Can you share wheel and tire specs? Looks great!
NOLA- A Build Story...that goes Diesel (6 Viewers)
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SteelHunterFJ80
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SteelHunterFJ80
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SteelHunterFJ80
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- #85
Did my first oil change here at 274,814. Surprised that I've driven it as much as I have and it's still taken this long to go 6k. Used Valvoline Premium Blue 15w-40, it was on sale at NAPA too for $16 a gallon so I picked up several cases.
Tested for blow by using the loose oil cap method and nary a breeze. Provent catch can only had a little over a ounce of oil but since this is the first oil change after the engine swap I'm sure the saturation of the filter has a couple ounces.
Doing an inspection around the rest of the truck, I found some light colored oil dripping from the transfer case. It's looking like the paper gasket might be leaking. I'm going to clean it off and see if I can locate it. I'll use a flashlight and look for some some at night. That might help to locate it.
Tested for blow by using the loose oil cap method and nary a breeze. Provent catch can only had a little over a ounce of oil but since this is the first oil change after the engine swap I'm sure the saturation of the filter has a couple ounces.
Doing an inspection around the rest of the truck, I found some light colored oil dripping from the transfer case. It's looking like the paper gasket might be leaking. I'm going to clean it off and see if I can locate it. I'll use a flashlight and look for some some at night. That might help to locate it.
Bushing time!
SteelHunterFJ80
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- Thread starter
- #86
Summer is a time in the northwest to paint parts. With humidity down to a much more reasonable 25%, painting in a day or two with primer is a real treat. That means I can pull off parts, rebuild, and have them back on the truck within a few days. My goal for the rest of the summer is to get everything on the undercarriage done leaving me with all interior mods (Seat brackets, window runs, stereo upgrade, roof sound deadening, winch, lights etc) for the winter.
For the undercarriage, I am starting with the bushings. Ordered up all the necessary parts from cruiserparts (great shop to work with, fantastic support before and after purchases) and got the stereotypical Harbor Freight 20 ton press. I also got Trail Tailors bushing press kit, I highly recommend it, made everything go a lot faster.
First up are the upper control arm bushings. Man they were shot! I could move the sleeve back and forth with my finger! No form of stabilization at all. Pulled the arms, pressed out the bushings and primed and painted using the ubiquitous John Deere Primer and Blitz Black paint (really nice product btw).
The bolts were worn, and while I am sure they were fine I went ahead and followed the FSM and replaced them. At the same time, I took the new bolts and tried a new anti corrosion technique for me; black oxide. I’ve wanted to do something about the recent rust that has started showing up on my truck. I’ve got some good $$ and a lot of time and some good memories in this rig and it would be a shame for it to start having rust issues in 5 or 10 years.
The black oxide worked pretty well but you had to be very thorough in your assembly line like treatment. ANY left over soap or oil would distort the finish.
After doing a couple sets a few of the bolts immediately got surface rust/flashing. Tried a specific finishing oil for black oxide parts and while it helped, it missed on a few parts. So I decided to up the anti-corrosion properties and had a shop cerakote all my fasteners. They blasted them and cerakoted in a satin black that matches very well. I also did the fasteners for some interior panels, brake parts, rear tie downs, and other bolts. All it all it was the best $300 s I spent for just time alone let alone the durability properties. I ended up doing over 60 parts and fasteners done because it was cheaper to do them in batches.
After the upper control arms were done, I moved on to the lower control arms. Those were a little bit easier but I had to jack up the truck higher and use straps to pull the rear axle forward a bit. This video helped me quite a bit: Timmy the Toolman Lower Control Arm Bushing replacement
Now that the upper and lower control arms are done I am moving on to the rear panhard bushings, followed by the Dissent Rear Bumper install and new Whiteline Rear Sway Bar along with Land Cruiser Phil Brackets. Once I've finished everything on the rear, I'll move on to Front Lower Control Arm Bushings, Front Panhard Bar Bushings, and Tie Rod Ends. Thanks for following along.
For the undercarriage, I am starting with the bushings. Ordered up all the necessary parts from cruiserparts (great shop to work with, fantastic support before and after purchases) and got the stereotypical Harbor Freight 20 ton press. I also got Trail Tailors bushing press kit, I highly recommend it, made everything go a lot faster.
First up are the upper control arm bushings. Man they were shot! I could move the sleeve back and forth with my finger! No form of stabilization at all. Pulled the arms, pressed out the bushings and primed and painted using the ubiquitous John Deere Primer and Blitz Black paint (really nice product btw).
The bolts were worn, and while I am sure they were fine I went ahead and followed the FSM and replaced them. At the same time, I took the new bolts and tried a new anti corrosion technique for me; black oxide. I’ve wanted to do something about the recent rust that has started showing up on my truck. I’ve got some good $$ and a lot of time and some good memories in this rig and it would be a shame for it to start having rust issues in 5 or 10 years.
The black oxide worked pretty well but you had to be very thorough in your assembly line like treatment. ANY left over soap or oil would distort the finish.
After doing a couple sets a few of the bolts immediately got surface rust/flashing. Tried a specific finishing oil for black oxide parts and while it helped, it missed on a few parts. So I decided to up the anti-corrosion properties and had a shop cerakote all my fasteners. They blasted them and cerakoted in a satin black that matches very well. I also did the fasteners for some interior panels, brake parts, rear tie downs, and other bolts. All it all it was the best $300 s I spent for just time alone let alone the durability properties. I ended up doing over 60 parts and fasteners done because it was cheaper to do them in batches.
