Putting Humpty Dumpty back together - 1970 FJ40 (1 Viewer)

[jynx]

So as many of you already know, I made a Smokey and the Bandit style 34 hour run to southern MS this past weekend to pick up a pile of parts that were once a complete 1970 FJ40. I hate the circumstances, but his loss is most definitely my gain as it would be a very long time before I could justify owning a 40 otherwise.

So the truck came to @Johnnynibert with a bad F, but otherwise a complete hardtop rig. He found himself with a lot of time and nothing else to do and decided to disassemble the truck in preparation for his plan to stretch the frame and add a bed. Well, about 2 weeks ago he throws it in. They are looking to move, and it needed to be gone and the stars aligned and I was able to get everything in place to make the haul. We swapped a few texts and so the trip was on.

We rolled out Friday afternoon, crashed in Hattiesburg and were at his place a little after 9 on Saturday Morning. @fountainhead had offered to come help load and beat me there by a bit. After some brief B.S. it was on. We decided to get the heavy S**t out of the way and hit the axles, and drive-train first, then the frame went on the back and the tub got sat on that. JT noticed the hardware was still on the frame so we bolted the fenders onto the frame and then hood to the body so we could close it up. Extra storage, win!

When I say completely disassembled, I mean COMPLETELY....

Heavy Stuff.

Hmm, it fits

He had an extra set of front fenders that we stashed up there and some other misc. stuff. After the heavy stuff was loaded, we commenced to loading the body panels, seats and totes full of misc parts into the back of the truck. With everything in we started strapping it down.

So at this point it is around noon and the plan is to roll north and have lunch at Lou's and then hit the trace and boogie home. We hit the road and that is where things get sideways. Short story is I about lost a tire and JTTMFT and Alpha Trailer in Pearl saved my bacon. Long version here: Towing/ Camping /Trailers post# 2162

After that was wrapped up, we booked it home and crashed out.

 

[jynx]

I slept in on Sunday, but I needed to at least get the truck bed unloaded and take stock a little so I waited til it got a little cooler and headed out.

All the body panels look solid. and all the glass is good with the exception of the windshield. It is cracked and has a rock chip, but the curved corner glass and all side and rear glass looks to be in excellent shape.

The worst rust I've seen on it so far was the sill of one of the cab corners.

The seats are all there and are in decent shape. I have a line on some corbeau's that I may pick up to drop in up front and then bolt the jumps back to the fenders.

And there is also this little jewel that looks to be complete.

I honestly had no idea the significance of that until we were all standing around chatting after the trailer tire was squared away and we were getting ready to roll out.

 

[jynx]

So right now the body panels and totes are stacked in the garage along with the seats and the trailer is parked still mostly loaded waiting for me to get a spot cleaned out for it to reside and be unloaded.

And there is this little guy whom will have to find a place to go in the overall project, just because.

Overall the plan is still very loose as I just popped the 40 cherry 3 days ago and honestly hadn't really spent much time looking at them as I didn't think my odds of ownership were very high any time soon, so I am still getting a handle on things right now.

Generally speaking I plan to just put the damn thing back together and drive it. Probably the best way to describe what I'm going to end up with is the illegitimate love child of @wngrog's 40 and @MScruiser's 40.

I have already talked to a guy about blasting and painting the frame in an Epoxy. The axles will get a general rebuild, do a front disc swap with some 60 knuckles or something similar. It came with a clean looking 2F that I will probably bolt a 4 spd behind and then bolt up a later model 4spd case with the PTO drive swapped onto it. I don't really plan to do much with the paint, it definitely isn't of "Patina" quality, but it has that worn in look. I am looking at the AFI systems for the 2F for driveability and I will probably add power steering while I'm in there as well. Looking at some 2.5" springs and 33's just to get a good stance with out being tempted to get stupid.

Lastly, probably a soft top for summer cruising. As a whole, just get it back together and up and running and then use it to teach the next little cruiserhead how to drive a manual trans.

