Well, no grain in that enlargement! 
What have you done to your Land Cruiser this week?
- Thread starter IH8MUD
- Start date
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No enlargement, make the whole process much easierWell, no grain in that enlargement!
They look nice. I thought they were 9.50 wide. I guess they look narrow because they are so tall.
I kinda lucked out in a way, I got the axle almost complete (minus the pig). I got the perches from ruff stuff and the pig from another member. No build thread, this was a COVID project that I sorta finished but now I am constantly tweaking. Next on the docket is a 5 spd swap.
That’s so cool. I’m going to have to research this more.
I finished re-installing my radiator with all new hoses and a heater union pipe (so hopefully working heat now), and figured I’d center my steering wheel and diagnose my intermittent horn.
I pulled the horn button off to find a very, very loose steering wheel nut!
I’m glad that’s how/when you found it…
I find it somewhat ironic that you’re having snow down south and we’ve seen none this year in Canada.
Re chains… I’ve not used them yet on my 40. I picked some up for both ends about ten years ago.
Last time I used them I put them on the front of my 77ish Subaru Brat. The first corner I came to I let off the gas and almost did two 180s. At another corner a couple miles down the road, I did another 180. I decided I was better off with 1/2 bald all season tires and no chains. Chains will help you get going… but stopping is another story… especially with a “truck” with no weight on the rear axle and anchors on the front.
I Love this!!
I used to think, '4wd.' Then I got a job at a ski area where I had fifteen miles double-lane icy, salty, highway. Switchbacks, most of the way. The FJ40 Land Cruiser is about the worst vehicle to have for this, really. My coworker could make it to work easier in a 2wd Chevy pickup. I bought a Honda Civic because you can spin out all the way up the mountain in front wheel drive, but unlike the 40 you still have grip when you steer, or brake. Don't blame me, blame Newton's Laws, and independent front suspension systems, factory tire sizes, etc.
I’d have to disagree… I’ve driven home 20+ miles with roads covered in black ice everywhere. I’ve driven though 4’+ of fresh snow when the military were the only other vehicles on the road. Through slush, snow and ice to spread sand from a trailer when there was no salt to be found in 100 miles. It has been unstoppable and incredible for the 33+ years I’ve owned it. Tires make a huge difference… Mud terrains suck on ice.., you have to have the right tires.
The only thing I’ll agree with is that salt is evil… let it rot away your Honda Civic. But when the heaviest snowfall in 80 years hits, Civics will be dead in their tracks, just like the stock pathfinders, Chevy 4x4s with lifts and mud terrains, and 98% of the other vehicles on the road.
If you doubt how bad it was…
One thing that helps is the weight of my custom rear tub. 950 kg front axle weight and 1150 kg rear axle weight.
Back in ‘96 I was running 31x10.50 Michelin XC ATs that had 40,000 miles on them… they were still awesome even when they were 1/2 way to retirement.
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I was only reporting my experience, on an icy switchback highway with serious grades. I really noticed that the 40 was challenged in ways that the Civic was not. I was driving an actual FJ40 with suspension lift, with 33x12.5 BFG Mud Terrains, not a Chevota. Those guard rails on the highway were replaced this fall, they get all bent up when motorists collide with them. ABS, air bags, is good equipment have. Really, that front axle is obsolete as far as anything but rock crawling, and the springs are so stiff that the factory never considered anti-sway bars, or links, for the 40. The Pathfinder came with limited slip from the factory, and more Toyotas are built on the IFS front, solid beam back, like the Pathfinder. Yes, I'll take the Pathfinder over something that the factory delivered with lap belts and no headrests.
Hey, no worries. 12.50 M/Ts may do alright for deep snow, but all reports I’ve seen are they aren’t good on ice. The 1.5F I ran for five years was also great in the snow… but sadly it had been abused by at least the last two POs and would have been $3500 to rebuild the F and $3000 for the 2F from my parts truck.
40s inherently are like in the rear end. Mine was especially light since someone put a thin layer of fibreglass over the rear floor. When I bought it, it should probably have been a parts truck. The cage was sitting on chunks of wood so it wouldn’t fall through the holes. The steel was so far gone that I was able to fold it up like origami to fit it into the garage truck when it came by.
The rear floor that I fabricated from 90ish% of a 4x8 sheet of 1/8” steel solved that issue. It rides and handles surprisingly well for a 90” wheel base 4x4. The V8 I swapped in was more of a sideways step as far as snow and ice are concerned. I later discovered 5 of the 16 cams on the camshaft were completely round and a few more weren’t much better. The flattop pistons helped some, but it was especially a 4-5 cylinder that by all rights shouldn’t have run much less ran reasonably well.
It’s all good… for a commute like that, a Civic makes perfect sense. If it gets totalled, it’ll be easy enough to replace, and it’s way better on gas,
It rarely snows here, so I DD a second gen Prius with 17” rims and 215/45 tires on it. For the 4 days it’ll snow here this year, it’ll be staying home, and one of our bigger vehicles instead. They write off them far too easy to risk it… so the fuel savings and comforts aren’t worth the risk.
sleepycruiser
I will get by….I will survive
Broke a terminal, picked these up and made it way easier to add additional stuff, including the winch disconnect wires.
Link to them is in my Hawkeye thread.
Link to them is in my Hawkeye thread.
MAR FJ40
SILVER Star
Upper dash pad replacement came in. OEM part# 55404-90301.
Lower pads just needed a lil TLC. Good as new.
Lower pads just needed a lil TLC. Good as new.
Continuing the weight reduction program...
If anyone is looking for something to refresh the horn cushion and button trim this stuff works pretty well. Time will tell how it holds up. First picture shows the difference between the clean faded section and initial application before wiping up the excess. Second pic is with it applied and wiped off. Qtip works wonders with those ridges.
I’m actually considering doing it myself with a coworker friend that might have all the tools to straighten out at work with some chain falls and forklifts. I know it may not be the same ever again. I’m also contemplating rebuilding it with new drive train and 3 or link suspension. May be a couple of years before I get back on the road, but hopefully it will all work out. To be continued in My “Honolulu Frame off Preservation” thread. I really appreciate all the advice and support. Mahalo!
Installed reverse light and seat beats. Fixed turn indicators and brake lights. Marked holes for the spare tire carrier and rear emblems that need to be drilled.
I finally mounted up my belleview winch to the fj40. Looks way better than I thought. ordered some things to get it working on the front like cables for operation and the power cable. Cant wait till they get here so I can spool my cable on.
Driver’s seat done. Supplemented the old SOR foam with some new stuff. Cruiser Corps covers. Nice to not be sitting on sagging springs anymore.
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