my build up - rust, clearance, and protection

[Senor Aguas]

I'm almost done

with my anti wrap bar. Just need to weld something between the bars to keep the smaller tube from buckling. Probably overkill. It's a ruff stuff kit BTW.

 

[RattleCan]

great job, badass rig!

Are the budbuilt quarter panels not offered with wider wheel wells as an option or were 37's not always the plan?

 

[Senor Aguas]

Thanks!

As far as I know they weren't offered in a larger wheel well when I ordered them which was probably in 2010. Since then, I've seen people that have ordered them with a special cut. I'm pretty happy with 35's, just need the ride height a hair lower.

 

[Senor Aguas]

Well, it's done. Now to test it.

 

[Senor Aguas]

Testing went well. It doesn't seem to limit travel. I also made a couple hard launches and everything seemed good.

 

[Senor Aguas]

Now to track down a clunk that I get when taking off forward or reverse. Upon inspection, I see that my rear spring bushings are worn/gone. It's probably not safe too much longer like that.

I just ordered a Daystar bushing kit and some greasable bolts.

Anybody think this could cause a clunky noise when taking off from a stop?

I plan to take this thing 18 hrs away to Moab in 3 weeks so I need to work out all the issues!

 

[Senor Aguas]

I'm pretty sure the clunk is backlash in my ring/pinion. I swapped a different pinion flange on there and took a chance on the crush sleeve. I installed it by feel. Oops.

My long term plans are to change to 5.29's but that's not in the budget right now.
I need to get it fixed for a Moab trip in 3 weeks.
To complicate things, I have a coarse splined pinion (10 spline I think), which I know is weaker than the fine spline (30 spline).
Finally I have some fluid coming out of my axle tube breather when the ARB locker is engaged. Does this mean the o-ring is failing? Or is this fairly normal?

Options:

1. Tighten the pinion nut and forget about it. Live with the whine that it may cause and check the backlash and change the fluid often until I re-gear in a year or so.
2. Take it to a shop and have them tear it apart and put a new crush sleeve or solid spacer in it. And o-ring in the ARB if needed.
3. Buy a new fine splined ring/pinion, install kit, pinion flange in 4.11 ratio and then sell it later when I re-gear which may be postponed. Expensive!
4. Use the credit card and re-gear both ends. Expensiver!

I'm thinking #2, but I'm wondering about #1.

Any opinions/advice? I'm not planning anything too hard core in Moab, just 1 level above where the rental heeps go probably.

 

[Senor Aguas]

I just found somewhere that says that the coarse splined pinion doesn't use a crush sleeve. That's the first I've heard of that. In that case, I should be able to just keep it tight until I decide to re-gear. Can anyone confirm that there's a solid collar in the coarse spline pinion setup?

Here's where I found this info:

http://www.gearinstalls.com/1972fj40.htm

 

[Senor Aguas]

Anti wrap bar is painted

 

[pb4ugo]

All the 72 to 78 fj40 3rds I've been in had solid spacers an shims. All were coarse spline, except for 1which was fine spline. My guess is, it was a later model 78 fj40 3rd(it was 4:11). It had a spacer and shims too.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Here is a picture of course spline pinion. The pinion itself is solid than some shims are stacked on it for proper spacing

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Toyota also made fine spline 4.10 gears in this same configuration which was what this broken one got replaced with

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Changing the flange will not affect the ring gear at all try tightening the nut

 

[Senor Aguas]

Thanks. Yeah i over reacted. When I tightened the nut the first time I assumed there was a crush sleeve in there and I was real careful not to over tighten it. I'll get it tight now that I know there's no crush sleeve.

Also I was using some 3/8 inch bolts instead of the proper 11mm Toyota driveshaft bolts (I have some on order now). They had loosened enough to allow some slop.

So my slop turned out to be from the wrong driveshaft bolts!

Too many little things to do.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i think you're mixing pinion depth and backlash. pinion depth is adjusted at the nut with the crush sleeve or spacer and shims. backlash is adjust at the side adjusters on the housing. either could create a clunk. if you can move your pinion up and down, it's the pinion that needs adjustment. if you can rock the rig back and forth in gear, that's backlash.

personally, i'd look for someone who has a spare diff to sell (you can often pick them up for $50-$100) and not swap to new gears if you plan on down gearing down the road. check for guys parting fj60s for the diffs and, if they don't have the round flanges that you can drill to match your driveshaft yoke, invest in a universal flange.

 

[Senor Aguas]

11 mm Toyota driveshaft bolts.

 

[Senor Aguas]

The clunky noise is gone thanks to the correct bolts!

 

[Senor Aguas]

I've never been happy with how my front E-locker engages.

I looked into a cable conversion again and Chilkat is now making them for 9.5" land cruiser diffs, even though its not advertised on his website yet. I have one coming in tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll install it tomorrow night and test it Saturday. Its not cheap, but it looks very high quality and is definitely cheaper and easier than converting to another style locker.

Here's the 8" version.

http://www.chilkatdesigns.com/E-Racer.html

 

[Senor Aguas]

Here's the parts to the cable conversion. Not sure if ill start on it tonight. Going wheelin tomorrow as a final test before Moab (2 weeks away).

 

[Senor Aguas]

installed pic

here's what its supposed to look like installed. A little different than the 8" version.