Please help, I need to use what I have. 72fj40 conversion (1 Viewer)

[A72fj40]

I have a 72 FJ40 missing the entire drivetrain no transfer case , trans, or engine. The orig radiator is there that's it.
I have a 1985 chevy 4x4 1/2 ton truck complete. I want to put in the entire drivetrain incl. transfer case. If stock 40 axle will not work could I use the axles off the 85 model 1/2 ton truck? How much wider are they? Would I be able to use them under the leafs or over? There is a 4'' leaf spring lift on the 40 now. If so I could use the trucks driveshafts (cut to fit ofcourse) and would have disc brakes in front. If this is possible would I have any diff. in width front or rear?
I need to use what I have to be able to afford this. If saving money by not buying an adaptor from AA to convert 700r4 tranny to toyota trans case that's what I need to do. If I can do that by swaping axles then that would be great. Please let me know any pitfalls I may face.
I will use my rig for alot of highway driving some mud and snow.

 

[A72fj40]

What if I kept the stock front axle and changed the rear? What axle would work best? What width would I need to look for? Or would the 85 work and if wider would spacers on the front be enough to correct it? Thanks for any help.

 

[D'Animal]

Do you plan on keeping this a daily driver or a trail rig?

 

[inkpot]

Howdy! There is no cheap/easy/fast way to do this swap, especially if you want it to be a daily driver. The Chevy is about a foot wider than the Toyota. Many places you need fenders/mud flaps over your tires for highway driving. You need to do some window shopping in some of the catalogs available, like Downey and Advanced Adapters. Find out what's is available and how much $$$ it might take. On my 72 FJ40 I ended up with a 350, SM465, and everything else stock. John

 

[Bossman]

You can use the whole chevy drivetrain and the fj40 axles - you'll just have to do a little work on the rear axle housing and build some driveshafts using what you have as a starting point. Do a search on here and read about rear axle "flip" (really more of a spin) to get the rear flange closer to centered. It'll still be offset a bit but close enough to run. Next option would be to build a custom rear housing using LC center section and mini truck outers to center the rear flange. Not hard, but a little more involved and a few $ to buy parts. Both will work though.

 

[A72fj40]

I'm in Texas and if the tires stuck out I could get away with it. But is that too wide? This is going to ba a drive to work a couple days a week rig. Although in the winter I want to drive it up to colorado a couple times a year and deal with some mud and snow out hunting. So, it needs to be able to depend on it. I can get the AA adapter and I have a friend how has a stock 72 fj40 transfer case I could use. My question is would these axles work? Would it be goofy looking?

 

[srgould41]

What size tires are you planning on? I believe the 40 axels are good up to 35" tires (if built for it). If you want to stay 35" or under then I would think the stock axels and the '72 Tcase you mention would be worth considering. Certainly a lot less work!

 

[Combat Chuck]

the axle should be okay, just don't overtorque it, my '72 is a 350 'Chevy conversion, and the axles stand up well, they're pretty beefy, I think toyota overbuilt them just to be safe. Inkpot's right, though, conversions can't be really cheap or easy.

Google "Dynatrac". they make custom FJ40 axles that are more sturdy and beefy if you're truly worried. Don't sweat bulets over it, if you ease into acceleration, and don't overtorque, you shouldn't have problems.

 

[Combat Chuck]

you can also talk to a drivetrain/axle shop and see if they can trim down your chevy axle, it shouldn't be too tough to cut the slack, and relocate the knuckle.

 

[inkpot]

What size tires are you planning on? I believe the 40 axels are good up to 35" tires (if built for it). If you want to stay 35" or under then I would think the stock axels and the '72 Tcase you mention would be worth considering. Certainly a lot less work!

Howdy! the FJ40 axles will handle the stock V8 and reasonable driving on 35's with no problem Mine have held up for over 22 years, so far. Most likely the weak link is the FJ40 transfer case, but you can easily add a "saver" to it. If the donor truck is an automatic or an NV4500 5 speed, then it will be a little long in the driveline, but workable. If the donor has an NP203 transfer case, you can add it as a double transfer case setup, or sell it to someone else who wants to do that. If you need to get this rig on the road, do the engine/transmission swap now, and get it running. Then later you can decide if you want to do all the other things we often do, like power steering, disc brakes front/rear, regear, lockers, A/C, custom radiator, etc. Seems like they are always a "work in progress". John

 

[MILLHOUSE]

I'm in Texas

Where in Texas are you from?

Post up some pictures of your truck! Lets see this project!

 

[srgould41]

Tire Size?

