Builds "The Milk Truck" FJ45 Preservation Sorta (5 Viewers)

[Tank5]

So I could use some feedback hear. I beveled the back of the arms for clearance and that worked. The arms and springs no longer touch at full lock. I also moved the spring hats close to their normal placement but still inboard about 3/8 of an inch.

Still on 80 springs at the moment.

I lifted a side with a jack and didn't get any contact between the springs and arms. The tires are very close though. I suspect with speed and some body movement on a trail the tires will touch the springs.

With the limited space I have and as a result of moving the spring hats inboard the springs are strait up and down. The 80 series suspension angles the springs torward the knuckle, you can see the difference by looking at the angle of the bumpstops, they almost touch the springs. I will have to adjust them so they are strait up and down which should be easy enough. I was looking at a stock coil suspension heep. The springs on it were strait up and down, so it seems like this should be workable.
Does this suspension look too tight in the front?

Thoughts?

Remember this is not a rock crawler. It will be used more as a exploring/overlanding type truck and shouldn't see anything too crazy unless I make a wrong turn.

 

[Tank5]

I tacked the panhard mounts in place to give me the longest panhard I could get without creating some weird brackets. It should pretty close to parallel with the drag link.

I will have to move the frameside bracket a little bit to make sure the bolt clears the tie rod. I will have to run 2" bumpstops to make it all work.

 

[matzell]

A trick I used when using pvc to make links is cut two slits 180 apart and use a hose clamp to clamp to the rod end.

 

[Tank5]

That is a very simple good idea, thanks. If my tape comes apart I will use it. Hopefully I will be done with the pvc soon.

 

[MOTOV8R]

It looks like the upper spring retainer could use to be inward further, although it looks like you would have to hack it up some to make that happen.

You also might want to change the angle of the upper bucket. The inner spring guide is pointing outward slightly and seems like it should point down toward the lower bucket.

 

[Tank5]

It looks like the upper spring retainer could use to be inward further, although it looks like you would have to hack it up some to make that happen.

You also might want to change the angle of the upper bucket. The inner spring guide is pointing outward slightly and seems like it should point down toward the lower bucket.

You are correct, I am considering making or having made an angled shim type spacer to mount between the upper spring bracket and the top of the bump stop housing spring retainer to point them in the right direction. The lower spring mount hats are not welded as I have not decided on their final position yet. After they are permenent I will work on the bump stop angle.

 

[Tank5]

So I took my panhard placement conversation over to the hardcore section to get some help from that group. The thread lead to changing my steering setup to heims, to get better placement of the panhard but this compromised the ackerman angle in the steering some. It seems like the ackerman angle will not be affected enough to cause me grief for how I will use the rig.

Big thanks to @nukegoat and @Godfather90 for sharing their calculators and experience with me as I worked to get the whole front end dialed in. Thanks also to everyone else that helped steer me in the right direction in that thread. If anyone cares to catch up hear is the link to it.

Panhard bars???

I have this project, installing 80 suspension on a 45 series frame. The front panhard bar is the last piece to finish the suspension placement. I researched and talked with a couple people about setting up the panhard. They all suggest trying to make it equal to or within 2 inches of the...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Tank5]

This is the new steering setup using heims mocked up still with pvc.

With the heim steering setup I was able to use the stock panhard location on the axle, so I tacked that bracket back on and used a Delta vs rear panhard bracket to raise the panhard three inches.

I had to cut the pretty new bracket in half and add a dog leg to it, so it could bolt through the existing hole on the top of the radius arm mount.

For the top mount I was able to reuse the stock 80 series bracket and support I removed from the donor frame.

 

[Tank5]

Moving the tierod to the end holes on the steering arms will affect the ackerman some but I don't think it will be that noticable for the majority of the driving I will do with the rig. If it does I will simply have to revist this part of the build. Moving on for now.

 

[Tank5]

I decided to finalize the motor placement. I made some temp motor mounts that allowed me to place the motor where I want it and figure out where the transmission support will go. The temp mounts.

I had planned to use an 80 series tranmission crossmember. I found that it fits very nicely. I will have to elongate the inner holes on each side of the crossmember and drill two holes in the frame for the outer holes on each side. I may have to elongate them as well. I will trim the ends of the cross member to make it flush on the outside of the frame.

I used the crossmember brackets off the 80 frame but decided to modify them so I didn't have to weld a plate over the holes in the inner frame. I cut a moon slice shape out of each mount and matached the cut with a piece of pipe, so I can weld it all the way around.

 

[4Cruisers]

Looking good!

 

[Dizzy]

Was there any frame carnage left from the mounts used on the 454, or F?

 

[Tank5]

Was there any frame carnage left from the mounts used on the 454, or F?

There were some plates, a few bolt holes, and ugly welds that were removed and reparied earlier on. I cleaned all of that up a while ago.

 

[nukegoat]

Looks great

 

[Tank5]

I tacked the crossmember brackets on and bolted the crossmember in. I am very please at how nicely this worked out with minimal modification. I still have some work to do on it but it is going to work.

 

[Tank5]

I am working on the fuel tank placement here.

I bought one of these 70 series tanks from Joe a while ago.

The tank is too long to fit, so I am planning to cut 6" off of it. The black line is where I will cut.
I cut up an 80 series fuel tank and kept the sending unit mounting ring and the fuel (catch baffle?) to weld into this tank so I can modify the 80 series sending unit to work inside it.

This tank is stainless steel, so I will have the welding done at a shop after I cut it. I will probably think on this for a night before I cut into it. I would hate to screw up a good tank.

 

[Dizzy]

purge it with inert gas to avoid weld scale

 

[Tank5]

purge it with inert gas to avoid weld scale

Yeah, I think I am still going to let someone else weld it, so hopefully I don't have to chase pin holes in the welds.

 

[Dizzy]

How many gallons?

I'm probably gonna need two or three Jerry's if I am going to keep up with you. I just measured about ten mpg combined trail/pavement, and it is basically all tucked in to the passenger seat.

 

[Tank5]

How many gallons?

I'm probably gonna need two or three Jerry's if I am going to keep up with you. I just measured about ten mpg combined trail/pavement, and it is basically all tucked in to the passenger seat.

After I cut it I estimate it will hold about 30 gallons. The tank originally holds 38.3 gallons it is a big tank. I am hoping I won't have to carry extra fuel with this tank.