Build Goat. A 1967 survivor FJ-45 LWB

[FJ40Jim]

What is this rag joint everyone is talking about?

There no rag joint in FJ40 until the 'modern' steering column appears in 73.

 

[wngrog]

What is this rag joint everyone is talking about?

There no rag joint in FJ40 until the 'modern' steering column appears in 73.

We awoke the grumpy Cruiser guy.

I saw the pitman arm end joint on the drag link referred to as that earlier and picked it up like a bad habit.

Sorry. What’s it called?

 

[FJ40Jim]

Drag link end.
I think in Engrish of the FSM it's something wordy like 'drag link ball joint end'.

Rag joint is a rubber fabric disc in a steering column.

Edit: please refer to me as a curmudgeonly.
Grumpy just sounds mean.

 

[wngrog]

Thank you for correcting me and checking in on my follies

 

[cult45]

I basically have no seal in my FJ55. 90wt flows right out.

I popped the vent cap and filled it to the brim with grease from a grease gun (head fits in the hole perfectly)

Done.


Made you a video.

Nope. I would actually deliberately kill myself.

 

[DomSmith]

Interested in the whether the Drag Link rebuild you did (in that raggity joint you call a shop) does anything for you. Probably hard to tell with the TRE replacement at the same time.

Fixed it for you Jim.

 

[a.greenspan]

Silly talk. That thing has the steering wheel on the wrong side.

How would I get my Cheeseburger Royal from the drive through window?

Nolan, if you switch to a chinese meal for two or asparagus crepes
you can buy this two seater.
It was the last english car I bought new in 2000 had a lot fun with it and sold it in 2008 & lost no money
3,9 l /V8 discs all around
HMC Healey MKIV Driven - ClassicCarsDriven.com

 

[wngrog]

I’m such a clown.

I thought the “H” blower knob on my truck was a larger shaft than all the rest.

Turns out the inner portion of the old knob was there just without the plactic.

@Living in the Past shook some sense into me an made me look closer.

Yep.

The H off my 1970 parts donor adding to the Goat once again.

Dash is complete.

 

[Living in the Past]

I’m such a clown.

I thought the “H” blower knob on my truck was a larger shaft than all the rest.

Turns out the inner portion of the old knob was there just without the plactic.

@Living in the Past shook some sense into me an made me look closer.

Yep.

The H off my 1970 parts donor adding to the Goat once again.

Dash is complete.

View attachment 1717495

Only problem is really can only look at heater switch. These are all so old and brittle afraid to use as they might crumble when you use them. Would be a nice part to 3D print and then epoxy on to the original brass base. Only F.D switch I have has a small piece missing. Because those were replaced with a newer style with the 68 model they are harder to locate then the heater and hazard flasher knobs.

 

[wngrog]

Only problem is really can only look at heater switch. These are all so old and brittle afraid to use as they might crumble when you use them. Would be a nice part to 3D print and then epoxy on to the original brass base. Only F.D switch I have has a small piece missing. Because those were replaced with a newer style with the 68 model they are harder to locate then the heater and hazard flasher knobs.

My FD was broken but I rigged it to a newer, smaller one

 

[megolfer]

I did the same thing with the knob. Thought the shaft was bigger.

 

[wngrog]

Got my simple center arm rebuild kit from Kurt already. Priority Mail is pretty awesome.

So. It kicked the crap out of me.

Some of it was self imposed. Some of it was making new stuff work with old stuff.

Once again I hope my documentation of the center arm rebuild will help you not struggle like I did.

The lower part of the bracket sandwiches the center arm. One bolt was fine. One has been trapped in this rust/water pit for 51 years so it had to be cut off.

The kit comes with a upper rubber seal, upper and lower brass bushing and race, and a couple of felt seals for the bottom.

Mine had no felt or seals so I had to figure out what went where.

I paid close attention pulling all this crap apart because none of it looked like what was in the bag.

The white felt goes in the bottom steel ring and the gray felt goes around the spring

This all seems pretty easy.

Then, all of the sudden it wasn’t.

 

[wngrog]

Because I was doing this after the tie rod end job, instead of while I was doing the job, I chose to do the center arm work with it still hooked to the truck.

I popped it off. Turned the wheel an yep. Plenty of room to work on the center arm with it still hooked to the tie rods and stabilizer.

Mainly I did not want to bugger up my new TRE boots. Silly but yeah.

Races popped out easily and there is a small brass spacer between them FYI.

When I went to get the top bushing off the shaft, it was frozen. Heat. Beat. Cussing. More heat. Nada.

Tried to get the shaft out. Same.

So. I have one old bushing on the top of the shaft in a new race and new bushing and race on the bottom.

Put it all together and it’s tight as hell and I can get the cotter pin in the bottom shaft but my bracket is 1/4” from the frame.

The top old bushing must not like the new race.

So I take it all apart and try again.

All the way apart.

More heat. More beat.

Nope.

So. It’s back together. Steering is tight. It’s greased and I’m calling it done.

4 hours. I bought 2 kits. I may wait a while before I do the second kit on my FJ40. What a hassle.

 

[wngrog]

As you can see, there is a 1/4” gap.

Again I’m sure it has everything to do with the fact that I could not get the old upper bushing off and it does not fit as deep into the new race.

It looked like it did when I tested it but when it all went back together I came up short

The bottom cotter pin went in so it’s got to be safe. I see no way it can come apart.

 

[wngrog]

Center Arm Rebuild

Also @kunzma ’s thread.


Center Arm Rebuild


So. Doing some research now that it’s over (basackwards)

There were no Woodriff Keys When I pulled it apart.

I saw the endentations on the shaft but figured they were for grease passage.

s***.

I need some woodriff keys. And looks like I gotta go back in. Kurt’s kit came with a brass bushing with slots for the keys but I thought that was the top bushing I could not remove.

Ugh.

 

[wngrog]

I got the speedo housing back from Mudrak today. Superb as always.

Note the second seal inside the OEM seal

It took me a while to get the parking brake stuff right. I had to put it up on the tail to strip it and clean it good.

Once that was done I went to install the new pads and they were thicker than OEM in 1967 so I had to pull it all apart and grind it to fit into the adjustment slot.

I got it on. The brake works great. The speedo works great. No leaks.

 

[wngrog]

The bad news is, the center arm rebuild was a bust.

Not getting the top bushing off has it all wrong. It is sandwiched in too tight and the steering is way too tight.

Not slack tight. Turning ease tight.

I’ve got to break it back apart and see if I can get that top bushing off again

Lame.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Bummer. Bryce mentioned you were hunting an OE shaft. I'll see what I can dig up at the shop.

 

[1969FJ]

Sometimes places like Specter Off Road has part drawing images to support areas. I know I have used them A LOT.

 

[Michael B]

Nolan when you get the shaft out use a cutting wheel to remove the bushing. Try a cut from top to bottom that does not go completely through. Then it can either be driven off or split to open it up for removal.