Hi all,
I'm looking to buy my first Cruiser. What I am wondering is what you would look for in a 60, or a 62. I'm leaning towards the fj62, but if I find that everyone recommends a 60, then I'll probably go that route. I also understand that the Birfields are probably the weakest link on these trucks, and they are lacking a bit of power. Is there anything in particular that I should watch for with the Auto trans? Which trannies came in these trucks? Thanks in advance,
Matt Cetlinski
Colorado.

first question

do you wheel, moderate-plus to hard core?

if no, then you will never break a birfield.

#1 consideration, rust. Wheel wells (rear), drop gate, and rear frame. If found here find another truck if you think you might be able to repair it.

#2 mileage. 20,000 miles on a rebuilt engine means nothing. If there are 230,000 miles on drivetrain everything may need work. I'd shoot for 140-160K ideally or less

For a number of reasons I cannot go into detail here on, if you are really going after an FJ60, get an April 1985 or later- many more common items into 1990 models vs the earlier trucks. 1981/2 are the worst for non interchange. For daily driver I would instantly install a new H55 Toyota 5 speed ($1,800-$2,000) right off (a drop in for the '85+). Smog must be working on the 60 for your area requirements or you could spend $1K's.

FJ62's are a little nicer. Auto (A440) is ok unit. bewarned, many 62's get 10 mpg worse than FJ60's by 2-3. You can put a H55 in a 62, but will cost $3,000+ for parts and fitting clutch stuff.

i have a 84 fj60
mine has 265,000 never been touched. it still runs great
2f has tons of torque for trail..
dose lack canyon climbing skills, i can do like 55 is all up most steep inclines, however i have 37's and 4.88 gears
axels and rest of running gear is really tuff.. aslong as axels dont wrap.. birfield are weak link, however longfields are a great solution, but if you dont have locker in front you will never break a stock birf..

mine currently has on front locker and stock birfs and it takes tons of abuse, but i am changing to longfied and a locker soon.

As Rick asked what kind of wheelin' you planning on is you first question. If it is light to almost none then I would say consider the 62. I currently own one and as a daily driver it works quite well. The auto tranny is as bullet proof as an auto can get and the twin sway bars( on road only) are a big help in the cornering dept. for this pig. I have run some 4 rated trails with a few 62 when I still had my 40 and they all wheeled with the best of them with a few mods. The 3 fe is a good engine but it does make less torque then the 2f and the Auto robbs power.

The mileage thing is a different for each truck, but my solution to this problem was to order a extented range tank from Man it ain't free as they were the only one who had one when I needed it. These trucks, the 60/62 both make great expidition rigs and if that is what you want then buy the best 60 or 62 you can find and go from there. If you has a direct question on the wagons let us know.

six of one half dozen of the other the basic drive train is the same but the 62's i dive were slower than 60(autos) that were set up the same but you do get the neat power stuff( locks and window)
get a 60 and put 62 mirrors on it and call it good:D i like the round head lights better too... but i'm a redneck

http://www.texasoffroad.net/files/62323-tlc%201%20a.jpg :D

I love my 60, the 62 just added creature comforts in my opinion and even though I'de like to have fuel injection I don't want the auto tranny.

:D

The Intention is to do some light wheeling at first. It'll mainly start as a daily driver. Then after I finish with the current home improvement projects that are on the honey-do list, I'll start building it for the mid to somewhat heavy wheeling. So in the end it'll be a daily driver for atleast 1 year, maybe 2. So far it seems that everyone is leaning towards the fj60 as the better of two.

The 3F actually produces more torque and HP, but at higher RPMs. The only FJ62 I've ever driven had a FJ60 4 speed put into it and it knocked the socks off a regular old FJ60. 60s are great trucks, I've had three. I'd certainly consider the 62 also, but I would also immediately scrap the auto for the 5 speed. Almost all clutch parts except for maybe the flywheel can be used from a FJ60, pedals, master cyl etc. I would consider the two pretty equivalent other than the tranny. There is a guy on the diesel list who (maybe a somewhat outragious claim), has said that the A440F (auto tranny in 62s/early 80s) robs as much as 45% of the torque to the wheels. I'm thinking maybe that's why that 62 was so much more powerful than the 60.

Also, to fix the birfield problem there a couple companies that make aftermarket Birfields which are much stronger. Generally if you try to not get into sticky situations with your wheels totally turned (the birfield's most vulnerable position) then you will most likely be OK.

I have owned 2 FJ60s, an '82 bought used and an '84 bought new (still own the '84). The '84 was my daily driver for a while, then my sons drove it to school for 5 years. I've also taken it 4-wheeling on some pretty rough trails over its life, most places I took it you wouldn't think any long wheelbase vehicle would go. For their size, they're very nimble offroad once you get the feel of them.

The '84's all stock, but I run BFG 33X9.50 ATs to gain some ground clearance. These tires fit well with no lift. Unless you plan on doing any serious rock crawling, in my opinion, the stock vehicle works great.

If you havent already purchased a 60 series... I have my 1988 FJ62 up forsale now... just send me an email for more information.

http://groups.msn.com/88FJ62/88fj62.msnw

Here is a link to some photo's I took of my FJ62... I am asking 6500 usd obo for it. If you are interested or have some questions just send me an email or pm.

Dave

Originally posted by rick d
first question

#For a number of reasons I cannot go into detail here on, if you are really going after an FJ60, get an April 1985 or later- many more common items into 1990 models vs the earlier trucks. 1981/2 are the worst for non interchange. For daily driver I would instantly install a new H55 Toyota 5 speed ($1,800-$2,000) right off (a drop in for the '85+). Smog must be working on the 60 for your area requirements or you could spend $1K's.



could you please elaborate on the 4/85 and up issues. i have seen one on ebya with teh H55 5 speed conversion. i believe he claimed he got it in from japan. how tough is it to convert to the 5 speed. what are the ratios of the 4 versus the 5 speed? with all this, it sounds like everyone is still saying that the carbed 60 is still better than EFI with auto trans and the creature comforts of a 62.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1873157703

what about this? any thoughts on what you folks think it is worth? it already has the 5 speed conversion. i am looking for a daily driver while i SAS my T100. i want something that keep going like the energizer bunny and keep its value. then i may build it up, too. is a SOA the first thing to get lift on teh FJ60?