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

[Martyt]

I have bias Super Traxions on mine and they run fine— radials may help him but he has bigger issues

 

[jim land]

I guest extended shackles causing bad caster

 

[SC Forester]

Thanks for the replies. It’s a 1974 based on the clean title. The VIN plate on the body is gone. I’m pretty sure it has the factory (or at least factory specs) shackles. It’s running 32x11.50x15 radials. I’ve heard that a center arm rebuild is the first thing to do. The TRE look pretty good.
I was afraid that this was just how they drive. It’s great on the trails and driving around 25-30 mph downtown. It’s pretty terrible above 35 mph. I’d like to safely be able to drive 50 mph if I needed to.

 

[Jdc1]

Thanks for the replies. It’s a 1974 based on the clean title. The VIN plate on the body is gone. I’m pretty sure it has the factory (or at least factory specs) shackles. It’s running 32x11.50x15 radials. I’ve heard that a center arm rebuild is the first thing to do. The TRE look pretty good.
I was afraid that this was just how they drive. It’s great on the trails and driving around 25-30 mph downtown. It’s pretty terrible above 35 mph. I’d like to safely be able to drive 50 mph if I needed to.

Both of the ‘69 40s that I have rebuilt the knuckles,steering and had aligned, you can take you hand off the wheel at 45 mph and they will track straight.

 

[Living in the Past]

'74 would be a 4 speed? at least mine is.

74 model started out as a three speed in the US.

Only thing that fixed my wondering steering was rebuilding the steering box. Have you checked to see how much free play is in the steering box yet?

 

[SC Forester]

Both of the ‘69 40s that I have rebuilt the knuckles,steering and had aligned, you can take you hand off the wheel at 45 mph and they will track straight.

Thanks. I will look at doing all the above.

 

[SC Forester]

74 model started out as a three speed in the US.

Only thing that fixed my wondering steering was rebuilding the steering box. Have you checked to see how much free play is in the steering box yet?

Thanks for the info. Yeah, it’s a 3 speed. I wish it was the 4 speed. I can deal with the lack of gears but I need to get the pulling and wobble out of it. I have roughly checked the steering play, the tie rods, and the shackles. Nothing clearly stood out as loose or the problem. It could be the steering gearbox. How would you check that? I’ve got a 1983 mini truck power steering box that I plan to put in later.

 

[Living in the Past]

Have someone move the steering wheel back and forth and see much it moves until the Pittman arm on the steering box moves. The amount it moves is the free play. The sector shaft in the steering box is offset from the worm gear on the steering column. Removing shims off the back side the sector shaft moves in and reduces the offset.

 

[SC Forester]

Have someone move the steering wheel back and forth and see much it moves until the Pittman arm on the steering box moves. The amount it moves is the free play. The sector shaft in the steering box is offset from the worm gear on the steering column. Removing shims off the back side the sector shaft moves in and reduces the offset.

I’ll give that a try. I have a power steering gearbox out of a 1983 mini truck and a Saginaw power steering pump. Should I go ahead and install it and see if it cleans it up any?

 

[SC Forester]

Well, I found some of the wobble problem here! Giant boil in the drivers side front tire. I put better tires all around yesterday and that improved it a lot. It’s still pulling left and right so I’ll try some of the things mentioned above. I want to put that power steering box in too.