FJ40 I call Shipwreck

[SuperBuickGuy]

so the original plan was to reinstall the rear differential permanently tonight... yeah, right


first issue was I painted most of it, so I got to paint the rest of it tonight - and since my day job kind of requires not having paint adhered to me, that meant I had to do other stuff
so painted hubs and installed new seals


the way I move 700# axles by myself


the the issue... I never finished mocking up the shocks and found I have one major issue and one minor one - the driver's side shock hits on the frame... so first, make sure the axle is centered


it wasn't, but centering it helped the issue but didn't fix it.
and put the driveshaft back in (mostly to get it off my bench) and I found a minor problem... the nut I was wondering why it was on the floor... is one for the U-straps... dagnabit


So I fixed the hitting issue by offsetting the shocks with new spacers, but it brings up another issue that I'm still not sure how I'm going to mitigate.... I should have bought remote reservoirs for the rear and non-remote for the front - instead of the opposite. The reservoir can twist and hit the frame.... so I dunno how I'm going to solve that issue... oh well, if it were easy, then the Jeep guys would do it.

[Deaf Bob]

ROFLMAO.......if it was easy, the Jeep guys.... HAHAHA.

[STINEY]

...

[SuperBuickGuy]

Now I have a 4x4... no pictures, it's not like anyone reads this ;)

[Deaf Bob]

Hell, you are the only one in my time zone... It dies at 7 pm our time unless you post!

[yellomalibu]

As others have said, I follow this thread even though I don't post every time.

[DanStokes]

I'm watching, too. Don't have much to add given that I'm not an off-road type. You guys start talking various axles and you might as well be speaking Klingon to me. Still an interesting build!

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

sheesh, it was a joke (thus the smiley face).... I was too lazy to come back up and get my camera last night to snap a picture.

[Beagle]

sheesh, it was a joke (thus the smiley face).... I was too lazy to come back up and get my camera last night to snap a picture.

no pictures. Doesn't exist.



oh. oh yeah. I forgot...

[SuperBuickGuy]

Hmmm... from the collection of Beagle... it's okay Beags, we won't judge you (to your face).

in other news... this is interesting (ICON)


I really like the use of the spare-tire clamp for the windshield but I'm still not convinced that knobs are the way to go. On top of that, removing the lower dash pad doesn't seem like a terribly good idea.

[STINEY]

Is it just me or is that roll bar on backwards?




















That multi-gauge panel is pretty cool. Little busy with the black face thing, but the gauge part is neat.

All that work and then shove an AutoZone style add-on rocker switch thingy below the dash right where your right knee will hit it? Really?

Personally I like old-fashioned heavy-duty stainless steel toggles. The ones with a nice audible "Snap" when you flick them.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I don't get that - $120,000 (or more) for an ICON FJ44, and they couldn't come up with custom switches?

what I don't get is why they don't use these (like I'm doing)


not busy, works with electronic speedo sender, and is easy to read.

[STINEY]

Now those I really like!

Wonder if they would be compatible with the '94 Chevy truck harness? Inputs from computer....hmmm must research.....

[SuperBuickGuy]

cool part is, if you compare it to buying separate gauges and senders, it's quite a good value.

[kilian22]

holy crap buickman!

i just got done going through all 60 pages, i'll admit i didn't see the build until they did post it on the main page ( check the main page every day for last couple years but never the forums)

Got to say, What a AWESOME job you have done documenting everything you have done to this truck. i love the pictures and the ideas and the fact that you change your mind as you go. a sign of a true tinker doing it by himself.

I think anyone who would bash a build like this, bad welding, wrong color, not original. or any of that negative crap has never actually BUILT anything themselves. Every ones a genius master fabricator online i've learned.

i don't have a build quite as cool as yours but here is mine if anyone would like to skim through it (its very short) http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...ams-in-83-320i

i just got done putting a ls in a old square body, i don't do the extensive work that you do but i try with what i got.

i'm super jealous of this build, and would absolutely love to go wheeling with you out there in washington, i live in the Illinois desert, nothing but cornfields here.

sorry for the long post i just wanted to give you a lil recognition from a fellow nobody.

keep up the good work, we are all watching.

wade