After completing this trip recently https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/3-...year-old-fj40-m416-combo.814678/#post-9314419 I've had several request to document the mods on my 69' FJ40 and 69' M416 trailer.
There is a thread on Pirate from 2-3 years ago but if you don't visit over there this is new. Here's how it sits now.
Without getting too long winded, I've had this truck for the past 14 years and I purchased it when I was 19 years old. Like most 4WD things made by Toyota, it began a slow transformation from "bone stock", non-running to its current state.
It was once spring-under with OME's, then spring over with FJ60/FJ55 leaves. It was tall, so terribly, terribly tall and this was the common result.....
A side pic shows just how tall it actually was
It tipped, a lot.....
Regardless of its knack for flopping over, I drove it like this for many years logging almost 25k with the truck. I never trailered it anywhere and part of the adventure/fun of going wheeling was the road trip itself.
The factory 1F was ditched in 03' in favor of a 5.7 Vortec V8 from a wrecked 96' Suburban. Behind that, I coupled an ancient (but rebuilt by me) SM420 transmission, a now extinct Rockbox (3.4:1 gear reduction) from AA and the stock Toyota transfer case. The front/rear axles were more or less stock with the exception of disc brakes, ARB's and Profield birfields in the front. With a crawl ratio around 230:1, it's amazing I didn't break more stuff.
In 2011, I was tired of the leaf springs and the overall suspension setup. I had a set of front/rear axles from a 93' FJ80 in my shop and I convinced my neighbor (Ethan Taylor) that it would be a great idea to 4 link the rear using the FJ80 FF axle. This would kick off 18 months of CAD design and fab work.
Donor axle prior to cutting all the crap off
There is a thread on Pirate from 2-3 years ago but if you don't visit over there this is new. Here's how it sits now.
Without getting too long winded, I've had this truck for the past 14 years and I purchased it when I was 19 years old. Like most 4WD things made by Toyota, it began a slow transformation from "bone stock", non-running to its current state.
It was once spring-under with OME's, then spring over with FJ60/FJ55 leaves. It was tall, so terribly, terribly tall and this was the common result.....
A side pic shows just how tall it actually was
It tipped, a lot.....
Regardless of its knack for flopping over, I drove it like this for many years logging almost 25k with the truck. I never trailered it anywhere and part of the adventure/fun of going wheeling was the road trip itself.
The factory 1F was ditched in 03' in favor of a 5.7 Vortec V8 from a wrecked 96' Suburban. Behind that, I coupled an ancient (but rebuilt by me) SM420 transmission, a now extinct Rockbox (3.4:1 gear reduction) from AA and the stock Toyota transfer case. The front/rear axles were more or less stock with the exception of disc brakes, ARB's and Profield birfields in the front. With a crawl ratio around 230:1, it's amazing I didn't break more stuff.
In 2011, I was tired of the leaf springs and the overall suspension setup. I had a set of front/rear axles from a 93' FJ80 in my shop and I convinced my neighbor (Ethan Taylor) that it would be a great idea to 4 link the rear using the FJ80 FF axle. This would kick off 18 months of CAD design and fab work.
Donor axle prior to cutting all the crap off