Build "The Milk Truck" FJ45 Preservation Sorta

[Tank5]

@Tank5 Dennis-I would have had more if it weren’t for that wild dog trying to bite me on BB

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Those pictures look great! It was good to meet you!

That wild dog (Luca) belongs to my buddy Ali. He adopted it and has been trying rehabilitate and redirect his strong hoarding tendencies. My heels continue attract his attention. I always keep an eye on him. Hats off to Ali for sticking with Luca.

 

[Tank5]

The Milk Truck was one of the coolest Rigs at the EVENT !

Nice to to meet you Dennis and run trails with you ! it was a Great week that went to fast !

Like wise it was good yo meet you and check out your 80 as well. It s cool as you don’t see too many full body 80s running 39s. Yours is a very capable 80.

The week went so fast. Looking forward to next year.

Thanks for the nice comments about the 45.

 

[Tank5]

I concur, amazing rig.
However, I did feel my masculinity being sucked away when I got too near it like I was being fed on, Milk Truck is butch AF!

Thanks, you’re strong one, you have realized the force within the 45. The Milk Truck feeds on many things, money, time, sleep, life in general, and now masculinity. The truck seems to grow stronger and lure to take it places is harder to resist. I am still trying to figure out how to channel it into something positive.

Really though I wonder at times if I could add 40s to it but the 37s look right so..,

 

[Tank5]

@Tank5 Dennis-I would have had more if it weren’t for that wild dog trying to bite me on BB

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The land scape and 45 have the same patina. It fits in to that scene nicely.

 

[RevISK]

Thanks, you’re strong one, you have realized the force within the 45. The Milk Truck feeds on many things, money, time, sleep, life in general, and now masculinity. The truck seems to grow stronger and lure to take it places is harder to resist. I am still trying to figure out how to channel it into something positive.

Really though I wonder at times if I could add 40s to it but the 37s look right so..,

Reading the last sentence I imagined you getting 4 x fj40’s and replacing your tires with those.
Milk Truck’s natural evolution I think.

 

[Tank5]

Reading the last sentence I imagined you getting 4 x fj40’s and replacing your tires with those.
Milk Truck’s natural evolution I think.

Absolutely! Who needs portals when you could just add a FJ40 to each spindle. Add a canon too and you could conquer the planet.

 

[Tank5]

I finally had some time to work on the truck some. The welded sway bar broke at SAS and was Ean experiment. I decided to weld it back to together and will reinstall it until I get the custom one made. I am going to make a second one to send in to use as a template for the custom made version.

I also started hearing an exhaust leak while at SAS that has gotten worse. I found it tonight. These exhaust flex piece complete split all the way around. They were new and didn’t last long at all.

I used these because the stock Toyota exhaust used a similar parts. Is it worth trying another flex piece or should I just eliminate it?

 

[mesa man]

I finally had some time to work on the truck some. The welded sway bar broke at SAS and was Ean experiment. I decided to weld it back to together and will reinstall it until I get the custom one made. I am going to make a second one to send in to use as a template for the custom made version.

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I also started hearing an exhaust leak while at SAS that has gotten worse. I found it tonight. These exhaust flex piece complete split all the way around. They were new and didn’t last long at all.

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I used these because the stock Toyota exhaust used a similar parts. Is it worth trying another flex piece or should I just eliminate it?

I would vote to eliminate the flex piece Dennis, make it proper so you don’t have to do it again.

 

[Broski]

I saw a black hawk heavy duty rear saw bar snap in three place two years ago a Cruise Moab. So I'm not surprised that the weld let go, that being said have you considered sleeving that butt weld and adding some rosette welds ?

I would think you could just remove Flex piece, but maybe someone with more experience with these swaps will chime in @Zjohnsonua ?

 

[Tank5]

I would vote to eliminate the flex piece Dennis, make it proper so you don’t have to do it again.

Yeah I thought the flex link was proper as Toyota built it that way but the stainless steel aftermarket parts I bought just didn’t last.

It would be easiest to eliminate it, just might.

