Stevo's Unofficial Build Thread, FJ60 + FJ62 + FJ80 Axle = FJ68?

[BattleWagon]

I wanted to have some beefier springs up front so I decided that would be the perfect home for the current rear 62 springs, after a little clean up.

I tried this, you'll need to relocate your perches but probably best to do a SR or longer shackles. Since you're going SOA your cut and turn will address the caster problems I had, and thus dumped the idea.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

Why would I need to relocate my perches? Aren't the FJ60 springs same length front and rear?

And GLTHFJ60, I'm gonna keep tabs on your frame swap too. I'll probably end up talking to you about how it went when I get closer to doing mine.

 

[BattleWagon]

Why would I need to relocate my perches? Aren't the FJ60 springs same length front and rear?

And GLTHFJ60, I'm gonna keep tabs on your frame swap too. I'll probably end up talking to you about how it went when I get closer to doing mine.

Nope, rears are longer (nearly 60" I believe). A shackle reversal would be optimal as the pin is farther from the shackle side of the spring. All would be solved with a longer shackle, extended U-bolts (SOA anyways) and a cut'n'turn though.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

Good to know, It would have sucked to have found that when I went to go do the spring over. I wasn't planning a shackle reversal, but oh well might as well throw that into the mix as well.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

I'm glad I started this thread.

Is there a problem with doing the shackle reversal on a SUA suspension?
I figure I could get the rear springs hung and the shackles reversed 1 side at a time to keep the axle in the same location, then when I get my SOA Kit I can just make the transition. If anyone sees anything wrong with this reasoning, let me know.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I'm glad I started this thread.

Is there a problem with doing the shackle reversal on a SUA suspension?
I figure I could get the rear springs hung and the shackles reversed 1 side at a time to keep the axle in the same location, then when I get my SOA Kit I can just make the transition. If anyone sees anything wrong with this reasoning, let me know.

Are you using the MAF kit to do the shackle reversal?

Many guys run a shackle reversal ( MAF kit ) with a SUA configuration.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

I went with the ruffstuff kit. It really has everything I needed plus some extras I could keep as spares. Plus I really didn't want to have those huge front hangers on the MAF kit.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I went with the ruffstuff kit. It really has everything I needed plus some extras I could keep as spares. Plus I really didn't want to have those huge front hangers on the MAF kit.

That's what I was going to comment on, the MAF kit would make your truck wicked tall.

As for installing the SR before going SOA, you should be a-ok.

You are talking about doing this on your rolling chassis, not on your white rig, right? Usually people do suspension mods with the full weight on the vehicle to make sure the shackle angles will be right.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

Yeah, on the rolling chassis, what I was gonna do is get the springs all hung.
Move the axles under the springs, but not fully weld the perches in place.
Then once I get the body swapped over I will take my measurements, fully weld the perches and do my cut and turn.
At that point i'll put the high steer on. I got that trunnion bearing eliminator kit too. I'll see how that works out.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Yeah, on the rolling chassis, what I was gonna do is get the springs all hung.
Move the axles under the springs, but not fully weld the perches in place.
Then once I get the body swapped over I will take my measurements, fully weld the perches and do my cut and turn.
At that point i'll put the high steer on. I got that trunnion bearing eliminator kit too. I'll see how that works out.

Good deal, that's what I was thinking you would do. You'll have to let me know how the trunion bearing eliminator works out, looks pretty cool to me.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

Yeah it just made sense to do both of those things.

You are locked front and rear correct?
What are you running/where did you pick them up?
I'm gonna throw some longs in the front and lock it up at the same time I do the cut and turn + trunnion elim.

Also What were your angles for Pinion and Castor?

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

I checked your sig and saw you are running some e-lockers. I'm probably gonna run lock right lockers for now.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Yeah it just made sense to do both of those things.

You are locked front and rear correct?
What are you running/where did you pick them up?
I'm gonna throw some longs in the front and lock it up at the same time I do the cut and turn + trunnion elim.

Also What were your angles for Pinion and Castor?

Right now I have a 80 series e-locker in the rear and open up front. Stock birfs do not hold up but I tend to beat the hell out of my truck. I have stock 60 springs up front and ironman rear springs with a leaf removed.

I received my SOA front axle in trade for a set of stock axles, so I do not know the exact numbers. I suspect the caster is between 0 and 3* as it tracks straight and does not require a steering stabilizer to eliminate shimmy or bump steer.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

I think I am going to shy away from the elocker in the rear of mine. mostly because I plan on putting either a 4 or 6BT in it someday. That was a convenient trade. I guess I will read up a little bit more on the angles as I get closer to doing the swap.

 

[Spook50]

Cool. I've wondered about SUA with 63 Chevies before, but never seen anyone blaze that unorthodox trail yet. I'll be interested in your thoughts if you put some miles on that setup before jumping into your SOA.
Butt

Same here. I really want to put 63" Chebby springs under the back of my 62 and move the rears up front still. It'll stay SUA but I want to do a shackle reversal on it (homebrew, not the MAF kit) as well once the springs are all in place.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

Yeah, upon further thinking I am probably going to swap the body onto an almost done SOA conversion. So I won't be driving it around with SUA chevies. It Does roll around nice with the chevy springs hung. I do enjoy the flexiness of them. I'm sure they would be a really nice, inexpensive improvement to the stock suspension.

 

[Spook50]

Yeah, upon further thinking I am probably going to swap the body onto an almost done SOA conversion. So I won't be driving it around with SUA chevies. It Does roll around nice with the chevy springs hung. I do enjoy the flexiness of them. I'm sure they would be a really nice, inexpensive improvement to the stock suspension.

I had heard that mounting them SUA would result in the ass end of a 60/62 sitting several inches lower than with factory Toyota springs. Depending on how much lower, I might look into doing the 63" Chebbies SOA on the rear and leaving my front SUA. Goin' hybrid

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

I had never heard that they ride lower than stock. When I swapped them in place of the FJ62 rears, I gained about a half inch over stock.

 

[Spook50]

I had never heard that they ride lower than stock. When I swapped them in place of the FJ62 rears, I gained about a half inch over stock.

Curious to see how much they settle once you put weight on them. They're holding up pretty much an unloaded chassis at this point.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

I'll definitely record the frame heights as I do all of the conversions.