I got to give her credit, she was a trooper and did awesome on this adventure. And I plan to have her doing her part to get it back together and running.

This won't be fast by any stretch, but I hope to make slow progress and will update as I can.

 

[MScruiser]

In on page 1 of this biatch.

 

[MScruiser]

Oh and before you pay someone to epoxy your frame (nothing wrong with that, BTW), keep in mind that I only paid $350 to have my frame powdercoated. A hell of a great deal.

 

[jynx]

That is a great price, and I have no idea what he will charge to blast and paint it. I can probably get the paint myself from the local rep and do the paint myself if I want to, will just have to see what the numbers look like. Most likely going just do paint on mine cause it will be easy to grind and touch-up when I inevitably have to "fix" something.

Anybody got any experience with this guy? JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL STANDARD (JIS) SIZED METRIC HARDWARE CUSTOMIZED & TAILOR-MADE FOR THE LAND CRUISER ENTHUSIAST

I know it isn't exactly OE, but I am not sure where all the hardware is, I'm sure I have most of it, but having a box of bolts will be handy. Any other resources would be welcome.

 

[wngrog]

My biggest mistake on mine was the manifold debacle. The second was selling my box of bolts.

Luckily I had a few hundred more. There is no way to do this without a ton of odds and ends bolts. Buy em.

 

[OGBeno]

That is a great price, and I have no idea what he will charge to blast and paint it. I can probably get the paint myself from the local rep and do the paint myself if I want to, will just have to see what the numbers look like. Most likely going just do paint on mine cause it will be easy to grind and touch-up when I inevitably have to "fix" something.

Anybody got any experience with this guy? JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL STANDARD (JIS) SIZED METRIC HARDWARE CUSTOMIZED & TAILOR-MADE FOR THE LAND CRUISER ENTHUSIAST

I know it isn't exactly OE, but I am not sure where all the hardware is, I'm sure I have most of it, but having a box of bolts will be handy. Any other resources would be welcome.

Dave Workman has a good product. I recommend it. And Nolen is right, there are literally hundreds of moments where you say, damn another piece of hardware needed and you don't have it or waste a lot of time looking for one.

 

[CandyPants]

That is a great price, and I have no idea what he will charge to blast and paint it. I can probably get the paint myself from the local rep and do the paint myself if I want to, will just have to see what the numbers look like. Most likely going just do paint on mine cause it will be easy to grind and touch-up when I inevitably have to "fix" something.

Anybody got any experience with this guy? JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL STANDARD (JIS) SIZED METRIC HARDWARE CUSTOMIZED & TAILOR-MADE FOR THE LAND CRUISER ENTHUSIAST

I know it isn't exactly OE, but I am not sure where all the hardware is, I'm sure I have most of it, but having a box of bolts will be handy. Any other resources would be welcome.

I just clicked the links and when you try to buy the full set it says sold out! Let us know if you get anywhere. I'd buy those.

 

[jynx]

I just clicked the links and when you try to buy the full set it says sold out! Let us know if you get anywhere. I'd buy those.

Well s**t.... I didn't get that far. Time to start digging.

 

[davework]

Congrats on the new 40! I am at a similar stage with my 79.

I am pretty close to having new (better) kits in stock, and will also be offering A4-70 stainless in JIS sizes for the first time.

Manufacturer is finalizing production this week, then I have to test the product before they're shipped to me. I am really hoping I'm about 45 days away from getting them here.

Keep an eye on the thread below for updates:

New Bolts-Yellow Zinc JIS

 

[MScruiser]

My biggest mistake on mine was the manifold debacle. The second was selling my box of bolts.

Luckily I had a few hundred more. There is no way to do this without a ton of odds and ends bolts. Buy em.

Oh man, that's true. But you had no idea you'd be buying a 40 only a few weeks later.

