Builds fj60 going to EV FJ45 (1 Viewer)

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I'm worried about the angle of the front drive flange on the transfer case, don't want it to aim up too much.
 
I'm worried about the angle of the front drive flange on the transfer case, don't want it to aim up too much.
A DC could solve that.
 
Could you modify the transmission tunnel to create more space rather than moving it all down?

Yes, but that is beyond my skill. All aluminum.
I’m using a stock tunnel cover on my Aqualu tub. @whitestripe did it before me. If that doesn’t work you could build one that fits your needs. My opinion is that the Aqualu tunnel leaves something to be desired anyhow.
 
the tunnel is fine - although I agree there's nothing special to it. I'd need to extend the tunnel back to the back wall of the cab, and there are structural ribs in there. CruiserMatt is coming tomorrow, he's going to look at it and we'll come up with a plan.

I didn't realize a DC could handle that kind of angle, I'll certainly consider it.
 
So, I bought a lovely wooden steering wheel from flash power, and now I'm trying to find an appropriate quick release that I can weld or bolt onto my column. The EPS column is really long like the stock one, so I'm assuming I'm going to cut it down a little and attach something directly to the column. But, there are so many different quick releases, I could not figure out which one(s) would work for me. Anyone up on quick release steering?
 
@cruisermatt is here for the week helping me out with my 40 and my EV45. We are making great progress already.

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First time the front is on it's tires and the rear is at ride height (but just sitting there).

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Really happy with how to looks. Had to move it forward 3 inches from what I was hoping to make it work.
And now - onto hacking the cross member and lower links to get that all to work. Matt says we'll have the links done today!!!
Even if it's tomorrow I'll be thrilled.
 
I have a big nose
 
@cruisermatt is here for the week helping me out with my 40 and my EV45. We are making great progress already.

View attachment 2670549

First time the front is on it's tires and the rear is at ride height (but just sitting there).

View attachment 2670550

Really happy with how to looks. Had to move it forward 3 inches from what I was hoping to make it work.
And now - onto hacking the cross member and lower links to get that all to work. Matt says we'll have the links done today!!!
Even if it's tomorrow I'll be thrilled.
I wish I was available to come up. I'm still waiting for my seats, or I would've driven the LV over.
 
@cruisermatt is here for the week helping me out with my 40 and my EV45. We are making great progress already.

View attachment 2670549

First time the front is on it's tires and the rear is at ride height (but just sitting there).

View attachment 2670550

Really happy with how to looks. Had to move it forward 3 inches from what I was hoping to make it work.
And now - onto hacking the cross member and lower links to get that all to work. Matt says we'll have the links done today!!!
Even if it's tomorrow I'll be thrilled.
Looks really good. What size tires you running. they look a little bigger than my 37's.
 
we threw a picture of the 40 on 40's in. The electric 45 will be on 35 or 37's.
 
@cruisermatt spend his last day working on the EV project. Here he is with the redone front motor mount.

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and here it is in. This is after many, many different ideas were thrown around. In the end, the available space made us go with flat plate. It's my job to box in the sides.

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We also went around and around on the trans mount. I had pulled the entire structure out of the fj60 carcass I had here, but Matt rejected it as too low. Finally, Matt raised the drivetrain up to level and what I had originally built was 'updated' and put in. Nice compromise of good clearance underneath and strength.

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So, the motor is in, just lots and lots of details to finish and then remove and paint.
We still have one more thing to build around the bell housing and I now need to remake the support for the controller box so it will sit on the new mounts.

Also, the new battery box arrived.


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162 screws, with anti-seize to put together the 14 pieces of each side. These are the ends.


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So, the battery box I built, the front and middle motor mounts I built, and lots more, all scrapped as the project moves forward.

Lots to do now that the motor is mounted. Still have to weld the aluminum tunnel in the tub.
And, it's time to attach all the metal cloak links to the frame (pictures later).
I have to finish the battery box, remove the batteries from the old box, which means disconnecting all the HV and control wiring and the cooling. Put them in the new box with all the wiring and cooling installed, and then I should be able to start looking at mounting in in the frame behind the cab. That's really the last thing that needs to get located. It needs to be high enough to clear the rear drive shaft - and that will set how high the flatbed is.
 
Here's the new battery box fully populate and 90% wired.

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Next is how to get this 850 lbs between the frame rails so I can fabricate crossmembers to hold it.
 
Okay, so that battery solution continues to elude me. If I use the box pictured as configured above between the frame rails behind the cab, the rear driveline goes right through it. So, there's 12" free between the frame rails, I can split the box in half so that it straddles the driveshaft with 3 batteries on one side and 4 on the other. I can get more parts for the box I have to do that. No problem - just more money.

But, after moving the rear axle up to 118" wheel base, the back of the battery box (if it's level with the bottom of the frame) is less than an inch from the upper link on the axle. And that's at ride height more or less, so no up travel possible.

I had the axle back at about 126" wheel base, and that left me more room, but I'd read 126" is very long for a wheeler. And even at 126", the upper link would still hit the battery box on compression. The 12.75" tall battery box fits about perfectly between the bottom of the lower point of the frame rail behind the cab and the top of the highest point of the frame rail above the rear axle - which is about 12" of rise. So, every inch the battery box goes up, the flat bad has to go up as well. And If I want 4" to 6" of up travel, it all will have to up at least that much.

My son suggests just putting the battery box on the flatbed. I'd resisted up to know, wanting to keep the flatbed clear for year. But, I think for this first iteration, to get it running, he's right. It would be a 12.75x25x31" box up against the cab - not horrible. So, for now, I'll build a little platform to hold it's 850 lbs and get it up and there and move onto the rest of the challenges.

I got the controllers mounted on top of the motors. I think they could come down an 1". That poor cage has been modified many times now, but it's one of the few original things I build that I've not thrown out. With the two controllers in place, I can finish building the HV cables. and if I get the battery box in place and the charger and DC/DC converter in more or less their final positions, I can get the thing more or less wired up and attempt to spin the motors - which should spin the transmission.

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Could you make a recessed compartment accessible from the deck of the flatbed?

If that's where the batteries have to go, that's where they have to go. Easier to keep them together as a full unit.
 
Okay, progress has been made. A temporary support is in place and the battery box lifted into place. it's set for and aft, but will probably move up or down when that flat bed arrives. Norweld is over a year out on flatbeds, so that changes my plans.

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All the components are on the frame. Most are in their final homes, but some are not. Trying to grok what the wiring is going to look like.

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I have the canbus working - yea! - and battery management system is working and I'm able to charge the batteries. So, that's a major success, I don't seem to have any control over when the batteries charging, but I'll work on that.

However, I'm getting nothing from the motor controllers. They are acting like they're not powered up, but I'm not sure what's missing. It's got all the power and its got its 'key on' signal. So, have to talk to my guy and see what I did wrong. But, I'm hoping to get the motors to spin today. And then I can spend the rest of the month sorting out the rat's nest of wire - which is not nearly as bad as it looks.
 
Get that floor cleaned up Peter :)
 
yes mom
 

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