Just another JDM BJ74 in the U.S.

[AlbertoSD]

My bad

The interior of these trucks didn't change much (except different interior color/shades, gauge clusters, some with power windows, and such) until 2009 if I am not mistaken. The E-locker POD should work fine in your truck, should you decide to go the E-locker route as well.

 

[theferg]

Ferg - truck looks great! A few questions if you don't mind:

What exactly is the interior color? Is it a gray/blue plaid? I like it, very "overtly 80s!"

How do you like the 255/85 MTs? Do you think that is a good size for the 74?

Any more photos of the Kaymar bumper? Looks great!

Thanks

Thanks @fireball . The interior is actually mostly gray. I'm guessing the "plaid" you're referring to is what youre seeing on the doors...that is gray/black. Seems all these black/gray exterior ones came with that as well as some pimp matching seats (somebody else just posted up in the 70 section with another black one and they've got the original interior...).

I love the 255s. Sometimes I think maybe they're too skinny, but I really am liking them overall. The size is great for the 74. Other than having to remove the front mud flaps, no problems at all. That being said, these mudders absolutely SUCK in the slush and ice... :-/

I can get more pics of the bumper if you'd like. I've been a bit lazy with the pics on this one, haven't I......

 

[theferg]

@theferg bumping your thread again because I just saw somewhere else that you were planning to fit e-lockers into your 74. Any progress on this? I just bought a 74 and am trying to decide what to do... was mainly consider TJM vs. ARB, but would be interested to hear more about this e-locker swap you're planning/doing.

@cruiseroutfit Do you still have the grey OEM locker switch mount available for the 70 series? Will it fit the 73/74s? Since these only got cable lockers from the factory I'm not sure the switch mount would work?

View attachment 1017746

As @AlbertoSD has mentioned, the later 70 series came with the e-lockers as an option (I'm not entirely sure if they started right at '90 model year or not....). However, the 9.5" e-locker can swap right into the older full-float LC axles (front and rear), you just need the appropriate long-splined shafts, some longer diff studs, and then cut a small notch in the housing for the locker fork. My e-lockers project started out as an idea from just already having a 12V 9.5" e-locker from an 80 series rear already in my garage and looking to swap just the one in, and has morphed into 24V e-lockers front and rear using the later 70 series 8" high-pinion front and the 24V ECU. (Thanks again @AlbertoSD !!!) (FYI, the front long-splined shaft for the 70 series 9.5" front is no longer available even from Japan. ) I've got all the stuff sitting there waiting for me to find some time to get to it....

As for the locker switch pod, I've got my attached to my dash to the left of the steering column (RHD). Sadly, it wasn't a "fit right in and bolt right up" kinda deal though and it still needs a bit more love to look nice. It needs some sort of rubber shim or something to help "square up" the mount position. I positioned the switch pod in several different spots all around the dash and that spot is just the only spot that seemed logically like it "belonged" there and was out of the way of my knees and shifters and things.

 

[AlbertoSD]

Just to add to what Ferg mentioned, this is a photo of the POD on a LHD FZJ71:

And a photo of Karter's @ForealBoreal RHD HZJ77 dash with the Elocker switch (Thanks, Karter!)

 

[theferg]

Just to add to what Ferg mentioned, this is a photo of the POD on a LHD FZJ71:

View attachment 1017813

And a photo of Karter's @ForealBoreal RHD HZJ77 dash with the Elocker switch (Thanks, Karter!)

View attachment 1017814

Interesting.... I shoulda looked around a bit more as I was trying to mount mine there as it just didn't seem to want to line up correctly anywhere there, but after seeing those two, I understand better. Mine ended up a bit further up... Still will turn out good I think with a bit of rubber trim/shim.

 

[fireball]

Hmm, not quite as OEM looking as I'd hoped. I might just use the OEM switch in a panel beneath the single-DIN stereo along with the other Contura switches.

Ferg - did you redrill the holes for the front axle with your suspension setup? Looks like your axle sits a bit back, and with moving the hole sup 3/4-1" you could re-center the axle and still use the front flaps?

I'm debating 33x10.5x15 vs 255x85x16.... the 255s are .5" taller...

 

[theferg]

Ferg - did you redrill the holes for the front axle with your suspension setup? Looks like your axle sits a bit back, and with moving the holes up 3/4-1" you could re-center the axle and still use the front flaps?

That is exactly what I'm planning to do.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

@cruiseroutfit Do you still have the grey OEM locker switch mount available for the 70 series? Will it fit the 73/74s? Since these only got cable lockers from the factory I'm not sure the switch mount would work?

