FJ40 I call Shipwreck

[STINEY]

Good point. You are packing lots more pounds than this ride was. He did tip the scales at #3300 i believe, but you are surely going to be over that, especially with a potential rescue'd person.....and Buick!

[SuperBuickGuy]

I've seen that front bar fold on not-terribly-difficult stuff... most people make them pretty, the problem is they don't take a lesson from Ford - the arms on the Ford are 1) cast iron, and 2) isolated in material that will give a bit to take the shock. Those have no where to give - so, if it doesn't fold right behind that weld, it will shear at the frame attachment. As you can imagine, that doesn't happen in a time or space where a minor catastrophe will happen...

[Deaf Bob]

Nope, Mr Murphy will make sure it is in the deepest mud or on the steepest hill!

[SuperBuickGuy]

so I still don't have the front axle back, but if I don't get it this week plan b is to send it to Currie in California and let them do it... so this makes this step a bit difficult.
Headers


on the driver's side, I need the header to move out but not get in the way of the steering box or shaft



on the passenger side, plan A is simply 90 over then 90 down... plan B, which has the benefit of not having to wait for more tube, is to cut each outlet and taper the pipe back to cylinder 8.... won't be working much on this tomorrow night, so some thought will have time to jell.

[SuperBuickGuy]

got a few more parts in today.... and noticed an issue; fortunately, the digital camera picture picked up something that's impossible to see IRL.



so I went to put the new end in, and it's tight.... and impossibly tight on the other end... wtf?

this gave me the clue as to what's up

if you look at the rough cut one, it's thicker walled than the one on the left

but in this picture you can see the shadow of where it's flowed together.... I have to cut another 2" at least off the tubes; so I'll be able to press the end in without machining... yay

[Deaf Bob]

Or just taper the tubes ...
You should have a machine for THAT, right? .

[SuperBuickGuy]

I was looking at how hard it would be to blow the welds out, push the tubes out with a bottle jack, then re-tube it... hopefully, I won't have to. I need to get some 14 bolt spindles so I can do a measurement.

[SuperBuickGuy]

a borrowed hub


and now I have the dimension


and cut


it's good news/bad news good news is one side fits loosely... bad news is the other side doesn't fit at all... ah well, I have a plan....

[SuperBuickGuy]

more fitting and fiddling


I'm not sure what this side will look like


but I do have an idea for the other side

[SuperBuickGuy]

more header work

[SuperBuickGuy]

I always picture a "Binky thinking" moment when I do this stuff... but no more for the passenger side, it's done




so here we go.... tentative place for steering box


or here


or maybe here


flatter?


front view


back to where I started


wait a minute how about I draw this out


so here's the deal, everything needs to move in parallel - the panhard bar will have to move with the steering rod, the steering arms need to move in parallel with the pitman arm... and to do that the pitman needs to be the same length as the steering arms and the pivot point of the steering box needs to be 90* and centered on the axle.... which simply isn't possible (axle travels on an arch, and the shock needs to go in the place where the steering box would reside).... so a compromise has to occur... so far, I'll move the box forward and tilt the pivot towards the rear/center of the axle... remember, the axle is travelling on an arch - and in my build, I'm going 4" up, 8" downward trave - so the true center has to be the mid-point of the typical suspension movement....as it's going down further than up, I have to cheat to the rear of the centerline... but not too much otherwise it will wander all over the road.... with 38-40" tires and link arms that are _____" long.... anyway, boring, but to get a vehicle to drive straight down the street or dirt road.... all of this to figure out where the tube for #1 cylinder is going to live.... fun, no?

[Beagle]

stick 'em through the hood and put some flappers on them. DeafBob should have a set for ya.

[DanStokes]

Just poke 'em thru the front fenders. Legal in LSR Gas classes. I'm sure the officer will understand.

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

more header work




so there is a slight problem, I need to move the header closer to the frame


no big deal

[74NovaMan]

Looking good.