Build "The Milk Truck" FJ45 Preservation Sorta

[Tank5]

I'd put the sliders at track width of the tires man. It's not much but should allow the sliders to do there thing protecting the body and "sliding" past an obstacle directly into the tire. Less hang-up IMHO.

I think you are right about how they would probably work a little better extended further out. I mocked them up just like you suggested early on but decided against it because I felt like they created another obstacle to get into the cab which would result in me rubbing the dirt off them all over my pants every time I get out. This happens to me in my Tacoma with sliders on it all time.

Last night I started welding things up, so I am pretty set in the placement. Which is pretty close to what was pictured above.

 

[Tank5]

x'2 I saw but did not get a chance to really look at some of the great builds on mud and meet the people involved with them at SAS#7. I will be camping this year and hope to meet more of you guys/gals. I look forward to seeing this in person. I will be at SAS#8.

I have talked with a number of forum members and directly and indirectly received help from them as I put this together. I look forward to meeting everyone in person.

I attended SAS#4 but was having an issue with my 80 and did not feel confident taking on the trail with others, so I ended up doing a bunch of hiking instead and missed most of the group activities as a result. I will be camping with the 45 at the KOA and plan to get it out on the trail. I am also planning to crash the Cruise Moab event for a couple days. I am not officially signed up and have never been before, so I am just going to pop in to see what it is all about. This will be a good test run ahead of the SAS event.

 

[Tank5]

Made some progress but the Milwaukee hole saw I bought to notch the cross bars didn’t last long enough to make two cuts. I ordered another hole saw specific for tube notching but got this far at least.

I went ahead and fitted them on the truck. I tacked on the rear most mount on each side so they hang in place.

I still need to add two additional mounting legs to each side but found the clam shell mounting idea is not working for me, so I ordered some more unbolts.

 

[2fpower]

sorry to hear the clamshell is not working...

I have used normal hole saws for years to cut DOM and not had that issue.... Are you using the harbor freight jig for cutting the tube? Are you using some cutting oil? I spray the hole saw with foaming cutting oil during the cut. Harbor Freight carries this.

 

[Tank5]

sorry to hear the clamshell is not working...

I have used normal hole saws for years to cut DOM and not had that issue.... Are you using the harbor freight jig for cutting the tube? Are you using some cutting oil? I spray the hole saw with foaming cutting oil during the cut. Harbor Freight carries this.

View attachment 3563931

I am using the harbor freight jig with cutting oil. I have used the same hole saws before with success. I am not sure why this one wore out so quickly.

 

[Tank5]

The new hole saw showed up and I was able to use it to finish cutting all the short tubes. I applied the cutting fluid much thicker and it cut well.

One side is welded but I need to finish the other side. Then clean them up. I will have to send my ubolt hardware to get plated, so it will be a little bit before these get installed on the truck.

 

[RevISK]

The new hole saw showed up and I was able to use it to finish cutting all the short tubes. I applied the cutting fluid much thicker and it cut well.

One side is welded but I need to finish the other side. Then clean them up. I will have to send my ubolt hardware to get plated, so it will be a little bit before these get installed on the truck.

View attachment 3569021

Dang. Those are butch AF.

 

[Tank5]

This air filter set up has always been temporary until I could come up with a better solution.

The space is limited here, so I have thinking I could make a narrow box that extend down to accommodate a flat filter rather than round. I purchased this vintage TEQ tool box thinking it could serve this purpose.

That is kinda how it would fit in the space. I would have to cut the bottom out of the box to extend it to fit a frame the filter would slide in. After buying the tool box I learned it is pretty old and not common at all, makes me feel a little bad for modifying it. Is this toolbox too tacky to use as an air box? Searching the internet I have not found a better option to fit this space.

If I use this box I am also considering using this vent to connect the box through the apron. I really don’t like the idea of cutting a hole through the apron but it would be nice to pull air from outside the engine bay. I’m 50/50 on this idea. Thoughts?

Not sure where I would place the vent but it really only fits in two places.

 

[matzell]

This air filter set up has always been temporary until I could come up with a better solution.
View attachment 3569022
The space is limited here, so I have thinking I could make a narrow box that extend down to accommodate a flat filter rather than round. I purchased this vintage TEQ tool box thinking it could serve this purpose.
View attachment 3569029
That is kinda how it would fit in the space. I would have to cut the bottom out of the box to extend it to fit a frame the filter would slide in. After buying the tool box I learned it is pretty old and not common at all, makes me feel a little bad for modifying it. Is this toolbox too tacky to use as an air box? Searching the internet I have not found a better option to fit this space.

If I use this box I am also considering using this vent to connect the box through the apron. I really don’t like the idea of cutting a hole through the apron but it would be nice to pull air from outside the engine bay. I’m 50/50 on this idea. Thoughts?
View attachment 3569040
View attachment 3569041
View attachment 3569042
Not sure where I would place the vent but it really only fits in two places.

Be sure to mount it somewhere it will not suck water in during the rain or a water crossing. I have seen many engines get hydro locked due to that. Open air filter elements are terrible for that sort of thing.

