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JT's FJ40 build
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- Thread starter
- #642
The entrance to Viper...almost made it up:
After backing down a bit to reposition, I slid off a rock into this precarious position...FAIL:
Picture doesn't to it justice...lots of winching and strapping immediately followed.
Trying to climb out of the bowl at the end of Broke Foot...FAIL:
Lenny walked both of these...fxxxer.
After backing down a bit to reposition, I slid off a rock into this precarious position...FAIL:
Picture doesn't to it justice...lots of winching and strapping immediately followed.
Trying to climb out of the bowl at the end of Broke Foot...FAIL:
Lenny walked both of these...fxxxer.
- Thread starter
- #643
A couple more courtesy of Mike.
The base of the stupid hill at the end of Maverick:
Closer to the top. Pulled cable a few minutes after this picture was taken...FAIL:
Two days later Lenny walked all the way up and out of this...fxxxer.
The base of the stupid hill at the end of Maverick:
Closer to the top. Pulled cable a few minutes after this picture was taken...FAIL:
Two days later Lenny walked all the way up and out of this...fxxxer.
Gravity. Weight is everything.
That first pic is my favorite.
When do the tube fenders start?
That first pic is my favorite.
When do the tube fenders start?
Bang Bang
Age is a state of mind.
I watched you, Sid and Chip fight those rocks. Wish I could have seen Lenny walk it. Did you bash the fender at Mardi Krawl?
- Thread starter
- #646
I saved this quote in my research notes a while back and never really mentioned it. Now seems like an appropriate time to bring it up. A bit of context, first:
Several years ago a surgeon in Arizona decided that he wanted to build a wheeling rig and, in the process, educate himself on how to weld, how to bend tube, how to build a motor and assemble a drive train, how to design and build a 4 link front and rear suspension, how to properly size coilovers, how to re-gear diffs, set preload and backlash, install ARB's, etc. etc. etc. He started with zero experience and a complete FJ-40. He ended up with mad skills and a mother fxxxing tubed chassis monster. The only bits of the original 40 that remained were the cowl and about 12 inches of frame.
Sometime during the middle of the build, while debating the intricacies of cage design, number of supports required, and various DOM wall thicknesses, someone brought up the issue of weight and how he appeared to be ignoring it. This went back and forth for a bit, with the Dr. ultimately declaring that his goal was to build the strongest, and therefore, safest rig possible...if that came at the cost of extra weight, then so be it. He concluded his argument thusly:
"Fortunately, I'm not emotionally invested in the weight issue."
The almost immediate retort came from our very own Georg...and I quote:
"i bet you will be when some punk-ass kid in a pos $3k mini walks up an obstacle that you can't "conquer". gravity is a bitch, i don't care how much traction you have, how much belly clearance you have, where your cog happens to be, how good or bad a driver you are. weight will work against you everytime.........."
Bam.
To quote my buddy Lance at PSC
Gravity rides everything.
I obsessed over this with the bash buggy. It was the best crawler I've ever seen. Mainly due to weight and bulletproof components.
To quote my buddy Lance at PSC
Gravity rides everything.
I obsessed over this with the bash buggy. It was the best crawler I've ever seen. Mainly due to weight and bulletproof components.
Land Speeder
InstaH8R
Save Weight! You can always find something to take off.
Land Speeder
InstaH8R
Lenny made Viper because I was looking at his passenger. I mean, I was telling him the line. It's the only line anyone ever makes it.
We had a small, bah dass, group! All days! It was an absolute blast! and I even got dents. Ohs well! I loved watching JT's rig move in mysterious ways!
We had a small, bah dass, group! All days! It was an absolute blast! and I even got dents. Ohs well! I loved watching JT's rig move in mysterious ways!
Also the title of a great modest mouse song.
You guys did have a great group. The 80 ain't ready for them trails, but a plan has been enacted and I will Keep yall posted.
Bang Bang
Age is a state of mind.
If I had trailered the LX or brought the 40 I would have done my best to keep up with that group. I would have had to bring a few extra changes of underwear though I am sure.
If I had trailered the LX or brought the 40 I would have done my best to keep up with that group. I would have had to bring a few extra changes of underwear though I am sure.
We pushed it. But I agree. We had to Drive her home. #shoppingforatrailrig
#christineisreadyfor37's
345's on an 80 are perfect.
Well I may step up to 315's one day. But if we are gonna follow the 37" crowd I would prefer to beat on something a little less nice. Kinda fond of this 80's sheet metal.
Get a mini truck
Land Speeder
InstaH8R
Get another 80, that you ain't afraid to scrape. Best ever off the assembly line to trail rig ever. EVER. coils and links?! Done.
Let's stop bastardizing JT's thread.
Let's stop bastardizing JT's thread.
- Thread starter
- #659
No worries.
I adjusted my clutch pedal yesterday...
I adjusted my clutch pedal yesterday...
- Thread starter
- #660
Adding some overdue updates, since I forgot to post them here after Clayton. Nothing new...just repairs/replacements.
