Project "Misfit" 84 FJ60

**Fordguy77** · October 18th, 2010

So after more research, and some thinking i have decided to go with either a Ford 302 or a Ford 351Windsor. The cost of the conversion kit for them is the same as a the chevy 350. I am more familiar with the ford motors, and can find a early 80s bronco with either motor for fairly cheap so i could get the entire setup, instead of having to piece it together. They are also both lighter than a Ford 300 I6, and offer more room inside the engine compartment. This mod looks to be scheduled for some time around march or April.

**Fordguy77** · October 18th, 2010

The next mod/repair on the FJ60 is going to be rebuilding the front axle. The drivers side knuckle is starting to leak a little grease and it seems like the axle seal might be going out as well. Right now i am just keeping an eye on it, making sure the grease and diff fluid levels stay good. Once i get the ranger back up and running, i am just going to pull the front axle out from underneath the FJ and rebuild it. It seems like it would be easier that way, than doing it in place.

October 19th, 2010

Hey Chris-Just some thoughts coming from someone who has rebuilt a mess of Yota axles:

Get a axle rebuild kit from Marlin, All Pro, TG, DavezOffRoad, etc. All these kits have all the goodies and cost considerably less than the parts cost at Yota. Toyota doesn't even have a "kit" per se, and you have to buy individual parts, costing over $200.
Get the Marlin Crawler upgraded axle seals. These are way better than the stock seals, will take more off road abuse, and are pretty inexpensive.
Get the Bobby Longfield lifetime wiper seals. These replace the stock felt seals that are so much a PITA.
Save yourself a little grief and replace the inner knuckle bolts with studs. These are the bolts that hold everything together on the inner(round)part of the knuckle. Replacing them with studs allows you to slid all the gasket pieces and parts over the studs, lining them up. The studs can be purchased cheaply at AA Hardware, pretty much any ACE, or AAA Metric. This is the part on Yota axle rebuilds that everyone feels like 3 hands aren't quite enough. With the studs, everything lines up.
Get the heavy duty replacement rock rings from TG.
Get the cheapo 3/8" hub wrench from TG (I think) it is only about $10 or so and allows you to use a 3/8" socket on the hub. Since you are only dealing with 43 pound torque, you don't need anything that takes a 1/2".
If you want to do the hub stud/bolt upgrade, go to McGuckins Hardware in Boulder or AAA Metric and get the 12.8 hardness upgrade bolts/studs for less than a buck apiece. I found an allen head 12.8 bolt at McGuckins for $.63 that works fine and is considerably stronger than the stock hub bolts. It is also quite a bit cheaper than the $80 ARP upgrade that is offered by many companies. Running slightly oversize tires, this is probably overkill, but for $16-20 is worth the piece of mind. With the tires on my rig and being locked, I blew off three hubs, shearing everything, before I did this and have had no trouble since.
Soak the hub nuts down with PB, too, as the cone washers here (as well as the cone washers in the steering arm nuts) are a royal PITA to get loose and out.
Liberally coat all the cone washers with anti-seize when you put it all back together.

Soak the steering arm knuckle bolts down with PB Blaster, starting a week before you start the taking it apart. Hose down the whole area. These are the biggest PITA to deal with on the whole rebuild. Get a small fine blade flat head screwdriver. If the cone washers in the steering arms don't want to play nice (and they usually don't) loosen the cones as much as possible by tapping (a brass hammer works well) the top of the stud, soaking them again with PB, then find the slot in the cone washer. Take the screwdriver and gently tap the screwdriver into the slot to spread it a little and start wiggling the cone around, Eventually it will end up loose enough to come out.
Count the shims that are under the steering knuckle arms and knuckle bearing plates. Keep these in order and located top to bottom where they go. Put them back in the same places. This save considerable grief.
Pack the knuckle ball and the birfield joints with grease. When the axle is back in, pack more grease around before you stick the rotor on. There is a square nut on the top front side of the knuckles. When the unit is back together, take this nut off and send some more grease down into the hub.
This isn't like an American rig where you can crank the wheel bearing down to where the rotor doesn't spin, then back them off a bit. See the 43fp of torque/3/8". DO the 43fp preset on the bearings a few times to force the grease into the bearings, then button them up.

