Build Welcome home Matilda - faded like your favorite pair of jeans

[CruiserTrash]

I hear you there. I used M18 bolts and they were 20 bucks a pop, just for the bolt. I’m sure with larger orders the price would go down but probably still spendy.

If I did all of this stuff and put together a "shackle & leaf spring refresh package" - that was for a single axle only - consisting of:

shackle plates
shackle pins (greasable)
Anti-inversion bolts & spacers for shackles
front fixed pins (greasable)
all new bushings

...I think I'd be into it for a little over $400 in parts cost alone. That's enough for one axle and includes everything except leaf springs. What you'd get versus off-the-shelf stuff is beefier 3/8" shackles plates made out of 4140 steel in sizes larger than what's readily available, as well as larger diameter beefier shackle pins. All metal parts are hardened steel. Everything is zinc coated for corrosion protection. If I throw a tiny bit on top of the cost to pay myself for time spent designing and sourcing this stuff, packing orders, etc, the price is just not something I think people would bite on. But like I said if somebody needed a custom solution I'd be happy to help walk them down this road or design some shackle plates or whatever.

 

[CruiserTrash]

Chipped away today.

Made a custom adjustment bracket and installed a 3FE 80 Series alternator. 80 amps versus 55 amps.

It runs great and my voltage is VERY happy.

Finally got the rear bump stops in. I snapped all four bolts removing the stock ones, then had to drill and tap new holes (last weekend). Today I just slapped these in with their spacers.

The bumps will fully compress by about 1” and will bottom out before the shocks do. Mission accomplished for once! I intended on replacing the rear shackles and all the bushings today, but alas … didn’t have time.

 

[CruiserTrash]

Big weekend of work over here. We’re heading out to camp next weekend and there were a few things I hadn’t done over the winter … no time like the last minute!

Saturday: adjusted valve lash. Some were tight and other’s loose. I went to the spec for my Delta can - 0.014 on all 12 valves. I had done that when I first ran the new engine last year, but then went to 0.016 - bigger clearance meant the valves had less duration, which meant less overlap, which meant about one more inch of mercury on the vac gauge. 014 feels like the motor is very slightly more reticent down low in the rpm range but then wakes up around 2000rpm. 016 felt like it had a little more oomph down low, and still woke up around 2k, so I’ll probably go back to that some time this summer.

Also did an oil change and and adjusted the idle on the carb a touch.

Sunday: Finally got my rear shackles sorted out. I got this big plates from @Fyffer but couldn’t find appropriate pins for them. I ended up having @Tancruiser make them for me from my drawing and they fit perfectly. For the anti-inversion pin I used a hardened bolt with a section of stainless steel tube as a spacer. New bushings too of course. These are 3/4” taller than the previous ones (which were meant for a 40 and didn’t fit, pinched the bushings, limited movement) and they level the rear of the truck perfectly with my shackle reversal up front.

Surprisingly I couldn’t find a shackle pin like that for sale anywhere. The shouldered, double-sided design (fatter in the middle, skinnier on the outsides) means you can’t overtighten the nuts - they push the shackle plates into the shoulder and stop. The width is just right where the plates snug against the bushings a little bit but not too much.

The truck rides so much better in the back now that the shackles can move. My old ones had to be overtightened to work and that pinched the bushings. They didn’t move at all and 90% of the rear suspension movement was just the springs flexing up and down. WAY better like this.

Monday (holiday): rear brakes. After my last rodeo with the original drums and aftermarket shoes I had the dreaded endlessly overtightening brake situation that some other people have experienced. At some point when you pull the parking brake the shoes are adjusted to their optimal position and they stop tightening - the parking brake lever stops grabbing more teeth and spinning the star wheel adjuster. But with the overtightening issue, the lever would spin the adjuster forever. I just gave up and lived with it. The drums I removed were grooved pretty badly, although the truck stopped well.

