desmocruiser
SILVER Star
Understand that! Shoot me a PM with your cell, we will keep you in the schedule loop.
Builds Workingman's Troopy - 1995 HZJ75
- Thread starter Tennessee Jed
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- 1995 hzj75 troopy vehicle tech
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Haha, I've got the same Euro spec driver side crusty ,rusty floor pan myself. Planning on doing the same as you. Rust never sleeps
prwillard2
SILVER Star
Same place I got my replacement pans from. Very good quality and I'm very happy with mine
nuclearbeef
SILVER Star
I just put a pair in my cart. Shipping was $376.70!!!
How did y'all get them over stateside?
- Thread starter
- #25
Crazy - but then shipping for 1 was about $150 so it makes sense by weight I guess. If you go through the order process you can enter a USA address and it automatically calculates shipping. It was either that or scrap sheet metal. Only took about a week to get here I think. Maybe 10 days max.
prwillard2
SILVER Star
nuclearbeef
SILVER Star
Nice. I too need to get some of those floor pans. Need to fix the windshield frame leak first.
Got any interior pics? How's the back set up?
Got any interior pics? How's the back set up?
- Thread starter
- #29
These are the PO's original photos but I haven't changed anything yet, partly because it's exactly the kind of versatile, spartan interior I would have built myself.
The electronic panel on the right isn't hooked up but I'll be adding a lithium battery under that cabinet which will take the input from the 2 x 100watt solar panels permanently mounted on the roof rack.
- Thread starter
- #30
The fold over bed gives a 38" width which is just adequate for 2 people for camping in hard weather, but with awnings and all that there should be plenty of room to spread out on nice nights. Gobs - acres - of storage space. I like the simple welded steel framework - it all comes out with a few heavy screws. I can remove one side and add in a fold up troop seat if wanted, also got one of those.
I will probably replace the solar charge controller to the EPEVER brand that I use on my boat and trust. I've melted a charge controller in the past - they need to be top quality and oversized or they'll just cook.
I will probably replace the solar charge controller to the EPEVER brand that I use on my boat and trust. I've melted a charge controller in the past - they need to be top quality and oversized or they'll just cook.
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- Thread starter
- #31
I have to admit that part of what sold me was how well done the roof rack/solar setup was. Well thought out. The panels sit on welded tabs and are below the floor level of the rack. It doesn't give much non-panel area for packing but if I ever needed it for something big like swags I would get a couple of those fiberglass treads (pre-MaxTraxx technology) and lay those on the panel space and then pack on top of that.
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- Thread starter
- #32
Worked the past 7 days straight but got some stuff done today finally.
First, the drivers side floor pan. Appointment at the body shop - he was efficient and fast, in and out in about 4 hours. It was good solid work - not Palm Beach Concourse, but it's a quality repair for a utility vehicle.
Two big holes, lots of thin spots you could push your finger through if you tried. It all needed to come out.
So out it came. The rust up behind the pedals was also cut out later once he knew what he was dealing with.
First, the drivers side floor pan. Appointment at the body shop - he was efficient and fast, in and out in about 4 hours. It was good solid work - not Palm Beach Concourse, but it's a quality repair for a utility vehicle.
Two big holes, lots of thin spots you could push your finger through if you tried. It all needed to come out.
So out it came. The rust up behind the pedals was also cut out later once he knew what he was dealing with.
- Thread starter
- #33
The new panel fit perfectly - dropped right in .
Really happy with the fit and quality of these panels.
Bad picture with my potato phone but it's all welded in and heavily coated on the bottom with undercoat. The top I left primed because I'm going to paint it and cover it with Second Skin sound deadener.
Really happy with the fit and quality of these panels.
Bad picture with my potato phone but it's all welded in and heavily coated on the bottom with undercoat. The top I left primed because I'm going to paint it and cover it with Second Skin sound deadener.
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- Thread starter
- #34
Also some housekeeping - transmission and transfer case fluid change, finally - the trans fluid definitely needed changing and the Mobil Delvac 50 synthetic really made an improvement - not in shifting but it's quieter and smoother at speed now. Or so I imagine anyway.
Saved a sample to send off for testing.
Not too much metal at all.
Replaced the old plugs with new ones.
New turn signal lenses - naturally. Gotta do that.
Like I said just housekeeping but it's all important.
Tomorrow I hope to get the 2m radio installed as well as a new stereo and speakers and service the door window mechanisms.
Upcoming projects will be the batteries and the cargo area electronics with a lithium battery there, like the song says one day at a time Sweet Jesus.
Saved a sample to send off for testing.
Not too much metal at all.
Replaced the old plugs with new ones.
