Where do you plan to mount the radio?
Builds OL'BETSY ZX: 1991 HZJ77
- Thread starter JDM Journeys
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JDM Journeys
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- Thread starter
- #802
Trying to decide between the slot in center console south of shifter, or an overhead mount that retrofits in the place of sunroof garnish... Also allows room for a 6 gang switch panel up there too.Where do you plan to mount the radio?
That FTM-300 is on my wish list.
JDM Journeys
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- #804
I wanted the 400 for a long time (a buddy has one) but I waited too long. And the 500 is even more spendy so 300 it is.That FTM-300 is on my wish list.
Same here, I should have grabbed a 400 earlier.
I love how cool things run in the winter time!! I can really push it then as well, and with the colder air, it is easier to reach higher boost values.I'm still amazed at how much I was able to reduce my EGTs after doing the turbo. Where I could previously flirt with 1200F (if I didn't ease up)… now the highest I've gotten (intentionally ascending a hill in 5th, which I don't normally do) is 680F. When I drive it normally I'm usually sitting in the 450-550 fahrenheit range. Way easier to manage here in mountainous terrain than before. 14 psi is my absolute max boost and I added very little fuel (half a turn) and then turned it back a bit.
At one point I actually checked my Auberin EGT gauge to make sure I hadn't inadvertently switched it to Celsius, it was such a dramatic difference.
Even if I add on 150° for being post turbo they are still very reasonable temps.
I only run into trouble in 30C and higher temps on long hills and pulling a trailer. Then I have to watch everything like a hawk. Hopefully yours runs cooler than mine, but food for thought as they say. Great to see the progress on your cruiser, looking great!!
JDM Journeys
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- #807
I think I'm going to try the FTM300 up here for a bit? Mocked in place for now until I get the rest of the kit mounted.
Meanwhile I finally got my hands on a 24v cluster and am in the process of swapping in a functional speedo and tach. Mine tend to misbehave in extreme temps and my speedo needle was broken, bent and wonky. Also you couldn't trust it until about 50kms hour... My new gauges have 240k less kms.
Meanwhile I finally got my hands on a 24v cluster and am in the process of swapping in a functional speedo and tach. Mine tend to misbehave in extreme temps and my speedo needle was broken, bent and wonky. Also you couldn't trust it until about 50kms hour... My new gauges have 240k less kms.
FJBen
SILVER Star
Where did you find that source that old cluster? I need to replace a missing turn signal light cover 
and I’m pretty sure you can’t find just that little green cover.
and I’m pretty sure you can’t find just that little green cover.
I think that would be a great spot for that radio!!
I like the new cluster! I had to do that with one of my 40's. It should breathe new life into Ol' Betsy too dropping almost a quarter million km's like that!!
Loving the progress my friend! I was speaking with the lads about the next summer adventure and I suggested trying for Mt Lougheed again as we were stopped at the last push to the summit due to weather the last time we saw you. You came up as a potential bonus to meet up with again, but all they could think of was how much work it is climbing mountain.
So my middle son just said we could go visit Phil and skip the mountain! lol. 
Link for fog lights?
JDM Journeys
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- #811
They are the new LED Hella 500 so should be pretty common everywhere. Came with a wiring kit too but I had to swap the relwy to 24v.
so its just as simple as swapping the relay for a 24v? i assuming leds can handle up to or more than 24vs?
JDM Journeys
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- #813
Shop carefully. Cheaper LEDs burn out quickly from what I've seen. When a company like hella rates them at 12 to 24v so you should be able to trust that it will be okay. Then beyond that - yep... Swap the relay and good to go.
JDM Journeys
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- #814
I had some play in my rhs wheel bearing. Given that I'm going on a big trip in a few months I figured I'd better get on it. But wow. It was way worse than I thought. The bearing was loose and the grease looked like paste. The inner race had micro cracks in it. Clearly it escaped my inspection for far too long. My bad. Time to make amends.
Ordered new dust seals, bearings, oil seals, races... The old inner race needed some convincing but eventually it yielded. I am now done the RHS but I can't in good conscience leave the LHS. It has some play as well (not as much as the one I just did) but I can only imagine that the grease is likely compromised. So it's next on the list.
