ROTW ROTW - Gertrude - 1975 FJ40 (3 Viewers)

[andrewfarmer]

Meet Gertrude - 1975 FJ40.

related threads:
Engine rebuild https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=61396
Body mods https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=61344
Centre mount pto winch https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=61398


I bought Gertrude in 2002.

She looked like this then - 31s, slight lift, bullbar, sdiebars, rollcage, LPG
Apart from that - stock
She was one of the last of the 'old' model. 1.5F, H41, 4.11s

I fitted a snorkel - yes it's made of drainage pipe with a stovepot cowling on the end
And put on some 33s
35mm body lift.
Also chamfered back the corners of the bullbar to improve clearance on tight corners.

This is after the first set of replacement springs - you can see how much flex the fronts have - wheel sits in normal place when not compressed.
I was running 3mm UHMW strips between the leaves.
Also exteneded spring hangers on the front and longer shackles all round.
The snorkel by this stage had been moved inside (kept breaking on trees).
I also made rear side bars, and trimmed the rear corners to 45 degrees

I fitted a winch (https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=61398
) and ARB rear locker.

Then it got 35s and a set of beadlocks
Also extra long travel shocks and Ford shock towers in the front.
Front and rear disk brakes (60 series front, hilux rear)

Then came a front ARB...
Also 4.88s
Also rebuilt the motor (https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=61396)

Folks - don't try this at home
(I thought perhaps I could jump the hole)

This is what happens...
(also cracked t/case, nearly sheared off front output shaft, bent front springs, broke off a shock mount, nearly stripped spline on front diff flange...)

This resulted in a new t/case - fitted 3 speed gears - like the reduction

 

[andrewfarmer]

I then modified the bullbar and sidebars to a single tube - even better turning angle and undersill protection.
Trimmed the sills at the same time...

Then I fitted 37s (Creepy Crawlers) - much better grip, first trip out I broke a CV and a rear axle.
New top leaves on the rear springs moved the axle back about 5" - much better hill climbing.
I took out the UHMW strips (kept sliding out of the packs) and put in a self adhesive 30 thou UHMW strip.
Also modified bottom U Bolt plates (stepped - flat on the bottom)

Kept breaking CVs so got a set of Longs.

Yes - it will lift both uphill wheels before rolling...

But that doesnt help when driving completely off the track!

Then I chopped the back off (see https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=61344)

And finally - power steering (60 series) - those 37s were hard to turn at 5psi!
At the same time replaced the front locker with a custom unit - ball bearing operated - it can be unlocked under load
Also widened the front axle 60mm each side (and reduced backspacing to match) to ease knuckle and w/brg load
(rear still to come)

You can see in this pic when I got the roof joined after chopping the cab I got the front lip removed - it kept breaking on trees - this version is much stronger!

 

[andrewfarmer]

Other mods

Other modifications:

On board air - modified air con pump (very hard to find a proper York here - this is a 6 piston pump off a Hilux)
In left of pic - 12v computer fan - under that is a Humber Supersnipe heater core - this is my air cooler - I found
the air coming out of the compressor was so hot it was melting the air lines.

Air tank (old fire extinguisher) plus the oil and water separators. I run 140psi in the tank.

The most useful thing I ever did was make my steering pointer. Connected by a cable to the pitman arm, I always know which way the front wheels are pointing

Pitman arm end of the pointer cable

Overhead switch cluster for lockers and fiddle brakes - nice and visible and always easy to get at.
(yes I know the wiring is a mess )

Red/orange light is warning for PTO engaged and water in fuel filter

New dash - needed somewhere to put all the gauges. It sticks out about 2" from the std dash - this leaves room behind for wiring etc, plus I can reach all the switches belted in.
There's a long hinge on the bottom, so it's easy to tip forward if I need to get in behind it.

PTO lever has shroud to prevent accidental engagement, plus switch to light above dash to let me know when it is engaged.

New seats out of a Corolla/Sprinter/Levin.
I got them because the seat squab was thin (so I sit further down)
Nice and comfy!
You can see the internal snorkel behind the passenger seat.

60 series power steering box (+ Ford shock towers)
I keep about 10m of winch wire on the bullbar - saves having to unwind it every time I need it.
The only place I still get tyre rub is the little 'point' next to the headlights - I must reshape the bib at some stage...

