along the arm to get more sway bar if I need it in the future.

I still can't bring myself to finish weld everything yet. But I have to pretty soon on the rear. The springs are here, so I'll cycle the rear a few times empty, then put coils and springs in and see how it sits. And If all that goes well, I'll start finish welding.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, the rear is done, moving onto the front suspension. I have some axle side lower links and realized that because of the location of the panhard bar bracket, the coilover mount is going to have to go behind the axle as well so they need to stack. I waited a week for some Ballistic Fab combination lower link brackets, and when they got here, I realized they were not going to work.

The lower link mount needs to be angled down quite a bit to get the vertical link separation required at the axle, and that made the top mounted coil over mount point at the windshield. So, after much mind stuff. I decided to make my own version of the Ballistic mount. Drew it up in QCAD, had to think about the fact that if it's bent like this, the axis for the link bolt shifts out too. I've send it to SendCutSend. Very interested to see how long it takes to get it back - and what I failed to take into account when I drew it up. But, if it works, I may do this a lot more because so many of the brackets end up being odd compromises. The panhard hard frame side bracket coming Monday is one of them. Sorry it's so big and the line color so light.

 

[workingdog]

So, SendCutSend was impressive so far. I sent parts in on Saturday, Sunday I got a message they were reviewing them. I had made the slots 1/4" wide, and the noticed that it would be to tight and the slots needed to be wider, so I add .04 to all of them and sent them new copies and they are in the production queue 6pm Sunday night. Very curious when I'll get them.

 

[workingdog]

Calling all geeks. @DangerNoodle @Chuckha62 @GLTHFJ60 @05CTD @Honger @JLawson g

Okay, as @bentntwisted said when I asked him where I should locate the front axle - put it where it looks good. So, I went to a lot of effort to get the fender in more or less the right position and a tire on. So, these are 35's. I'm eventually going to 37's. But boy, are those high Aqualu fenders really high. They need 40's. So, keep that in mind when posting your vote.

Should the axle go forward? back?

I'm pretty happy with it right there, just a little forward of the front of the fender. But 37's or 40's would stick forward a lot more

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Looks fine to me. More of a personal preference thing than anything.

 

[DangerNoodle]

I think it looks good.

Here is how I have my tube fenders sitting. I basically touch them when articulating, and that is with about 5.5"-6" of uptravel out of my coilovers.

It's all personal preference, but I like the way it sits.

 

[Chuckha62]

Calling all geeks. @DangerNoodle @Chuckha62 @GLTHFJ60 @05CTD @Honger @JLawson g

Okay, as @bentntwisted said when I asked him where I should locate the front axle - put it where it looks good. So, I went to a lot of effort to get the fender in more or less the right position and a tire on. So, these are 35's. I'm eventually going to 37's. But boy, are those high Aqualu fenders really high. They need 40's. So, keep that in mind when posting your vote.

Should the axle go forward? back?

I'm pretty happy with it right there, just a little forward of the front of the fender. But 37's or 40's would stick forward a lot more

View attachment 2791357

Personally, I'm not a fan of the look of the forward axle location. It may well be more functional, but the look to me, is awkward.

 

[workingdog]

Here's the panhard bar mocked up in 1" EMT. WFO will bend DOM to match and I'll weld in the bungs. Held up right now waiting on my third set of brackets for the front axle lower links and coilover. Waiting on Johnny Joints (order Friday, not shipped yet) for the upper links. So, the suspension is on hold, I'm moving to the battery box for a bit.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, parts for the front lower links did not arrive yesterday as planned - CURSE YOU FEDERAL EXPRESS - but these plates did come from SendCutSend, so i'm spending weekend making an Atlas mockup so I can finish the transmission tunnel and make a final call on transmission cross member height so I can get the cab off to paint. I drew these and hand had them cut at SendCutSend. Pretty cool service. Ordered on Saturday, deliverd on Friday.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, Atlas mock up is in

And, now it's very clear the driver's side upper link isn't going to work. 3 link (with panhard) it is.

Now that pain in the ass task of moving the cab around to the front of the chassis, moving the gantry over the chassis, building a lifting sling short enough and stable enough so that I can fly the cab over the motors and transmission and set it down in it's location. Do all the final, final checks of clearance with trans, transfer case and drivelines. Then build the new transmission hump.

I guess I'll see how hard welding aluminum really is.

Hope to have the cab off t paint by the end of the week.

(Going into Rubicon Springs Thursday, so it's a short week).

 

[workingdog]

Flying car!!! Thank god for the gantry.

 

[workingdog]

Decision time. I've waiting for this moment. For a few reasons, the drive train went in pretty flat and level. You can see how flat it is here.

This has force me to have 2.5" body spacers

which I'm not thrilled about.

It also forced me to cut up the floor of the cab - which I probably would have had to do anyway. But ...

Even with the 2.5" spacers, I'm going to have to open up the transfer case even more. And this is still 3/8" higher than it will be.

So, the decision, should I drop the transmission mount 1" to 2"?

The transmission end is easy, but this is a giant PITA I have to cut the motor mounts off the frame so they can rotate down the right amount an then re-tack them. .

But, it gains me HUGE clearance at the hump and lowers the angles of the drivelines. It would also let me lower the body lift - which would be a plus. I figure for every 1.5" down, I can drop the body 1". So, I can't think of any reason not to at this point, although it will change the flange angles on the transfer case. But I believe that gas engines have an inch or two of slope.

If it needs to be done, now is the time to do it.