I have two fj40's and was wondering which one will be better for driving on the street? One is a 71 with a 4 speed adapted to it, so I am not sure what the transmission gearing would be like, and it has a sbc 305 in it. It is the stock fj transmission and 3 speed transfer case. The other is a stock 74. Both have normal rust and are projects but checking to see which one would make the better daily driver to restore first. Open to opinions. Thanks.
more street friendly?
- Thread starter poopboy
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brian
SILVER Star
from the transmission to the transfer to the rears, the gearing is the same in both of them.
- Thread starter
- #3
So does having the three speed transfer case and 4 speed transmission give it an low 1st gear that is useless for the street?
Tigerstripe40
SILVER Star
Only if you drive in low range on the street.
brian
SILVER Star
the transfer case's low range is unless for the street, regardless of whether it's the earlier or later gear set.
Are either running? If not, the answer may be in which one you can get on the road first. A running cruiser is more street friendly than a non-running cruiser.
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Tigerstripe40
SILVER Star
What was considered 'street friendly' when these rigs were built and sold and was is considered 'street friendly' now has changed significantly.
My FJ40 has an SM420 (7:1 first gear) and 4.88 gears. Many would not consider this to be 'street friendly' because I max out about 65-70 on the freeway.
But I totally consider it street friendly (it's not a trailer queen buggy, after all)
Maybe the better question to ask is, what does theOP consider to be street friendly?
My FJ40 has an SM420 (7:1 first gear) and 4.88 gears. Many would not consider this to be 'street friendly' because I max out about 65-70 on the freeway.
But I totally consider it street friendly (it's not a trailer queen buggy, after all)
Maybe the better question to ask is, what does theOP consider to be street friendly?
- Thread starter
- #8
I was thinking top speed but also just opinions on which one to start on for a daily driver. Did not know how the 305 4 speed to 3 speed adapter would feel? I have only had stock rigs before. Both have wiring and carb issues so about the same amount of work to get them on the road.
Tigerstripe40
SILVER Star
They are both going to have 1:1 4th gear and 1:1 T-case high range. They are both going to have 4.11 gears in the Diffs.
They are both going to have drum brakes. I'd probably side towards the one with the 4 speed transmission, but if you have 2 trucks, you can mix and match parts to make something you enjoy driving.
Though I'd also swap in front disc brakes at the very least.
I have a similar setup - 1975 FJ40, 283 SBC, 4 speed transmission, with a 4-speed transferase, and 4.11 differentials. Transferase style is a non-issue for street friendliness as you won't be using it on the street (unless you want to buy a new one). The 4-speed transmission has the huge advantage of having a synchronized first gear - which the 3 speed does not. That alone, makes it a better transmission in my opinion. Not sure which trans your 74 has in it - I know they switched from 3 to 4 speed right around then.
I will say that while the gearing is low in these trucks, the additional horsepower and high rev limit of the SBC certainly helps with highway driving and accelerating out of red lights. I would never take a 90-inch wheelbase over about 65 or 70 mph so top speed is sort of irrelevant to me, but the SBC gets you there faster than the stock F engine.
As others have mentioned - the best upgrade to making my truck "road friendly" was a disc brake conversion. However, properly adjusted drum brakes really aren't as bad as people make them out to be! It's just a lot of work keeping them adjusted...
Power steering is a nice upgrade, particularly in parking lots.
I will say that while the gearing is low in these trucks, the additional horsepower and high rev limit of the SBC certainly helps with highway driving and accelerating out of red lights. I would never take a 90-inch wheelbase over about 65 or 70 mph so top speed is sort of irrelevant to me, but the SBC gets you there faster than the stock F engine.
As others have mentioned - the best upgrade to making my truck "road friendly" was a disc brake conversion. However, properly adjusted drum brakes really aren't as bad as people make them out to be! It's just a lot of work keeping them adjusted...
Power steering is a nice upgrade, particularly in parking lots.
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