My Cruisers and what happens to them.

[canadian bum]

Well I have neglected my Cruisers this Summer by spending to much time either fixing the Taco or spending Cruiser funds on repairs or mods for the Taco. And its time I spent a little quality time with them haha.

So here is what needs to happen with the HDJ45 (FJ45)

-Hy steer kit for the front 60 series axle and mount powersteering box as well as come up with steering shaft set up
-Rebuild kit complete with new pistons and rings as well as crank and one connecting rod for the 1HD-T $3000
-Various body work but not too much as well as paint job and rhino line the floor and under the cab
-Exo skel that connects from the front bumper along the fenders to the rock sliders (All custom built
-Custom built flat bed with roll bar assembly as well as approx. 400 Litre diesel fuel tank.
-Front and rear ARB lockers just under $2000
-Some 35-37 inch tires (still a toss up and far down the list for now)
-Air conditioning system minus compressor
-Rear track bar
-Front add a leaf to strengthen the stock spring pack since I SOA
-Possible rear disc conversion but will see how the brakes handle before then
-Replace some parts in the Warn 8274 winch I have

And here is what needs to happen to the HJ40 (BJ40)

-Grind off factory link mounts from 80 series axles and build new 4 link set up for rear and 3 link set up for front extending the wheelbase by over 12 inches $800-$1000 in link ends
-Build coil buckets on frame for both rear and front
-Set 12H-T engine and transmission in and build motor mounts and transmission mounts
-Reinforce the frame at the rear and build custom tube exo skel with custom tube front fenders/sliders/rear fenders/rear bumper/front bumper
-Remove body from frame and have frame blasted or acid dipped and either galvagnized or rhino lined
-Set up power steering box and steering shaft
-Do body work paint job/rhino line floor and bottom of tub
-ARB lockers front and rear regear to 5.29
-Air conditioning system minus compressor
-much more that I can't think of at the moment
-36-39 inch tall tires thinking I-rocks.

Both engines will have some tuning done to them by me to put out a little more power and torque. Both vehicles will be designed to run as a team for expiditions as well as extreme trails.

[canadian bum]

So this is what I can do when I go to work on them on November 11th.

-Work on the SOA more on the 45
-Body work on the 45
-Cut mounts off the 80 series axles

Or work on my 84 Supra truck wiring the engine that I will be selling to fund the cruisers.

So what should I do on the 11th haha.

[mookie]

I don't know how you do it! I can barely keep up with one project! I haven't even started my Hot Rod project...

[Winch]

So here is what needs to happen with the HD45 (FJ45)

-Hy steer kit for the front 60 series axle and mount powersteering box as well as come up with steering shaft set up

So, I take it that you will be using the FJ80 steering box? In my opinion these boxes are the best for any SAS or other steering mod, since the pitman arm faces forwards allowing for so much more room



And here is what needs to happen to the HJ40 (BJ40)

-Build coil buckets on frame for both rear and front


Well, in my opinion (and that of others), I do not recommend coils. Why don't you go with coilovers? I've never really seen any vehichle flex well with coils. :) I really think you will be much happier with coilovers in the long run - both on and off road - and even while fabricating.

[canadian bum]

Well I'm thinking remote locations and extreme distances I was thinking coil overs but to me they just seem to be an exclusive to a first world society. If and when I get into the third world I need something dependable that requires little to no maintenance when I'm gone.

[canadian bum]

I don't know how you do it! I can barely keep up with one project! I haven't even started my Hot Rod project...


It has taken a long time to build and aquire the parts I need to finish these. Writing up the list made me realize that I still have a ways to go. But I am getting closer.

[Kroll]

Wow, that is quite the project going on there John!

[canadian bum]

Yeah I know and I want the 45 done sometime next year. Lots left to spend on haha.

[CruiserD]

Sounds like you got your hands full. I'm jealous of your dedication

[canadian bum]

Yeah but they are pretty much my dream 4x4's so its not to hard to keep spending money and time on them.

[canadian bum]

Haven't accomplished much of anything today kinda having a lazy day. Probably just going to cut up some body for metal replacement.

