Joined the 62 club!

[RKTINC]

Thanks, still hard to believe the 80 is really gone but having a blast with this 62 so that eases the pain a bit! I have a feeling I haven’t owned my last 80, hopefully the bucket list shop expansion becomes a reality one day and I can make room for a few more cruisers.

I just bought a 9400 sq ft warehouse for my toy collection. going to use part of it for a farm shop/machine shed and part for a retail office space. It should work out great!

 

[tarheel40]

I just bought a 9400 sq ft warehouse for my toy collection. going to use part of it for a farm shop/machine shed and part for a retail office space. It should work out great!

That’s awesome! And smart to have it a “multi use” space. It probably makes more sense for me to do something similar and put it at least partly under a business umbrella, then just leave my home shop as is. The wheels are turning!!

 

[tarheel40]

Can’t believe it’s taken me a month to get a pic of the 40 and 62 side by side, better late than never!

 

[Roonie]

love that color of the 40. Really nice rigs together. I have thought of getting a 40 but can't do it right now and throwing money at improving my 62.

 

[tarheel40]

love that color of the 40. Really nice rigs together. I have thought of getting a 40 but can't do it right now and throwing money at improving my 62.

Thank you, feel very fortunate to have found them both! The 62 is way more practical and has been more enjoyable for the whole family but it’s hard to beat the fun factor of the 40.

Hopefully when you get your 62 squared away you can start a hunt for a 40!

 

[tarheel40]

I mentioned a few weeks ago I didn’t think replacing the expansion valve solved my AC issues and unfortunately I was correct. I won’t rehash everything here but if your system isn’t cooling properly and the AC compressor is cycling too quickly because your low pressure switch is shutting it off check out this thread - ended up being a ruptured AC drier and clogged system for me:

FJ62 AC Issue - Compressor Cycling On/Off Rapidly

I’m a month in to new ownership of a 1989 FJ62 and am still working to sort the AC out. When I bought the truck the AC was blowing cool but not cold, my mechanic charged the system (it has been converted to r134a previously but I don’t know any details about when or how thorough the conversion...

forum.ih8mud.com

I’ve had the 62 back for a week and AC is working like a charm, with 2 young kids and clear glass this will make the summer a lot more enjoyable!

Switching gears I got an exciting delivery from FedEx Wednesday as the majority of my Dobinsons IMS suspension kit was delivered (front shocks are back ordered). Big thanks to Jason @Ozark cruiser for all his help! I wanted the light duty front springs but the 7L’s were in stock so I just pulled the 3rd leaf and now have 6L front springs. I took a page out of @wngrog playbook and got some 4 degree caster shims from @orangefj45 (added some to my 40 a few months ago and it made a world of difference).

Front shocks will hopefully be delivered in a few weeks and then I’ll get everything installed, should be a huge upgrade from the 34 year old springs I’m riding on right now! Planning to add 33x10.50 KO2’s once the lift is installed, not the most unique tire choice but I’ve always been a BFG fan and it’s hard to beat the look of white letters out on a 62. Hopefully I’ll have some suspension updates soon!

 

[Ozark cruiser]

I mentioned a few weeks ago I didn’t think replacing the expansion valve solved my AC issues and unfortunately I was correct. I won’t rehash everything here but if your system isn’t cooling properly and the AC compressor is cycling too quickly because your low pressure switch is shutting it off check out this thread - ended up being a ruptured AC drier and clogged system for me:

FJ62 AC Issue - Compressor Cycling On/Off Rapidly

I’m a month in to new ownership of a 1989 FJ62 and am still working to sort the AC out. When I bought the truck the AC was blowing cool but not cold, my mechanic charged the system (it has been converted to r134a previously but I don’t know any details about when or how thorough the conversion...

forum.ih8mud.com

I’ve had the 62 back for a week and AC is working like a charm, with 2 young kids and clear glass this will make the summer a lot more enjoyable!

Switching gears I got an exciting delivery from FedEx Wednesday as the majority of my Dobinsons IMS suspension kit was delivered (front shocks are back ordered). Big thanks to Jason @Ozark cruiser for all his help! I wanted the light duty front springs but the 7L’s were in stock so I just pulled the 3rd leaf and now have 6L front springs. I took a page out of @wngrog playbook and got some 4 degree caster shims from @orangefj45 (added some to my 40 a few months ago and it made a world of difference).

Front shocks will hopefully be delivered in a few weeks and then I’ll get everything installed, should be a huge upgrade from the 34 year old springs I’m riding on right now! Planning to add 33x10.50 KO2’s once the lift is installed, not the most unique tire choice but I’ve always been a BFG fan and it’s hard to beat the look of white letters out on a 62. Hopefully I’ll have some suspension updates soon!

