Builds What did you do with your cruiser today?

[Tony_Farson]

Nice Tony !!!
Yes you will need separate hard lines to both front and rear but its so easy. Get a 20 foot roll of Nicop line with fittings from wherever, grab yourself a nice hand bender (cheap) and take your time. You can pre-make all the lines to size then take them to a shop to get them flared

Just checked out your build link ... awesome !! Love your choice of interior

Copper Nickel Brake Line Tubing Kit 3/16 OD 25 Foot Coil Roll Fittings Spring 47 | eBay

Cheers
Steve

Thanks Steve! I can't wait to get past all the "gotta do" stuff to get into the the wanna do stage. I appreciate the input on the brakes. Man I love your 40! I hadn't check your thread in a bit so I didn't see it complete until this morning. Amazing work brother!

 

[Tony_Farson]

I got to grindin on the chassis today. After I pulled the "keeper" wheels and had the crummy shop tires mounted to the crummy shop wheels. The keeper wheels are now at my powder coater.

Keepers

Shop wheels.

I'll most likely have the shop wheels restyled at some point and maybe get another set of mud terrains and have them studded for dedicated snow wheeling. IDK... They aren't bad wheels, just old and used.

Have you guys had any experience with Battleborn Wheels? I like their Gatekeeper wheel quite a bit and they are very affordable compared to other true beadlocks.

I removed the stock shock towers and steering box tower. I also got all the hard brake lines off in one piece (small miracle!) as well as the fuel lines.

I need to pull a few more things before I am read to tow it to the media blaster guy. He happens to be my powder coater and he said he'd do the chassis for $250. I'll be using a chassis paint instead of powder coating though. I think it looks pretty nice when pushed through an HPLV gun...

Oh! Here's the extended shock towers...

That's a big difference!

Anyway... I hope to get the chassis blasted in early January so I can start bolting stuff on. I ordered a Saginaw crossmember gusset today and I think I am going to box the rear section of the frame and have Dr. Smash bolster other known weak spots before I do the chassis paint. I also need to grind the rivets out of the rear shackle mounts and turn them around the other way to fit my new springs. There is no shortage of things to do on this project.

 

[WILLD420]

I posted my spare cruiser for sale so I can concentrate on the 62. Thought we might try a 60 but the creature comforts of the 62 won out. That and the full set of shoulder belts that the 60 didn’t come with.

1986 FJ60 Landcruiser

 

[airon23]

I posted my spare cruiser for sale so I can concentrate on the 62. Thought we might try a 60 but the creature comforts of the 62 won out. That and the full set of shoulder belts that the 60 didn’t come with.

1986 FJ60 Landcruiser

haha I just actually saw this shortly before you posting this message. I usually do a craiglist search of FJ40/FJ60/Landcruiser even if I don't intend on buying mostly, don't ask me why, I'm sick I know it, I fully admit it. But I checked this out. I was wondering if you cut the dash to fit the touch screen or was that already done? Just curious. It does look to be in very good shape and if I could afford one I would really consider this. I've owned a 60 before but never a 62 so that might be something I look for in the future. Very future as in when I have some of my own space to store my toys in.

 

[WILLD420]

It was already installed. Totally ruined a nice dash but I guess not everyone is a fuddy-duddy like me...

 

[Tony_Farson]

It was already installed. Totally ruined a nice dash but I guess not everyone is a fuddy-duddy like me...

I am a fan of doing it right or not at all. Of course "right" can be subjective, but that knucklehead blew "right" clear off the map on that install!

 

[Tony_Farson]

How does one remove a knuckle arm from the knuckle? Pickle fork? Or is there a... knuckle knife or spoon, or cream cheese spreader out there?

Why do I ask? Well... Those shop wheels seem to fit a 78 setup just fine, but they rub on the knuckle arms enough to keep the wheels from turning. So rather than playing another round of musical wheels, I'm thinking of just pulling the knuckle arms and the rest of the steering so I can get this thing to roll freely onto my trailer.

I am open to other suggestions if anyone has another idea.

 

[WILLD420]

Flat washers under the wheel?

 

[gregnash]

haha I just actually saw this shortly before you posting this message. I usually do a craiglist search of FJ40/FJ60/Landcruiser even if I don't intend on buying mostly, don't ask me why, I'm sick I know it, I fully admit it. But I checked this out. I was wondering if you cut the dash to fit the touch screen or was that already done? Just curious. It does look to be in very good shape and if I could afford one I would really consider this. I've owned a 60 before but never a 62 so that might be something I look for in the future. Very future as in when I have some of my own space to store my toys in.

