Help determine my HJ61 gearing and advise on re-gear options

[TLink FJ60]

...
Hey!
I just thought of something....

Why not just swap out the FJ60 3rd member (rear only) into your HJ61 and go for a test drive. See how you like it.
You could swap it easily. No big deal. You could swap it out, test drive and swap it back in a weekend. So no downtime if one of them is your dd.

That's what I would do.

If you decide to do that, report back here. I'm sure a lot of guys would be curious how it drives.

Output Shaft, that sounds like a great idea. Actually (showing my rookie card here), before this thread I didn't know what a "3rd member" was. Which also means I have no idea how to swap it out. I'm guessing there's a thread or 2 on here that will provide guidance.

If the 61 is cable-locked it would be a bit more challenging.

Neither of my 60s are cable locked, so that shouldn't add any difficulty.

 

[TLink FJ60]

If all H55F and t-case gear ratio are all the same, what is the stock tire size for an HJ61 with stock 4.11 ring/pinion ratio ?

Is your 265/75R16 + GPS match your speedometer ?

David, I just got back from a drive. I used a garmin GPS (more accurate than my phone which I used earlier) and compared speedometer to GPS...yes it is almost dead on. At speedometer @ 80km/hr = 80.9 on the GPS. I tried multiple speeds and got similar results every time. So if you running 265/75R16 (very similar to 31x10.50) you should be dead on.

2000 rpm isnt peak torque for 12ht. Get her spinning to 2500. The difference in fuel will be minute

niffa, In 5th just now I was run 64mph at 2500. Scaling that from 4.11 to 3.73, I should get about 70.5mph at 2500. I'd actually like to cruise at 2300-2400 rpms. With my current setup, it feels like it starts working a lot harder at 2500 than 2300...at 2500 the boost is pegged at 7.5 almost always. At 2300, only about half the time...on flats the boost stays around 5-6psi at 2300 rpms. I have no idea if that is an indication of fuel consumption, but it just feels like I'm pushing the pedal a lot harder to get to 2500 vs 2300, even in 4th gear. If I do the temporary swap like Output Shaft suggested, maybe I can settle my curiosity.

Thanks so much for everyone's input. Don't know what I'd do without this forum.

 

[Output Shaft]

Heck... It sometimes takes my brain a while to start working....

Since you've got a FJ60 and HJ61 sitting there side by side....

Just swap the wheels; rear 265s on the 61 with the rear 31s on the 60.

Then take both for a drive.

Except for the engines, they are virtually identical vehicles. See how you like the 60 with the 265s on it & vice versa. No need to swap 3rds.

But don't expect any drastic changes. The tire sizes are only like 2% different.

 

[TLink FJ60]

Heck... It sometimes takes my brain a while to start working....

Since you've got a FJ60 and HJ61 sitting there side by side....

Just swap the wheels; rear 265s on the 61 with the rear 31s on the 60.

Then take both for a drive.

Except for the engines, they are virtually identical vehicles. See how you like the 60 with the 265s on it & vice versa. No need to swap 3rds.

But don't expect any drastic changes. The tire sizes are only like 2% different.

I actually swapped the wheels already. I've driven both with both. Like you said, they are nearly identical. This is why I think the HJ61/12HT will handle the set up with no problem. What I haven't been able to do is drive the 12HT with higher gearing to see how it really feels to drive 65mph at lower rpm.

 

[Colington]

Good thread. I'll be receiving my imported 1989 hj61 this weekend and I already started building it in my mind with 33" and a 2.5" lift and never considered the gears. I'm used to an fj62 gasser with an at, so I suppose anything will feel fast and responsive by comparison. Is it a consensus that I likely have 4.11 gears? It's a 5 speed, rhd jap example.

 

[my67nova]

I have a 1HZ with a turbo and 3.73 gears and 33's. it could very easily turn 35 or 37 inch tires. If you stay with 33's 3.73 gears or higher, even 3.23 if you could find them would be no problem at all for a diesel unless you tow a heavy trailer or run fully loaded all the time. Do yourself a favor and install and EGT sensor and monitor your exhaust temps. Don't let it go over 1200F for more than a couple seconds and it will last forever. Mine is turned up and I can't get it to go over 800F. I could run 90+MPH all day easily. Never got over 80 with a gas engine! I just checked my MPG and it's over 27....11mpg gas....diesel is the way to go!

 

[TLink FJ60]

Good thread. I'll be receiving my imported 1989 hj61 this weekend and I already started building it in my mind with 33" and a 2.5" lift and never considered the gears. I'm used to an fj62 gasser with an at, so I suppose anything will feel fast and responsive by comparison. Is it a consensus that I likely have 4.11 gears? It's a 5 speed, rhd jap example.

When you get it, check out the data plate on the driver side (right side) firewall. If it says K082 for the axle, then it came with 4.11 gears from the factory and likely still has them. Based on my research, that is most likely what you'll have with a 1989 HJ61VX from japan. That said, your FJ62 likely had/has 4.11 gears also. The U.S. FJ60s have 3.73. I still plan to swap mine, but have not yet. I may save up to put in lockers at the same time.

As for the lift, my HJ61 stock is taller than my FJ60 stock. In fact I put an OME 2.5" lift on my FJ60, and it is probably a 1/2" shorter than the HJ61 even with the lift. You might wait until you see it to decide if you need to lift it.