[canadian bum]

Well drilling spot welds suck. Got a couple pics to show the very little progress I had today. I'm cutting all the way across the back of the cab.

[canadian bum]

Did some more body work today. And I am growing a hate for spot welds. At least I will get to have a break from that for a while and actually get to do some welding.

[RockDoc]

Just noticed the 400 liter fuel tank for the 45. You'll quite literally be able to drive for a day solid on a fill-up :)

[canadian bum]

Haha just remember it will have a diesel so I will get in the 20's for mileage not like those gas engines where 15 is a good day.

[canadian bum]

Researching 4 link suspensions as well as a Toybox from Marlin for the 40. Mmm... dual cases and diesel torque equals power to do some serious damage I like.

[freeze]

Hehe. I like too! Any photo updates?

[RockDoc]

Haha just remember it will have a diesel so I will get in the 20's for mileage not like those gas engines where 15 is a good day.

I've seen over 19, but 15-16 is the usual good day on the highway. In the city with the slushbox, I don't keep track cause I don't want to know.

[canadian bum]

Hehe. I like too! Any photo updates?

No haven't done anything constructive worth taking pics of. Any pics I do post are on ih8mud. I'm already running 2 build threads over there so I will just keep the pics on that site.

[RockDoc]

Any progress John?

[canadian bum]

Will be some made this weekend but I have rebuilt my rear cab mounts.

[canadian bum]

Well got some things done on both. Cut steering off 45 and cut the leaf spring mounts off the frame of the 40. Got the rear axle for the 40 cleaned up cut all the mounts off of it. Ran out of oxygen before I could get to the front axle. There was a lot of garbage on there.

[freeze]

http://i573.photobucket.com/albums/ss177/BeefyBeefo/ThreadWorthless.jpg

:D

[canadian bum]

Haha like previosly stated click the build thread links in my sig. I tried to keep build threads up to date on two sites and its just too much. So I will write here and you can check out on Ih8mud haha.

[canadian bum]

So doing some thinking and I'm going to need about 30g+ to finish them both. So I'm giving up... haha yeah right. I will be parts hunting and getting a ton of parts this year hopefully. Around 10g mark for 45 that one will be done this year hopefully.

[canadian bum]

Did some work on the rear axle this weekend. Almost warm enough to start body work. It will be painted and all the body work done for sure when it warms up. So I better get my parts ordered up shortly.

[canadian bum]

Crap. So I ran into a snag. Well not really. I was planning on running 35's but the pictures in the build thread tell it all. 35's look like donut spares when i mocked the fender in place. Meaning I'm going to have to step up to a 37 or 38. The two tires in battle are a 37x14.5R15 Toyo Open Country M/T or the 38x15.5R15 Nitto Mud Grappler. Lots of work and parts to buy yet.

[Muttle]

those are both very heavy tires, but out of the 2 personally would go with the Open Country's. I heard that the Nitto's don't last very long an don't work as well as you would think.

[91Runner]

those are both very heavy tires, but out of the 2 personally would go with the Open Country's. I heard that the Nitto's don't last very long an don't work as well as you would think.

I have heard similar things, and with the close to 800$ price tag per tire for 38's. Too much money!!

[canadian bum]

Yeah I am thinking the Nitto's are too wide. Probably end up on the Toyo's.

[fjtent]

For you my friend...just an idea :-)

[freeze]

Check out last months 4Wheeler or Peterson's tire test... Toyo's came second last (4th). You'll have to research who came in first!

[canadian bum]

Meh, doesn't really matter. I have seen the Toyo's in Competition and know they are tough. Plus there isn't much in the wider than 12.5 range. We got Corey's MTR's to finally work good had to play with pressures. They are so stiff that we dropped them down to 12 and then they started to work. They actually worked pretty good but we will see more this upcoming weekend. Tire tests in Magazines are kinda lame, They typically don't test to many and romp them through a mud pit. I go with what I see in the real world. I might even go with an Irock won't know till I need tires but I have a personal hook up for tires so we will see.