SOA FJ62 in VT. scary?

[phishincruisin]

Found this 62 in VT. here's the craigslist ad... Landcruise FJ62
Makes it sound alright. I got some pictures from the guy. Picasa Web Albums - Alex - landcruiser 350z
So now you can see what I see. I'm thinking run away, as fast as possible. The z-link steering? looks scary. He didn't C&T, the rear pinion angle is way too high, there is no anti-wrap bar, the front leaves look shot, and the thing looks like he rattle canned over the rust.
Am I looking at things wrong, or is this really a butchered SOA? Any input would be great!

 

[Mark W]

'62 can be SOA'd correctly without needing an anti-wrap bar. It can be done without a cut and turn. but.... if you are gonna turn... which it appears he did... then you have to cut too .... There seems to be a lot done wrong on this (look at the shocks and mounts too)

You do not need this rig unless the porice is good enough to justify redoing the conversion.


Mark...

 

[FourEyedWilly]

I'm always suspect when I read something like 'open to trades.. like another lifted rig, '. Why the trade? Tells me something is up with this thing. I don't like what I see, seems like it needs more parts than it's worth. I'm not typically a fan of other's custom fabrication. I'd walk away quietly.

 

[phishincruisin]

'62 can be SOA'd correctly without needing an anti-wrap bar. It can be done without a cut and turn. but.... if you are gonna turn... which it appears he did... then you have to cut too .... There seems to be a lot done wrong on this (look at the shocks and mounts too)

You do not need this rig unless the porice is good enough to justify redoing the conversion.


Mark...

He left the pinion angle the same. 62s have a DC front drive shaft? right? which means that you would need to rotate the pinion up to have it pointed at the TC.
How can you correctly SOA without an anti-wrap bar? aren't you always going to deal with axle wrap thus breaking pinions?

 

[Mark W]

The 62 does not have a DC.... does not need it. But it looks to me like that front pinion is pointed up.... could be from the trashed front springs though. And/or the oversized front shackles. My money says it steers a bit scary.


Just because you are SOA does not mean that you will suffer axle wrap. Currently I have a '62 and a '60 with no anti-torque bars and no problems... if the rig is used for rocks with lots of tire and lockers and gearing and you tend to bounce it and use a lot of throttle... then you better have a bar. But 90% of the guys out there with SOA'd wagons will never need one.

A good set of springs (OME or custom) will go a long way toward solving this problem too... Factory springs will not stand up to the stresss of SOA very well regardless. Although the 62 springs are better than the '60s. On my '60 have a full length addaleaf to help prevent wrap... on my '62 I have an overload from a '79 FJ55 added to the pack for that same reason. I have a friend's '62 at the shop that also has no anti-wrap bar, just OME springs.


In this rig as pictured that silly rear pinion angle will increase the problem since it will take a lot less wrap to bind the ujoint.

FWIW, the rust that shows in the pictures is not that bad.... not compared to a LOT of the wagons out there... a good bob job on the lower quarterpanels and wrap around bumper woukld remove the rusted area anyway.

It would be simple to fix the shortcomings of the SOA.


Mark...

 

[PPFJ60]

Do the CNT, redo the spring perches and get some 4X4 labs steering arms to move the tie rod behind the axle and from the pictures it looks good to go.

With the SOA you will get axle wrap. The question is will it break the pinion? For a year I ran an add-a-leaf on the rear and did not break the pinion. Lockers, big tires and additional HP and the springs have to work hard to be both the suspension and the anti-wrap. I now have anti-wrap bars on the front and rear so my springs can just be springs.

From the pictures the trucks interior looks to be be in good shape. I haven't visited Vermont but I suspect it would be difficult to find a 20 year old vehicle that did not have rust on it?

 

[Rigger]

In my opinion, it looks thrown together and, frankly, unsafe. I wouldn't give it a second look, except as a parts truck.

 

[Slowerthanu]

Find a stock 62 and SOA it yourself. Then you will know that 1. it is done correctly and 2. what exactly you did to it.

 

[PPFJ60]

I prefer built over bought myself.

 

[phishincruisin]

I don't have any intention to buy it. I wouldn't drive it. Looks dangerous. My brother was looking to trade his heep for it. Thanks for the input. It reinforces my thinking. I just hope someone doesn't buy it and get themselves into trouble

 

[Clint79]

the steering wheel looks a little around compared to the front wheels being straight , i seen a fj 75 with a job that looks exactly the same bodginess as this today including the steering bars but a few more chopped bolts welded to the under of the diff as the u bolts holders and is unable to be licensed at all but this is in perth Aus
i took a few pics ill try to get them up soon

 

[krookedpandas]

I dig the shock mounts.

 

[phishincruisin]

the steering wheel looks a little around compared to the front wheels being straight , i seen a fj 75 with a job that looks exactly the same bodginess as this today including the steering bars but a few more chopped bolts welded to the under of the diff as the u bolts holders and is unable to be licensed at all but this is in perth Aus
i took a few pics ill try to get them up soon

We have vehicle inspections in VT and I am surprised that this would pass. He must know a guy who hooked up a sticker for him, because this thing doesn't seem very safe, let alone I can't imagine in drives well. The seller told me that the steering gets crazy sometimes... seems like some solid redneck engineering for me. I'd rather do a SOA myself and do it right. I'd feel better that way.