New turn signal lenses - naturally. Gotta do that.
Like I said just housekeeping but it's all important.
Tomorrow I hope to get the 2m radio installed as well as a new stereo and speakers and service the door window mechanisms.
Upcoming projects will be the batteries and the cargo area electronics with a lithium battery there, like the song says one day at a time Sweet Jesus.
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desmocruiser
SILVER Star
Nice! Toyota lens? Where did you source them?
- Thread starter
- #36
Yep - Toyota. Got them through my Toyota parts slinger. I'm constantly amazed at how much stuff is still available. You have to order by parts number but the guys down at North Georgia Toyota in Dalton know me by name. They have consistently excellent prices, cheapest I've seen. Sometimes it's weird like they'll have a left hand thing, but the right hand thing will be NLA/discontinued, so I have to go to Ebay or megazip (this is the sitch now with headlight rebuild stuff). Plus AMAZING Mexican food in Dalton - go to Paisano's if you're down there. Wow.
- Thread starter
- #37
Just a quick update. I noticed that my right hub was extremely hard to lock. Yesterday I finally had a chance to pull it. In the FREE position, I unbolted it and when I pulled it, it all came apart - sproing! - the way it's not supposed to. Oh good, a learning experience.
Taking the outer hub parts apart, I saw that the two tabs that retain the spring were obviously bent.
This wasn't going to get fixed in the driveway so I took it to my shop. After playing with all of my 4 different vices, I found one that could hold it in a position that worked. I used a punch and rotated them around to the correct position and reshaped everything.
Worked perfectly. I understand hub internals aren't available separately. Since this is under so little stress, and the steel felt perfectly solid, I'm not concerned that this will fail.
Reassembly went without a hitch and after aggressive cleaning and regreasing both sides work perfectly.
Taking the outer hub parts apart, I saw that the two tabs that retain the spring were obviously bent.
This wasn't going to get fixed in the driveway so I took it to my shop. After playing with all of my 4 different vices, I found one that could hold it in a position that worked. I used a punch and rotated them around to the correct position and reshaped everything.
Worked perfectly. I understand hub internals aren't available separately. Since this is under so little stress, and the steel felt perfectly solid, I'm not concerned that this will fail.
Reassembly went without a hitch and after aggressive cleaning and regreasing both sides work perfectly.
- Thread starter
- #38
This truck came with a dual battery system in place, activated by a solenoid. Pretty typical setup. I've had 2 solenoid systems and didn't like either one, neither would keep the auxilliary battery charged adequately. The PO had a 10ga cable going from the aux battery (pos and neg) back to the rear, into a panel that had a cigarette plug and a voltage meter. He was trying to use it to charge a Jackery battery but it never worked he said, so he put the whole project on hold.
The aux battery was a Yellow Optima, and it was dead. As in 6 volts dead. So I pulled it and got a similar sized lead acid. Lead acid batteries are tough and take harsh treatment and weird charging situations better than either AGM or Li, in my limited experience. But although it would fit the dual battery tray, I couldn't close the hood - it was 2" taller than the Optima.
The winch was wired to the aux Optima, and it was fused - neither of which I wanted. So I moved the winch over to the main battery and fed it directly without fusing it.
So what to do next? I also have 2 x 100w solar panels on the roof rack, cabled down to a switch, and into a charge controller - but nothing downstream from that.
Only the main starting battery is staying under the hood. I moved the lead aux battery to the rear, and am using it to take charge from the solar panels. I'm also using it to feed a previously installed pre-made panel that has 5 individual switched circuits, a pair of USB's, and a cigarette plug, with a voltage meter, in the rear cabinet, but completely unattached to any source or load.
Just wiring things for proof of concept, making sure the solar controller works, that the panels work, etc. The small square panel above the charge controller was fed by that cable from the aux battery originally in the engine bay. I don't think 10ga is adequate size for a nearly 30' circuit run, for a refrigerator, but it would probably have worked. He said he never got good service out of a fridge, this might have been why, not sure. I'm mothballing it for now and will replace it with 4ga if I decide to use it going forward.
Charge controller worked perfectly and I set it for flooded lead acid. Voltage screamed into the battery, plenty of charging capacity for a 90 amp hour battery.
Still need to neaten up some wires but it's basically done for now. Sunk two heavy eye bolts into the plywood floor and secured the battery. The 5 switch panel seen above is going to supply all my accessory loads - so far I wired an interior light on the far right switch and a rear facing rack light next to it. I'm using Iron Man brand rock lights - they're very bright, small, tough, and unobtrusive. And not expensive.
