HDJ62

[seatosummit]

What a messy job that was!

First time rebuilding a knuckle and not eager to do it again anytime soon.

As you can see, it was desperately needed though.

Everything went back together nicely, including the replacement rotors. Little bit of a shock to see that the new rotor lacked the index bolts on the backside but it tightened up nicely when I put the wheel spacers back on.

I was trying to avoid bleeding the brakes, as there is evidently a technique that allows you to do so, but I ultimately relented as the outer hoses need replacing anyway.

Brake peddle oscillation is gone with the new rotors, which is great.

I bought new TREs. I am going to have them installed by an alignment shop as I would end up needing it aligned after installation regardless.

Parts for the shifter linkage rebuild and the AC overhaul have arrived. Those projects will be next.

Cheers

 

[seatosummit]

...oh, another oddity: the PO appears to have failed to replace the spline within the free wheel hub assembly. So I guess I need that if the truck is actually going to function as a 4WD. Wonder how long that has been missing??...and before anyone asks, it was not there when I disassembled it

 

[duncanrm]

Nice work! Good find on the missing part, hopefully you can pick up a new free wheeling hub locally.. also be aware when you install the new free wheeling hub that only a light smearing of grease is needed in the free wheeling hub assembly, too much grease and it can cause issues with the switch in and out of 4x4.

 

[seatosummit]

Nice work! Good find on the missing part, hopefully you can pick up a new free wheeling hub locally.. also be aware when you install the new free wheeling hub that only a light smearing of grease is needed in the free wheeling hub assembly, too much grease and it can cause issues with the switch in and out of 4x4.

Appreciate the advice, @duncanrm -- as I will have to be back in there anyway, I can easily pull out some of the grease. Cheers

 

[seatosummit]

Hey Mud -

New 555 TREs from Cruiser Teq are in and working nicely. Tracks smoothly down the highway!

Still chasing a sort of grumble that I hear when the turning at low speeds. I had thought that it might be some sort of bushings in the column that were in need of replacement, but I seem to have stumbled upon a potentially more sinister explanation.

When I had the axle pulled apart, it occurred to be that it might be worth torquing the steering box bolts to spec as I had found the torque on some of the other components that were swapped during the RHD to LHD conversion by PO to be a little...questionable.

Disturbingly, I could not get the nuts to 105 ft-lbs, in fact I was having a tough time even getting the wrench on the backside of the frame rail to seat properly, almost felt like they were recessed into the frame rail.

Turns out that both frame rail sides are not created equally. Despite the fact that there are proper holes for the LHD steering box on an RHD frame, they are not internally reinforced with crush tubes...

I've been doing some reading on proper ways to fix this, but they all seem to involve fabrication work that I am not equipped to handle at the moment and it doesn't seem like there is a "bolt on kit". Anybody have recommendations on how to proceed with this? Seems like an urgent issue to address.

Cheers

Steering Noise:

 

[BrickRunner]

I think welding in the sleeves is the proper way to do this. With the steering box off, the outer side of the frame is easy. I'm not sure how much stuff can be moved aside to be able to maneuver my MIG gun on the inside; I see some wiring and power steering lines?

 

[duncanrm]

Yeah crikey.. you can see the recess that has occurred.. how about cutting a plate to size that they can pull against and running with longer bolts?

 

[seatosummit]

I think welding in the sleeves is the proper way to do this. With the steering box off, the outer side of the frame is easy. I'm not sure how much stuff can be moved aside to be able to maneuver my MIG gun on the inside; I see some wiring and power steering lines?

All of that stuff is easy to shift around. It is just battery cable, ATF cooling circuit and some misc alternator relocation wiring.

 

[seatosummit]

Yeah crikey.. you can see the recess that has occurred.. how about cutting a plate to size that they can pull against and running with longer bolts?

ya, I was just cooking one up. Seems like the most logical immediate fix, but I think the crush tubes are critical, the more I read about it.

 

[duncanrm]

ya, I was just cooking one up. Seems like the most logical immediate fix, but I think the crush tubes are critical, the more I read about it.

Right hand drive is where its at.. just convert back already

 

[BrickRunner]

Right hand drive is where its at.. just convert back already

Can confirm.

 

[TheBussman]

tubes would be a lot more important then that plate, easier and cheaper too. it's still going to crush the frame when you tighten the bolts.

 

[seatosummit]

Ya, definitely not anti RHD. I dailyed my HDJ81 for 4 years in Bay Area traffic, and in fact still have an RHD 40 series (Aussie spec!). PO should have just left it RHD. He had to do something though as a tree fell on the NZ spec body some years back.

Noted re tubes. Definitely planning on doing it correctly when I pull it apart. Cheers

 

[seatosummit]

Here is what I have been mocking up in CAD

1/4 or 3/8 ~4x6” plate with 1/2” ID butt weld pipe fitting

Plate and butt welded pipe fitting insert from inboard side of frame rail through over drilled holes where steering box is currently mounted.

Pipe fitting cut down to size to flush with outboard side of frame rail and then welded into place on frame rail.

What is not immediately clear to me how you weld the outboard side to the existing frame rail, while also creating a flat surface onto which you can mount your steering box and mounting hardware.

Currently 3D printing a mock up to test fit.

 

[BrickRunner]

View attachment 4159562

Here is what I have been mocking up in CAD

1/4 or 3/8 ~4x6” plate with 1/2” ID butt weld pipe fitting

Plate and butt welded pipe fitting insert from inboard side of frame rail through over drilled holes where steering box is currently mounted.

Pipe fitting cut down to size to flush with outboard side of frame rail and then welded into place on frame rail.

What is not immediately clear to me how you weld the outboard side to the existing frame rail, while also creating a flat surface onto which you can mount your steering box and mounting hardware.

Currently 3D printing a mock up to test fit.

To get the flat mounting surface you would need to grind the weld flat. To make sure grinding flat doesn't leave you with no weld left, you could chamfer the pipe end and countersink the hole to give you a nice v-groove to fill.

 

[seatosummit]

To get the flat mounting surface you would need to grind the weld flat. To make sure grinding flat doesn't leave you with no weld left, you could chamfer the pipe end and countersink the hole to give you a nice v-groove to fill.

Ah. That makes perfect sense, thank you!

 

[seatosummit]

3D printed mock up works great. Just ordered a 3/8" version from OshCut.

Should have all of the parts I need next week.

These are the "crush tubes" I was basing my CAD model off of. I'd prefer not to spend $50/piece though. Any recs on alternative sourcing?

I'm sorta locked into schedule 80 (0.147" wall thickness on 1/2" nom ID)

 

[BrickRunner]

Do you really need the flange on that adapter? Why not just a section of tube/pipe cut to length?

 

[seatosummit]

Do you really need the flange on that adapter? Why not just a section of tube/pipe cut to length?

Ha, my uncle who is helping me with the weld just asked the same thing.

It was appealing as it got around the mental constraint I had about where the weld would physically adhere to the plate, which is away from the fastener in the case you are using a flange, but as you already answered above you can have the weld directly beneath the washer/fastener so long as you chamfer and grind flat. That seems like a cheaper solution. Thank you!