Replacing Rear Sill..seeking advice & noobie ramblings--Pics of FJ40..Warn 8274 Find

[Nugget Digger]

So I acquired this '78 FJ40, this past January after looking for the "right one". It was an original owner and lived on a ranch in Sonoma County CA. The ranch was a second home for the couple who owned it & the Cruiser did a lot of sitting-the couple got a divorce & the wife couldn't get rid of it fast enough, I offered her about half of the 12K asking price and she accepted it. She said the mileage was original at just at little more than 62K on the clock. So I did the math & it was puchased new when the male half was 42 years old (a tad younger than I am now). The only mod. is a Downey (CA certified) header. With this said the Cruiser is without "rust in the ususall spots" I am now getting close to my question about the sill replacement... One of the rear pop out windows had been replaced with a homemade plexiglass type which did not seal properly, thus allowing water and the elements to enter the rear cargo area. As a result the water took a path and settled under the cargo mat and rear door weather stripping...so now the sill has rot as does the sill support. I ordered and received a complete sill replacement form CCOT and I am either going to replace it myself or pay to have it done. An initial quote of $800 labor was given. I have looked at threads here and it looks pretty straight forward. And finally my question **Are the rear corner sections "the horns" of the rear sill support attached in any way to the sheet metal i.e. welds or adhesive, or is this area free standing? I realize the tire carrier and reflectors bolt through this area.

So I woke up this a.m. & checked the local Craigslist, as I do most days in attempt to find a winch...& today I was truly blessed by the winch gods!!!!I took a 40 minute drive today and was able to purchase a newer 8274 ..for get this...only 200 bones.

Take a looksy at the pics...Yes I know I am a noobie and most times hate to brag...but......You see this community can relate to this kind of stuff ...Okay so I can't post pics

Self disclosure I owned a '72 FJ40 when I was a wee lad- it was beautiful...then I had to destroy it by rolling it over. Why did my dad allow me to drive (blame the parents).

So back to the question about the sill-any input would be greatly appreciated...Thanks

 

[twoyotas]

I believe the horns are tacked to the sheet metal, judging by the way they were stuck to the corners, and just as rotted, in mine.

 

[SteveH]

Yes - they are spot welded to the sheet metal. Since that whole area will need some work, it's not a huge deal to drill out the welds or otherwise figure out how to separate them.

Congrats on your two 'finds' - good work!

 

[Nugget Digger]

Thanks. I was hoping this was not the case, as these areas are actually in very good condition and I'm not looking forward to repairing the sheet metal.

 

[Sea Knight]

CCOT Sill and Corner Channels

Sill ears are spot welded to inner rear quarters. Quarters in this pic have been trimmed, waiting for patch panels.



[URL="https://forum.ih8mud.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=524908&stc=1&d=1306532099"][/URL]ds

 

[Nugget Digger]

So now I need a winch mount plate...can anyone recommend an on-line retailer?

 

[Snowdogyyz]

CCOT.

 

[DSRTRDR]

nice cruiser

 

[Fast Eddy]

That bumper is not strong enough for that winch unless the "winch plate" is a complete unit that basically uses that bumper as a cover. Great score for $200. You could flip it for $800. You need to replace the rope though.

Looks like it's had some resto work done at some point (stainless windshield hinge screws, black hood hooks). The mirrors are normally up-and-down, not sideways. What's the black thing below the marker lamp in the back?

awl_teq makes the sheet metal you need, but post some pics of the rear. It's not the end of the world to just let it continue to rust for a couple years while you're driving it. I kind of prefer the original paint to patched panels.

 

[Copenhagen1]

Great find on both counts! The 40 and the winch.

I am not a cheerleader for CCOT but I do think their HFS 8274 bumper is a lot of bang for the buck. I think they are about $240 now and I have been very pleased with mine. There was some discussion on this forum about why the JToutfitters bumpers on ebay are $90 and the HFS bumpers are $240. The difference is the JTO bumpers are 3/16 steel and the HFS are 3/8" steel.

