Builds My '78 FJ40 "44"

[Solace in Solitude]

@Weber Sarge

Oh yeah... your problems are way worse than mine. I’ve been in one vehicle accident, when a 16 year old made an illegal left turn, in front of me, at 55 mph. She was fine... the seatbelt hurt my AC joint (shoulder) and gave me a stiff neck for a while.

Like you, a lot of my issues are the result of a lifetime of very hard work.

I drove a big John Deere and a field truck, as a preteen... very hard to pull that steering wheel. I loaded hundreds of thousands of pounds of dust and fertilizer into crop dusters, as a teenager and used hard physical labor to mitigate sitting at a desk, developing software, fir 43 years.

I had both AC joints resected, to mitigate the pain of “weight lifter’s shoulders”, from moving thousands of heavy wheelbarrow loads and lifting heavy brick pavers, while laying patios, driveways, etc.

My back problems are thought to be congenital... and are “fixed” after I had L5-S1 fused... I don’t generally have pain anymore... unless I spend time bendind... like adjusting 44’s valves.

I’ve never understood why I often find walking painful... but, seldom have pain when hiking... I do have times when I need to squat a bit, to loosen my back.

Regardless, my big knee concern was hiking, in a remote drainage and blowing out my patellar tendon, like I did with my triceps tendon... I wouldn’t be able to get back to 44. But, the orthopaedist assured me there was no indication of impending spontaneous rupture if the tendon.

... and I checked in with my spine surgeon and all us good there.

So, I’m going to stay away from doctors as much as possible and try the foam roller, @120mm suggested and the glucosamine that @waiting for time suggested and get back out where I belong.

I wish you had the same opportunities...


I never associated the Fritos smell with dogs feet until my younger daughter pointed it out. She’s absolutely right!

When Mark was riding with me, after our hike, he noticed the smell in 44.

Teddy is the quickest learner we’ve ever had. He’s too smart for his own good... and Chester worships him... losing Gunner was really hard on Chester.

Chester and Teddy love to play together and are both “toy-centric” dogs... Mr Parker was the same... Gunner was not... he loved to play, but not with toys.

Golden Retrievers are excellent pets. They aren’t quite as stubborn as a lab, but they can be hard headed... especially since the 2008 economic downturn, when so many became breeders, out of economic necessity...

The ONLY downside of a GR is their hair... they shed constantly and our dogs are our kids... they live with us... so, it’s a lot of work to keep them groomed and keep the hair cleaned up.

Chester us my guard dog... he wouldn’t hurt a sole... but, scares the hell out of everyone who comes near... he lives to lounge in 44... I let him sleep out there in the daytime and never have to worry about anyone messing with anything.

Teddy is a GoldenDoodle... GR and Poodle. He hardy sheds at all... and next generation (GD bred with Poodle) doesn’t shed at all... they are also hypoallergenic.

The GD behavior has all GR characteristics. They both love snuggling, kisses and heavy petting.

GDs are also bred for size... Dianna wanted a 35lb’er... looks like that’s about where Teddy will end up. He’s already my lap dog.

Because of the recent increased demand for GDs, it’s unlikely you will find a rescue GD... and they are not cheap from a breeder.

But, while GRs have a lot of hair and do get hot, I’ve found they will snuggle with you as long as you pay attention to them. When your attention wanes, they’ll find a cool spot on the floor.

If you work with a GR Rescue organization, you can likely find a good GR.

Our first GR was a mixed breed, from our Tucson neighbors. We moved her to San Antonio, The Netherlands and then to Austin and list her at 13 years. She was a GREAT dog!!

I’m not sure if this, but my perception is that the wonderful, gentle, loving GR personality is generally dominant in a GR mix.

So, you could look for a GR mix and cone up with a great dog.

The typical shock collar, from Cabelas, etc. is generally, IIRC, good to 1/4 mile.

When I finally broke down and had Chester trained, the trainer recommended a brand that was bought out by Garmin... they are touted to be good to 1 mile...

I don’t really let them out of my sight... but, I’m not generally in trees... when I am, I keep them close... Cougars are always a concern.

Cheers!

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Cougars are always a concern.

Only the 2 legged kind!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Only the 2 legged kind!

Not for me... I'll be 69 next month... I'm not interested in 90 year old Cougars.

When I wrote that, I wondered who would be first to pipe up... You didn't let me down, Ryan!!

 

[65swb45]

Kevin

I guess my mind just naturally thinks karmic-ly. I’m thinking a hunk of that chain that broke on you tossed into the back of the 40 ought to settle your suspension down enough to find out if your back will tolerate a loaded rig.

So the chain may once again hold a link (pardon the pun) to your future.

