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

[Mace]

well, i sold a good one to Jeff Zepp for $750 last year and have had my hand on a couple more.

I'll take the next one for $750 shipped please. And no I am not kidding. I'll send you cash.

moving a crossmember is a simple proceedure but then that might be because i do this s*** for a living.

The OP did not even know what a third member was. Do you honestly believe that cutting and relocating a cross member would be a simple procedure for him?? It may be, but assumptions are what they are...

3.70 gear ratio
33 tire size
0.85 final tranny ratio
70 mph
------
2242 rpm

3.70 gear ratio
33" tires
1:1 final ratio
-------
2637 rpm

Cost difference ~ 2K
Is 400 rpm worth another 2K??

Lots of stock cruisers have trouble pulling hills at 60 mph with a 1:1 final and 33's. Add 3.70 gears and a .8something ratio and even more won't do it. A strong running 2F can, but without any other information, he has a fairly high mileage F motor. So, again, assumptions are what they are.

 

[crushers]

in my mind, yes, it is worth the extra coin to drop the 400 rpm.
you keep missing the point of a lower first as well as the O/D, and a varried range of gears to chose from for those nasty hills.

$750 was definately not delivered. I had the tranny forsale in the classifieds here. he called. he bought. he paid shipping.

Mace, if you shop around you can find the tranny. you can buy new for $3400, you can find used for less. do your research as to which trannies fit and then start searching.

 

[1911]

33's and 3.70's are probably your best option.

That's what I'm running; driven mine all over the western U.S. and it pulls 2500 rpm at 65 mph and will do that all day long with ease.

+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.

Me too! And that's with a 14.5 gallon tank. And the torque! It will run over Raton Pass at 65 mph on cruise control and never downshift from top gear.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

Simplest and cheapest solution...drive slower.

 

[3DAMAN!]

Not trying to hijack,

In all my 30 years driving 40s. I have never been 70 mph in one.
And I do not want to!

 

[Pierps]

Here here! I have a ranger overdrive in my rig with 35's and an sbc... I can definitely hit 70... But that would be pretty scary. It's squirrely enough at 60, thank you very much!

 

[copper204]

Sell the L/C and buy a Jetta

Noooooooooooooo I own a Jetta parts chaser..

 

[FJsnoozer]

My truck was comfortable at 70 in the rain with the top off (other than me being a little chillie). I was being chased by a Jetta that paced me at 70, since my Odo was obviously off with the new tires.

Not bad for a truck that had been parked for 10 years. If your truck is scary at 60, you have other issues to address which are not because its a 40.

All of my TREs were tight, and I had a stock lift.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Just get used to driving slower.

You can get a new H55 from the dealership for $2100 or so last I checked. But then you also need to figure in a few other things, such as a split transfercase with the necessary casting for the 5th gear oiling cup, and a rebuild kit for the t-case. Also, figure that you will loose the t-case mounted parking brake, so either you will need to get the disc parking brake kit froma manufacturer such as TSM, or you will need to get a rear axle from a later FJ40 or FJ60 with the parking brake on the rear drum, and figure in rebuilding that axle as well.

Another thing, is that the driveshafts won't match the flanges on the t-case, so you will need to get some different driveshaft flanges for the t-case (if they are available) or get new flanges for the diffs and new driveshafts altogether. If you scrounge around, I am sure you can find deals on some of the parts.

I think when its all said and done, doing an NV4500 transmission, with the necessary adapters for an F/2F motor and to the stock t-case comes in about half what an H55 does, though I will admit that the H55 is a much nicer tranny behind a 2F motor.

FWIW, I run an SM420 and 4.88's in my diffs w/ 35" tires. 60-65 is about as fast as I am comfortably going and the motor is spinning about 3300rpms.

Edit:
One thing I would like to see is a way to adapt a F/2F/3F to an R151 or AX15 transmission.

 

[Pierps]

If your truck is scary at 60, you have other issues to address which are not because its a 40.

My 40 handles as well as you would expect a short wheel base vehicle with a 4" lift and 35's to handle: poorly! Wide tires hug ruts, and a high center of gravity makes it likely to roll when you have to quickly avoid something while traveling that fast. I'm exaggerating the "scary" part, but in my opinion, it's not safe to drive a 40 that fast... It was the same deal when I used to drive a new Jeep TJ with a lift and big tires.

But to each his own!

 

[crushers]

interesting, i have driven 40s with lifts and fat tires for decades and now drive a BJ70 with lift and fat tires (same basic drivetrain) and IF done properly and IF the steering is tight then it is a no issue.

drive defensively. it really is that simple.

 

[Pierps]

I hear you. I guess I'm just a right lane, speed limit kind of guy when I drive the 40. I'm a left lane, speeding kind of guy when I drive my BMW.

My point is, even with tight steering/etc, physics aren't exactly on your side in these rigs. High center of gravity, big tires, poor aerodynamics, etc. I love my 40 and I don't expect it to handle like a Jetta... that's why I don't drive it like one!

 

[crushers]

agree completely, although when i was younger i did drive the 40 in, well, a questionable manor.
SUA, 2.5 lift with extended shackles
tight steering
proper caster and camber
tires air to a proper setting
excellent brakes

makes all the difference.
no matter what you do, it will never handle like a car.
but
you can drive 80 mph if you want, in a straight line.
you can corner, if you slow down.
but a panic manouver and your ass is grass.

 

[SteveH]

If the OP lives at any kind of elevation, he will not want 3.70s and 33s. One or the other, but not both, I believe. Please EVERYONE put your location (or an approximation of it) in your forum profile.

 

[DSRTRDR]

Sell the L/C and buy a Jetta

 

[DSRTRDR]

My truck was comfortable at 70 in the rain with the top off (other than me being a little chillie). I was being chased by a Jetta that paced me at 70, since my Odo was obviously off with the new tires.

Not bad for a truck that had been parked for 10 years. If your truck is scary at 60, you have other issues to address which are not because its a 40.

All of my TREs were tight, and I had a stock lift.

85 mph brings the white knuckles, but it's doable in my truck

 

[platypusREX]

White knuckles? I got them when I hooked turn like I do in the Vette. I thought I was going to tump over. It was my first time out and I was going for my green sheet. Thought I was going to lose it before I even actually owned it.
Antoine

 

[duffontap]

Sell the L/C and buy a Jetta

As a Toyota purist, I chose the Corolla.

To the original question, at the end of the day it's just a personal decision. I think daily driving a 3-sp with a non-sync. 1st would be pretty classy. I'm driving a 4-sp, 4.11 gears and 31s and I'm used to it. I love the 4-sp, and I like that it's stock on my rig. I once owned a H55 but never installed it and decided to sell it ($800 and it sold FAST) and just go slow. My truck loves to go 52mph and now I do too.

Wanting what you've got saves you a lot of money, but if you must do something:

33's will give you about 13% OD over stock tires.

3.70 gears will give you about 11% more OD.

A 4-sp will give you a synchronized 1st, and less extreme shifts, but no more top end speed as other have said.

 

[Ray Sorenson]

Not trying to hijack,

In all my 30 years driving 40s. I have never been 70 mph in one.
And I do not want to!

With FJ60 P/S, 33" tires and front and rear spring flip to stretch out the wheelbase, mine will do 80 with my pinkie on the steering wheel. I regularly cruise at 80 on the way to work with a coffee mug in one hand. My 2F hates me

 

[platypusREX]

Your truck is a daily driver, it just isn't as you expected. I believe a lot of 40 owners have a second ride.