Bunch of good article in the Yota Make and Model thread on rebuilding the axles. Don't pay too much attention to the "fish scale" stuff. I would only use this if you either mixed and matched parts from different axles, mixed the shims up, or replaced all of the knuckle bearings and races. Even then it isn't that critical...

It may be marginally easier rebuilding it off the rig, but it isn't that big a deal to do it on the rig. I wouldn't bother taking the whole thing off unless you wanted to take the whole thing down and get some good coats of paint on it. If this is the first Yota axle you have done, I would do one side the "real way" and practice the Birfield quick repair/trail fix on the other side. Both are detailed in the Yota Make and Model thread or you can Google "Birfield Trail Fix" and probably be directed to the Yota FAQ on Pirate 4x4 where this is located. This is also linked in the Toyota FAQ in the Yota Make and Model on this site. If you do take the whole axle out, it would be a good time to add an addition hole to the backside of the spring perch if the perches you have don't have 3 holes. This will allow you to relocate the axle forward roughly an inch. Leave about 3/8" spacing between the holes if you have to drill new ones.

I have the hub wrench if you just want to borrow one..Also a mess of spare parts if you happen to lose something.

October 19th, 2010

I actually wish I had left my axle on the truck for the rebuild. I pulled it out because I added a truss and knuckle gussets and its easier to weld. That said, its much more stable and easier to work with on the rig IMHO. I set it on jack stands, and it was falling all over the place and was just a pain in the butt. I say jack it up, get yourself a comfy chair to sit in, and go to town. Let me me know if you want any help too. I also have the 54/55mm "socket" you'll need for that. If you want to purchase one, they have them at Toolking off of 6th between Kipling and Sims.

I agree with Brody, especially with going with the Marlin axle seals. They are way easier to install and are much much higher quality. Also, unless things have a changed (and I haven't heard anything to say they have), if you go with a Trail Gear rebuild kit, DO NOT USE THEIR TRUNNION BEARINGS!!! They are chinese made crap, and will almost certainly fail. Go with high quality Koyo or Timken bearings. Thats a bad day on the trail if those break.

Lastly, if you do get the Longfield lifetime wipers, I would consider getting slightly longer and harder bolts (they are tiny). I broke at least one trying to get the seal tight. Its definitely much stiffer then the stock style, and a bit thicker too.

Good luck, and get ready to be really really greasy.

**Chris** · October 19th, 2010

I also say leave it on Chris and have the socket/FSM etc if you need them. They go with my truck so might be gone soon though.

**Fordguy77** · October 19th, 2010

If i do take it off i was going to fab up 2 stands up with a cradle and a u-bolt to hold the axle still. Also i planned to make the stand adjustable height so it could be worked on comfortably. I might be re-gearing as well, but i am not sure yet. I think it might be a good idea to learn to do it in place.

**Fordguy77** · October 29th, 2010

In other news, i did manage to pick up a Assuie Inclinometer for the FJ60 Today at a great deal!!!!!!!
Heres a pic of what it will look like installed.

**Mporter** · October 29th, 2010

many jealous

**Chris** · October 29th, 2010

Are you going to be looking at the inclinometer when you hit 35 degrees, Chris?

**Rob** · October 29th, 2010

Probably (like me) only if he's sitting still at 35 degrees and can't move.

October 30th, 2010

If i do take it off i was going to fab up 2 stands up with a cradle and a u-bolt to hold the axle still. Also i planned to make the stand adjustable height so it could be worked on comfortably. I might be re-gearing as well, but i am not sure yet. I think it might be a good idea to learn to do it in place.

Both have their merits, but if you were going to take it completely out, it would sure be a great time to do some basic axle housing gussets and clean up all the springs. You can either make the gussets out of some 2 1/2x2 1/2 stock or 2x3 stock or, even better, pick up some plain Jane gussets form Davez Off Road. Don't get any with the cutesy holes or Yota cut outs. These are merely rust makers.