Here are pics of mine and I am still very pleased with it. I do agree that there are a lot nicer bumpers out there for a 40 series but they are 3X the price of this one.







Good luck with your new truck.

 

[John Smith]

OP, I second Fast Eddy's advice to just drive the truck for awhile and enjoy it as it. I made the mistake of tearing mine apart soon after I got it. Your simple sill replacement may not be so simple if you find more rust you decide to cut out and repair. Then before you know it the truck has been sitting for over a year.

Copenhagen1, Nice bumper, I hope you have replaced the single SS bolt holding the right side of your bumper on with graded HW.

 

[Copenhagen1]

.....Copenhagen1, Nice bumper, I hope you have replaced the single SS bolt holding the right side of your bumper on with graded HW.

Are you talking about these two bolts?

 

[Fast Eddy]

There was some discussion on this forum about why the JToutfitters bumpers on ebay are $90 and the HFS bumpers are $240. The difference is the JTO bumpers are 3/16 steel and the HFS are 3/8" steel.

I see no reason to have the bumper thicker than the frame. 3/16" should be plenty strong for this application. If you were building a mega-crawler with 44" tires, a heavy engine and boxed frame, maybe...

 

[jbee]

came across this, he links to ih8mud so perhaps he's a member.

sill repair | fj40toolbox

 

[Nugget Digger]

Thanks for the feedback. The black thing under the rear reflector is a grommet from what used to be a spare fuel tank (removed before I got it). The mirror thing is the result of an active 9 YO daughter. So after checking the net today I came across a bumper 3/16" advertised at JT Outitters <$100, but it seems as though this company doesn't garner much respect here. The ARB is nice also, but a bit overkill for what I have in mind and a bit pricey. I'm shooting for a more stock look and will probably lift it 2"-2.5". I'll use this to hit some minor trails and hunting etc.

 

[Copenhagen1]

I see no reason to have the bumper thicker than the frame. 3/16" should be plenty strong for this application. If you were building a mega-crawler with 44" tires, a heavy engine and boxed frame, maybe...

If we are talking about using the bumper as a, well.....a bumper, then yes, I see your point. You might want your bumper to give before your frame bends. Thats a good point. I guess the factory bumper is designed that way.

I bought this bumper, not to hit things, but to use as a pull platform. I figured if I was going to put 8000+ pounds of pressure on less than a square foot of surface, 3/8 was better than 3/16.

I guess that is why there are so many options out there. Everyone can pick what they like.

 

[John Smith]

Are you talking about these two bolts?


View attachment 617621

Yes, I could only see the one in the picture and it looked like it had SS markings. I have seen numerous trucks with SS HW holding on their winch bumpers. Even seen a few use SS in steering linkages. /hijack over

 

[Pauly]

I see no reason to have the bumper thicker than the frame. 3/16" should be plenty strong for this application. If you were building a mega-crawler with 44" tires, a heavy engine and boxed frame, maybe...

<disclosure> I'm not an engineer but, </disclosure> having a winch bumper buckle from a heavy pull would be a bummer as it would probably bend the frame/horns in the process. Seems like a heavy piece of steel up front is a good thing. That being said, maybe 3/16" is heavy enough.

 

[Copenhagen1]

Yes, I could only see the one in the picture and it looked like it had SS markings. I have seen numerous trucks with SS HW holding on their winch bumpers. Even seen a few use SS in steering linkages. /hijack over

Heck, I appreciate the concern. It is just dumb luck that those two bolts are graded hw. Actually, iirc, that particular bracket is riveted on at the factory. A PO had removed them and I had to source them used because the HFS bumper utilizes all the factory brackets. All I had there was the frame horns to work with.

I gather from your comments that SS bolts are not as strong as graded HW. Therefore, if there is going to be significant force put on a fastener, I should not use SS bolts. That is good info and I will file that away in my knowledge base.

It does seem like a hijack but all of this is good info for the OP.

 

[Weber Sarge]

There are different grades of strength in all fastener materials, and yes you can get high strength bolts in ss . You just don't want to ask what they cost...
Sarge