View attachment 3286895

You will enjoy the ride 100 percent. Thanks for the business

 

[tarheel40]

Still waiting on the IMS front shocks, I was told by Dobinsons Direct they’re going to be in the US this week then orders will ship out so hopefully soon! I’ve pieced together a few other parts for my suspension overhaul, including some front/rear extended sway bar end links from Cruiser Outfitters and a pair of center bolt spacers for the rear springs from ManAFre.

I’ve read a lot on the forum about whether or not to keep the factory rear spring rubber isolators and metal cover, honestly it seems to be a gray area. I talked to Jason and several other shops and all recommended eliminating the factory setup with aftermarket rear springs and going metal to metal (leaf spring directly in contact with rear axle). With the thicker aftermarket leaf pack the factory metal cover doesn’t seat fully so the u-bolt nuts are tightening down on rubber only and that doesn’t sound to be ideal to me.

While I’ve been waiting on the rest of my suspension parts to come in I’ve knocked out a fun interior project and updated all my turn signal and wiper stalk decals with a lot of help from @63FST. This project was a bit tedious but the end result is awesome, my decals were almost completely worn off and now my stalks look brand new. I did cover all decals with SEM clear coat so hopefully they’ll look good for years to come! Mo was awesome to work with, I’d highly recommend reaching out to him if any of your interior decals, emblems, etc need to be refreshed.

 

[63FST]

Pretty neat......looks like you did a fantastic job -- well done

 

[HemiAlex]

I really like this build, but I’m biased.

The color is my favorite on any 60/62 by far.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Still waiting on the IMS front shocks, I was told by Dobinsons Direct they’re going to be in the US this week then orders will ship out so hopefully soon! I’ve pieced together a few other parts for my suspension overhaul, including some front/rear extended sway bar end links from Cruiser Outfitters and a pair of center bolt spacers for the rear springs from ManAFre.

I’ve read a lot on the forum about whether or not to keep the factory rear spring rubber isolators and metal cover, honestly it seems to be a gray area. I talked to Jason and several other shops and all recommended eliminating the factory setup with aftermarket rear springs and going metal to metal (leaf spring directly in contact with rear axle). With the thicker aftermarket leaf pack the factory metal cover doesn’t seat fully so the u-bolt nuts are tightening down on rubber only and that doesn’t sound to be ideal to me.

While I’ve been waiting on the rest of my suspension parts to come in I’ve knocked out a fun interior project and updated all my turn signal and wiper stalk decals with a lot of help from @63FST. This project was a bit tedious but the end result is awesome, my decals were almost completely worn off and now my stalks look brand new. I did cover all decals with SEM clear coat so hopefully they’ll look good for years to come! Mo was awesome to work with, I’d highly recommend reaching out to him if any of your interior decals, emblems, etc need to be refreshed.

View attachment 3295737

If you're in a hurry, we should have the 6x Series Dobinsons IMS shocks in stock at Cruiser Outfitters. I'm currently traveling so can't personally check but we still had several sets in stock as of late last week. If you've got a set coming directly from Dobinsons they did have a big shipment arriving the end of this week or next as I recall.

 

[TMort]

That is a beautiful rig you have! I am complating on which model to get here in europe to bring back to the states. Right now its between a dieseled fed 60s or 80 series. How is the ride quality in the 62 compared to your 80?

 

[tarheel40]

I really like this build, but I’m biased.

The color is my favorite on any 60/62 by far.

View attachment 3295817

Great looking 62, love the pin striping and Dead sticker! I'm a big fan of the grey too on this model, the two tone grey/blue was the only other color option I was open to but I think the solid grey is a cleaner look.

 

[tarheel40]

If you're in a hurry, we should have the 6x Series Dobinsons IMS shocks in stock at Cruiser Outfitters. I'm currently traveling so can't personally check but we still had several sets in stock as of late last week. If you've got a set coming directly from Dobinsons they did have a big shipment arriving the end of this week or next as I recall.

Thanks Kurt, I'll keep that in mind! I am waiting on the big Dobinsons shipment to come in so they can ship my front shocks, assuming the current timeline holds I'll probably just wait it out but if something changes I'll reach out to you!

 

[tarheel40]

That is a beautiful rig you have! I am complating on which model to get here in europe to bring back to the states. Right now its between a dieseled fed 60s or 80 series. How is the ride quality in the 62 compared to your 80?

Thank you, I’m enjoying it! My 80 had OME suspension and 35” mud terrains, ride quality and handling considering the tires were really pretty good - all terrains would have been smoother I’m sure. I could comfortably go 75-80 mph tracking straight down the highway with no steering wheel vibration and bumps/ruts were soaked up fairly well around town or off-road.

