New Iron Pig owner, 1970 FJ55 project (1 Viewer)

[Nottajeep]

Great start! Subscribed

 

[bobm]

I should see if fenders here

 

[JD Films]

I just got a custom set of motor mounts from a friend that made them for the 4.7 V8 he put In his race truck. He ended up making a new set to push the motor farther back and didn't need these. Next step is to get the motor/trans in place and make templates for the tabs that will get welded to the frame. I can have tabs and other parts I'm going to need cut at a friends shop here in Oceanside on his CNC plasma table. Work has been really busy but hopefully I can start on this part of the project soon.

 

[JD Films]

I haven't posted in awhile or worked on the pig much at all... but I've been finding parts over the last couple months. Summer is always the busy time of year for me because I edit my yearly Dezert People off road racing DVD that I release in September every year. (video trailer posted at the end of this post). And I also took on a big job for my friends at Total Chaos Fabrication and designed their new 72 page catalog over the summer.

I bought a power steering pump and the drive by wire gas pedal from a guy parting out a Tundra. Now I need to find the fan and fan clutch that I'm missing.

I found someone selling a set of new cargo window and tailgate weatherstripping that he didn't use because he sold his pig. Just waiting for the shipping cost so I can Paypal him. Prices are a little less that what Slo Cruisers sells them for so I'm not going to pass it up. Cargo and the upper tailgate window piece are the ones from PV cruisers and the other tailgate piece is from Slo.

A guy I know in the desert racing industry was selling a used big bearing 9" trussed rear housing with a pair of new Currie 35 spline axles that he had sitting around and wasn't used in a Tacoma they were building for a customer. I got it all for $500 so I couldn't pass it up. I just ordered a complete brake kit from Quick Performance that has an integrated parking brake. Similar kit that Currie sells but $130 cheaper. I've been told by a few people that this is a good way to go and works well. ( Ford 9 Inch Rear Explorer Disc Brake Kit With Shoe Style Park Brake ). They normally don't sell them with 6x5.5 drilled rotors but he said they will drill them for me no charge. They also have great prices on 9" 3rd members. A friend that got his 9" 3rd from them for his race truck highly recommend them, so I will probably get one from them. I just need to decide on 4:88 or 5:29 gears and either a Yukon Grizzly locker, Detroit Locker or an Eaton Truetrac limited slip.

The rear end is about 66" wide or a little less (haven't bolted in the axles yet). For the front I have been pricing out different options and it can get real expensive going with a custom Dana 60 style front axle. I think I'm going to find a FJ80 front end and a custom housing from either Ruff Stuff or Diamond Axles. They both make a housing that uses the 9.5" Land Cruiser rear 3rd member. Going with that setup I can put the diff on the drivers side (to work with my Tundra transfer case) and I can make it wider to match the rear end width. I would be getting new stronger axle shafts and birfields anyway so I can get longer inner shafts to work with the wider housing.

The rear Currie axles have 5/8" studs installed. I haven't had any luck finding out if it's possible to upgrade FJ80 front hubs to 5/8". If I can't upgrade the studs my wheel guy found some lug nuts that will work with the stock 12mm studs and wheels drilled for 5/8". It would be nice to upgrade if possible though.

For wheels I have a new set of 17"x8.5" Walker Evens Racing beadlocks on order. One of my Dezert People 13 video sponsors is the Offroad Tire Guy out of San Diego ( Garrett (@offroad_tire_guy) • Instagram photos and videos ) and part of the sponsorship was to get wheels for the FJ55 which works out great for both of us. I've had a set of 5 new 37" Goodyear MT/R's with the old style tread sitting in the shed for the last few years. They were an extra set for my T100 prerunner but they are finding a new home on the pig... The black wheel in the pic is the ATX beadlocks I run on the T100.

I'm hoping to pull the old 2F engine soon and put that up for sale along with a few other parts I don't need. Then get the Tundra engine and transmission installed.

Here's the video trailer for the Dezert People 13 DVD I mentioned at the start of this post:

 

[scrapdaddy]

Cool video. Good job!