Chuck, what size tires do you run? I am thinking of 37s or 39s so I am thinking of D60/14 bolt. But if I could get away with the LC axels for a few years...

the axle should be okay, just don't overtorque it, my '72 is a 350 'Chevy conversion, and the axles stand up well, they're pretty beefy, I think toyota overbuilt them just to be safe. Inkpot's right, though, conversions can't be really cheap or easy.
quote]

 

[Poser]

Chuck, what size tires do you run? I am thinking of 37s or 39s so I am thinking of D60/14 bolt. But if I could get away with the LC axels for a few years...

You should be able to make a disc brake Land Cruiser front end stay together for 37’s, provided you install 30 spline Longs and chromo drive gears or plates.

39’s and a V8 are asking a bit much from them if you are going to run hammer down. You may get lucky and have them hang in there for a while, but it is not the direction I would go if you know you are going to beat on your truck. D60/14 bolt will give you predictability, but you will compromise a significant amount of ground clearance with 37/39" tires.

 

[Chad1236]

To get the G.M. to mate up to the stock transfer case will cost a min. of 700.00 from AA.

If the stock 85 axles would work and be able to use the stock GM transfer case it would save 700bucks and then parts would be easy to find if needed and cheap too.

What would be envolved to strap in the 85 GM axles?

 

[Chad1236]

What's stronger a stock 72 fj40 axle or a GM 12bolt ?

 

[Poser]

To get the G.M. to mate up to the stock transfer case will cost a min. of 700.00 from AA.

If the stock 85 axles would work and be able to use the stock GM transfer case it would save 700bucks and then parts would be easy to find if needed and cheap too.

What would be envolved to strap in the 85 GM axles?

Park the two vehicles side by side grab a tape measure and compare the differences between the two after writing the numbers down on paper.




Full width axles are going to require welding new spring mounts on the outside of the frame at a minimum to get the leaf springs to meet up with the spring perches on the GM axles.




Nothing about swapping the complete drive train from a full size GM truck into a Land Cruiser 40 series is going to be easy.



Again, as was suggested in the previous thread on this topic:

Read the tech links/faq on engine conversions and the many build threads out here about the work people have gone through doing an engine swap.


Go to a LSLC club meeting and talk with folks that have done this conversion....
I would start there....

And just an FYI-

No one out here was calling you any names or picking on you in any of the threads you had started, at least not until you decided to stir up s*** in Chat.












.

 

[srgould41]

Hiya Poser.

I am not a lead foot so that isn't a huge worry, but if I had to spend money to build up the LC axels then why not put that money into the GM's instead... Was what I was thinking anyway.

Your comment on ground clearance... Do you mean that 37-39's are too small? Less ground clearance than the LC centers?

Hmmm... I am soooo confused.. 27, 39, LC versus GM, tube or not to tube, 3 link or 4,


LOL

You should be able to make a disc brake Land Cruiser front end stay together for 37’s, provided you install 30 spline Longs and chromo drive gears or plates.

39’s and a V8 are asking a bit much from them if you are going to run hammer down. You may get lucky and have them hang in there for a while, but it is not the direction I would go if you know you are going to beat on your truck. D60/14 bolt will give you predictability, but you will compromise a significant amount of ground clearance with 37/39" tires.

 

[Poser]

but if I had to spend money to build up the LC axels then why not put that money into the GM's instead... Was what I was thinking anyway.

Which is exactly what my thinking was back in 1999 when I built my Dana 60’s that are under the Red truck . 35 spline, ARB’s, 4:88’s, full-float rear, blah, blah, blah.

Your comment on ground clearance... Do you mean that 37-39's are too small? Less ground clearance than the LC centers?

Exactly. I ran 38.5SX Swampers on my 60’s for less than one year, and then replaced them with 15/42x15 Swampers, because I was banging the front and rear center sections on rocks. Those tires made a lot of difference. Then in the winter of 2004, I decided that the Land Cruiser one-piece transfer case needed to go away, and I installed a 4.3 Atlas and a fabricated rear axle housing based on a Ford 9" center,(Sunray Engineering) and installed a TruHi9, ARB, and now have CTM 300M rear axle shafts and drive slugs.

Some day, I will have another front axle housing fabricated and install another TruHi9/ARB.



Linking? I was going to do that to the Red truck, but decided that I will just fabricate a tube frame and build something else instead of trying to make this 5K+# pig run on coils.

 

[srgould41]

Sounds about the way I am going. I'll start on the smaller tires too, and go larger when those wear out if I need them.

Now if I only had the money for all this

Which is exactly what my thinking was back in 1999 when I built my Dana 60’s that are under the Red truck . 35 spline, ARB’s, 4:88’s, full-float rear, blah, blah, blah.


Exactly. I ran 38.5SX Swampers on my 60’s for less than one year, and then replaced them with 15/42x15 Swampers, because I was banging the front and rear center sections on rocks. Those tires made a lot of difference.