Builds My first '40 and the venture (8 Viewers)

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I like this.

Great another fab rabbit hole for me.

:edit : I went and looked at my frame before I drove home today. Still good, need to do this before it’s a problem

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I like this.

Great another fab rabbit hole for me.

:edit : I went and looked at my frame before I drove home today. Still good, need to do this before it’s a problem

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yes. Looks like a whittling project as much as anything.
Bryan, haul Yellr down and we'll button up both our rigs then head to Bid Bend.
 
yes. Looks like a whittling project as much as anything.
Bryan, haul Yellr down and we'll button up both our rigs then head to Bid Bend.
Yeah. I need to send you my work travel dates and the we can get some play dates locked in. Thanks for the reminder.

@clrussell - this is my fav so far and the look is clean
 
Just my perspective. I'm way more confident welding thick steel than I am welding steel sheet. And, as long as the frame doesn't need to be straightened, I'd say that average skills can probaly make it happen. That said, with the Cruiser body on, I'd be quite concerned about sparks from welding at the face-level or overhead-position, as welding helmets don't cover your ears from ricocheting hot stuff, just direct bright light.
 
Just my perspective. I'm way more confident welding thick steel than I am welding steel sheet. And, as long as the frame doesn't need to be straightened, I'd say that average skills can probaly make it happen. That said, with the Cruiser body on, I'd be quite concerned about sparks from welding at the face-level or overhead-position, as welding helmets don't cover your ears from ricocheting hot stuff, just direct bright light.
I concur about the thick vs thin metal gluing.

Welding is less dangerous and daunting than most would believe, at least if you do it right. Prep, prep, prep.

You shouldn’t have sparks flying in your ears if you’ve prepared properly.

However, welding overhead sucks.
 
Because I can't sit still, making a punch list for Erik's 80 series.

Going to start with basics and progress up - compression test, leak down etc - and address coolant leak too. My guess when we were looking at it, it is leaking at the rear heater line right at the firewall.

This, most likely, after our cookies and beer pairing session next week. Learning a lot about 80 series now.
 
I concur about the thick vs thin metal gluing.

Welding is less dangerous and daunting than most would believe, at least if you do it right. Prep, prep, prep.

You shouldn’t have sparks flying in your ears if you’ve prepared properly.

However, welding overhead sucks.
I was working on a frame on a rig at work ( just FYI the Chevy Tahoe frames crack and separate at the upper strut towers all of the time) welding above my head. I was in the groove, every thing sounded nice and it was one of the more smoothest welds i was laying down. Then a piece of slag landed right on top of my safety shoes and burned itself all the way through to my foot.
 
I was working on a frame on a rig at work ( just FYI the Chevy Tahoe frames crack and separate at the upper strut towers all of the time) welding above my head. I was in the groove, every thing sounded nice and it was one of the more smoothest welds i was laying down. Then a piece of slag landed right on top of my safety shoes and burned itself all the way through to my foot.

Just wait until some gets in your ear. That’s fun.
 
Here is my last post for a while on the suspension. I made a quick video back out of drive - head down the road, turn around and back. I put text on video when to listen for the suspension noises now. Main thing is to listen to the noise.

@knuckle47 - saw you might be getting the TT parabolics! sweet.

for what my opinion/experience is worth...
 
Man, I could assign several things to making that squeak….from the springs in a bad seat cushion to a clutch pedal pivot but knowing it’s coming from a new and expensive set of springs would annoy me. Would you want to try a spring lubricant. I found some dry leaf spring lube in a spray that seemed to work well on another car I had with creaking leaf springs ….tried to find it on Amazon but I don’t see it.

By the way: all I am looking for in the parabolic is a little smoother riding compared to the hard hitting bumps even in my dirt road driveway.
 
After putting things together did you readjust the steering stop bolts? Could the noise you're hearing be the tire(s) rubbing the steering linkage or frame?
 
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After putting things together did you readjust the steering stop bolts? Could the noise you're hearing be the tire(s) rubbing the steering linkage or frame?

Have you re-torqued your U-bolts several times?
All good questions and points - I had a tire rubbing early on the trip with the steering and was able to resolve that.

I think the military wraps are rubbing the frame - I may look and do some more checks -

As far as retorquing - I thought about it and then forgot to do it. I will check them on Monday. Yet....

Apologies - this is total stream of conscious and state of my head - i.e. questions I am researching.

What I am doing now is going down the rabbit hole with the frame stuff mentally. Really thinking if there needs to be some repair, how far do I go. I definitely want a split TC - they are much quieter than the pre 8/80 TC. Eric in Des Moines has one - I need to figure out when in 1983 (his year) they changed to add the oiler for H55. Not super critical. Sometimes I think I want a 5 speed then other times no - but a quieter split TC, definitely a yes.

To that end, I am thinking about if I'm doing frame stuff, do I tackle the cross member needed for h55 etc - Do I need the crossmember (8/80 and newer style) with the split TC and the 4 speed I have? Should I just do it and future proof a h55 if I decide to later? What cascades from that is the emergency brake - they moved that to the rear brakes vs off the TC. And the rear brakes changed from what I just did a few months ago. Karl @sogncab posted earlier on this thread stuff CruiserMatt is doing/making to move the e-brake to the rear axle.

So my questions is if the H42 I have will bolt on with a 1983 split TC - if not, what are the right adjustment. Plus that TC was from a 60's so what do I need for linkages etc for a 40s. And if the split TC alone requires the updated crossmember on the frame.

I used my boroscope (thanks for the inspiration @Green Bean) to look more into the frame than I could see with naked eye and flashlight. (picts look good on small phone screen - crappy when posted here = no pics). @RevISK found some gussets for the rear pins to strength them - I ordered to take a look and see. That would be the simple fix and get me going... yet I'm thinking if I am going to do it, really do it. Buy once, cry once.

Oh yeah - also my TC has a slow leak too - I'm the kind of person who wants to know the condition of everything. I didn't have time to yank the tc and transmission for a rebuild - so that was on deck for 2025 - and with the leak in my TC, why not just jump to the split TC and move forward. That is a factor in all this.

Hence my struggle if this will come apart to really hit the frame once and not look back in my lifetime or just fix and enjoy today and for a long while into the future.

I'm definitely planning my Fall/2025 project(s). It is what to do and when/how to sequence.
 
Just do the 5spd with the split case. Put the 3:1 gears in the tcase before even putting it in too.
Yeah- go big or go home.

Earlier in the late winter I go a quote from George to crawl though the transmission and TC - and it is about half the cost of brand new (minus to top plate needed for 5speed in a 40)

So zero miles on tc and transmission cs rebuild 35+ year-old stuff with unknown miles.

Y’all probably know where I will go before I do.

First thing though is the frame.
 
Like a fine wine, the 40 just gets better with time.

Thankfully Toyota keeps rolling out turds and putting the Landcruiser badge on them to drive the point home.
Would've been far less offensive had they done the right thing and just put a Camry badge on it. 🤣
 

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