As far as the dogs, my wife and I have been pet-less since we discovered our oldest child had/has severe allergies to pet dander. I am sure that we will have a dog again one day, just not sure when. So I while I get to actually wheel a rig, I check in here to experience pet ownership vicariously.

 

[handcannon]

I've been busy enough lately that I have been having problems keeping up with Mud, and especially your thread Danny. I was 9 pages behind when I started working on catching up about 3 this afternoon, and I've been skipping a lot of threads. I'm close to two hours past my usual bed time now, but it has been worth it as not only have I been able to finally catch up to your thread Danny, but I've also been able to hear from Sarge, Ryan, Waiting on Time (Matthew?), and 65swb45 (I'm having problems with names this evening).

I watched the video of Teddy and his new boots. LOVED it! Had me laughing. Reminds me of things I did as a kid, like putting tape on cats feet and then putting them down on a hardwood or vinyl floor. Shhh! Don't tell anybody that I was one of those kids. I also learned more about others health problems, which makes me feel pretty fortunate. Although I did get hurt on the job, my continuing problems seem rather mild after what I just read.

One other dog to consider, that doesn't appear to shed because their fur is so short, is a Boxer. Because they have such short fur they need to be kept inside, or at the minimum in a partially heated area in cooler weather. They are large chested and consequently don't usually live past about 10 years, however like people their age can vary a lot. Jasper, the male in my avatar, is now 12 years old and so grey that the blaze you see on his face in my avatar is very hard to see now.

They are also very good around people, especially kids. Yet their size makes them seem fierce. Our Boxers love being around people and would love to be lap dogs. And Danny, they are just like you describe Chester and Teddy, very playful and active.

Keep posting as I love to see your pics and hear about where you've been, and hear about Chester and Teddy.

Don

 

[Solace in Solitude]

(@handcannon)

Thanks for checking in Don!!

Glad to see you’re doing ok!!

 

[Weber Sarge]

Mark - that's sad to hear, I can't imagine how life can be without a dog in the family. A friend has a similar situation with their son - they went with a Malumut and haven't had an issue yet with him - but it all depends on the child and each case is different. A small section of that chain weighed 28lbs per foot - it went to the courts when the attorneys went after the rig manufacturer. They are a known problem, trying to anchor something that can generate 1,080,000lbs of push/pull to the ground is not easy - the rig was moving that night too much despite the huge anchor tank buried in the silica rock. We had to start tying heavy equipment to it but the way it was built there wasn't a way to tie the two parts of the rig together - hence the crazy heavy chain. After the accident they had the Pipefitters build a custom set of heavy steel arms to do the job and got rid of the idea of using that chain - go figure after they tried to kill me. Attorneys had zero gains going after the manufacturer despite a history of failures and injuries - that design killed one worker prior to getting me but the laws protect them. Fighting Work Comp cost me my credit completely - we are debt free now but the damage has already been done, that's how the game goes when you get hurt. A lot of people assume that when you are hurt on the job you'll get a huge settlement and live easy afterwards - that's never the case and it's usually the opposite. There is no recourse for losing your ability to work and since that time period it's actually gotten worse - many of the protections and laws have been changed to favor the insurance industry - not the workers in any sort of way. All I can say is you have to be vigilant and protect yourself at work - these days you are on your own, literally.

Our GSD sheds badly - being that one in 10,000 long coat makes him really hot and his changing of that double layer coat is pretty much year round. He's killed every "pet vacuum" they've come out with , most times it's the roller drive that plugs up and burns out the motor - we have a Shark right now I have to take it apart every time we vacuum the place. Everything I own is covered with his fur - it doesn't bother me and I don't really care if it bothers anyone else, either - lol.

My daughter and her other half have always had Boxers - they are fine but not really my preference in their attitude and historically they will clash with a GSD, badly. When they lived upstairs from us my last black and silver monster nearly killed one of their boxers for his attitude - we'll never forget that one. Why a Boxer would want to challenge a GSD that is double his weight/size I have no idea - he was lucky to survive it and only required some stitches. Our all-German one currently is pretty accepting of other dogs, especially puppies as they are considered a moving toy of sorts...lol. Toby will allow another dog to enter the property - until they display the wrong attitude or body language , then they get run off or hurt in a split second. Being off-leash it can be tough to referee a problem with most but he will respond no matter what - his breeding makes him tuned to commands a lot better than the American bred versions and it's why I prefer a German bred shepherd, just a lot better and more true to what they are suppose to be.