If you do go this route, I would take my spring packs apart and run them down to Midwest Spring where they will re arch your springs for $7-8 a leaf. They will also make an add a leaf, you cut to fit, with a centered hole for $60. Should you want to mess with some diff armor, I have a 60 diff template cover you can borrow. If you don't want to cut the ring plate yourself, Altitude Steel gave me a quote of $40 to make one.

Just some thoughts...

**Fordguy77** · November 1st, 2010

I've made a few more decisions.
I am going to do a SOA for my suspension, and from what i have been reading that should yield around 6"s of left with the stock springs. I have been reading up on a few of the more popular FJ60 SOA builds and have decided i will solve the steering issues involved with it the Hi steer kit from all road. I have found a few SOA kits for the 60, for around 450-700 dollars. The money i save here is more than enough to pay for the Hi steer from all road, and still be cheaper than a 4" lift. I am still nervous about the COG being to high, but i have been reading and seen a bunch of people who do the ome 4in then within a few years go to the soa setup. So i'd like to just jump right to the SOA. This set up should also allow me to clear 35's with minimal to no trimming.
I am going to remove the axles completely for the knuckle rebuild as i will have to do this for the SOA conversion. I plan on regearing to at least 4.56s if not 4.88(recommended by chris and have seen a few posts on mud about this) and i would like to install a locker in at least the rear axle if not both.(Lockers depend on how big my vacation check actually is this year)
I am debating on whether or not i need to stepup to stronger axles to run 35's or not.
Now just waiting for the money to come through.
The body might be coming off for this, so a bare minimal restoration can be performed to help keep this rig around for some while.
Any comments/concerns/suggestions are more than welcome. Especially in regards to the SOA conversion vs SUA

**Robert B** · November 1st, 2010

just rip every thing apart and restore/build it overkill

ill help if you want even

**Chris** · November 1st, 2010

Fordboy77 previously posted:

November 3rd, 2010

Like what Chris (the old dude with the new 4Runner) said: people who rolled the 60s probably all had the SOAs. They also probably tried to drive the rig like they didn't...Anytime you lift a rig higher than stock, whether it is with an SOA, suspension, body lifts, blocks, bigger tires, etc, etc, you are going to change the physics of the way it handles and you damn sure need to realize this before you hike that corner at 65 when the sign says 35, or stab the brakes as you turn the wheel....

4:88s work very well with 37 inch tires. 4:56 gears are on the low edge of the "work very well with 37 inch tires" spectrum. 4:88s are on the low end of the 35" tires, too, but will work OK.

Your stock axles are plenty strong enough to run 35s and even 37s. 37s without upgrading to a Longfield hardened axle are pushing things a bit.

A Locker in the rear is going to get you a long way. If there is any way that you can just do the rear locker, by all means do so. You will find that you can run many trails in 2WD with a locked rear. I would spend the money for the rear locker and if there was extra $$ left for the front locker, I would throw that towards a lowered geared T case.

**Fordguy77** · November 5th, 2010

Brody previously posted:

November 6th, 2010

I posted some links for you in the "SOA" thread for tires, gearing options and T case reduction units and gears.

**Fordguy77** · December 21st, 2010

Well the FJ60 Is officially mine! Its last run for a good while is going to be on Miller Rock. After that and i have the ranger back its going under for some major surgery. Its a good cross between restro and modifications.
Overview* is-
Ford 351W Swap
Yota 5speed Swap
Interior Restro
Rust Prevention
SOA Conversion
LOTS OF LOTS OF ARMOR
Hi Steer
Re-gear
Dual T-Cases
Lockers
Half Doors/Tube Doors
Exo Cage
*Not listed in order to be perfromed

No worries though because i will have the 77 Back on the trails for the FJs down time seeing as how long and $$$ this last seems to be. I have permission from katey to build ONE rig for Camping/Off Roading only and i believe the FJ is my best candidate for these goals.

**Rob** · December 21st, 2010

Wow, that's quite a list. How long will it be down?

**Fordguy77** · December 21st, 2010

DrOldUnit previously posted:

Front Range 4x4 Upcoming Trail Runs - Add a New Trail Run

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