 

[Tank5]

I saw a black hawk heavy duty rear saw bar snap in three place two years ago a Cruise Moab. So I'm not surprised that the weld let go, that being said have you considered sleeving that butt weld and adding some rosette welds ?

I would think you could just remove Flex piece, but maybe someone with more experience with these swaps will chime in @Zjohnsonua ?

I considered sleeving it but didn’t because I didn’t want to create a larger welded stiff point on the spring steel. I just playing with it at this point. The custom bent sway bar is the way I will go.

 

[Broski]

I considered sleeping it but didn’t because I didn’t want to create a larger welded stiff point on the spring steel. I just playing with it at this point. The custom bent sway bar is the way I will go.

If you going custom have you considered the Antirock. gets rid of the low hanging fruit and are adjustable.

Super happy with mine, pictured here checking clearance at flex and Like the added clearance under the axle.

 

[Tank5]

If you going custom have you considered the Antirock. gets rid of the low hanging fruit and are adjustable.
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Super happy with mine, pictured here checking clearance at flex and Like the added clearance under the axle.

I looked at the antirock sway bars when I was building it. The packaging was tough with everything going on in the back.

 

[Zjohnsonua]

I looked at the antirock sway bars when I was building it. The packaging was tough with everything going on in the back.

I would have recommended the same thing as Broski, as I love mine (after stealing the idea from him). Where was the packaging crash?

 

[Tank5]

The rear is occupied by the fuel tank, no where to run a sway bar across. I could maybe run it through the frame in front of the axle but I didn’t want to do that. The sway bar arms may have contacted the frame on compression. There isn’t any extra space between the tire and frame/ inner wheel wells.

 

[Zjohnsonua]

The rear is occupied by the fuel tank, no where to run a sway bar across. I could maybe run it through the frame in front of the axle but I didn’t want to do that. The sway bar arms may have contacted the frame on compression. There isn’t any extra space between the tire and frame/ inner wheel wells.

The killer is no space between the tire and the frame. That's where the rockjock arms have to live. Here's my install, but this much space isn't reqd - at full twist there's still an inch or so left IIRC.

 

[Broski]

Yep it was tight on my 80.
That's what I was checking in the second picture post# 1112 it took a few try's to get it right.

 

[Tank5]

I put it back together with the gen 2 welded sway bar and eliminated the broken flex joint, so it is straight pipe now. There is another flex joint of the other side that I will have to deal with but for now it is in good shape. It sounds so much better now.

 

[Tank5]

@alia176 planned a trip to the Maze District in Canyon Lands and invited me along. Four nights of camping and a lot of dirt driving.

The exhaust fix held up great! I broke my welded sway bar again half way through the trip. This is the second time I have broke it and didn’t even notice when it broke. I am not sure how much it is actually helping. Drove it home on the highway at highway speed and compared to the drive up not that much difference but I was experimenting with the adjusters on the shocks. I turned them all the way up, so they were a little stiffer. I still plan to get the custom sway bar made. Sadly the place I got the quote from no longer makes them, so I am trying to track down a new shop that will custom bend a sway bar.

The trip was great Alia guided us to the middle of no where and I feel confident that if anything else was going rattle loose it would happened on this trip, so far it all looks good. I turned just over 5k miles on the build by the time I got home. I think it the time is close to make a few changes to my dash harness and then charge the AC after it is all back together. Well maybe after I am done getting firewood this season.

Good times but this post is boring without some pictures.

 

[Tank5]

I have a permanent solution for my swaybar. I found a place,Medlin and Son, out of Whittier, CA that was willing to make me a one off custom bent sway bar. I made a lot calls trying to find a shop willing to do this but got a lot of no’s, I really appreciate the Medlin and Son were willing to do this without a big lot order, they were very easy to work with. It is made out of 4130 chromoly and matched all the contours of my template bar perfect. The bar ends are drilled to accept the 80 series bushings.

I already cleaned it and am just waiting for the paint to dry. Might have it stalled tonight.