SOA Musings...

[Tigerstripe40]

I've got the front mocked up. The way it is now the steering clears the spring with the knuckles at a +1 caster angle.

I am rethinking of using the shackes on the outriggers, with the shackle mount below the frame. At this point with that, its going to be REALLY tall.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Looking at boxing the spring hanger in for reinforcement.
I am looking at either welding in the gusset in vertically, or at an angle.

Vertically would be a little simpler (and I already have the plate made) but I have heard that welds perpendicular to the frame will crack.
So I am thinking about angling it back a bit like in the pics.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

I got the pinion angle set. Rotating it forward about 6 degrees (total 16 degrees) and then bringing the caster back to 0 degrees.
After talking to Kurt @ Cruiser Outfitters he seems to think that 15 degrees for the pinion and -3 would make for a nice driving truck. I will trust his lead there. The housing is at Cruiser Outfitters for the Cut and Turn now.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Just to confirm James, we are doing positive +3 caster (up in front) and positive +15 pinion angle. Both are positive which admittedly is counter intuitive but they are not referenced to each other but rather to the horizon/ground.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

I've had my FJ40 on the road for a bit now. Drove it to Cruiser Fest and it drove like a dream. It does lean a bit to the drivers side.

It took me a while, but I finally finished the trac bar.
The brace piece between the bushings is from my old drag link, so it is 3/8" wall tube.
Should I put another brace in midway between the bushings and where the 2 tubes intersect?

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Resurrecting this thread.
The truck HAS been driven, but it has a *VERY* noticeable drivers side list which, as I have some time and a heated/cooled shop to work in.
My 'covid' project has been to get the shock mounts re-done as I was never really very happy with them.
Now that is out of the way, I started doing some measurements and I am doing some thinking.

The truck sits at about a 4 degree list to the drivers side.

Taking measurements

Passengers side
From the fixed pin on the front of the frame (I did a shackle reversal) to the center of the upper shackle bolt, I am measuring 40.5"
From the fixed pin to the center of the spring eye, I am measuring 43"
From the center of the spring plate to the frame directly above it, I am getting 9.25"
Shackle angle of 55.5 degrees.

Drivers Side
From the fixed pin on the front of the frame (I did a shackle reversal) to the center of the upper shackle bolt, I am measuring 40.5"
From the fixed pin to the center of the spring eye, I am measuring 43.25"
From the center of the spring plate to the frame directly above it, I am getting 8.25"
Shackle angle of 47.5 degrees.

i understand the Land Cruiser Lean is an immutable law of land cruisers, so I may just leave it.
That said, I am thinking about putting a 1" spacer between the drivers side spring and the axle housing.

I am a little perplexed as the spring pin to shackle hanger is dead on.

Should I just cut it all off and start over? Maybe I'd link it....

 

[DangerNoodle]

Resurrecting this thread.
The truck HAS been driven, but it has a *VERY* noticeable drivers side list which, as I have some time and a heated/cooled shop to work in.
My 'covid' project has been to get the shock mounts re-done as I was never really very happy with them.
Now that is out of the way, I started doing some measurements and I am doing some thinking.

The truck sits at about a 4 degree list to the drivers side.

Taking measurements

Passengers side
From the fixed pin on the front of the frame (I did a shackle reversal) to the center of the upper shackle bolt, I am measuring 40.5"
From the fixed pin to the center of the spring eye, I am measuring 43"
From the center of the spring plate to the frame directly above it, I am getting 9.25"
Shackle angle of 55.5 degrees.

Drivers Side
From the fixed pin on the front of the frame (I did a shackle reversal) to the center of the upper shackle bolt, I am measuring 40.5"
From the fixed pin to the center of the spring eye, I am measuring 43.25"
From the center of the spring plate to the frame directly above it, I am getting 8.25"
Shackle angle of 47.5 degrees.

i understand the Land Cruiser Lean is an immutable law of land cruisers, so I may just leave it.
That said, I am thinking about putting a 1" spacer between the drivers side spring and the axle housing.

I am a little perplexed as the spring pin to shackle hanger is dead on.

Should I just cut it all off and start over? Maybe I'd link it....

Is your frame square? Tub square?

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Is your frame square? Tub square?

Probably not.

 

[DangerNoodle]

Probably not.

That may be part of your lean. If that is the case, blocking a side would probably be the best alternative to squaring everything. Or just leave it and call it character.

 

[too tall]

I have had good luck eliminating "cruiser lean" by flipping the packs side for side. If you flip the fronts and it doesn't get better, swap the rears side for side. I have found the rear packs have as much to do with leaning cruisers as the fronts do. Sometimes a combo of both sets side for side or sometimes just the rears.

 

[pbgbottle]

You may just have a softer spring. I too have swapped springs around or added leaves back into the spring pack to fix my cruiser lean. It also sometimes is not the spring you think it is ,mine sagged in the rear and it ended up being a front spring that was my issue.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

I have had good luck eliminating "cruiser lean" by flipping the packs side for side. If you flip the fronts and it doesn't get better, swap the rears side for side. I have found the rear packs have as much to do with leaning cruisers as the fronts do. Sometimes a combo of both sets side for side or sometimes just the rears.

I used stock FJ40 leaf springs up front. One of them (I think) has a 6 leaf pack the other a 7 leaf pack. The 6 leaf pack is in the 'higher' side and the 7 leaf pack is on the 'lower' side. I figure swapping them side to side might make this worse, but I suppose I can try that.

 

[pbgbottle]

Why not try removing a leaf out of the 7 leaf pack and see what happens Easier than swapping them around
That would cause issues in height anyways as that spring pack is thicker adding lift height plus the spring is probably stiffer and adding a bit more height

I used stock FJ40 leaf springs up front. One of them (I think) has a 6 leaf pack the other a 7 leaf pack. The 6 leaf pack is in the 'higher' side and the 7 leaf pack is on the 'lower' side. I figure swapping them side to side might make this worse, but I suppose I can try that.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

The 7 leaf pack is the one that is on the side that is sitting lower. Taking a leaf out of that pack would likely make it lower still. Maybe I should make the 6 leaf pack a 5 leaf pack...

 

[47coeman]

Considerations:

1. My rig has at least four different spring bushings overall. I wish there were, at most, two.
2. Ideally, you would have all the weight on the front end with the high-steer installed before tacking in the perches and the C&T. That way you can check the tie-rod/spring clearance, pinion angle and caster angles. If someone else does the C&T it's a crap shoot.
3. I'd use the stock springs front and rear. It's going to be hard to get the lift springs to match the front springs without making both front and rear higher than it needs to be.
4. Focus on making it as low as you can. I modded my perches and my outboard kit and now that it's all done I can see where it could be almost 1/2" lower and I wish it was.

In my opinion, you (and I) chose the best high-steer arms and tie rod solution.

What power steering with no shackle reversal?

Here is a pic of my set up 60 springs in front and Chev 63” in the rear, still working out the shackles and where I am going to set the arch to get the right height.