Build Reconstruction after rollover - building The Champ!

[baldilocks]

I like to put the Jack stands just behind the frame control arm mounts. This allows more freedom of movement with your floor jack and room for you to work around the fount of the axle.
Also if you haven't already loosen the rear control arm bolts to take the tension off the rubber bushings JMHO

I saw that but she came out with no complaints.

 

[baldilocks]

I’ve been debating this project some hours now. This housing seem s to be straight but it’s obviously beaten up. My lab is toward a custom housing and a 9.5. Yes, I already bought parts to fix the 8”diff but I’m thinking long term here.

 

[Broski]

View attachment 3187822I’ve been debating this project some hours now. This housing seem s to be straight but it’s obviously beaten up. My lab is toward a custom housing and a 9.5. Yes, I already bought parts to fix the 8”diff but I’m thinking long term here.

Sh*t rub out

 

[Ryan Towry]

going 9.5 in the front will push you to low pinion. but if you are sticking to 4.88's you could move to the 100 series 9.5" that has a 32 spline pinion option and a 32 spline axle shaft ability.

Nitro Gear & Axle 9.5" 4.88 Ring & Pinion (32 Spline) | Nitro Gear & Axle

Buy this Nitro Gear & Axle 9.5" 4.88 Ring & Pinion (32 Spline) at Nitro Gear & Axle.

www.nitro-gear.com

 

[GW Nugget]

I know this is a big decision, but if you have all the parts then my suggestion is to put it together one more time & be more gentile in the skinny peddle.
If you break again then go big next time. Just sayin....

 

[baldilocks]

I know this is a big decision, but if you have all the parts then my suggestion is to put it together one more time & be more gentile in the skinny peddle.
If you break again then go big next time. Just sayin....

I’m still thinking about this. I had no idea how light the axle housing is. It’s very light. Seems better to drop my body atop a 90’s dodge 3/4 Ton. This way I have the diesel drive train. Dive in all the way or sell. This is definitely a decision point.

 

[GW Nugget]

oh, wow.
That would be an Epic build for sure.
Well, we have all daydreamed of the best do it all rig, I believe the 80 series is the closest one can get in stock form.
After that the next step is 1ton running gear. This conversation can go on for days... it depends on how much time & money you want to invest.
Any direction you go will be a great adventure, so keep posting.

 

[baldilocks]

oh, wow.
That would be an Epic build for sure.
Well, we have all daydreamed of the best do it all rig, I believe the 80 series is the closest one can get in stock form.
After that the next step is 1ton running gear. This conversation can go on for days... it depends on how much time & money you want to invest.
Any direction you go will be great entertainment so keep posting.

The older I get the more time I have.

 

[GW Nugget]

I edited my statement from entertainment to adventure because it's more accurate to my thoughts.
I have thought about this very thing myself. Do I keep my 80 clean or make it look like a big raisin beating it on every tree & rock I pass.
For instance, replace the axles to 1-tons then replace the drivetrain to a R2.8 or 5.3/auto/atlas/coilovers etc... At that point I have upgraded everything that makes an 80 great. The good thing is I can keep posting it up here in the 80 section. Haha The thought of a lighter 40 series body & keeping the 80 series running gear might be another option. The lighter body would be a lot easier on the 80 series running gear. Another option to making it lighter is go tube buggy.

For you since you have extra 80 parts just get another salvaged rig that has been rolled, with blown head gasket or rear ended then tube it for summertime fun.

 

[baldilocks]

You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall!

 

[Broski]

Going to tons and changing the motor is not the answer, it's the sheer size and weight that hold the 80 back. If you do all that then it's still a 80 but then it's not.
80s are great trail rigs but if you want to go to the next level a real Buggy is the answer.
I would not go through the time and expense to put tons under my 80, I love my 80 for everything it is.
Gary you built your 80 into a trail rig, the first time I met you was on the trail. You need to get back out there

 

[Ryan Towry]

you could always look the other direction and drop a 4 door tracker body on the fj80 chassis.

the real question is would you rather spend all that time building and wrenching or out on the trail enjoying the outdoors?

