Builds The 60/40 Project (2 Viewers)

[60 40]

OK so I'm starting this thread about a 1969 FJ40 I bought from a family friend as my first vehicle about 30 years ago. It was originally a faded blue and had some really roughly plastered on Bondo on a rear corner panel and a hand welded lumber rack that the original owner used to haul heavy timber and stuff around with.....super top heavy with a blown three speed.

I rebuilt the tranny/transfer case and steering components, put in some add a leafs and eventually headers and drove it around North California the Sierra's and parts of Nevada.


Somewhere in there I stripped almost all the panels (except under the tub) down metal and painted it green. After about ten years I took it off the road and it sat until about a year ago. I then started tearing down a super rusty FJ60 I had also been hording for several years.

 

[60 40]

OK so I'm starting this thread about a 1969 FJ40 I bought from a family friend as my first vehicle about 30 years ago. It was originally a faded blue and had some really roughly plastered on Bondo on a rear corner panel and a hand welded lumber rack that the original owner used to haul heavy timber and stuff around with.....super top heavy with a blown three speed.

I rebuilt the tranny/transfer case and steering components, put in some add a leafs and eventually headers and drove it around North California the Sierra's and parts of Nevada.


Somewhere in there I stripped almost all the panels (except under the tub) down metal and panted it green. After about ten I took it off the road and it sat until about a year ago when I started tearing down a super rusty FJ60 I had also been hording for several years.

 

[60 40]

I have an introduction around here somewhere but I'll repost a couple photos and and do a summary. I salvaged all the newer stuff from the 60 and will be reusing the 2F, power steering, tranny and split case as well as the axels and their parking brake.

I will be out bounding the spring perches on the frame and am now considering pushing the rear axle back to accommodate a stock FJ 40 drive shaft.


Took a while to tear everything down.

 

[onemanarmy]

looks to be in great shape.

Don't cut the rear fenders!

 

[60 40]

So here we are now, I will try and keep this updated and appreciate any input. This is not likely to be a very fast build.

 

[60 40]

It's pretty clean.

Won't cut the fenders just a mild lift and 33s.

 

[60 40]

Couple more pre diss assembly pics.

 

[60 40]

Mocked this up.

Looks like the 76' bell housing and motor mounts work with the 83' 2F and four speed with split case.

I will add some brackets to the frame to attach the transmission mount/cross brace to.

 

[60 40]

Also pulled out a batch of parts I had powder coated for a 76' 2F motor about 10 years ago to use on this same truck. Unfortunately I never got that 2F back from the machinist but most of the pulley, bracket, covers and oil pan should work for what I'm doing now.

 

[60 40]

Removed the spring mounts from the frame and realized I can just outboard the mounts on the front and move the perches in on the rear. Figure might as well push the rear axel back a 1.5" a since the mounts are off the frame already.

Ordered a set of perches from Ruff Stuff, the 60 axel is a little larger diameter than the 40 axel so had to cut it out a little larger and deeper in order to maintain the lift I hope to order soon. Keeping it sprung under so the closer the spring is to the axel the better.

 

[60 40]

Keeping it moving along, got someone to weld up my spring mounts and tacked on the perches to the rear axle.


Cleaned up the rear axle and prepped it for rattle can finish!

 

[60 40]

Shiny bits, suspension and POR 15 came in, going to see if I like their "Chassis Black" or just Rust-Oleum for the axel's and other under body areas. Still going to get some blasting and powder coating done with some kind of black on the frame and white on the 60 series rims.

Small areas of tub need some green touch up and I would like to paint the engine side of the fire wall green as well. I am also considering some Lizard Skin or something for the bottom of the tub but here again might just clean, prep and POR 15 this as well in order to keep things moving along. Anyone have an opinion on the advantages of either Lizard Skin or POR 15 in this application?

 

[60 40]

Spent a bunch of time prepping then rattle canned the gas tank.


Then added some gussets between the fish plates and the plate I added to outboard the spring mount.

I also drilled out for the FJ60 power steering box and cut/welded the factory shock mount to the power steering box mount, pictures of shock/power steering box mount to follow.

 

[60 40]

Finished up all the frame mods including bolting up the new spring mounts with sacrificial bolts to be replaced after coating. Got all my misc bits and rims ready to go to as well.

Actually reasembled the blower motor and housing after tearing it down further than anticipated, looks like after 50 years the motor brushes are down to about 20% and the spindle has the copper cut in pretty deep but still worked last time I remember. Cleaned it up but will wait on repainting the motor till I can rebuild it if possible?

 

[60 40]

Oh and started on spacers for the sway bar to frame connecter things!

Always get more motivated when I get to finish or start something new so smaller stuff is cake.

 

[60 40]

Blower assembly back together!!!

Anyone have a rebuild kit or advice for the internals of this unit?

 

[60 40]

Frame and other bits are off to the powder coater!

Started pulling the extra stuff off the front axle to prep it for POR 15, pulled the rotors and found nice bearings and clean green grease once I got past the Asain locking hubs. Pads are new but calipers appear to be frozen, rotors are not bad either. Looks like someone cleaned things up in here just before I bought and took the 60 off the road.

Brought the rear axle home from work and started trying to pull the drums......WTF..... try and loosen them with the adjuster......I'm not really a big hammer guy so break out the BA Lever, got one but looks like the pins holding the shoes have sheared so....donno last ones gonna have to wait by till tomorrow.

 

[SteveH]

I cut the brake nails (pins) on FJ62 rear drums to get a stuck drum off. Bought new pins and hardware from Rock Auto for $6 and put it all back together with new shoes.

 

[60 40]

I cut the brake nails (pins) on FJ62 rear drums to get a stuck drum off. Bought new pins and hardware from Rock Auto for $6 and put it all back together with new shoes.

Right on, was wondering if there was another trick, looks like one pin on each drum already broke and it's causing the shoe to rotate and jam up in the drum. Guess If I cut the remaining one it will just all slide out as one?

 

[60 40]

Tried drilling out the pin and it ended up spinning out of the two retaining washers on the inside of the drum, that combined with the BA Lever and off it came!!

Yeah onto prepping the break shields on the axel for POR 15, and a first coat on the already prepped stuff. Starting to feel some momentum on the project!