GSMTR Buildup Has Begun - Finally

[Sputnik40]

Somewhere between Avellanes and Lower 2

Surfboards on the racks - what a riot - I could pull out the old retro late seventies "Lower East Side Surfboards" fish I've got. Speaking of surf - we got a sweeeeet little refracto tonight, couple of chest high thumpers - got barreled on a whee little bit o wave and a few screamers inbetween. Pretty kool considering I've been trying to stay out of the water to nurse a shoulder. Hoping it's gone tonight as after a do an airport drop off tomorrow I want to focus on the Cruiser. CR in 4 weeks

Chuckd - That cage sounds kool. Congrats.

 

[Gundy]

Ditto that...I got spares all the way around too. Im gonna see if the rest of the crew will strap some old beat surfboards to the roof. I am going to run it Florida style with a surfboard on top. We can tell people its a florida run and we got lost looking for the beach on lower 2.

P.S. I'm fully locked too, I think I'm a touch heavier than you so more than likly I'll be poppin one first.

This thread needs pics.
I hope I get to see that in person.

 

[Capt. Jim]

I could use a surf board on my truck for a crumple-zone...............

 

[IrideLowTide]

This thread needs pics.
I hope I get to see that in person.

don't worry you will

 

[Hard40]

Slow start today due to St. Paddy - got the rear lined up tonight (not welded yet) - wanted to get some weight on the springs. Thought I'd pull the 37's out as they're better for around town use and they're been locked up for well over a year - well they're too small and it's too tall. Might need to consider selling both sets and going with the 40" MTR's and 17" beadlocks. Will wait and see but it at least looks like I might be pulling the bottom 2 leaves to drop it another 1/2" - certain they'll settle after wheeling - very flexy.

WOW! You'll need a step ladder to mount that horse. No danger of bottom damage for sure. Very Impressive Bill. Looks like you've been working late. Looking forward to seeing up close.

 

[lowtideride]

Got a spare longfields on the way but I am not putting them in til the other ones esssplode.

 

[Sputnik40]

Getting There Slowly

Yeah ummm, not as much progress today - surf picked up again this afternoon . Picked up some metal for making thru frame shackle hanger, traction bar, plate to box the front frame horns, and other odds and ends - so that was good. Got all of the old hangers ground down (the fronts were a biatch) as well as the PS bracket, and the rest prepped. Got one of the springs fabbed up. Went ahead and pulled the helper leave - will get axle under there soon and put weight on it - should settle down nice - plus it'll sag an inch or so after the first wheeling trip. Will be pulling the rear helpers ASAP - WAAAAY too tall for my tastes. As soon as I get it setup I can see if the highsteer arms clear or whether I'll have to change the rear hanger to thru the frame.

 

[Trollhole]

Are you going to change shocks? What have you decided to do for mounts in the rear?

Are you using 76 knuckles with the new steering arms? If so don't they have the smaller steering arm studs? Does 4x4 labs make arms for the smaller studs? I'm in this delima and was wanting to know how this would hold up on the trail.


Looking good.

I bought the add a leaf spings for the rear on mine. I'm sagging an inch in the rear. Hell you know how how flat my springs are. I'm hoping this might fix my in the rear without compimising flex. I love the soft springs and the Rancho 9000 on the soft setting. It's like driving a cadillac.

What castor did you have the SOA axle set?

 

[Sputnik40]

Not Enough Progress This Weekend

No real progress today. Everybody stopped by after breakfast and Bret helped me carry the axle out. Had my son and had to visit the parents to work on the boat. Did manage to get the pitman arm off (Pop took a nice chunk out of his thumb with the sledge ). Have the old TRE's and sag. draglink broke down (need to sell).

Shocks - Not sure yet - have several beat up Rancho 9000's - but will go with the D..(eurupean sounding brand). Not sure yet about mounts - least of my worries right now.

Hy-Steer: I thought I was going to rush this last year - so decided to just order 11mm arms - don't bother with them (was getting ragged on in another thread - I'm no pro rock crawler so hopefully they hold up for my needs) - track down a set of 12mm knuckles and do it right. They do make the 11mm and will indeed sell them to you though.

Springs: I now have 4 new Man-a-Fre 2.5" 42" (now 38") add a leafs painted extra with Slip Plate. Maybe I'll get to use them next year when these springs sag? Wasted $100 for now.

Caster: Something like 14 to 18 degrees - will go 4 deg positive for the tires, the rest is to angle the pinion up.

 

[Eric_FJ40]

Progress this weekend...

Well, I got a lot done this weekend. After wire-wheeling the last of the spring leaves I got 2 coats of rustoleum and then 2 thick coats of slip plate on them all. The springs went back together with new anti-friction pads and hardware.

I got both axles out and wire-wheeled them both as well. 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of semi-flat black. The rear axle is done and I ran out of paint on the front - it's halfway done.

I am thinking I might go ahead and hang the rear axle and get my old 31's on it to at least get the rear of the Cruiser off of jackstands.