After the upper control arms were done, I moved on to the lower control arms. Those were a little bit easier but I had to jack up the truck higher and use straps to pull the rear axle forward a bit. This video helped me quite a bit: Timmy the Toolman Lower Control Arm Bushing replacement
Now that the upper and lower control arms are done I am moving on to the rear panhard bushings, followed by the Dissent Rear Bumper install and new Whiteline Rear Sway Bar along with Land Cruiser Phil Brackets. Once I've finished everything on the rear, I'll move on to Front Lower Control Arm Bushings, Front Panhard Bar Bushings, and Tie Rod Ends. Thanks for following along.
Last edited:
SteelHunterFJ80
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- Thread starter
- #87
Spent a couple weekends here and there doing some more work on Nola. I had already replaced the upper and lower control arm bushings, next up was rear pan hard and installing Land Cruiser Phil's upgraded Heavy Duty Sway Bar Links and Whiteline rear sway bar. The Whiteline bar and heavy duty links really tightened up the rear end. Felt 20% better on the road with near zero rear end wiggle. Truck was a lot smoother on the highway as well.
Also put new cerakote coated fasteners on each suspension component. Really glad I did this extra step as the old fasteners were pretty corroded. I am going to keep this truck forever and it would be a shame to have things rust up and rot away over the next 25 years.
I did have to shave away part of the LSVP bracket to get the bolt back in. Someone before me had already bent it over but I couldn't quite get the bolt in without hammering on the end. LSVP is pretty rusted, might end of rebuilding that with new parts once I get going on the hubs, rotors and calipers. Might as well. I have to bleed the system anyway.
Also installed my new bike rack. Ended up with Rockymount Afterparty after using a Labor Day weekend 20% coupon off on Backcountry.com. Glad I did because steel prices are about to start climbing again. Really happy with this bike rack, I looked at the one up but for less money I got a rack that has an integrated locking system on the hitch and the bike and it swings all the way out from the truck so I can still use my tail gate for prepping for rides. I highly recommend this bike rack.
Also put new cerakote coated fasteners on each suspension component. Really glad I did this extra step as the old fasteners were pretty corroded. I am going to keep this truck forever and it would be a shame to have things rust up and rot away over the next 25 years.
I did have to shave away part of the LSVP bracket to get the bolt back in. Someone before me had already bent it over but I couldn't quite get the bolt in without hammering on the end. LSVP is pretty rusted, might end of rebuilding that with new parts once I get going on the hubs, rotors and calipers. Might as well. I have to bleed the system anyway.
Also installed my new bike rack. Ended up with Rockymount Afterparty after using a Labor Day weekend 20% coupon off on Backcountry.com. Glad I did because steel prices are about to start climbing again. Really happy with this bike rack, I looked at the one up but for less money I got a rack that has an integrated locking system on the hitch and the bike and it swings all the way out from the truck so I can still use my tail gate for prepping for rides. I highly recommend this bike rack.
SteelHunterFJ80
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #88
Got another upgrade done on the cruiser this last month. Finally got around to installing the rear dissent bumper. Man what a superb product; super tight tolerances, great fit and looks great. The only critique I have is that I wish the trailer pin had a bit more room behind it so I could put in a locking pin. If anyone knows of a pin that has lock that can fit please let me know.
Took my time with the chassis and carefully cut away all the frame pieces and then used a flap disc to grind down the welds and tag ends, came out super clean. Also, primed and painted the frame. Came together pretty well but wish I had a second set of hands to help with aligning the corner/wings. Heavy and not easy to balance by oneself. And I still have to hook up the 7 pin harness and the license plate locator.
Did run into one issue; one of the blocking plates for light cutouts didn’t fit. At first I thought it was me (it usually is) and I just wasn’t aligning it correctly. Then I got a bit smarter and tried to mount it from the outside but that didn't work. Odd since the first plate was no problem. So I assumed that the plate was off by a bit. Contacted Dissent by email and got fantastic service and reply within 24 hours. Really top notch response time and they were very thorough even asking for me to send some pictures to make sure they understood the issue. Dissent sent a new plate to me asap.
Got the new plate, but it too didn’t fit. Then it dawned on me, it wasn’t that the plate was off, it was the mounting inserts in the bumper. To solve this, I am going to have to round out one of the holes and get some stainless locking washers and nuts to keep it in place since the hole will be too big enough to keep the plate from falling off the back without nuts.
Took my time with the chassis and carefully cut away all the frame pieces and then used a flap disc to grind down the welds and tag ends, came out super clean. Also, primed and painted the frame. Came together pretty well but wish I had a second set of hands to help with aligning the corner/wings. Heavy and not easy to balance by oneself. And I still have to hook up the 7 pin harness and the license plate locator.
Did run into one issue; one of the blocking plates for light cutouts didn’t fit. At first I thought it was me (it usually is) and I just wasn’t aligning it correctly. Then I got a bit smarter and tried to mount it from the outside but that didn't work. Odd since the first plate was no problem. So I assumed that the plate was off by a bit. Contacted Dissent by email and got fantastic service and reply within 24 hours. Really top notch response time and they were very thorough even asking for me to send some pictures to make sure they understood the issue. Dissent sent a new plate to me asap.
Got the new plate, but it too didn’t fit. Then it dawned on me, it wasn’t that the plate was off, it was the mounting inserts in the bumper. To solve this, I am going to have to round out one of the holes and get some stainless locking washers and nuts to keep it in place since the hole will be too big enough to keep the plate from falling off the back without nuts.