Truck is looking good.

 

[Tank5]

Be sure to mount it somewhere it will not suck water in during the rain or a water crossing. I have seen many engines get hydro locked due to that. Open air filter elements are terrible for that sort of thing.

Truck is looking good.

This is one reasons I want get ride of the open cone filter. All though I don’t plan to run this truck through deep water , I can see myself attempting a mild water crossing that is deeper than anticipated.

 

[4Cruisers]

All though I don’t plan to run this truck through deep water , I can see myself attempting a mild water crossing that is deeper than anticipated.

That's a definite possibility. I've experienced that in the past crossing the Dirty Devil River near the mouth of Poison Spring Canyon in Utah and crossing Toltec Creek outside of Osier, CO.

 

[2fpower]

What a cool idea...

 

[Tank5]

Dang. Those are butch AF.

I am still not sure if Butch is is a compliment but either way I appreciate your energy.

 

[RevISK]

I am still not sure if Butch is is a compliment but either way I appreciate your energy.

Means stout, strong like ox.

 

[RevISK]

But it must be said in a Bulgarian accent.

 

[Tank5]

In another thread we were discussing the operating temperature of the 2UZ and I had previously posted my temperature seemed to hover right under 220 degrees. I was estimating this based off my interpretation of where the analog needle was pointing on the DD gauge which does not provide a precise measurement as the gap range is between 180 and 220 with no hash marks in between. @UZJ40 mentioned he found the DD gauge may read a little high, so I bought a scan gauge to get an accurate read on my operating temp.

I took it out for a 40 minute drive and found it operated between 194 and 204 degrees after it was warmed up. In normal driving conditions (55 mph and managing the throttle at that speed over rolling terrain) the temp. ranged between 198 and 202 most of the time.

@2fpower I didn’t want to derail your thread since you were past this topic but wanted to loop you in, since we are using the same size radiator.

 

[Bripars40]

In another thread we were discussing the operating temperature of the 2UZ and I had previously posted my temperature seemed to hover right under 220 degrees. I was estimating this based off my interpretation of where the analog needle was pointing on the DD gauge which does not provide a precise measurement as the gap range is between 180 and 220 with no hash marks in between. @UZJ40 mentioned he found the DD gauge may read a little high, so I bought a scan gauge to get an accurate read on my operating temp.

I took it out for a 40 minute drive and found it operated between 194 and 204 degrees after it was warmed up. In normal driving conditions (55 mph and managing the throttle at that speed over rolling terrain) the temp. ranged between 198 and 202 most of the time.

@2fpower I didn’t want to derail your thread since you were past this topic but wanted to loop you in, since we are using the same size radiator.

Thanks for sharing! I’m at 194-199 but that’s in Oklahoma at 1,100’

 

[UZJ40]

Thanks for sharing! I’m at 194-199 but that’s in Oklahoma at 1,100’

I found it was less the elevation and more of the elevation changes. On flat or mild hills I never had an issue regardless of outside air temp or AC operation. It was the long grades uphill that would cause the temp to climb, and they wouldn't stop climbing as long as I continued on.

 

[UZJ40]

In another thread we were discussing the operating temperature of the 2UZ and I had previously posted my temperature seemed to hover right under 220 degrees. I was estimating this based off my interpretation of where the analog needle was pointing on the DD gauge which does not provide a precise measurement as the gap range is between 180 and 220 with no hash marks in between. @UZJ40 mentioned he found the DD gauge may read a little high, so I bought a scan gauge to get an accurate read on my operating temp.

I took it out for a 40 minute drive and found it operated between 194 and 204 degrees after it was warmed up. In normal driving conditions (55 mph and managing the throttle at that speed over rolling terrain) the temp. ranged between 198 and 202 most of the time.

@2fpower I didn’t want to derail your thread since you were past this topic but wanted to loop you in, since we are using the same size radiator.

Did you scroll to the digital readout on your DD gauges to notice the difference between the analog and digital gauge? And the difference between the DD digital gauge and scangauge?

 

[Tank5]

I found it was less the elevation and more of the elevation changes. On flat or mild hills I never had an issue regardless of outside air temp or AC operation. It was the long grades uphill that would cause the temp to climb, and they wouldn't stop climbing as long as I continued on.

I am not sure what elevation difference would make but I am at 7800 feet and the temp is mid 50s today. However the read from the DD gauge was consistent with my summer driving.

The roughy that I drove today does have one pass to drive over with an incline that probably gains about 500 feet of elevation. I found it reached 204 on the way out but on the way back it did go above 200 and even dropped below that at over the last quarter of the climb. The difference might be I had to follow someone up the grade, a little slower on the way out but no on the way back. I drove a little faster which I expected increase the air flow even though I ran a higher rpm.

I have an 2001 tundra with the same engine but different transmission in it. I make take it out with the scan gauge for fun comparison. Either way I happier knowing that the 45 is running cooler than I thought.

I appreciate the information on the DD gauge, it helped nudge me to dig a little deeper.