Operation FJ day:1 (1 Viewer)

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launchit said:
we have a little help from bud light :D jim and i work well together it just flows we almost think the same . it really helps to have all of the tools for the job. your doing great with your project it really looks good . i was thinking about your post on the driveshaft spacers . just get some tube and i can show you how to build a DS that you will never break . mine is 1/4 thick its easy as pie building one for a trail rig .
Click to expand...

Oh yeah,Im gonna need driveshaft work the shaft fell apart just getting the axle into position...
Think we could just shorten a front shaft?
Would that be easier than retubing the short one?
 
Trouble

I got the rear put together but im not very happy with it

1.The springs seem too hard and dont flex very well

2.I put the shackle hangers too far back and my shackle angle is TERRIBLE

3.It sits too low in the rear

4. My rear bumper (which follows the frame contour) should have been clocked up so it would be level and square to the ground

5. Driveshaft needs to be 3" longer so spacers are out for sure

So im thinking i gotta cut off and redo the shackle mounts,pull a leaf or two outta this pack,then SPOA the rear to get back the height i want.....any other quick,low buck,big bang ideas out there?
squat.jpg
 
Chevy rear springs? IIRC they're 60 or 62" long... will get your shackles pointin in the right direction.

BTW--too low for what? Low center of gravity => stability... you sure you *want* height? SPOA does help nicely with under-axle clearance, and will let you take those leaves out for flex... but you may have more height gain than you need when you're done? Not tryin to push you in any direction; just pointing out that you have an opportunity to stay low even w/ big tires since you don't hafta worry about clearing them on this beast (like you would on a normal, bodied vehicle).

Keep at it, you're making good progress! (And remember custom work isn't done if you haven't redone it about a dozen times ;) ) :cheers:
 
I agree that I dont want alot of height but right now the front sits 2-3 inches higher than the rear....Im thinking with the pulled leaves and readjusted shackle mount position I will lose another 1-2 inches....then hopefully a rear only SPOA will bring me up 4-5"....If that works the way I see it I should be only slightly higher in the rear than the front

biggest prob I see is overflexing and breaking these old stock leaves:eek:

just thought of something else.....if its too high in the rear i could go back to stock shackles?
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PGH854runner said:
just thought of something else.....if its too high in the rear i could go back to stock shackles?
Click to expand...

stock length shackles severely limit flex, if that's one of your goals

i measured the actual difference one time... i had the numbers all neatly recorded and stuff... then that hard drive sh|t the bed... :mad: ... :meh:

if you can get your shackle angles shallow say 45* then you'll lose some height, get great flex, and no drawback to handling since it's trail only... win, win, win

can kinda see mine here for reference: http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f396/pghfj40/2006_CMCC/?action=view&current=IMG_5534.jpg
 
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:bangEver since the blizzard i got way behind on paying jobs and havent touched the buggy..............until today!

I laid the rails for my floor and cut out the plate to fit..

just got to weld it all in final then mount the rear seat and the FUEL CELL!!!!! which is what i need to have in to actually start this thing.....

next will be redoing the shackle mounts:doh::censor::bang:

then hopefully its off to Rob's friend Jim ..... to get a cage and some driveshaft help,then its back for rear fenders and whatever else i come up with before its taken out for a trial run by April
final floor 1.jpg
final floor 2.jpg
 
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Killed the "budget"

So i decided that these 35 year old seats are not gonna cut it....tried to keep this project cheap but my back has been actin up and I figure I will keep the stock seats and put them back in if i ever sell this thing......

found these beauties

2 Corbeau Baja Ultra SS seats ( these are the wider version )
also got the brackets that bolt right in to a FJ40

this was approx $800 which officially put me over budget but my back and safety might thank me someday
corbeau baja ultra ss.jpg
 
i have the Corbeau seat in my buggy and they are the bomb:D way better than that plastic summit seat i used to bounce around in . money well spent ! i need 2 more for the back .
 
Thanx! Ill probably end up seein you in person about his thing but do have any pics of your way the harnesses mount? itss one thing im not sure about
 
seats and a floor!!

Well Im starting to trim my list down to the essentials i need to take this thing out on the trail soon.....its not like its ever gonna be "done" anyway......theres always SBC and SPOA dreams dancin in my head .....

Here is the new corbeau seats and the drift car Celica steering wheel......also now the floor is in permante' as is the fuel cell which is also plumbed up to the 40's lines

I started cutting off the shackle hangers to try that over again then i can take a final measurement for my rear driveshaft

She's got a date with Jim and Rob to build a 3-hoop cage the second week of April and Im hopin for an early May trial run
corbeau in.jpg
dashview.jpg
 
Coming soon!!! Daylight pictures!!!

I got the shackle mounts redone on the back.....and though there not perfect.......i think its gonna work out,i flipped the shackle mount the other way moving the spring eye forward and welded it to a piece of 1"x2",then welded that to the frame,lowering and putting the shackles at a better angle and gaining about an inch in rear ride height....nearly leveling it out

Also measured for the rear driveshaft...believe it or not i gained 3.5" with the rear spring flip!!....needless to say a spacer was out....i want to keep the spare front driveshaft i have (thanx Ed) so i took the stock rear out to PGH Driveshaft on 51.....Hank does such good work out there i couldnt help but give him the job again...and i just wanna be another step ahead..

And the best part is ive done and am doing countless little things to be ready to pour some gas in the fuel cell,put the battery back in and take her for a ride.......even if it is just around the lot and on the trailer for a date with a pipe bender....

Pictures soon
 
I had a few ideas for rear tire coverage......

my first and best was to build them out of tube,integrated into the rollcage....

this would be great if i was willing to delay this project a few more months...

IM NOT

then we found these at Lowes.....
fenderlowes.jpg
 
ya $10 apiece and im only screwing them on....


once they get beat up and i got the time ill make some tube/sheet quarters
 
Outdoor pictures!!!

Here it is on its first time out of the hole since August!!

Still needs the cage,taillights wired in,lincoln locker installed,front wheels switched over to match the steelies on the rear,and the seatbelts,etc...............but it runs and moves!!!
may fj1.jpg
may fj2.jpg
may fj3.jpg
 
i kinda like the rear fenders ,they seem to fit better than i imagined :cheers: . whats the schedule for the cage ?
 
Ya i had heard of them being used for extreme inner fender repair but then Neil suggested I use them as quarters......

Gonna call Jim this Sunday and try to shoot for next saturday/sunday
 
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just picture this.....on top of this.......coming soon!!!!
may fj1.jpg
 
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