 

[PabloCruise]

Here's the video trailer for the Dezert People 13 DVD I mentioned at the start of this post:

Those suspensions are amazing!

 

[JD Films]

I found someone selling a new set of the PV Cruisers cargo window rubber on eBay. It had sold already but in the description he said he had a second set that he might sell in the future. I messaged him and ended up buying that second pair along with a new PV Cruisers tailgate window rubber, the upper part that goes in the body for the glass run. And also a Slo Cruisers upper tailgate WS. Overall I saved about $125 buying the 3 from him. And the quality of the PV Cruisers pieces look great.

I will need the felt and also the two pieces for the lower tailgate glass run. And I'm crossing my fingers that the metal pieces those attach to inside the tailgate are in one of the bins of parts I have... ( FJ55 Lower Tailgate Glass Channel Run--Two Piece )

Is there anything else for the tailgate? The tailgate glass has the rubber and metal part that it sits in already attached to it.

What is this part that I have the red arrow pointing two in this illustration?

 

[scrapdaddy]

There are quite a few small pieces to the inside of the tail gate. Best would be a picture of what you have, all laid out.

 

[JD Films]

There are quite a few small pieces to the inside of the tail gate. Best would be a picture of what you have, all laid out.

Here is what I found for tailgate parts. Looks like I am missing the linkage and one of the tailgate strut arms. Can anyone tell me if this is a driver or passenger side arm? I will also need the felt strip and the rubber for the two glass run pieces that bolt inside the tailgate. The drivers side latch is really rusted so I'll probably replace that.

I'm also missing a door window regulator. The opposite side of this one in the picture. This one has the longer middle link, the other two I have are shorter. Are the short for the rear doors and longer ones in the front? I think I have all the other parts for inside the doors but I'll have to take pics of that later.

Last but not least... I'm missing one of these glass run pieces for the back doors.

In addition to all of that I also need a gas door & windshield wiper arms. I'm sure I'll figure out more that I need later... I have quite a few parts that I need to put up for sale soon also.

 

[PabloCruise]

I will also need the felt strip and the rubber for the two glass run pieces that bolt inside the tailgate...

You are correct, there is an inner window felt on the tailgate glass. I think I may have some left over flat felt? Unless I sold it to someone... I can check if you want.
The window runs in the tailgate have a felt lining for the glass to slide in. John at Slo Cruisers has them.

 

[JD Films]

You are correct, there is an inner window felt on the tailgate glass. I think I may have some left over flat felt? Unless I sold it to someone... I can check if you want.
The window runs in the tailgate have a felt lining for the glass to slide in. John at Slo Cruisers has them.

Yes let me know. Thanks.

 

[PabloCruise]

Yes let me know. Thanks.

Will do. I can take a look at "the pile" over the weekend.

 

[71greenpig]

I wish I could find rear cargo gaskets....

 

[JD Films]

We just finished installing a set of Moroso studs (part # MOR-46240) in a pair of FJ80 hubs last night. I bought a 1" end mill with a 1/2" shank so I could use it in my drill press to clearance the hubs for the larger heads of these studs. ( 1" end mill $27.95 from Littlemachineshop.com ) Then I went to my friends shop and he used a 43/64" drill bit which is the correct size for these studs. Then pressed in all the studs.

I posted in the 80 section asking if anyone has done this before to see if there was a recommendation for which studs to get. There were no replies so I figured it out myself and just happened that the Moroso studs that are in the rear Currie axles I have are a good size to use for these front FJ80 hubs.

I also got my 17" Walker Evans beadlock wheels in a couple weeks ago.

 

[JD Films]

The hubs in the last post are from a 1991 FJ80 front axle that I bought recently along with some other parts from a 1994 FZJ80 that the guy has for a parts vehicle. He imported a 1991 FJ80 from Japan that has a diesel and is right hand drive. He used the 1994 axles for his build so he sold me the 1991 front along with the 9.5" rear third member that has a factory limited slip. From what I have seen the limited slip was not available in the US. The plan is to re-gear the third member to 4.88 to match the rear. And I am using a custom housing from Ruff Stuff that is built to use the rear 9.5" third member and it's a drivers side drop which I need to use for the 2005 Tundra engine/trans that I'm using. He also gave me a set of 1994 rotors and calipers that I want to run because they are bigger than the earlier years.