 

[chappysfj40]

its the bigger question of what trails do you want to do, if you find your self wanting to do more buggy trails then the road to that is pretty clear. the 80 series is a great LC and can do amazing s***, but the amount of sheet metal and sheer weight are just too much for it when you start binding it up some.

also what is your wheeling group doing, i mean are they all leaning toward buggy type trails?

such a slippery slope for sure

 

[roflbox]

autolockers, noted

 

[baldilocks]

its the bigger question of what trails do you want to do, if you find your self wanting to do more buggy trails then the road to that is pretty clear. the 80 series is a great LC and can do amazing s***, but the amount of sheet metal and sheer weight are just too much for it when you start binding it up some.

also what is your wheeling group doing, i mean are they all leaning toward buggy type trails?

such a slippery slope for sure

Yes, this is a slippery slope as I have seen my 80 go far behind my original building and usage intentions when I sold a dedicated crawler/trailer queen for the versatility offered by the 80. I have a couple guys to wheel with but a lot of my trips are done alone. Almost always my intentions have been rock crawling type stuff. I used to live just over 100 miles from Rubicon and Fordyce trails in CA. I’ve been over Rubicon too many times to recall and Fordyce a few times. I still go to Rubicon yearly since I moved up to Washington. It’s a great trail that’s challenging but not off the charts difficult like most of the trails at Johnson Valley where I’ve been twice just this year and got my butt handed to me twice by way of a snapped rear axle shaft back in February and now this torn up ring and pinion that has led to other front axle assembly modifications to add strength. I enjoy some over landing action as well but that doesn’t push the rig hard like being twisted up on rocks.

Some good points have been made here in recent days. @Broski drove home the point that due to it’s size and weight he doesn’t believe the 80 is the proper platform for going to 1 tons and other drivetrain upgrades. All this makes sense so I’ll just stop vacillating over it and get on with the original plan.

 

[Tank5]

I know this is a big decision, but if you have all the parts then my suggestion is to put it together one more time & be more gentile in the skinny peddle.
If you break again then go big next time. Just sayin....

I kinda agree with this. Put it back together with what you since already bought the parts. Keep it driving and start building your 9.5 front axle replacement. Keep your down time minimized.

 

[baldilocks]

I kinda agree with this. Put it back together with what you since already bought the parts. Keep it driving and start building your 9.5 front axle replacement. Keep your down time minimized.

Thanks for the comment. I agree that down time becomes frustrating after a while even though the hands on vehicle time is half of the hobby.

 

[jcardona1]

I almost went down the 9.5 rabbit hole. Even bought the 3rd. Then started research custom housings, custom shafts, gears, etc. The costs adds up quick so I thought at that point I might as well build a junkyard 60. Those costs also add up quick so I said hey, might as well go with a fully-built 60 from ECGS. Ready to go, just weld up some brackets. Then I slapped some sense into myself and realized none of that was justified for what I do with the truck.

What's my point? Sell your rig and buy @NCTrey133 badass build. 9.5 front, 609 rear, 3 link front, double triangulated 4 link rear, coilovers, and the first-ever NWF double on a stock 80 drivetrain. Pennies on the dollar for what it would cost to replicate For Sale - Mebane, NC: 96 Lexus LX450 "Sweet Brown" - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/mebane-nc-96-lexus-lx450-sweet-brown.1297650/#post-14686587

 

[baldilocks]

His rig is definitely badass but I need inside cargo space and a place for me to sleep on top of all my stuff out of the weather.

I just weighed my housing minus arms plus the few pounds of additional weight from the hydro assist bracket and the arm bracket reinforcements; 75 pounds, so it probably weighs 65 pounds stock. That is so light. I’m surprised it’s not already bent.

As you probably know, I was perusing your build thread yesterday. I like the idea of the additional mass that the front side angle iron puts on. I think I’ll do that too.

Did you have your R&P cryogenically treated. It’s said to be a good thing but no company will publish a strength increase based on percentage.

Looking forward to see those new 38’s in action.

 

[jcardona1]

Yeah, if it was a few years ago, I probably would have bought Trey's truck. But I do need the rear cab for my use.

And yes, I had my gears cryo'd by Performance Cryogenics in Lincoln, CA. Not sure if they're still around, but it was only about $100 at the time so I decided to give it a shot.