 

[MScruiser]

That is a great price, and I have no idea what he will charge to blast and paint it. I can probably get the paint myself from the local rep and do the paint myself if I want to, will just have to see what the numbers look like. Most likely going just do paint on mine cause it will be easy to grind and touch-up when I inevitably have to "fix" something.

Anybody got any experience with this guy? JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL STANDARD (JIS) SIZED METRIC HARDWARE CUSTOMIZED & TAILOR-MADE FOR THE LAND CRUISER ENTHUSIAST

I know it isn't exactly OE, but I am not sure where all the hardware is, I'm sure I have most of it, but having a box of bolts will be handy. Any other resources would be welcome.

@ntsaint has a set from them.

I'll say this though: after seeing all the bolts I had to get plated, there's NO WAY that one of these kits has remotely enough bolts to do the entire truck.

I'd still buy the kit if I were you, but know it's not going to fix every single bolt.

 

[ntsaint]

That's a great kit. I still have 40-50 bolts left. But it's not 100% resto complete, meaning it won't replace every bolt on the truck.

 

[jynx]

Can you guys help me on axles and front disc conversions. I'm looking at options and I'm already in the weeds and they are only getting taller. So I have drums and if I'm reading right have course splined shafts and drive flanges. I want to convert to discs and I'm trying to understand if I can just pick up a set of 60 knuckles and the brake stuff and bolt that up or do I need to get the shafts, birfs, etc. As well. Are the inner shafts the same or will I need to pull the diff and swap the side gears. I have read that I could use mini truck parts too, is there any benefit to that? I am trying to map out the attack plan and I'm working on getting the frame cleaned up, and am reading up on suspensions, but I know I can go ahead and get started ordering/ gathering parts to rebuild the axles.

I'm also about to get some of the lights from @Racer65 while waiting for Dave to get his hardware back in stock.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wngrog]

If you can find a complete mini truck axle or 60 axle minus the 3rd member that is the best bet.

You can bolt it all up just need to grind out the inside of the housing to fit the larger birfs.

 

[fountainhead]

This is the way understand it. There are probably some lies mixed in, but the folks in the know will make it right:

All 40 front inner shafts (that utilize birfields) are 30 spline at the diff and 27 spline at the birfield joint. Ball and claw inners may be 30 spline at the diff as well, but I couldn't speak to that.

40 front axles got disc brakes in '76. I believe this is when the birfield stubs also changed from coarse (10) to fine (30) spline.

'76 - '78 disc brake axles utilized small pattern steering arm knuckles, and, according to the patina thread, had longer birfield stubs. Apparently these can be properly retained and still utilize manual locking hubs if you use the Warn, or similar variety, lockout.

'79 and later 40's, '79 - '85 mini truck, and all 6x's utilize the same parts from the knuckle out. These are the large pattern knuckles.

To answer your questions specifically:

The inner shafts are the same.
The diff will not need to be modified.
No advantage to the mini truck stuff over the other large pattern knuckle options.
You will need to swap out the birfields.

Hope that helps (and is mostly correct).

 

[Bossman]

JT pretty much nailed it. I generally use mini truck parts just because they are more available. Upgrade to the v6 caliper too if you go this route. The GM rear disc swap is also my go-to as it is readily available and as cheap as rebuilding the drum rear if you source your parts right.

 

[wngrog]

I was reading on TPI about my longer birfs.

He says grind them down.

Love it.

 

[jynx]

Banger! I just remembered I have a complete mini truck front axle in the barn. And it fits the theme as it came to me completely disassembled. Looks like I will be digging into those totes this weekend to start pulling parts out.

Guess I will holler at @beno for some axle and brake parts next week.

Also in a unique twist, I am also going to look at the possibility of using a set of the Low Range OR Tacoma caliper brake brackets and look at doing the big Tundra brakes on the front axle. Of course that will mean 16" or 17" wheels so will have to chase that rabbit a little more, but a 1970 40 with 2005 tundra discs should gain me some points for originality, maybe...

Thanks for the info guys.