I don't know - really don't want a second dog at this time but the wife misses her couch buddy badly. The GSD just isn't into that - he will sit with her but at a small distance, it's just the way they are. If she latched onto a new pup and kept it close to her a lot he'd also show some jealousy - GSD's are known for that and it could lead to a problem later when the pup is closer to maturity, I don't need a fight in the house either. I've maintained a leadership role wth him to prevent a dominance problem, when there is a second dog there becomes a certain pecking order in the pack - the old senior lab mix was allowed to get away with a lot with the GSD. Now that he's gone, the order has changed and a new dog might be an issue if it tries to gain a more dominate role in order - that usually doesn't go well. I've always wanted a Belguim Malanoise, but their extreme drive is well past my physical capabilities and they are a one-dog driven animal and really only bond with one human. Trying to keep up with one at my age would be futile to say the least....lol. If we do anything, it would probably be a medium sized dog. I do somewhat like some of the poodle cross mixes, but my wife has a childhood hatred for poodles and that curly-ish coat wouldn't fly for her. We both love the Swiss Mountain dog lines, but their short life span and common health issues are just too much - most only live 7-9yrs tops and some are even less than that , it's too bad, really. Shame, they are excellent dogs and a buddy has had several - one did make it to 11, barely.

I forgot how much fun it was to check in here - will try to do it more often. If nothing else it's nice to see what others are doing and keep up with Danny's adventures out in the remote areas of the southwest - those pics are truly amazing. Being in the Midwest and in the middle of the crop belt the scenery around here is pretty boring - bare dead fields in the winter - corn and beans in the summer, not much in the way of natural beauty. Someday I'd love to move and get away from this area, other than the ag industry it's been slowly dying since we've lost almost all of our manufacturing despite being in the center of the country - all we have now is warehouses and a lot of empty properties. It's depressing to think back 30yrs ago and the vibrant economy we had here at one time - the number of big name makers around this area was really a sight to see. Only two major ones left are Champion (owned now by Gardner-Denver, sorta) and LCN door closers - both have been staples but are slowly moving jobs off-shore like the rest, what a shame. They recently took down the old J&L Steel plant - Mittal eventually bought the property after it was forced out of the market by off-shore steel imports, now the pots and furnaces are living in China with the rest of them . It's criminal how that was allowed to happen and the people that worked there lost all of their pensions completely. Our area has been hit nearly as bad as Detroit and others - it just doesn't show up in the news since it's all rural so no one pays attention to the damage done by exporting factories, sore subject with the older crowd for sure. I should have left years ago - the writing was on the wall but working construction you'd think in this state the work would always be there - wrong. All we do now is put band-aids on our roads, nothing is truly repaired properly and that's why it doesn't last. Some sections of I-80 in Illinois get "re-paved" yearly, it really is that bad. It's all politcal and I'm not going into what drives the problems, but it's a bad direction and putting the public in danger - we've had several bridges that have nearly collapsed before they were replaced - that's not funny and you'd think this nation would learn a lesson from I-35 in Minneapolis...evidently we didn't .

Anyway - enough of the rambling, let's get back to wide open spaces, dogs and Cruisers...I love that stuff. It's nice to see the sprinkling of tech intertwined with how we enjoy these trucks - it applies to so much of life with a Land Cruiser that is used for it's intended purpose - adventures in the outdoors.

Sarge

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Please don’t turn my thread into a political or religious discussion. While I understand the frustrations of the current climate and have views that are as personal as they are patriotic, I have already knocked heads with Woody over his removal of a thread simply because others mentioned banned subjects.

If he removes this thread, I’m done with MUD... politics and religion are in this thread.

Technically... 44 has a small leak, from within the flywheel inspection cover. I can’t pull the cover without first removing the exhaust collector that joins to the headers. It smells like engine oil... so, it seems to be coming from the engine.

I recently re-torqued the oil pan bolts, I’m still seeing drips.

Being explorer-centric, rather than mechanic-centric, I prefer to drive under the auspices of watchful waiting, e.g. keep an eye on it and check oil level regularly.

My questions:

• What are the possible causes?
• By continuing to drive (and leak), am I risking potential mechanical damage?
• By continuing to drive (and leak) am I placing myself and my boys in foreseeable peril of a remote breakdown?

Now, back to dogs, infrastructure and stuff...

I’ve said my dog-piece... y’all know where I stand... best friend selection is as personal as it gets. But, personally, I wouldn’t be nearly as well-balanced rolleyes, if I only had myself to talk to.