Gotta place an order for a rod-end kit and some brake pads soon. Things are starting to come together.

Anybody want to buy a gallon of slip plate up at GSMTR? I think I only used about an inch worth. Should have bought a quart instead. Bill - you got a bunch leftover too?

Eric

 

[ChuckD]

Expecting a Metal-tech cage

I spent some of the weekend like an expecting mother getting the house ready for the baby to come home. In this case it was the garage. Instead of a yard-stork we announced our joy to the neighborhood through the screeching sounds of a grinder cutting practice fish-mouths in tubing. Its a sound only a mother could love.


Sounds like you other guys are making good progress!

 

[Sputnik40]

Tie Rod Ends

I am thinking I might go ahead and hang the rear axle and get my old 31's on it to at least get the rear of the Cruiser off of jackstands.

Gotta place an order for a rod-end kit and some brake pads soon. Things are starting to come together.

Anybody want to buy a gallon of slip plate up at GSMTR? I think I only used about an inch worth. Should have bought a quart instead. Bill - you got a bunch leftover too?

Eric

Rear axle was sandblasted and 2 stage marine epoxied with PPG gloss almost 7 years ago and man it's still clean, just like the frame (worth the sweat labor). I had the front axle powder coated .

Eric - What tie rods do you need? I've got the 2 ends, and the one that connects from the draglink - they were brand new OEM 3 or 4 years ago. Paid almost $40 apiece for em - $50 for the three and I'll throw in another tie rod (I think I gave you the other spares?). The draglink is the saginaw conversion piece (metric one side, SAE the other) with the SAE link for the GM pitman arm - I think I need $50 for this - but need to verify what it's worth. You can't use that yet.

Slip plate - yeah, I've got over half a gallon - I did 2 coats on 30 spring leaves total. Anybody need a set of 38" 2.5" add a leafs?

 

[lowtideride]

Rear axle was sandblasted and 2 stage marine epoxied with PPG gloss almost 7 years ago and man it's still clean

Its becasue you are not dragging it over enough rocks


P.s. good work on the build.....You gonna drive it up this year?


Ok ok I stop ribbin ya....Can't wait to see it on the trail brotha...

 

[lowtideride]

P.s. I am getting ready to glass a new board....6' 0" fish Lowtiderides stlye....

 

[Sputnik40]

Shoot me a pic of the board before and after glass. What weight - double 4 oz top and bottom, or lighter on the bottom? I'll dig out a pic of the old true fish I've got... Really wanted that purple Joel Tudor fish they had at the Surf Station late last year - sucker was like $800 - beautiful work of art, but way $$$ out of my league.

P.s. I am getting ready to glass a new board....6' 0" fish Lowtiderides stlye....

 

[lowtideride]

Oh man its a hoot. I took some retro fabric and put it under the glass....ill have to snab some pics of it then.....but have been to busy working on the truck.

 

[Sputnik40]

Need Spring Hanger Measurement

Need someone to measure between the rear spring hangers for the front axle on a mid 70's FJ40 from the inner edge of the inside part of the hanger (on the bottom and next to the spring bushing) to the opposite side. Needs to be from the inside, as my new hangers are thicker (1/4") and that would change the outside to outside measurement. Kinda confusing I know - but need this measurement to verify I'm getting the width correct.

Good news is that I managed to get the front steering side hanger on to mesh with the PS plate - may need one extra washer for each bolt, plus a little grinding to help fit - but at least the spring bolt sits free and clear . With a flat steering arm - pulls my draglink up enough to where it just might clear and let me get my 4 degrees of positive camber (whichever term is correct).

Back to work.

 

[Eric_FJ40]

Eric - What tie rods do you need? I've got the 2 ends, and the one that connects from the draglink - they were brand new OEM 3 or 4 years ago.

Yeah, those are the 3 that I buggered up to get the axle out and overhaul it. Thanks, but I'm going to go ahead and order up a complete set and change them all - the ones on there currently don't have zirk fittings and I'd like to be able to add grease periodically to flush out the water and gunk.

I've got an old hi-lift handle and have been thinking about seeing how well it fits over the tie rod. If it is fairly close, I'll weld it on there for strength.

Eric

 

[Capt. Jim]

Bill,

I left the pitman arm on your front porch this morning. I thought it was much flatter than that. Turns out, the one on my truck is flatter, with only a 1 inch drop. Will that one work for you?

 

[Sputnik40]

Tonight's Progress

Bill,

I left the pitman arm on your front porch this morning. I thought it was much flatter than that. Turns out, the one on my truck is flatter, with only a 1 inch drop. Will that one work for you?

Nope, similar to what I've got just wimpier - need a flatty - going to post for advice in the tech section. Need to stop by Thurs. or Friday to borrow your bench vice to bend a u-bolt - shop here is just a tad underequipped still. Pics below of tonights progress. Everything is lining up and appears to be plenty of clearance for high steer arms, springs will be near to flat after GSMTR - still going to be a tad higher than I wanted. Could still do a thru frame shackle hanger and shorter shackles but time and money is running out.