I replaced both the shoes and the drums with Toyota parts and followed the FSM for install so we’ll see if that makes a difference. I did notice a couple things …

On the shoe pins (where the parking brake and adjuster levers go), the differences were less than I thought. The aftermarket does have ever-so-slightly more chamfer going from the larger diameter to the small. Both of my aftermarket pins were loose too. Probably explains the rattling noise I’ve heard for a couple years now.

The adjuster spans across both shoes and has forked ends that slip into grooves on each shoe. The groove on the aftermarket shoes is shallower than the groove on the Toyota shoes, which would make the adjuster wheel sit about 1mm further over. This is in relation to the pin. Maybe that makes a difference in the angle of attack of the adjuster lever and how many teeth it grabs. Not sure.

Below is the back side of the aftermarket shoe with the parking brake lever on the front side which will help show depth on the groove below my thumb.

Toyota shoe below:

So what’s the ultimate cause of the overtightening issue? I still don’t know.

Inside the drums I also installed new parking brake cables - the short ones that take the bell crank motion and pull the shoe. I also put in a brand new Toyota main parking brake cable - from the handle to the bell cranks. That was a bit of a chore getting all the rusty undercarriage bolts out, and trying to free the handle end. Fit is good except for where it bolts to the rear axle:

This works for now, but I’m going to make a small bracket to translate the horizontal axle bolt holes to the vertical parking brake bolt holes. This part supersession is all we have now, so we have to make it work .

 

[klip]

Those shackle pins look great!

 

[CruiserTrash]

Went camping, truck performed great. Rear brakes seemed to be overtightening for a couple days after that work, but I backed off the star wheels twice and now it seems to have settled in nicely. Fingers crossed.

Visited Classic Cruisers as well as another friend up in the mountains who has a really cool diesel Jimny

 

[CruiserTrash]

Bigger is better?

New Dobinsons steering stabilizer installed. My steering is sometimes a little wandery on the highway and I’m hoping this helps. It floats a little left or right and requires lots of tiny inputs on the steering wheel to keep it on course.

I know it’s always going to be an old tie-rod-and-leaf-spring truck, but I’ll take what improvement I can get. I’ve already: replaced tie rod ends, new leaf springs, new shocks, new sway bar bushings and end links, Saginaw steering pump, rebuilt original gear box. Eventually I want to replace the u-joints (rag joints?) in the shaft from the steering wheel to the gear box, but I figured a bigger stabilizer was an easier task to knock out.

*****
Got a spare FJ80 alternator - original Denso core - from a friend. Dropped it off at the local old-timer shop to get rebuilt. I’ll trust that one way more than my Rock Auto one I’m running now.

This place is great.

Many cigarettes were probably smoked here in the waiting area between the Reagan and Clinton administrations.

*****

Up next: thinking about a drawer system/platform thing for the back again. Maybe before SAS.

Steel or plywood structure? Keep it simple to the cargo area only, or make it hinged to cover the folder down rear seat? Or a two part deal? Material for covering the top? L-tracks & tie downs? Wings to cover the side area?

What seems like a simple idea turns into option paralysis in about 30 seconds.

 

[70 FJ40]

What seems like a simple idea turns into option paralysis in about 30 seconds.
[/QUOTE]

Yep. Same here. I try to keep telling myself to keep it simple when it comes to projects like this. Almost never works though.

 

[toy_tek]

Up next: thinking about a drawer system/platform thing for the back again. Maybe before SAS.

Steel or plywood structure? Keep it simple to the cargo area only, or make it hinged to cover the folder down rear seat? Or a two part deal? Material for covering the top? L-tracks & tie downs? Wings to cover the side area?

What seems like a simple idea turns into option paralysis in about 30 seconds.

I’m nearing the final touches on mine that is essentially v3.1, with v1 beginning almost 20 years ago. v1 was wood, v2 steel frame and fridge mounted high and hinged, v3 is steel frame w low fridge on ARB slider. For me I found steel to be more ridged, lighter, and easier to re-configure (inevitable in my indecisive world). Using 1x1 16gauge square tube primarily, although I am using some thinner plywood for flat surfaces. I’m always amazed how many build/buy 200lb+ plywood drawer systems (empty)… my setup is about 65.