The interior is perfectly lit with one rock light, on the underside of the shelf panel. The rear is attached to the rear bar of the rack - the picture doesn't do it justice at all, it bathes an area about 40' in diameter with really useful light - not too crazy bright, like some "work lights" I've seen.
I think I'm getting things pretty dialed in. I don't know of any other major weaknesses or deficits that need to be corrected. This is why I bought this truck - it was relatively perfect for me from the get-go. I could have spent less on other, maybe nicer, trucks, but then I'd be starting off sourcing bumpers and winches and building interior cabinets and so on, most of which would just never get done because Life Finds A Way (of getting in the way.)
I do want a rear locker- that's probably the only thing. And a bunch of soundproofing and a new interior rubber mat up front. I will change out the headlights for my new Koito kit from VintageTeq but I'm still waiting on the #%@^#&$% rear headlight ring - two false alarms on the right hand side one. The left hand one is available all over the place - they lay on the ground like fallen leaves - but that right hand side one...let me just recommend you get those rear headlight rings while you can in case you need to renew yours.
The aux battery was a Yellow Optima, and it was dead. As in 6 volts dead. So I pulled it and got a similar sized lead acid. Lead acid batteries are tough and take harsh treatment and weird charging situations better than either AGM or Li, in my limited experience. But although it would fit the dual battery tray, I couldn't close the hood - it was 2" taller than the Optima.
The winch was wired to the aux Optima, and it was fused - neither of which I wanted. So I moved the winch over to the main battery and fed it directly without fusing it.
So what to do next? I also have 2 x 100w solar panels on the roof rack, cabled down to a switch, and into a charge controller - but nothing downstream from that.
Only the main starting battery is staying under the hood. I moved the lead aux battery to the rear, and am using it to take charge from the solar panels. I'm also using it to feed a previously installed pre-made panel that has 5 individual switched circuits, a pair of USB's, and a cigarette plug, with a voltage meter, in the rear cabinet, but completely unattached to any source or load.
Just wiring things for proof of concept, making sure the solar controller works, that the panels work, etc. The small square panel above the charge controller was fed by that cable from the aux battery originally in the engine bay. I don't think 10ga is adequate size for a nearly 30' circuit run, for a refrigerator, but it would probably have worked. He said he never got good service out of a fridge, this might have been why, not sure. I'm mothballing it for now and will replace it with 4ga if I decide to use it going forward.
Charge controller worked perfectly and I set it for flooded lead acid. Voltage screamed into the battery, plenty of charging capacity for a 90 amp hour battery.
Still need to neaten up some wires but it's basically done for now. Sunk two heavy eye bolts into the plywood floor and secured the battery. The 5 switch panel seen above is going to supply all my accessory loads - so far I wired an interior light on the far right switch and a rear facing rack light next to it. I'm using Iron Man brand rock lights - they're very bright, small, tough, and unobtrusive. And not expensive.
The interior is perfectly lit with one rock light, on the underside of the shelf panel. The rear is attached to the rear bar of the rack - the picture doesn't do it justice at all, it bathes an area about 40' in diameter with really useful light - not too crazy bright, like some "work lights" I've seen.
I think I'm getting things pretty dialed in. I don't know of any other major weaknesses or deficits that need to be corrected. This is why I bought this truck - it was relatively perfect for me from the get-go. I could have spent less on other, maybe nicer, trucks, but then I'd be starting off sourcing bumpers and winches and building interior cabinets and so on, most of which would just never get done because Life Finds A Way (of getting in the way.)
I do want a rear locker- that's probably the only thing. And a bunch of soundproofing and a new interior rubber mat up front. I will change out the headlights for my new Koito kit from VintageTeq but I'm still waiting on the #%@^#&$% rear headlight ring - two false alarms on the right hand side one. The left hand one is available all over the place - they lay on the ground like fallen leaves - but that right hand side one...let me just recommend you get those rear headlight rings while you can in case you need to renew yours.
- Thread starter
- #39
Also got a 2m antenna from Alamosa, who does rugged offroad antennas encased in a heavy fiberglass sleeve. Thing is bulletproof.
desmocruiser
SILVER Star
Truck is really coming along well!!
I used one of the enclosed National Luna Portable power packs in one of my first dual set ups, it worked great. I eventually and reluctantly went to an underhood set up which is good, but far more complicated. Looks as you have essentially installed a similar set up as to the portable.
www.equipt1.com
I used one of the enclosed National Luna Portable power packs in one of my first dual set ups, it worked great. I eventually and reluctantly went to an underhood set up which is good, but far more complicated. Looks as you have essentially installed a similar set up as to the portable.
Portable Power Pack
Discover the ultimate solution for your off-grid adventures with the National Luna Portable Power Pack. This compact and removable battery box is designed for m
