What did you do on your 70 series today?

[SNLC]

Installed a block heater the other day in the gold 70.

It was about 35* this morning when I started it. Easiest cold start this truck has ever had.

I also installed a fan clutch and new fan recently.

With the heater installed I would say this is no longer a tropical spec Cruiser. Comes up to temp much faster now with the fan clutch, heater cranks!

It is ready for the cold white north which is where it is headed on Monday.

Cheers

 

[saltycoconuts]

Installed a block heater the other day in the gold 70.

View attachment 2128160

It was about 35* this morning when I started it. Easiest cold start this truck has ever had.

I also installed a fan clutch and new fan recently.

View attachment 2128166

With the heater installed I would say this is no longer a tropical spec Cruiser. Comes up to temp much faster now with the fan clutch, heater cranks!

It is ready for the cold white north which is where it is headed on Monday.

Cheers

Could you post the info on that block heater? I don’t think I’ll ever need it but figured maybe some might be interested.

 

[SNLC]

It is 35mm, walk in any auto parts store and tell them you need a 35mm block heater for a Toyota.

Cheers

 

[Lenny33]

View attachment 2128324View attachment 2128325

It is 35mm, walk in any auto parts store and tell them you need a 35mm block heater for a Toyota.

Cheers

CLEAN well done!

 

[Tapage]

I also have a noco battery charger / maintainer in Tencha .. best investment ever to keep non DD batteries in shape

 

[saltycoconuts]

Thought these FJ TRD wheels look pretty good (not the 31’s). Not sure but maybe I’ll try a 35 AT. I’ll still be keeping my 33 yoko MT’s on Steelies

 

[Onur]

Drove it. Love it. It’s the best tractor money can buy.

Cold start video this AM. 22 degrees F outside; 4 days no drive. Cold and dry. 500ft elevation.

 

[SNLC]

Got it all prepared and ready to send home. Seemed like the check list would never end but it’s all good now.

Just took it for a 30 mile mixed city/hwy drive. Wow what a truck it has become and is a lot of fun to drive. It has been a long journey with this one, hard to not get attached sometimes.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Drove it. Love it. It’s the best tractor money can buy.

View attachment 2128881View attachment 2128882

Cold start video this AM. 22 degrees F outside; 4 days no drive. Cold and dry. 500ft elevation.

Totally normal amount of smoke on an old diesel engine on a cold morning.

Put a block heater on it, it will start like it is August.

Cheers

 

[Onur]

Totally normal amount of smoke on an old diesel engine on a cold morning.

Put a block heater on it, it will start like it is August.

Cheers

Yup. Spot on Ian.

Non-sequitor: What shocks are you running in the rear of the 70?

Rear axle looks spectacular.

 

[SNLC]

Yup. Spot on Ian.

Non-sequitor: What shocks are you running in the rear of the 70?

Rear axle looks spectacular.

BP51’s all around my man. Took a half dozen times of adjusting and driving mixed conditions to get them dialed but they are pretty close now to my liking.

Cheers

 

[Onur]

BP51’s all around my man. Took a half dozen times of adjusting and driving mixed conditions to get them dialed but they are pretty close now to my liking.

Cheers

How do they do with the light weight of the rear of the SWB 70? I’m dicking around with rear shocks setups and have considered the BP’s.

Do you recall the part numbers you used in the rear?

 

[SNLC]

So in the rear the truck has OME medium springs. The BP51’s back there are set at 6 compression and 5 rebound. A touch stiff say if you bomb over a speed bump, that’s one of my tests. But they keep the back solid on road. Off road, real nice at 5 and 4. The FR drawers are an easy 100-150lbs with not much gear in them. Roof rack as well, heavy 255 MT spare, so light yes but not super light for a 70.

That’s the thing man, BP51 is only shock you can adjust compression and rebound, ten settings each so that is many combinations. I wouldn’t worry one bit about it being to heavy duty for a SWB 70. Oh ya, you can also adjust them on the fly.

In the front I am running them a notch higher, 7 & 6. 79-series sway bar up front which is substantially larger than an 80 diameter wise. Any lower in the front on road and it has to much body roll for my tastes, off-road can go much lower and it is money. I actually couldn’t believe how well a SWB can handle rough stuff at speed, coils and these shocks does it well. I don’t think there is a BP51 available for the front on a leaf spring 70 though. Which means customizing if you wanted them in front too.

I don’t have part numbers, these came off a 1999+ and bolt right up, suited for 2.5” lift I believe. They are second hand.

Cheers

 

[Onur]

So in the rear the truck has OME medium springs. The BP51’s back there are set at 6 compression and 5 rebound. A touch stiff say if you bomb over a speed bump, that’s one of my tests. But they keep the back solid on road. Off road, real nice at 5 and 4. The FR drawers are an easy 100-150lbs with not much gear in them. Roof rack as well, heavy 255 MT spare, so light yes but not super light for a 70.

That’s the thing man, BP51 is only shock you can adjust compression and rebound, ten settings each so that is many combinations. I wouldn’t worry one bit about it being to heavy duty for a SWB 70.

In the front I am running them a notch higher, 7 & 6. 79-series sway bar up front which is substantially larger than an 80 diameter wise. Any lower in the front on road and it has to much body roll for my tastes, off-road can go much lower and it is money. I actually couldn’t believe how well a SEB can handle rough stuff at speed, coils and these shocks does it well. I don’t think there is a BP51 available for the front on a leaf spring 70 though. Which means customizing if you wanted them in front too.

I don’t have part numbers, these came off a 1999+ and bolt right up, suited for 2.5” lift I believe. They are second hand.

Cheers

Solid intel Ian.
Thanks buddy.

 

[SNLC]

Last bit for anyone who cares.

Stock 1999-07 coils in front. Added a 10mm OME spacer. Truck has a 1.5* of rake with the OME medium rear leaves. To me that’s close to perfect since loaded it should be around a .5-0* rake. The only explanation for stock height front with lifted leaves to me, the guy who figured all this out and built it, is that Toyota raised the front and rear in 1999 when they went coil spring front. I did not build any lift into the front, it’s the same or within a 1/4” of any *j7*-series front 1999+.

Next one I would love to go 2-3” OME coils up front and 35’s. In fact, combine that with the Delta radius arms (they give a little more flex) on a 77-series which has 54-ish” rear leaves and SoA the stock flat old 77’s leaves. You got a really nice suspension on road and off, like real good if you build it right.


Cheers

 

[clintnz]

Last weekend, Heading for a campsite deeeep in the bush. We always kick off summer with a trip to the Whirinaki & Urewera area, the island's biggest expanse of native forest.

Ooops! Dropped a wheel in a hole crossing a collapsed log bridge on the old logging road.

Much fun had by all.

Cheers
Clint