Made new front spring hangers - giving 30mm height increase

 

[andrewfarmer]

I made a new tailgate - aluminium frame and polycarbonate - much lighter, no rust, and the visibility increase was amazing!

When I made the new side bars, I trimed the 'curve' off the side of the front guards and removed most of the support rib.
The guards now bolt to the sidebars for support.

New sidebars...

I've tried several methods of reducing friction in the spring packs.

I put in 3mm UHMW strips, but found that they kept getting 'squeezed' out.

I found that there is a self adhesive UMHW - 30 thou thick (so reduces spring pack height) - plus stays in place a lot better

Only comes in 75mm so I had to trim it after sticking it on...

When I made my new bottom plates, I moved the bottom shock mounts at the rear back up to the axle housing. So I needed to lift the top mounts as well.
The old bottom plates were surplus so I just welded them on. Crude, ugly, but works well

I made up some new bottom plates to increase the clearance under the springs. The first ones were 3mm steel - much too thin - they bent as you can see...

Next were some with 6mm edges and more bracing - these were better but still bent.
I've now got 12mm edges and they work perfectly - no movement at all.

This is the clearance with the old bottom plates....

And the new ones.

 

[andrewfarmer]

When I remade my rear springs the second time, I got new top leaves made, moving the pin back 150mm

The new rear springs were longer overall as well. I flipped the rear hangers and builts some longer shackles as well.

My own anti-inversion design. It works - what else matters?

Rear disc brake conversion using Hilux rotors and calipers.
The Hilux rotors needed the centre holes enlarged slightly to fit the std hubs (FF)
The brackets bolt on using the old backing plate bolts.

Air operated fiddle brake unit.

Installed behind drivers seat.
The 4 silver hoses operate the 2 cylinders, running through limiting vavles to prevent the cylinders operating too fast - or they break things
I run the pressure to these regulated to 80psi - just locks up the brakes but no more.

When I put my new rear springs on, because the axle mounts so far to the rear of the springs, I needed to change the pinion angle.
The olny castor shims I could buy were ARB ones - aluminium - but they hammered flat after a while.

So I machined up some steel ones out of some 100x10 flat.

I extended the breathers from g/box and t/case.

The t/case breather I tapped a new hole on the big nut which was the old breather and fitted a tail.

Gearbox I drilled and tapped the top cover. I then sealed up the standard holes in the rubber cap over the gearstick.

 

[Trollhole]

Holy mackrel Batman! That is a lot of stuff. I am amazed. Why didn't you just do a SOA?

What are you running on the PTO? Is is a winch?

All I can say is wow that is really nice.

I really like the steering pointer.

Good job.

 

[Wayneraintree]

that is a great write up and one cool 40! looks like you use the heck out of it and the changes you've made really suite the use. The function is perfect and the form is not too shabby either!

 

[Trollhole]

in this picture is that a PTO comming out the rear of the T\C? Whats it hooked to.?

 

[bustanutley]

dude how is your hard top still in one piece You must have rolled that thing like 8 times.

Very cool, continue to git it. Good work on tossing that square tube mess up front.

 

[Romer]

Wow, unlike the name of the forum, you do like Mud! Nice thread and all those controls look interesting

 

[tucker74]

Wow - cool mods man ... definitely a purpose built 40 -



Tucker

 

[2badfjs]

best write up i've seen in a while

nice work! killer rig!!

metamorphis at its best!!!!!

 

[cabron]

You could have told me that was a plane cockpit and I would have believed you!! Nice work, you really get your moneys worth out of that cruiser. Nice work and keep us updated...

 

[FJBen]

holy cockpit! Nice rig...very inventive mods.

 

[Ullr]

That is some great fabrication!

 

[Landpimp]

thats one badass 40!!!!

I really like the steering/tiller indicator.......what a cool mod......along with about 100 others.

nice work

 

[Mr. Toad]

What? No flux capacitor?

Well done Andrew--the rig and the write-up.

 

[nuclearlemon]

ditto from me....awesome and you wheel like a crazy mofo!!

 

[HawkDriver]

WHOA!!!

The steering pointer was my favorite too. That thing is a piece of work from one end to the other. Great job.

What are those things behind the seats with all the wires and lines going to them? Some kind of braking system?

Amazing.

 

[MDH33]

Nice to see someone testing the limits of thier cruiser. That thing has taken a beating!!