One of my biggest concerns about going from an 80 to a 62 was ride quality and the ability to still be a practical 3rd vehicle for the family. My 62 has factory leaf springs and 10 year old aftermarket shocks (hopefully not for long!) and honestly the ride quality is better than I expected. Very comfortable on the highway, around town and on rough roads you do feel every bump but it’s not harsh - just a lot of oscillating. I spent a little more on the IMS Dobinsons kit vs a basic OME kit to hopefully get the best ride quality within reason for a leaf sprung SUV from the 1980s. I think the suspension upgrade will make a big difference in comfort and should firm things up a bit.

At the end of the day the 80 has coil springs on all 4 corners, almost 70 more HP and more creature comforts so on paper it’s absolutely a more practical cruiser. The 62 is slower and more utilitarian on the inside but it’s “old school” cool factor is off the charts higher than the 80 and it’s just a more fun vehicle to mess around in. If I was putting 10-15k+ miles a year on my 3rd vehicle the 80 might win the battle but as a knock around vehicle that maybe sees 2k miles/year the 62 is more than capable and plenty comfortable.

 

[405]

Nice truck! Great job on the improvements.

 

[Roonie]

Thank you, I’m enjoying it! My 80 had OME suspension and 35” mud terrains, ride quality and handling considering the tires were really pretty good - all terrains would have been smoother I’m sure. I could comfortably go 75-80 mph tracking straight down the highway with no steering wheel vibration and bumps/ruts were soaked up fairly well around town or off-road.

One of my biggest concerns about going from an 80 to a 62 was ride quality and the ability to still be a practical 3rd vehicle for the family. My 62 has factory leaf springs and 10 year old aftermarket shocks (hopefully not for long!) and honestly the ride quality is better than I expected. Very comfortable on the highway, around town and on rough roads you do feel every bump but it’s not harsh - just a lot of oscillating. I spent a little more on the IMS Dobinsons kit vs a basic OME kit to hopefully get the best ride quality within reason for a leaf sprung SUV from the 1980s. I think the suspension upgrade will make a big difference in comfort and should firm things up a bit.

At the end of the day the 80 has coil springs on all 4 corners, almost 70 more HP and more creature comforts so on paper it’s absolutely a more practical cruiser. The 62 is slower and more utilitarian on the inside but it’s “old school” cool factor is off the charts higher than the 80 and it’s just a more fun vehicle to mess around in. If I was putting 10-15k+ miles a year on my 3rd vehicle the 80 might win the battle but as a knock around vehicle that maybe sees 2k miles/year the 62 is more than capable and plenty comfortable.

I had OME lift kit and shocks on (the heavy ones) and it was a harsh ride. I switched to the IMS Dobinsons and now actually enjoy the ride. Every pothole and bump was teeth jarring before with OME and now it soaks up a lot of it. Not like a modern vehicle but doable now. I am not a vendor and have no affiliation with any product on here but switching to Dobinsons was one of the better things I have done to my cruiser ever. I am a picky user.

 

[tarheel40]

I had OME lift kit and shocks on (the heavy ones) and it was a harsh ride. I switched to the IMS Dobinsons and now actually enjoy the ride. Every pothole and bump was teeth jarring before with OME and now it soaks up a lot of it. Not like a modern vehicle but doable now. I am not a vendor and have no affiliation with any product on here but switching to Dobinsons was one of the better things I have done to my cruiser ever. I am a picky user.

That's awesome feedback, thank you! I haven't read a single negative thing about the Dobinsons IMS kit on the 60 series, very excited to get it installed. Hoping I'm lucky and don't end up with any driveline vibrations or other unexpected side effects, fingers crossed.

 

[tarheel40]

Excited to report that my Dobinsons kit has been installed! The shop knocked it out at the end of the week and luckily the front IMS shocks came in just before they got done buttoning everything up. I was out of town this weekend but the wife picked it up for me Friday and I had a chance to check everything out this afternoon - could not be more pleased!

Based on pre and post measurements I got about 3” of lift on all 4 corners. Front and rear fender measurements on each side are dead even and I’ve got about 1/2” of cruiser lean to the drivers side which isn’t noticeable. I did move the leveling plates to the top of the rear spring packs since I didn’t re-install the factory metal cover and rubber spring isolator, I would have ended up with a slight rake if I hadn’t done that.

I’ve only put about 10 miles on the suspension but initial impressions are the hype with this kit is very justified. The cruiser feels much more solid on the road, body roll is gone, bumps in the road are soaked up easily and I’m amazed at the softness. I can’t wait to continue putting miles on this new setup!

Tires should be going on in the next week or two, 33’s will complete the look nicely - the 31’s just look silly.

 

[cruisermatt]

@GLTHFJ60 will likely want all your old springs