Figure out if you want to sleep low and be able to sit up, or sleep high and struggle to slide your britches on in the morning. And also where and how you want to access your cooler/fridge. Everything else can be situated after that. I’ll have some pics / details in my thread soon, won’t muddy yours up further.

 

[OGBeno]

Bigger is better?

View attachment 4158039

New Dobinsons steering stabilizer installed. My steering is sometimes a little wandery on the highway and I’m hoping this helps. It floats a little left or right and requires lots of tiny inputs on the steering wheel to keep it on course.

I know it’s always going to be an old tie-rod-and-leaf-spring truck, but I’ll take what improvement I can get. I’ve already: replaced tie rod ends, new leaf springs, new shocks, new sway bar bushings and end links, Saginaw steering pump, rebuilt original gear box. Eventually I want to replace the u-joints (rag joints?) in the shaft from the steering wheel to the gear box, but I figured a bigger stabilizer was an easier task to knock out.

*****
Got a spare FJ80 alternator - original Denso core - from a friend. Dropped it off at the local old-timer shop to get rebuilt. I’ll trust that one way more than my Rock Auto one I’m running now.

This place is great.
View attachment 4158048

Many cigarettes were probably smoked here in the waiting area between the Reagan and Clinton administrations.
View attachment 4158049
*****

Up next: thinking about a drawer system/platform thing for the back again. Maybe before SAS.

Steel or plywood structure? Keep it simple to the cargo area only, or make it hinged to cover the folder down rear seat? Or a two part deal? Material for covering the top? L-tracks & tie downs? Wings to cover the side area?

What seems like a simple idea turns into option paralysis in about 30 seconds.

That’s a goldmine shop, Jim.

 

[cruisermatt]

Looks like you have 2-degrees caster shims installed backwards. Flip those around and that will improve your highway tracking
With the shackle reversal you really should have 4-degree shims

 

[CruiserTrash]

I’m nearing the final touches on mine that is essentially v3.1, with v1 beginning almost 20 years ago. v1 was wood, v2 steel frame and fridge mounted high and hinged, v3 is steel frame w low fridge on ARB slider. For me I found steel to be more ridged, lighter, and easier to re-configure (inevitable in my indecisive world). Using 1x1 16gauge square tube primarily, although I am using some thinner plywood for flat surfaces. I’m always amazed how many build/buy 200lb+ plywood drawer systems (empty)… my setup is about 65.

Figure out if you want to sleep low and be able to sit up, or sleep high and struggle to slide your britches on in the morning. And also where and how you want to access your cooler/fridge. Everything else can be situated after that. I’ll have some pics / details in my thread soon, won’t muddy yours up further.

Can’t wait to see the photos man. Fridge and the stuff in the drawers is going to drive the geometry here, and then I can pencil-on-napkin the “skeleton” frame. Then drill down to specifics.

One of the criteria is that my rear seat has to be in use 80% of the time because the kids ride back there. If I only want storage, that’s easy: design for the cargo area only. If I want to sleep in the back while camping (the rear seat is almost always folded for trips) that leaves me with some interesting choices.

1. Cargo area storage only - no sleeping platform.
2. Cargo area storage + second removable piece that fits over the folded down seat for sleep.
3. Cargo area storage Rube Goldberg device that hinges and has foldable legs and other nonsense so it can spring into action as a full sleeper.

We sleep in the back maybe once every two years if the weather is atrocious, or we pull into camp super late, or some other circumstance comes up. If we had a sleeping platform we’d probably use it more for camp & move trips. So all of these options are giving me paralysis.

 

[CruiserTrash]

Went impromptu wheeling today with Karen. Truck did great but was making a few funny noises, I’ll have to dig into those. Did some stuff I probably shouldn’t have done alone and on 33s, but I felt comfortable tackling the situation.