Ordered new dust seals, bearings, oil seals, races... The old inner race needed some convincing but eventually it yielded. I am now done the RHS but I can't in good conscience leave the LHS. It has some play as well (not as much as the one I just did) but I can only imagine that the grease is likely compromised. So it's next on the list.
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JDM Journeys
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- #815
You'll be seeing more of this once I pick it up and put it on my hitch but I'm too excited not to share a sneak peek... I'm having a Kamparoo camper built in time for my big Spring trip. It has its own thread (signature) but I'm assuming most don't frequent the trailer forum so here's a little cross-pollination because I can't wait...
It should be around 900 pounds, has brakes, and a fully boxed frame. I've added ARK jacks/jockey wheel, and a max coupler. It's rear fold/ Aussie style but built in Alberta, Canada.
Depending on the grade and the headwind, there'll likely be times when this will be easier to pull than the rooftop tent was...
Obviously this is going to necessitate some add ins on the truck, complicated by being 24volts.
It should be around 900 pounds, has brakes, and a fully boxed frame. I've added ARK jacks/jockey wheel, and a max coupler. It's rear fold/ Aussie style but built in Alberta, Canada.
Depending on the grade and the headwind, there'll likely be times when this will be easier to pull than the rooftop tent was...
Obviously this is going to necessitate some add ins on the truck, complicated by being 24volts.
Love it.
And having met and gotten to know you a little Phil, I suspect the color you chose matches the BLUE in your pinstripe on Ol' Betsy!
JDM Journeys
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- Thread starter
- #817
Nailed it! If the stripe makes it go faster, then a trailer that matches the stripe should actually push the truck uphill right?Love it.
And having met and gotten to know you a little Phil, I suspect the color you chose matches the BLUE in your pinstripe on Ol' Betsy!
JDM Journeys
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- Thread starter
- #818
Left hand side wheel bearing wasn't nearly as bad but I figured I might as well do the pair? Both sides are all buttoned up now and I'm feeling a lot better about putting some miles on them.
JDM Journeys
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- Thread starter
- #819
So a test drive revealed a few things:
1. Speedo works flawlessly! No bent needle, no jumping around, and speeds still indicated below 50km/h. Win win win!
2. Tacho works as soon as you start the truck, not "as it warms up". Excellent.
3. Hub lock, 4wd and E-brake indicators and dash lighting is all now fully functional. What LUXURY!
4. Steering is literally tightened up. Loose and nasty wheelbearings = bad. New bearings and grease = good.
So now it's on to the projects... starting (and never ending) with electrical.
I gutted my whole setup and am starting from scratch. I picked up a metal box from Amazon (made for distribution panel?). Quality is meh, but I think it will work for my needs. Plan is to mount devices on removable back panel, and then put the battery (on tray) in the bottom. All is accessible via a lockable door. This will mount forward of my stacked drawers, and I can access it from LHS back passenger door. Here is how it is shaping up so far:
I've also begun the task of adding electric trailer brakes. While I'd love to have a locker controller in this spot, the dial for the RedArc controller is a nice fit as well. I had to enlarge the hole to 1 inch, but then the control dial fit right in. It's easily accessed while driving, and can be seen without having to look around the controls. The control dial was the easy part, so more to come on this one...
To the trailer wiring itself... 24v vehicle to 12volt trailer requires some fiddling. So I landed on this little unit, which will go in line with my flat 4 wiring (coming out of a Reese control box), and then plugging into a 7 round harness which will exit from the rear bumper. I was aiming for a different plugin site, but anywhere I could fit it would hang down and ultimately get freed by the terrain. So I have a large hole in the bumper awaiting a socket. If this doesn't work out, the backup plan is to reduce my side exit tail pipe down by an inch or two, and re-route it to for a snazzy bumper exit exhaust. That'd look cool right?
Finally, I pulled out the cheap/ crappy center armrest I got from Etsy, and replaced it with something even cheaper! LOL./ I grabbed a Plano ammo can the last time I was passing the army surplus in Idaho. It seemed about the right size. Then recently I found an armrest cover on Ebay for a Honda Civic. Put the two together, and I have a 50 cal center armrest! (Yes, I blasphemously bolted it through the OEM console lid, but the holes were already there from version one, so less guilt this time around). It's khaki/green, but the topper is gray and mostly fits in with the aesthetic, which is to say there is no real aesthetic. This is purely for function. Form left a long time ago. But it feels solid yet comfy under your elbow and is about the perfect height.
