I've been searching and not quite finding what I need so hopefully someone can help. I'm making a new rear bumper for my FJ and that gave me the great idea to move the rear axle rearwards about 5". What are people doing for the front hangers when the rears are moved backwards? I've been playing with some ideas to keep them at the same level but the new hanger ideas seem to stick out of the frame a fair bit. Anyone have any photos or examples?
Rear spring relocation (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mr80Series
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Check out the hardcore section. Most of the 40 builds here tend to stay more towards stock.
jim land
SILVER Star
keep the front hangers in the stock location , just move the shackles hangers back and use longer springs
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Agree. FJ60 springs will move the axle back about 4 inches. You can use the original front spring hanger with some careful bushing shopping at SOR. You'll need a new shackle hanger in the back.
If you put them on in the original config, about 2.5". If you flip them around, I think more like 5". (?) Way back there. I used the original rear hanger, but cut it off and turned it around, a bit closer to the back.
And don't call it an "FJ". It's a 40, or an fj40.
reddingcruiser
Practicing for retirement
You can get a little more using the front center bolt location on Ruff Stuff spring perches.
This is exactly what I did. I used 60 series springs and flipped them. I cut the original hangers loose and turned them around backwards. Just take care to get the relocated hangers lined up correctly.
If you put them on in the original config, about 2.5". If you flip them around, I think more like 5". (?) Way back there. I used the original rear hanger, but cut it off and turned it around, a bit closer to the back.
And don't call it an "FJ". It's a 40, or an fj40.
Looking at ruffstuffs website, it looks like they also make a rear shackle mount designed for a longer wheelbase?
reddingcruiser
Practicing for retirement
Yep, have them on my 40. They also use larger, more durable, sleeved bushings.
I'm sure they're nice and bulletproof. I'm not sure extra heavy duty is warranted way out in the back. I've got really long shackles on stock mounts and bushings in the back and I have zero problems there.
Where I have issues is at the back of my outboard front springs. There's a torque factor there and regular bushings get torn up after just a couple seasons. It's up there close to the CG and all the cast iron.
I was going to say the same thing. My rear spring bushings are all in good shape after 6 years of hard wheeling. My front spring shackle bushings wear out fast. The upper shackle bushings have caused death wobble for me in the past.
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It's not that difficult, OME uses the FJ60 size ends on all of their springs, so the OME bushings for your year rig will work. When doing this swap, I have always called Kurt at cruiseroutfitters.com, and the correct bushings arrived in the mail.
Yup, we should have what you need and we've done many 60 rear springs on 40's. I've been running 60 rear packs on my 72' FJ40 for 15 years now.
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Cheers for all of the advice. That gives me a few different directions to look.
Is that from using the offset shackle instead of an outrigger mount and straight shackle?
I guess? It doesn't seem like it should matter. It could simply be that my springs are super flexy and the bushings take a lot of abuse.
It might be a good place for an orbit eye shackle. (?)