More and more I kick myself for not putting at least 3:1 gears in my transfer case when I rebuilt it a couple years ago. I can’t stop thinking about it every time I’m out. Either t-case gears or a rear locker might push their way to the front of the line sooner rather than later.

Maybe day I’ll do one big package deal: 4:1 transfer case gears, H55, & 35s. The math would work out on the rpms. One day.

Anyway, had fun today despite my 2.3:1 low range gears.

 

[Bryan062087]

Bigger is better?

View attachment 4158039

New Dobinsons steering stabilizer installed. My steering is sometimes a little wandery on the highway and I’m hoping this helps. It floats a little left or right and requires lots of tiny inputs on the steering wheel to keep it on course.

I know it’s always going to be an old tie-rod-and-leaf-spring truck, but I’ll take what improvement I can get. I’ve already: replaced tie rod ends, new leaf springs, new shocks, new sway bar bushings and end links, Saginaw steering pump, rebuilt original gear box. Eventually I want to replace the u-joints (rag joints?) in the shaft from the steering wheel to the gear box, but I figured a bigger stabilizer was an easier task to knock out.

*****
Got a spare FJ80 alternator - original Denso core - from a friend. Dropped it off at the local old-timer shop to get rebuilt. I’ll trust that one way more than my Rock Auto one I’m running now.

This place is great.
View attachment 4158048

Many cigarettes were probably smoked here in the waiting area between the Reagan and Clinton administrations.
View attachment 4158049
*****

Up next: thinking about a drawer system/platform thing for the back again. Maybe before SAS.

Steel or plywood structure? Keep it simple to the cargo area only, or make it hinged to cover the folder down rear seat? Or a two part deal? Material for covering the top? L-tracks & tie downs? Wings to cover the side area?

What seems like a simple idea turns into option paralysis in about 30 seconds.

What tie rod ends are you running?

 

[CruiserTrash]

What tie rod ends are you running?

555 I believe. I put them in when I first got this truck 3-4 years ago. One day I may go to beefy DOM tube rods with bigger ends. That decision will be made if I break the stock setup. If the stock setup holds I'll keep using it.

Steering with the new stabilizer is improved by maybe 30% and I will absolutely take that. It wanders less on the highway. Yesterday the trail was super rocky and my steering wheel wasn't getting tossed around nearly as much. While not some sort of miracle, it's a win for both on-pavement and off-pavement situations.

 

[RevISK]

Looks like you have 2-degrees caster shims installed backwards. Flip those around and that will improve your highway tracking
With the shackle reversal you really should have 4-degree shims

@CruiserTrash ?

 

[CruiserTrash]

Looks like you have 2-degrees caster shims installed backwards. Flip those around and that will improve your highway tracking
With the shackle reversal you really should have 4-degree shims

Sorry, I missed this. I'm going to get long winded because the shim situation is difficult to describe without ALL of the detail.

They're 4 degree shims. I was originally at 6 believe it or not - albeit briefly, and as an experiment when I replaced the leaf springs. Ordered a couple sets of shims, drove the 6 for a week, swapped to the 4.

Here's the issue and why you see them "backwards": my 82 60 of course has the double cardan front driveshaft, which means the diff flange should be directly in line with the driveshaft angle - zero angle. That means rotating the rear of the axle housing up ... but that makes the caster worse. If you rotate the rear of the axle down for better caster ... it makes the angle between the bottom u-joint of the driveshaft and the diff flange worse. The two angles are in a fight with each other, hence cut & turn is the best solution. I'm not going to do a cut & turn. Currently it's shimmed for about 4 degrees of caster, which gives me a driveline angle that's not ideal, but better than it could be with different shim arrangements. Essentially I found a relatively happy medium. I use the caster angle driving every day, and only use the front driveshaft rarely, so I prioritized for the caster. If the front driveshaft eats u-joints, I'll replace them.