Kevin’s mention of road conditions reminded me of a couple of things:

• I’ve been driving IH40 for almost 50 years and rode along Route 66 many times before and since IH40 was opened. About 5 years ago, I drove my Tundra across New Mexico, on IH40, and EVERY lead weight was missing, by the time I left 40 and arrived in Lubbock. I had to have every wheel balanced and the front end aligned in Lubbock... all from the mess that 40 has become. I’ve driven it since and it’s better... but, not much.
• I was also reminded of Operation Plowshare and the “inherent benefits” of trying to shoehorn nuclear detonation into the construction industry. It was a prime example of building upon a developing technology without fully understanding the ramifications of new technology. Operation Plowshare

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

@Weber Sarge you technical advice and recommendations go a lot further than you ever know. I have read literally hundreds of posts from you that have helped either myself or others on Mud. Thanks! I was just wondering a few weeks ago about your whereabouts, glad you showed up sir.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I hope y’all didn’t take my “Please don’t turn my thread into a political or religious discussion.” post wrong... it wasn’t directed at anyone specifically... I just don’t want Woody’s automatic filters to arbitrarily remove my thread.

————————————————

Today’s hike, with Chester and Teddy... 44 is right of the long, narrow knoll, in the middle of the first picture... northwest Vegas, in the background of the second picture.

 

[greenbeasty]

Wow, that is beautiful country! Completely different from the Appalachian mountains.
Trying to get the Bat Cruiser done this year so I can take the kids out and makeep good memories. With the GSD of course.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

@greenbeasty

It IS pretty!!

Work fast... before they grow up!!

 

[4Cruisers]

Looks like another great hike. Yep, in the second photo you can pick out Lone Mountain. When I lived in Las Vegas back in the mid-'80s we were just to the west of US 95 at the Washington Avenue overpass, last subdivision on the west side of town. It tooks us ~45 minutes to drive our '84 FJ60 up to Lone Mountain in those days.

 

[JohnnyC]

Current climate ??? I think things are going well

If not the pan...

A small leak could be rear main ... or oil galley plug

Either way it’s a pita ... chances are it’s either pan or main. It most likely will remain small for quite some time ... when it grows its MrT’s way of undercoating to prevent rust

I ran a rear main leak for well over 15 years (and several other spots) ... just like a dog the cruiser marks its territory

 

[Solace in Solitude]

@4Cruisers

Nowadays, traffic moves a bit faster.

Have you seen the equestrian center they built into the park on Lone Mountain, just east of 215?

Fancy!

BTW Dianna’s family moved, from Rubidioux (west Riverside), CA, to a new home NW of Eastern & Washington in 1968. We were already engaged and I was in Libya. We married here in ‘70.

I think her old home may be part of the Peckerwood gang turf now.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Current climate ??? I think things are going well

If not the pan...

A small leak could be rear main ... or oil galley plug

Either way it’s a pita ... chances are it’s either pan or main. It most likely will remain small for quite some time ... when it grows its MrT’s way of undercoating to prevent rust

I ran a rear main leak for well over 15 years (and several other spots) ... just like a dog the cruiser marks its territory

The galley plugs are threaded.

So, if it won’t hurt to let it leak, I’ll let it drip. If it ever gets bad enough, I’ll drop the exhaust, inspection cover and oil pan and see...

Thanks Johnny!

 

[4Cruisers]

I'll check it out when I'm back in town in a few weeks. I was surprised at the progress being made on the Beltway between Alexander, Lone Mountain, and Ann Road. I wasn't sure they'd be able to fill in enough of the deep gravel pit to push the Beltway through there. This trip will include bringing the '71 FJ40 back to New Mexico for a round of upgrades.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I'll check it out when I'm back in town in a few weeks. I was surprised at the progress being made on the Beltway between Alexander, Lone Mountain, and Ann Road. I wasn't sure they'd be able to fill in enough of the deep gravel pit to push the Beltway through there. This trip will include bringing the '71 FJ40 back to New Mexico for a round of upgrades.

I added a BTW to my last post.

The gravel pit came in handy... they buried storm drains about 100-150’ deep.

 

[4x4veteran]

I hope y’all didn’t take my “Please don’t turn my thread into a political or religious discussion.” post wrong... it wasn’t directed at anyone specifically... I just don’t want Woody’s automatic filters to arbitrarily remove my thread.

————————————————

Today’s hike, with Chester and Teddy... 44 is right of the long, narrow knoll, in the middle of the first picture... northwest Vegas, in the background of the second picture.View attachment 1621902 View attachment 1621903 View attachment 1621904 View attachment 1621905

View attachment 1621906

I miss the Joshua trees. The dog in the rear makes me think of my golden retriever Wally. I really miss him. The Tarrier looks like my Max with out the spots. He is a Beagle Tarrier mix.

 

[mrboatman]

That's kinda funny reading about your old houses I started with the water district back in 1980 reading meters so there's a good chance I walked by them a time or two. Vegas was a bit smaller back then.
JP