Green Mamba Extension was rough on the ole girl. At some point I must have come down on the tie rod just enough to compromise it's lateral strength. The slight bend was all it took for the assist ram to do the rest of the damage. At full force, while trying to turn into a giant boulder, this happened:
The tie rod dented the front of the oil pan and was shooting sparks from its contact with the harmonic balancer. The rod on the ram was bent, the heim on the end of the ram was destroyed, the seals in the ram blew and fluid was shooting out everywhere, the tie rod ends were hosed (they were already pretty worn), and, while trying to get it out of the rocks and back to flat ground, the truck ended up in this position:
Not good.
We straightened the tie rod as best as we could (pretty fxxxing straight, actually), unbolted the ram and zip tied it out of the way, cut the power steering belt (to save time), and limped it back across town and put it right on the trailer. I came home, unloaded it, pulled it into the garage, and there it sat until the other day.
On Sunday, Jrob helped me make a new tie rod (original rod was 1.25" .188 wall, the new one is 1.25" .120 wall sleeved with 1.5" .120 wall with about 50 plug welds and weld in tie rod end tube inserts from RuffStuff), replace the power steering pump (this one had developed a significant leak...this is reman'd pump number 4, by the way, but who's counting), put on a new belt, replace a u-joint in the steering column (the joint at the gear box was completely blown apart...surprised the steering column didn't fully separate while fighting the steering on the road), and replace the ram. The new heim didn't come in until yesterday, so, last night we wrapped it all up.
By that time the rain had slacked off, so I decided to try to get it back to the house. At the end of Jrob's driveway, literally feet from turning onto the street, this happened:
Not the best picture, but yea, the fxxxing wheel fell off. A few minutes later, around a curve at 35MPH, on a slippery ass road, this would have been real fun.
This is the same long side rear axle that we replaced at Clayton. I run wheel spacers, so, when we replaced the axle, the spacer had to be moved from the broken axle to the replacement. This was done off the truck with a small impact, and, more to the point, once in the housing, the spacer lug nuts were never properly torqued. When the wheel fell off, it was still securely fastened to the spacer, but all 6 spacer lug nuts were floating around in the cavities between the spacer and the back side of the wheel.
We separated the spacer from the wheel, jacked it up, put the wheel on without the spacer, and drove it back to the shop to inspect everything. All 6 spacer lug nuts had backed off completely...none were stripped, nothing was broken, and all the threads on the studs were good. We ran a die over the threads just to make sure they were clean, put the spacer back on, properly torqued the lug nuts, put the wheel back on, and drove it home.
PSA - if you run wheel spacers, check the torque on the spacer lug nuts periodically. @Bossman - sorry brother, I could have killed ya in Methville...
Green Mamba Extension was rough on the ole girl. At some point I must have come down on the tie rod just enough to compromise it's lateral strength. The slight bend was all it took for the assist ram to do the rest of the damage. At full force, while trying to turn into a giant boulder, this happened:
The tie rod dented the front of the oil pan and was shooting sparks from its contact with the harmonic balancer. The rod on the ram was bent, the heim on the end of the ram was destroyed, the seals in the ram blew and fluid was shooting out everywhere, the tie rod ends were hosed (they were already pretty worn), and, while trying to get it out of the rocks and back to flat ground, the truck ended up in this position:
Not good.
We straightened the tie rod as best as we could (pretty fxxxing straight, actually), unbolted the ram and zip tied it out of the way, cut the power steering belt (to save time), and limped it back across town and put it right on the trailer. I came home, unloaded it, pulled it into the garage, and there it sat until the other day.
On Sunday, Jrob helped me make a new tie rod (original rod was 1.25" .188 wall, the new one is 1.25" .120 wall sleeved with 1.5" .120 wall with about 50 plug welds and weld in tie rod end tube inserts from RuffStuff), replace the power steering pump (this one had developed a significant leak...this is reman'd pump number 4, by the way, but who's counting), put on a new belt, replace a u-joint in the steering column (the joint at the gear box was completely blown apart...surprised the steering column didn't fully separate while fighting the steering on the road), and replace the ram. The new heim didn't come in until yesterday, so, last night we wrapped it all up.
By that time the rain had slacked off, so I decided to try to get it back to the house. At the end of Jrob's driveway, literally feet from turning onto the street, this happened:
Not the best picture, but yea, the fxxxing wheel fell off. A few minutes later, around a curve at 35MPH, on a slippery ass road, this would have been real fun.
This is the same long side rear axle that we replaced at Clayton. I run wheel spacers, so, when we replaced the axle, the spacer had to be moved from the broken axle to the replacement. This was done off the truck with a small impact, and, more to the point, once in the housing, the spacer lug nuts were never properly torqued. When the wheel fell off, it was still securely fastened to the spacer, but all 6 spacer lug nuts were floating around in the cavities between the spacer and the back side of the wheel.
We separated the spacer from the wheel, jacked it up, put the wheel on without the spacer, and drove it back to the shop to inspect everything. All 6 spacer lug nuts had backed off completely...none were stripped, nothing was broken, and all the threads on the studs were good. We ran a die over the threads just to make sure they were clean, put the spacer back on, properly torqued the lug nuts, put the wheel back on, and drove it home.
PSA - if you run wheel spacers, check the torque on the spacer lug nuts periodically. @Bossman - sorry brother, I could have killed ya in Methville...