***Make my FJ40 more of a daily driver???

[islandboy]

I have a 1968 FJ40 and it only has 3 gears,,, i want to be able to cruise at 65-75 mph without having the rpm's so rapped up,,,

change gearing?
change tranny?
bigger tires, what size?

let me know what is best and cheapest way to achieve this thanks!

 

[MicahMan]

I have a 73 with 33 10.50s. They are great and I cruise at 70 all day no sweat. Unless I have to go uphill. We have some steep canyons here in Utah but flat stuff no sweat!

 

[pavieSD]

Later model FJ40 axles came with 3.70 gears, you could swap both front and rear which would drop your RPM's down. This would also give you disc brakes in the front, which is also recommended if you're DD. Bigger tires will also act somewhat as an overdrive. Check the FAQ for more information. You didn't specify if you're still running the stock F1 engine. Some details on your rig will allow people to post more specific recommendations.

 

[ken_79-fj40]

3rd should be 1:1 so going to a 4 speed wouldn't help your highway RPM. I run 33x12.50's on mine and can cruise with traffic at 70-75 no problem. Even uphill but my 2F isn't stock. I've also got a 79 with 3.70 gears instead of 4.10's which helps quite a bit on the highway.

 

[FJsnoozer]

I'd go 33x10.5s which will require some form of lift , or a shackle lift and maybe some fender trimming. which will then require shims. Include these in your cost. I went this route and love it.

You can switch to a 5 speed and possibly 31s. (probably an ideal city daily driver yet most expensive)

You can switch to 79+ axles with 3.7s. take advantage of updated brakes and swap Brake parts to support the disks.


You can merely swap different gears into each of your axles. This will probably cost you 600-800.

You can go super cheap if you dont ever run 4wd and drop your front driveshaft and just install a new rear axle gear like a 3.73 or lower. SOR also sells a 2wd conversion plate (but why??)

 

[Mace]

33's and 3.70's are probably your best option.
3.70 sets are common and tend to be fairly inexpensive. Keep your eyes open for good deals
Be aware, switching to 33's and 3.70's will make your speedo read off by quite a bit.

 

[islandboy]

@mace

where is the cheapest spot to get 3.70's

also what else will be needed to make this happen?

 

[Mace]

You can probably pick up entire thirds in 3.70 from the classifieds section on here.

FJ60's had them

From there, you can get adapter flanges from Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters

 

[islandboy]

sorry for my questions but what do u mean by
" entire thirds in 3.70 "

 

[3DAMAN!]

Sell the L/C and buy a Jetta

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Your cheapest option is to invest in some good quality ear plugs so you won't hear the engine screaming.

 

[Tdi363]

Good advice! I got 1963 fj40 in pieces being rebuilt, and 2000 Jetta Tdi making 53 mpg
Fj is getting 241 Hemi, 4 speed, with ranger over drive Jetta just don't do trails

 

[Ray Sorenson]

I bet that 99% of the folks that are bothered by the screaming of their engines at hwy speeds don't have fan clutches.

 

[crushers]

H55F and 3.7 and 33X9.5 skinnies would be my suggestion. no lift required and no trimming plus less rolling resistance so fuel economy will be better.
you will need to get a 4 speed bell housing though.
RPMs will be low, better first gear ratio and 0.85 O/D and smooth shifting.
if you shop around you can pick up a used H55F fairly reasonable.

 

[Mace]

H55F and 3.7 and 33X9.5 skinnies would be my suggestion. no lift required and no trimming plus less rolling resistance so fuel economy will be better.
you will need to get a 4 speed bell housing though.
RPMs will be low, better first gear ratio and 0.85 O/D and smooth shifting.
if you shop around you can pick up a used H55F fairly reasonable.

OD will be pretty much worthless on a hill.
and he will have to cut the cross member to fit it.

And what do you consider "reasonable?"

 

[crushers]

seriously? useless on a hill? if his engine has decent compression then that won't be an issue ... and, even if it is then 4th is still one to one so for the short time he is on a steep hill he can drop it back down.
cutting a cross member is not the end of the world, cut, sleeve, reinstall further back. done.
under $1000. he benefits from the lower first as well as the O/D, easier acceleration from a dead stop or when off road on a trail somewhere.

 

[FJsnoozer]

+1 on Jetta.

That's my daily and road trip vehicle. I'll buy another tdi Jetta or tdi passat when this one dies. You can't beat 700 mi per tank.

 

[FJsnoozer]

seriously? useless on a hill? if his engine has decent compression then that won't be an issue ... and, even if it is then 4th is still one to one so for the short time he is on a steep hill he can drop it back down.
cutting a cross member is not the end of the world, cut, sleeve, reinstall further back. done.
under $1000. he benefits from the lower first as well as the O/D, easier acceleration from a dead stop or when off road on a trail somewhere.

Show me an working h55 setup for under 1k and I will buy it. I think you are under estimating the seriousness and overall cost of this swap. Not to mention they do not make 33x9.5s anymore!

 

[Mace]

yes seriously.

I have seen very few H55F's for under a grand here in the states. And if you have to pay someone to move a cross member it gets expensive fast.

You easily have a couple thousand dollars worth of mods listed.

Simply by running 3.70's and 33's he would keep the motor at about 2600 rpm at 70 down from almost 3K at 70 with the 4.11's and 33's. Chances are, he won't want to go much faster than that anyway.

Easy, and cheap for the gearing, if he already has 33" tires, then all the better.


Oh and island boy, the land Cruiser axles have sections that are removable that contain your axle gear sets in them. One of the names for those sections is called a "third Member". Third members can typically be found with 3.70 gears for $100 plus shipping. The adapter flanges are $30 something the last time I checked from Kurt.

 

[crushers]

well, i sold a good one to Jeff Zepp for $750 last year and have had my hand on a couple more.
moving a crossmember is a simple proceedure but then that might be because i do this s*** for a living.
3.70 gear ratio
33 tire size
0.85 final tranny ratio
70 mph
------
2242 rpm

4.11 gear ratio
33 tire size
1.00 final tranny ratio
70 mph
------
2929 rpm

significant difference
and worth every penny
i have run this setup in the FJ40 in a few different rigs now and never had an issue on hills.
it ran quiet
it shifts nice
it is decent on fuel at 55 mph (1760 rpm)

but that is just my personal experience <shrug>