Why not just swap to a "regular" driveshaft that has a single u-joint on either end (like the later 60 Series) so I can make the flanges parallel? Because it would hit my early crossmember. The double cardan helps the driveshaft extend horizontally from the front of the t-case flange before starting its angle downwards, and that makes it clear the crossmember. The "regular" type (non-DC) would start its downward angle sooner and ride on the crossmember. So why not notch the crossmember? Eventually I'd like an H55, which in my early truck will require new driveshafts anyway, and probably a custom or highly modified later crossmember. I figured I'll open that can of worms down the road when it's time for a transmission. The truck actually drives & tracks pretty dang well as is - the stabilizer was work chasing marginal gains.

The existing front driveshaft is its own can of worms. S far the joints have lasted two years and they still seem happy. I did twist the splines in February landing after being airborne, but the local driveshaft shop who repaired it said the u-joints were still good. They've worked on that front driveshaft a few times before - lengthened it so the slip yoke doesn't fall out due to the large lift (splines were showing at rest), clearanced the u-joint yokes so they don't bind due to my steeper DS angle, and replaced all the joints (including the DC, which I've heard are hard to source).

Edit: I covered this at some point in the pages of this thread, there might be more detail back there somewhere.

 

[cruisermatt]

are you sure you are at positive 4 degrees caster and not negative 4 degrees now? If so that would be perfect. Usually with the shackle reversal they are in the negative without any correction, and shimming it the way you have would making it more negative.
An FJ62 front housing would be a nice quick swap solution for you if you really don't want to cut and turn. They have about 3-4 more degrees of pinion angle.

 

[CruiserTrash]

are you sure you are at positive 4 degrees caster and not negative 4 degrees now? If so that would be perfect. Usually with the shackle reversal they are in the negative without any correction, and shimming it the way you have would making it more negative.
An FJ62 front housing would be a nice quick swap solution for you if you really don't want to cut and turn. They have about 3-4 more degrees of pinion angle.

I’m “positive” that my caster angle is positive. When I replaced the front leaf springs and then again after getting the driveshaft modified and installing it, I laid under the truck with angle gauges and whatnot and just did math for about an hour each time. Been under there a handful of other times doing it too, mostly thinking about H55 stuff, but re-documenting what I have. I actually flipped the shims around and drove them for the better part of a week at one point too - it was awful. I don’t know if it’s the longer HZJ75 springs or the u-bolt flip plates causing some geometry changes, or what, but I had to shim it this way for the proper caster.

You know, a few years ago I posted on here asking if the 62 housing had the knuckle balls clocked any differently than the 60 housing. I don’t think I ever got an answer to that. What does “more pinion angle” mean? Angle between the pinion and what, and in which direction is “more”?

 

[cruisermatt]

Must be the length of the 75 springs . I forgot about those.
As for the axle housing, they have more pinion angle relative to the knuckle balls. It's about 4-6 degrees if I remember correctly. It's enough that you can get away without a cut and turn when doing a SOA on a 62 if you keep it low enough. Probably knowledge lost over the last few years since it's not popular to SOA anymore like it was when I started with Cruisers

 

[CruiserTrash]

While the truck was warming up for work this morning in my level-ish parking spot, I did a quick caster check with an app on my phone (real tools are at my shop). 3.2 degrees positive, measured by aligning my phone with the lower machined flat of the knuckle where the lower trunnion cap is. There’s a small lip that the edge of the phone can catch on to align itself.

Here’s the fat end of the shims, towards the rear.

Here’s the crappy diff flange angle that I’m willing to live with so my caster isn’t terrible:

So if I wanted to have the proper u-joint angle, I’d have to shim the axle so the rear tipped up by ~10 degrees. That means my caster would be around negative 7. If I wanted to have more positive caster than I currently have, I would have to shim in a way that would make that driveline/diff angle worse. Hopefully the photos make that more clear. If you wanted to you could call it a problem stemming from the double cardan DS. The owner of the driveline shop has been under there with me and agreed: let it eat u-joints as a trade off for a decent caster angle. Honestly it’s been fine so far.