Yeah that sucks that it was cut. Dash was in damn good shape too... I have a touchscreen in mine now (@DesertLake got to see at the meeting last week) that is a single din with a detachable 7" face. Little odd looking the way it sticks out but have loved it so far. Random chicom company called JOYING, built-in GPS, WiFi, etc. and currently running Android Oreo 8.0

 

[Squirrel cage]

How does one remove a knuckle arm from the knuckle? Pickle fork? Or is there a... knuckle knife or spoon, or cream cheese spreader out there?

Why do I ask? Well... Those shop wheels seem to fit a 78 setup just fine, but they rub on the knuckle arms enough to keep the wheels from turning. So rather than playing another round of musical wheels, I'm thinking of just pulling the knuckle arms and the rest of the steering so I can get this thing to roll freely onto my trailer.

I am open to other suggestions if anyone has another idea.

To remove the steering arms, once you pull the nuts there are cone washers that are still holding everything in place. You need to take a punch and hammer and tap in the top center of the studs to jar the cone washers loose. Then the arm should come off fairly easy after that. The problem is that the steering arm holds the upper bearing in place, and is therefore needed to keep it rolling. WILLD420 has a good temporary suggestion in adding a couple washers behind the wheel on the studs. I wouldn't drive it that way by any means, but it will be plenty fine to be able to get it on your trailer for transport.

 

[WILLD420]

It's just a bare chassis. Taking the steering arms off will make it impossible to move since the wheels will either turn out or split every time you move it forward or back.

 

[Tony_Farson]

Flat washers under the wheel?

I'll do that, thanks!

To remove the steering arms, once you pull the nuts there are cone washers that are still holding everything in place. You need to take a punch and hammer and tap in the top center of the studs to jar the cone washers loose. Then the arm should come off fairly easy after that. The problem is that the steering arm holds the upper bearing in place, and is therefore needed to keep it rolling. WILLD420 has a good temporary suggestion in adding a couple washers behind the wheel on the studs. I wouldn't drive it that way by any means, but it will be plenty fine to be able to get it on your trailer for transport.

Thanks!

It's just a bare chassis. Taking the steering arms off will make it impossible to move since the wheels will either turn out or split every time you move it forward or back.

I was afraid of that. I'll do the washer thing and see how it goes. Worst case, I'll pull the leafs and axles and put it on furniture dollies.

 

[Tony_Farson]

Welp... with the exception of the springs and axle assemblies, the chassis is bare and ready to go to the media blaster.

I still need to toss some washers on the wheel lugs and winch it up onto the trailer. I think it'll live on the trailer for a bit after that since once I get it blasted and cleaned, it is off to Dr. Smash who'll be installing the brackets for the Saginaw kit as well as boxing the frame and adding his chassis strengthening magic. Once that's complete, I'll have to make my final decision on whether to powder coat or use chassis paint.

What do you guys think? Powder coat or chassis paint? Why?

 

[WILLD420]

Powder coat. It's statically drawn into the crevices. At least that the rumor on the internet...

 

[WILLD420]

Double post...

 

[Tony_Farson]

I managed to get the frame completely stripped and loaded onto the trailer all alone. Thank God for winches! I'll send it off to a media blaster after the new year, then haul it to Dr. Smash (unless he is too expensive) for the bits of welding that need to be done... Then I'll either bring it home to paint, or drop it off for powder. Undecided still... Leaning toward powder though.

I'm also gonna try @WILLD420 idea and see if the automotive tech students at one of the local colleges could help out with the body work if I supply to patch panels. If not, I guess I'll be cutting my metal fab teeth on my resto!

Hey @Krusty Krab (or anyone else), What parts of your frame did you say needed repairing? I'm thinking about having the known weak areas reinforced ahead of time. I know Dr. Smash probably knows, but I've heard he can be a bit pricey and challenging to work with (kind of a diva???). So, I may need to go to Samco or some other fabricator to get the work done. I already ordered a front crossmember gusset for the steering box hole, and am getting a boxing kit for the back part of the chassis.

 

[DesertLake]

Replaced a bent control arm, thanks @RAYJON for hanging on to my old ones!

 

[Tony_Farson]

Not a ton accomplished today. I started pulling off the final bits from the tub. Tailgate is off and the bolts and brackets are bagged and tagged. Anyone know what this holder is for? It is on the passenger side wheel well.

 

[WILLD420]

I think those are soft top holders.

 

[Tony_Farson]

I think those are soft top holders.

That's what I was wondering. I have never owned a 40 with a factory soft top though. I can't figure out why there would only be one set of these holders and what part of the tip they would secure. Very strange.