1. Speedo works flawlessly! No bent needle, no jumping around, and speeds still indicated below 50km/h. Win win win!
2. Tacho works as soon as you start the truck, not "as it warms up". Excellent.
3. Hub lock, 4wd and E-brake indicators and dash lighting is all now fully functional. What LUXURY!
4. Steering is literally tightened up. Loose and nasty wheelbearings = bad. New bearings and grease = good.
So now it's on to the projects... starting (and never ending) with electrical.
I gutted my whole setup and am starting from scratch. I picked up a metal box from Amazon (made for distribution panel?). Quality is meh, but I think it will work for my needs. Plan is to mount devices on removable back panel, and then put the battery (on tray) in the bottom. All is accessible via a lockable door. This will mount forward of my stacked drawers, and I can access it from LHS back passenger door. Here is how it is shaping up so far:
I've also begun the task of adding electric trailer brakes. While I'd love to have a locker controller in this spot, the dial for the RedArc controller is a nice fit as well. I had to enlarge the hole to 1 inch, but then the control dial fit right in. It's easily accessed while driving, and can be seen without having to look around the controls. The control dial was the easy part, so more to come on this one...
To the trailer wiring itself... 24v vehicle to 12volt trailer requires some fiddling. So I landed on this little unit, which will go in line with my flat 4 wiring (coming out of a Reese control box), and then plugging into a 7 round harness which will exit from the rear bumper. I was aiming for a different plugin site, but anywhere I could fit it would hang down and ultimately get freed by the terrain. So I have a large hole in the bumper awaiting a socket. If this doesn't work out, the backup plan is to reduce my side exit tail pipe down by an inch or two, and re-route it to for a snazzy bumper exit exhaust. That'd look cool right?
Finally, I pulled out the cheap/ crappy center armrest I got from Etsy, and replaced it with something even cheaper! LOL./ I grabbed a Plano ammo can the last time I was passing the army surplus in Idaho. It seemed about the right size. Then recently I found an armrest cover on Ebay for a Honda Civic. Put the two together, and I have a 50 cal center armrest! (Yes, I blasphemously bolted it through the OEM console lid, but the holes were already there from version one, so less guilt this time around). It's khaki/green, but the topper is gray and mostly fits in with the aesthetic, which is to say there is no real aesthetic. This is purely for function. Form left a long time ago. But it feels solid yet comfy under your elbow and is about the perfect height.
JDM Journeys
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- Thread starter
- #820
After spending far too long searching for a spot for my 7-round socket that wouldn't hang below the bumper, I finally went with the bumper itself. There isn't a lot room no matter where you go, but I wanted a solid attachment point for my new trailer's harness.
It's not my favorite spot but it was the best I could do while maintaining some space behind it for the wiring. I was back and forth on having it come out sideways, opposite to my airbag valve stem, but I do step on those bumper steps quite a bit and would probably end up breaking it. As long as I don't back into something I think this'll work - spare tire should offset any damage caused by tree dumb-assery?
I really wanted it in the center near the NATO bolt-on but any holes there would compromise the structure so that's a definite no-no... Now I just need to finish the interior part of the wiring so I can send a brake signal, and 12volts of lighting...
Also found a place for my Ham control head. Originally I was planning for overhead but I just couldn't get it in the perfect place and the headliner was pretty stiff and threatening to tear so I went the opposite way... Down.
I'll find somewhere for the mic but the head seems pretty visible and reachable? First contact with the airwaves may tell me otherwise so we shall see.
It's not my favorite spot but it was the best I could do while maintaining some space behind it for the wiring. I was back and forth on having it come out sideways, opposite to my airbag valve stem, but I do step on those bumper steps quite a bit and would probably end up breaking it. As long as I don't back into something I think this'll work - spare tire should offset any damage caused by tree dumb-assery?
I really wanted it in the center near the NATO bolt-on but any holes there would compromise the structure so that's a definite no-no... Now I just need to finish the interior part of the wiring so I can send a brake signal, and 12volts of lighting...
Also found a place for my Ham control head. Originally I was planning for overhead but I just couldn't get it in the perfect place and the headliner was pretty stiff and threatening to tear so I went the opposite way... Down.
I'll find somewhere for the mic but the head seems pretty visible and reachable? First contact with the airwaves may tell me otherwise so we shall see.
