Project Piggy Bank - 83 FJ60 Landcruiser

[nasty dog]

View attachment 158651 Shake down run is a dream I keep having. It seems like you may be ahead of me on the completion date. I like the idea of a dual shake down run but I don't to hold up a real rig! Let me know when you roll, I'd like to be there.

Between mowing, Daddy daycare, and a pool party w a 3 yr old in the front yard but I did get some progress. Got all of the complicated maffises figured on. Factory is set a 4 degrees. I'm thinking that I may be at 6. I'm worried that at full droop my springs may contact the drag link. Will probably go 6 with just a tack and assemble one side to check clearance. I've already installed and remove the axle 15 times... Why on one more to make sure it's right?!?

Started the cut when I got cut off. Maybe after kids go to sleep. Maybe another day.

 

[nasty dog]

you sir have a lot of patience!keep up the good work

 

[frankenyoter]

you sir have a lot of patience!keep up the good work

Thank you sir. Not sure if it's patience or stupidity. I'm ready to wheel with everybody!

Just logged an 1.5 hr of straight grinding. My neighbors are truly the patient ones. My hands are tingling something fierce. Wife says no grinding after 10 so I had to stop!

Everything is prepped so I hope to get some surgery with a cut off wheel tomorrow during nap time.

 

[frankenyoter]

I've been trying to figure out what to use as a breaker bar to rotate the bell and it looks like an old axle shaft will be my weapon of choice

 

[frankenyoter]

Well I cut on the knuckles Sunday and beat the snot out of the knuckle and could not get it to move. Very frustrated I just walked away and played with the kids in the yard.

Did some more research Sunday night and determined that I cut too far out on the axle, maybe. Monday night I cut again 1/4" further in. Proceeded to flail on the turn again. So I watched a WWII documentary and sipped on a frosty cold down easy.

Tuesday morning I called my friend Chris Ellis (@novacayne75 ) of Buckeye Performance and he told me no problem drop it off. A big thanks to Chris for knocking it out for me. Apparently I was too much of a wuss to cut deep enough .

Chris turned the knuckle to my requested +6 degree castor and tacked them in place so I could change it if I needed. Logged some time last night and assembled the passenger knuckle with the bling Marlin high steer arm and checked clearances.

The leaves are hanging with a bare axle housing so I am anticipating more drop with guts in the housing and especially when being forced downward by articulation. Just sighting across the top of the leaf spring I have about 1/2 clearance from bottom of steering arm to top of spring. If turning hard driver it looks to be about 1/4" from the top of arm to spring. I'm no expert but it looks like this is what I should have. Very excited to have this step behind me. I want to clean everything up and paint while it's all apart. Also need to fortify the front axle armor. May fab up a truss too.

Whatcha think...

 

[frankenyoter]

Had some time to make a bracket to hold the jeep Saginaw power steering pump, but got distracted.

Bare front housing has been taunting me for some time. Did enough head scratching to truss the front. Can't do a typical off the shelf Yota truss because I want to keep the force as vertical as possible and with the C&T it would be at a serious angle. I entered a staring contest with a scrap off the front cage I removed. It'll work!

 

[frankenyoter]

Got some free time today when my daughter had a play date at the house. I have been struggling with the axle vent tube in relation to the truss.

It hit me today and this is what I got.

 

[frankenyoter]

Happy Independence Day everyone! Just got my 3/8" knuckle gussets welded up during nap time! Time to clean up and get ready for some festivities.

If you can't wheel, you better be getting ready to wheel (one day).

 

[EdJonesJeeper]

Looking great mike. When can I come over and help cuss at it?

 

[frankenyoter]

Anytime. You know where the pile is. I cussed at cardboard for a couple hours tonight trying to whop together some better front diff armor so I can reassemble the front axle sometime soon.

 

[Jeremy1977]

lookin good dude

 

[frankenyoter]

Found some 1/4" plate laying around and hacked out a few pieces then melted a couple old school coat hangers to make it stick.

 

[frankenyoter]

 

[frankenyoter]

It looks like the bottom of the diff skid should be slightly above parallel with the ground at ride height.

 

[frankenyoter]

Well wife has said this is affecting our marriage at least a dozen times this week. Well I hope so. Soon we can all wheel as a Family!

Been kicking the shop till 11 since the weekend. I can say that I utterly hate cleaning the old paper gaskets on ancient Toyota parts. Grey RTV for the win!

Got the knuckles strapped on and even though I haven't checked the bolts with a torque wrench yet the preload on the knuckles seems good.

 

[frankenyoter]

Also got my tie rod and drag link painted MF Grey on the advise of an alright guy. @Jody Treadway

 

[35xj]

he likes his colors, that guy!

 

[frankenyoter]

Hey @35xj ! Where ya been Dave?!?

After two months of working in the front axle, it is under the rig! Monumental progress in my little world.

 

[frankenyoter]

Time to move onto the rear which is 80% figured out. Need to clock the axle, tack in place and fab an axle wrap bar.

 

[frankenyoter]

 

[frankenyoter]

I've gathered most of my parts at this point. Been trying to work on the front a little.

 

[upnover]

After all this work, it's still just a Yota LOL

 

[frankenyoter]

Most "Jeeps" just have a grill and a little body anyway.

And it's a damn good thing it's a Yota or I would have killed it a while back.

 

[frankenyoter]

Almost time for a breakdown run...

 

[Jody Treadway]

I really hope you meant "shakedown". Lol