rusty rear sill and frame - fixed

[alaskafj]

Build Thead FJ40 - rusty rear sill and frame -

After I finished "reburishing" my first FJ40, back in 1999-2000 I had to promptly sell it to help pay for school. That was ok though since during my build I acquired another 40, a nice 1970. It was missing an engine (used in my first build) and a varied asundry of other esciential parts. Since I was young and broke I postponed building my next FJ for a decade or so and stored it alongside a hayfeild while I went on about my life.

Fastforward a few years and here I am.. I have a little dough, and I have collected a few more FJs (and HZs and a PZ) so I figured it is time to build my old 1970 40 into something special.

The bad news was this... The grass and pushky (an Alaska coastal weed) had grown up around the old FJ and rotted it out

The rear sill and rear frame were all but gone... Since this is an off roader build, not a restoration, I proceeded to rebuild it stronger, better with little regard to the original construction or apearance.

these pictures chronicle my progress.

 

[alaskafj]

aforementioned pics

rotten rear sill... Corner, underside of corner and sill

 

[alaskafj]

new sill

this is the replacement sill

hacked out he old sill


used heavy 2x2 tubing and cut the ends out welded it all together.

i had to notch it for the body mounts and since the old sill was 2.25" in hieght, i added a quater inch bar on top to level it with the bed.

 

[alaskafj]

rusty frame

the frame wa rusted through, and the rear spring shackle hanger was about to fall off. I cut it back to good steel and rebuilt the frame.. I took some liberties with the rear cross member... and I like the outcome...

bad frame

New frame and cross member

 

[93jspec]

the frame wa rusted through, and the rear spring shackle hanger was about to fall off. I cut it back to good steel and rebuilt the frame.. I took some liberties with the rear cross member... and I like the outcome...

bad frame

New frame and cross member

That looks really really good, right up the alley of what I need to do! Great job!

 

[chevurai]

Nice work. I like the pictures. Keep us in the loop with updates on your progress.
I will be driving my current project, FJ55, to your neck of the woods from So Cal in about a year.

 

[AKcruiserfreak]

Beafy! All of us Fairbanks/ North Pole folk need to get together and start up a club or something. There seems to be enough of us around...and obviously y'all have skillz.

TK

 

[alaskafj]

Driving a '69 55 from So Cal tothe AK interior sound fun... challenging perhaps, but fun.

My progress is simple... I have been waylaid (sp?) by life again. But am hoping to get back to building my 40 in a month or so.

 

[GaFJ40Jeff]

Hoping to see more progress on this...SUBSCRIBED

 

[alaskafj]

I have been FAIR regarding documenting my progress in photots, I and performed POORLY when it comes to posting said photos in MUD. I figured I would post some monster build thread when I was finished, but since I have a moment and I am not yet sleepy... I will update some more. All of this body work was finished a while back... I have progressed in my project with little to no updating I will try and do better.

 

[alaskafj]

Cancer and the cure

Here is what I had to deal with regarding cancer of the body... (red cirlces indicated noted cancer)

Rocker Panels rusted through, Floor rusted through

More rusty floor panels

More rocker panel rust and pits in lower door sill

 

[alaskafj]

Cont...

Pitted door sills

Crappy patches on rusted out rear wheel wells

Next Pics will be my "fixes"

 

[V6 Bundy]

That is a great rear bar you've made there. Awesome work!

 

[alaskafj]

CURES

First and second pics are of the finished rear sill and quater panels

The I cut out he drivers door sill and cab corner.. fabed up some new 16 gauge and welded 'er in...

 

[alaskafj]

...

I ground down those welds on hte door sill and was pleasantly surprised... it looked darn close to right!!

The passemger door sill was not rotten but the rocker was toast so I cut out hte rocker, leaving the sill and fab in a replacement

I primed everything I had fixed to remove hte glare is it looked "good enough"

 

[alaskafj]

That is a great rear bar you've made there. Awesome work!

Thanks! I was pretty proud of that... the mirical of it all is that this stuff fit. I cut most everythign away BEFORE I made my pattern. I got lucky on that one I think

 

[alaskafj]

Cure cont...

Next Issue... I wire wheeled the floors to find/create swiss cheese. There were holes everywhere. I decided to cut the whole mess out in on piece and replace it the same way. This made for some fun fabrication. I dont really want to build roll bar tie-ins to the frame, so in these locations that will be future roll cage mount locations, I used 10 or 12 gauge material.

 

[alaskafj]

...

Heavy gauge floor panels drivers and passengers

 

[alaskafj]

rear wheel wells

the Rear wheel wells were also rusted through. I cut them out and welded in new 10 gauge caps. Not really a fabrication marvel, since it was basically plain rectangles...

I did add some additional 10 gauge channel to the underside to help transfer the wieght of hte roll cage to the frame. not actual tie ins but it should suffice...

 

[alaskafj]

as it sits today...

then I sanded. cleaned, filled, sanded, cleaned etc... and primed...

This is how it sits today... I still have to fab on it, modify the dash to except the new gauges, switches and tilt steering column, modify hte fire wall to exept the steering column, brake and clutch masters... etc.. I will paint it when I have completed these items...