You bet, we have several of the grey's in stock. theferg has one he will be fitting in his BJ74, he did some test fitting and I think it is going to work out just fine. It will require some mounting holes as I recall but it will work.

 

[AlbertoSD]

Hmm, not quite as OEM looking as I'd hoped. I might just use the OEM switch in a panel beneath the single-DIN stereo along with the other Contura switches.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but the way Ferg has the switch mounted, and as shown on post #44 of this thread, is as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) as it gets, or the way Toyota sold the 70-series equipped with e-lockers from factory.

If the OEM look doesn't cut it, I've asked my friend Robert (from Venezuela) to send me a couple images of how he wired his ARB lockers using the factory style dial switch on his 2007 FZJ71. It is another option for mounting the switch that looks good IMHO (it could also be mounted on the other side of the steering wheel if your truck has electric side mirrors).

FZJ71 Gauge Cluster (70-series) from Robert's truck:

Hope this helps!

-Alberto

 

[theferg]

Worked on the rig a bit this past weekend... Swapped in and rebuilt a 1990+ 70 series complete HP elocker front axle assembly. Also redrilled the spring pin hole an inch forward on the perches to move the axle forward an inch--I can now fit my 33s without rubbing on the front mud flaps when turning.

And I must admit...having the axle completely off and springs dangling there....I had thoughts of doing a spring-over conversion.... Haha Maybe one day...

It also stops WAY better with the nice new OEM rotors and pads.

Next up is a 9.5" elock diff thats ready to go in the rear in the next few weeks, then gotta wire it all up.

Thanks to @AlbertoSD and @cruiseroutfit for hooking me up with a ton of this stuff.

 

[fireball]

Ferg - exciting to see! Hope the e-lockers turn out well. You going to be around next Monday? We'll be passing through the area and was hoping to stop in and pay you and @cruiseroutfit a visit. We can get a quick "twins pic"!

 

[theferg]

Cool. Yeah, I'll be at the shop from around 9am til about 1pm. What time are you passing through? Unfortunately, you'll be missing @cruiseroutfit as he is away travelling for a few weeks.

 

[Delirium]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but the way Ferg has the switch mounted, and as shown on post #44 of this thread, is as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) as it gets, or the way Toyota sold the 70-series equipped with e-lockers from factory.

If the OEM look doesn't cut it, I've asked my friend Robert (from Venezuela) to send me a couple images of how he wired his ARB lockers using the factory style dial switch on his 2007 FZJ71. It is another option for mounting the switch that looks good IMHO (it could also be mounted on the other side of the steering wheel if your truck has electric side mirrors).

View attachment 1018229

Hope this helps!

-Alberto

Where can I get one of those radio bezels with the compartment underneath? My JDM had a double din tape/cd unit that I had to remove... is that a toyota part that came on some from the factory or aftermarket?

-Nick

 

[SteveJackson]

Double-DIN universal radio install kit with pocket, available at almost any auto parts store.

 

[theferg]

A few pics of the back seat brackets that somebody was asking about.... I actually ended up with two extra front brackets (the ones in the first pic) if anybody wants them for something.

In the second pic, you can see what little amount of the corner that had to be chopped off for the front bracket to fit.

I'll work on getting a better pic of the back bracket under the carpet in the back.

 

[jblueridge]

If they are brackets for raising the front side of the rear seat, I'll take them off your hands!

 

[theferg]

If they are brackets for raising the front side of the rear seat, I'll take them off your hands!

They are for the front of my rear seat, but my seat is not stock, it is a bestop j@@p rear seat. I have no idea if they'll fit a stock 7x rear seat if that is your idea.... I may be able to compare them to the ones on a stock BJ74 tomorrow if the truck hasn't been sold off yet.

 

[Delirium]

Do the Jeep seats bolt in the BJ74s without modification?

 

[jblueridge]

Ah, well let me know what you think. I have a JDM BJ74 and the rear seat is definitely made for folks of smaller stature.
I am one of them but I drive.

 

[theferg]

Do the Jeep seats bolt in the BJ74s without modification?

Post #2 on the first page gives a run down of how the seats went in. Back seat was 2/3s bolt-in. I had to flip the front brackets on the rear seat side-to-side and chop off one corner of each bracket and they went right in; then had to fab a new rear striker bracket for the rear latch as it needed to be about 6" further rearward than stock. Super simple.

The front seats don't come with any brackets, only mounting holes on the underneath side. I just adapted my current (non-original) front seat brackets to fit the new bestop front seats.