If I have a stock 69 FJ40, then Do I have Birfields? or Hubs or what? Or Am I always rolling with hubs locked?

Ah Yes??? :D

You have birfields instead of u-joints IN the front axle, and you have hubs that lock in, or unlock your front axle. When the hubs are locked, the front end is always spinning regardless of whether or not you are in 4 wheel drive.

I believe very early Cruisers had those ball & fork type of joints, not birfs. I have no idea what year they discontinued those though. Also the locking hubs I thought were a dealer installed option. So you might have just plates. What do the hubs look like on the beast? Can you turn the dial and unlock them or are they plate covers just bolted to where the hubs would go.

And by the way the only stupid question is the one not asked or one that you already know the answer to.

:flipoff2:

They switched to Birfields in 68.

See I don't see any hubs up there so they must be the plates.

@ least no hubs that I recognize as hubs. Nothing to lock or unlock

Originally posted by ccla
See I don't see any hubs up there so they must be the plates.

@ least no hubs that I recognize as hubs. Nothing to lock or unlock

What month production is your cruiser? I have a March of 69 FJ-40 and it has hubs and Birfields up front.

Yep, I think the ball joint front ended sometime in 68 so you are the proud owner of course spline birfields (not great but better than the ball joint style) and, from your description, you have drive plates rather than freewheeling hubs. (probably indestructible but you always have the front drive gears turning). I'm going to make a prediction here - there is a front mini disc swap with mini hubs in your future.

68 was the last year of the ball-joint front axle shafts

My 69 had the ancient lever-style lockouts on it....you physically took two levers on each hub, opened them, twisted them, and relocked them. (H pattern look) VERY primitive version of the twist style lockout we are familiar with now.

IIRC, these were Selectro hubs...

I have a '68 with locking Warn hubs, they're damn old though, would they be a dealer option or put on later by a previous owner? And one of you says that the birfield switch was mid 68 another says 68 was the last year. Who's right?

You may have the old selectro hubs on it,if so you need to grab the whole thing and turn it. That would be my guesse

let me know if you need a set of hubs. i got a pair of selectros that you can have for cheap!
the only other stupid question is one not asked!
:D

No, they say warn and you only turn the inside section to lock them, not the entire hub. But do I have the (in)famous birfield or no?

joel

According to my Spectre catalog, the ball joint axle was used from 1958 until 1967....birfield-style axles from 1968 until January of 1998.

A quick look at SOR.com outta confirm that.

67 is the last year of the ball style...
But, depending on when the truck was shipped etc. you could have a 67 labled 68....

I had a 78 once that was labled a 79...
Gas tank UNDER body, 4:10s etc.
So, it was a 78 but not according to the title and the title was correct according to the USA

Cory

Cory, this was a common practice for Toyota during transition years (1961, 1968, 1974, 1978), you're not the only person I've heard that had a "1979" that was really a 1978. I believe that 1978 was the model-year with the longest production run of any FJ40.
Another of Toyota's annoying practices evident during transition years was using up older parts as the newer vehicles were assembled, so it's not uncommon to find oddball parts that aren't supposed to be there. A few years ago I saw an unmolested 1979 FJ40 with the right tub, factory P/S, etc, but with a round bezel. It was clearly stock, nothing had been touched on the truck. One of those things, you know?

Originally posted by 60seriesguy
Cory, this was a common practice for Toyota during transition years (1961, 1968, 1974, 1978), you're not the only person I've heard that had a "1979" that was really a 1978. I believe that 1978 was the model-year with the longest production run of any FJ40.
Another of Toyota's annoying practices evident during transition years was using up older parts as the newer vehicles were assembled, so it's not uncommon to find oddball parts that aren't supposed to be there. A few years ago I saw an unmolested 1979 FJ40 with the right tub, factory P/S, etc, but with a round bezel. It was clearly stock, nothing had been touched on the truck. One of those things, you know?

Interesting, My dec 78 Cruiser had the square bezel, gas tank under the floor and the parking brake on the dash!!!

There you go! Normally, a 12/78 is considered a 1979, and yours displays *most* of the characteristics of a 1979, except that the brake handle should be between the seats, right?

Yep ou got it. Although now it is the bastard child of a dozen or more landcruisers. The tub is off of a 74, the fenders (what is left of them) are just plain old. The bezel is still square though ;-)


I love watching LC fanatics trying to figure out what year it is :D