Also in the picture are a free set of 63" Chevy leaf springs a guy gave me. I have used them on the rear of a 1985 4runner that I built and they work great. I know many others that use them in Toyota trucks as well. I bought the Chevy leaf swap kit from Ruff Stuff during their black friday sale. I will be taking the overload leaf out and I'll see how it sits with the 4 leafs in the pack. For the 4runner I used two or three of the Chevy leafs along with toyota leafs cut to length but I know people that use the stock Chevy's as is.

From the 1994 FZJ80 I also got the brake booster, master cylinder and steering box. He also had allot of new parts for the knuckle rebuild kit. I think all I need are wheel bearings and I want to change the hub studs for stronger ones. I also need to get a set of AISIN manual hubs.

 

[JD Films]

All looks good. Question on the Ruff stuff axle housing, I'm trying to have one made. but so far it's been two months and still don't have it. How was your purchase experience? Are you keeping the FJ80 axle width?

It took a few weeks for them to make mine. I know they were, or probably still are backed up with all the orders they have had with their sales going on. 2 months seems like a long time though. It only took about a week to get the Chevy leaf swap kit that I ordered.

I was planning on going with 66" WMS to WMS but it might end up being a little less depending on my rear axle. A friend is welding new housing ends on the rear 9" for me this week. I had to get new housing ends because the brake kit that I bought only works with the "new style" big bearing Ford ends and it turns out the pattern on the ends on my housing are the old style pattern. I just got the rear 9" third member from Quick Performance with a nodular housing and an Eaton TrueTrac limited slip. After measuring the axles that came with my housing it looks like we might need to shorten it 1/2" to an 1" for the splines to sit right in the third member. Having to weld new ends on is probably a blessing in disguise since the housing was most likely warped from the previous owner welding the truss on. My friend that's working on it has a jig to do it right.

Pic of the new housing ends and bearing retainer plates from Quick Performance. And their rear disc brake kit with integrated parking brake.

 

[JD Films]

Man, that's some beefy stuff. I'm getting ready to pull the plug and order a Diamond axle, thanks.

Diamond / Front Range Offroad just released their own mini truck knuckle balls and said they will have 80 balls next month. They will only sell them welded into their own housings though. He said will will probably be over $1300 for the housing with 80 knuckle balls and $100 less for the mini truck balls.

 

[JD Films]

All looks good. Question on the Ruff stuff axle housing, I'm trying to have one made. but so far it's been two months and still don't have it. How was your purchase experience? Are you keeping the FJ80 axle width?

@scrapdaddy I just talked to a guy I know that's a welder at Ruff Stuff and he said he's not to busy right now so there is no reason your order should be held up that long. He said to call the sales office because there has to be a problem somewhere.

 

[JD Films]

I called today for an update and there was none, so I cut my losses and called Front Range Offroad. I ordered a Diamond FF axle, RVC shafts and all Toyota stuff, disc and e-brake. They said 4 weeks. I really don't know what to think of Ruff Stuff, I was told so many different stories, I just got uncomfortable spending any money with them. Thanks for checking on it. When a guy spends money on something, you want to feel good about it not pissed off, so I'm glad I made the move.

That's unfortunate, but good that there was another good option for your housing. Did you order it with their new 80 knuckle balls?
I've ordered a few things from Ruff Stuff and haven't had any problems. And their parts are very nice for the price. I'm sure that knowing the welder there didn't make a difference on the turn around time because he doesn't deal with the orders, just welding parts.

 

[J Mack]

so I cut my losses and called Front Range Offroad. I ordered a Diamond FF axle

Sorry to hear about your issues with Ruff Stuff they sound exactly like mine..

Why go aftermarket housing vs. factory Toyota?