Membership-How?

[1911]

Wow, that is the cleanest-looking 60 I have seen in a while. Welcome to the group Rob.

 

[evanz80]

Hey Rob -

Very nice 60! We had one that was very similar, and now owned by Gormans, another member of the group. That blue/gray was always my favorite color for the 60s. Looks great with the lift. Bumpers and tranny (maybe some sliders) and you'll be all set!

Evan

 

[Cruisergreg]

Rob,

You might as well plan to redo the t-case during the tranny swap since it needs to be disassembled during the process. There is probably more experience with H55F swaps in this group than in all the shops around town combined.

cruisergreg

 

[ssgtange]

Thanks for the comments. I will be picking some brains when it comes to the H55 swap. I need to follow-up with CDan and see when it will be in. Also, anyone know a good upolstery shop in town? I need to get my front seats squared away. I am also going to meet with a real good metal fabricator in town on some bumpers. Anyone have input on must haves for fron and/or rear bumpers? Thanks.

-Rob

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Thanks for the comments. I will be picking some brains when it comes to the H55 swap. I need to follow-up with CDan and see when it will be in. Also, anyone know a good upolstery shop in town? I need to get my front seats squared away. I am also going to meet with a real good metal fabricator in town on some bumpers. Anyone have input on must haves for fron and/or rear bumpers? Thanks.

-Rob

FWIW: I don't think it is humanly possibly to come up with a more efficient design than the ARB front bumper. I ran a lot of numbers and almost got to pretend that my degree doesn't collect dust--and in the end I bought an ARB. There are simply things you can do when you have large presses and mutliple metal size stocks that I can't do in my shop economically.

When it's all said and done, on the faux-lux the ARB front bumper is a solid 50 pounds lighter than anything I could have fabbed up myself, and is a good bit stronger. I'd seriously look for either a used ARB bumper for a 60 or buy a new one over having one made. My ARB bumper also directs a LOT more cooling airflow through the radiator than the stock bumper did. I can't stress enough how much I like the ARB products.

A rear bumper, I was able to beat the weight of most aftermarket bumpers, while making it stronger and better suited to my needs (read: looks better and has room for my sweet backup light). I wouldn't hesitate to have a rear bumper fabricated. That said, see if you can meet up with Greg and check out his--I think it looks great and has a lot of function built into it from what I can see.

If you are going to see a fabricator, I'd get some sliders made while you are there.

Dan

 

[ssgtange]

Dan,

Thanks for the input, it makes a lot of sense. I tried to search "looks better and has room for my sweet backup light" and came up empty handed. I would really be interested in taking a look at your set-up before I move forward. Also, copy on the sliders. They are on the radar fort his visit as well. Thanks.

-Rob

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Dan,

Thanks for the input, it makes a lot of sense. I tried to search "looks better and has room for my sweet backup light" and came up empty handed. I would really be interested in taking a look at your set-up before I move forward. Also, copy on the sliders. They are on the radar fort his visit as well. Thanks.

-Rob

Mine's not a 60, but here's the bumper I made.


It's not done. I still need to build runners to go forward of the bumper to the rear wheels (will do it when I fab sliders), and I should build a swingout tire carrier someday. I put the spindle in, but haven't needed anything else yet.

I have about $100 in materials into that, and it has exactly what I wanted. That's why I didn't just order something for the rear. Nobody made what I wanted--either too big and heavy or just tube bumpers.

Ali made a really, really nice bumper for the rear of his 80. I'm sure pics can be drug up somewhere of the process. His is probably more of what I'd build for a 60 series. Kind of like this:

Hope that gives some ideas. The nice thing is you can change them and modify them if you've got some fab skills or know someone who does.

Dan

 

[Cruisergreg]

Kind of like this:

Hope that gives some ideas. The nice thing is you can change them and modify them if you've got some fab skills or know someone who does.

Dan

The major Achilles heel I see in that design is that the receiver hitch is the low point and unprotected. From experience I've learned that it doesn't take a very hard hit to deform the receiver opening to the point where the hitch will no longer slip in.

Also, that exhaust pipe location will last until the first rock-crawling adventure. When I had my bumper made I wanted the exhaust run through the bumper and out the back but the fabber wouldn't do it. The compromise was to have the tailpipe run through the rear spring and out the side. The spring protects the pipe except for the very end.

 

[Source3]

Another rear bumper option:
4+Plus 60 series tow bumper
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/fj62rearbumper.htm

and the list will go on and on and on...