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FJ80-based 4-seater truggy build at Pacific Fabrication

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#224 · (Edited)
I gotta copy the exhaust. My 1fz w glass pack sounds like an jaguar Etype on meth amphetamine!

58153-60030

Part number for the tin that goes over that on the 93-94 models. Are trucks have the bolts on them still.

Yes , I admit to going on ih8mud.Com regularly :flipoff2:
 

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#225 ·
Receiver hitch is so low because it had to clear the spare tire, which is going to be mounted vertically behind the back seats. Not concerned about hitting or dragging on anything and it's the perfect height for most trailers, but will need to use something like an upside-down drop hitch to tow our military trailers.

Thanks for that part number. Need to get a full set of those heat deflecters.
 
#228 ·
Hadn't worked on the FJ80 in a while. Moved it a few weeks ago to make room in the driveway for Blackmore's chevy, but that's about it.

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Then my brother decided to race King of the Motos again, so I figured we might as well haul the truggy down there with us. Spent most of today trying to figure out what I want to try to get done before we leave on Friday. Decided that the first order of business should be bellypan protection, so I started working on this framework for a skidplate. Going to be welded to the trans crossmember and bolted to the frame up front using repurposed swaybar mounting brackets (still have to make a support for the passenger's side).

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#229 ·
Finished the passenger's side mount for the skidplate today. Went to a bit of trouble to make sure there's still enough room (just barely) to fit a link on top of the differential. Still a bit more work to do on this skidplate but it'll have to wait till after KOH.

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#230 · (Edited)
Was too busy working through everything I had to get done before KOH to update this thread, but was mostly just standard prep. Did purchase some 1" clevis mounts from 4WHEELSUPPLY so I could flat-tow the Land Cruisey down to KOH. The military clevis mounts are 1.25" wide and these are only 1", but adding 1/8" gussets will make them stronger and get me to the right width.

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My brother and I have a bunch of these military surplus towbars and we've used them to flat-tow all kinds of different vehicles. Probably well over 50,000 miles. Something went wrong less than a mile away from our house this time. Front wheels/tires flopped over to full-lock and smoked one of the front tires. Brand new Krawler just totally destroyed. Made me sick.

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We lengthened the towbar and tied-off the steering wheel to make sure it didn't happen again. Made it down to KOH and back without further incident, but something about that combination isn't working. Was really hard on the front tires. Hope we can figure it out because I'd really like to be able to flat-tow it but it's not worth burning-up tires. Had the same problem with my deuce and a half and adding caster fixed it.

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#231 · (Edited)
Got down there on Saturday afternoon and Rob was a little better prepared than previous years, so we took the Land Cruiser out and whoa! It was surprisingly fast, and handled great. Bilstein did a great job with the valving based on the specs PacFab gave them. Surprisingly fast (compared to our 4cyl long-travel Tacoma) and it's so plush we've started calling it the Land Cruisey.

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Watched the start of the race on Saturday morning and it was total mayhem, as usual. That was the last time I saw Rob all day.

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Chased the race for a while but ended up running some trails and folded the stock drag-link. Don't think it it actually took a hit, was just cruising through a semi-rough trail at a pretty good pace and could feel the forces the steering linkage was taking through the steering wheel. Knew it was taking a beating but... meh. Was able to kinda-sorta straighten it out enough to drive back to camp.

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Our parents were following the race online from home and sent word late in the afternoon that Rob had DNF'ed. Bummer. So we hung around camp until dark, waiting for him to get back. When he finally showed-up, just after dark, he told us that he'd just finished! Jimmy Lewis was sweeping the course and chesed him to the finish line, but he crossed just in time, along with another rider that he'd teamed-up with. So he's finished 2 out of the last 3 years now. Said the course was GNARLY this year though.

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#232 ·
Nobody in Hammertown had the right size tubing to sleeve the draglink and I didn't feel like sacrificing my brand new Hi-Lift handle, so I waited till RuffStuff got there and they helped me get it all sorted out. Talked with Dan about maybe bringing our mobile workshop trailer to help out next year. Those guys were doing an amazing job, helping racers and spectators alike, they were solving all kinds of problems. Definitely hooked me up. Thanks again guys.

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#233 ·
With the race over and the steering fixed, Rob and I spent the rest of the week rallying around and we hammered on the cruiser a lot harder than I thought we would, just because it took it all in stride. Forget when, but one afternoon we ran into Kevin from PacFab. While we were talking someone noticed that there was an oil leak and the source was obvious. Cracked oilpan. Looked like a tab on the axlehousing might have kissed it. That's weird, swear I cycled the shit outta the suspension and verified that there wasn't any kind of interference at full-compression.

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Oh... well that explains it. The lower shockmounts collapsed. Had just stuffed the frontend a few moments earlier when we got out of rhythm in some big whoops and that was almost certainly what did it.

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Fortunately caught it right away and barely lost any oil. Patched it with some quicksteel and called it good, but damn, not looking forward to fixing that. Those shockmounts should have been boxed, but didn't think we'd push it hard enough to matter on this trip. Dumbass.

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Only other incidents were trivial. Melted a bushing on one of the exhaust hangers. Got hung-up on the rear driveshaft and it needs to be re-tubed. Muffler took a hit. Drag-link bent. Again. Tie-rod ends actually bent the second time.

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Brought a lot of the playa home with us. And rust. Bitch is growing barnacles. But was really pleased with how it performed out there and intend to make time to finish-finish it. Working on the XRamblers right now and will probably finish Blackmore's truck next, but will be back to work on this soon.

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#234 ·
Where are your bump stops? Are they on the axle or are you using shaft mounted bumps? Shaft many bumps impart huge loads on your shock mounts. That's not to say you shouldn't do it, but you need to make sure your mounts are up to the task.

As far as the front tires wearing funny, do you have a locker in the front end? Check your caster and also are you running Hydro assist? These three can contribute to a lack of self centering.
 
#235 · (Edited)
Beat95YJ said:
Where are your bump stops?
Click to expand...
In a box in the garage. Hadn't got around to installing the hydraulic bumpstops. Want to install airbags in the rear too, and was waiting to do install the bumpstops so I could build mounts for both at the same time. Shaft-mounted bumpstops for now.

Beat95YJ said:
As far as the front tires wearing funny, do you have a locker in the front end? Check your caster and also are you running Hydro assist? These three can contribute to a lack of self centering.
Click to expand...
ARB up front. Think caster might have something to do with it. Would like to measure a stock cruiser, but would doubt this one is much taller. No hydro-assist yet, but that's on the list of things to do. Not that it will help with this problem. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
#236 ·
Anybody have a good source for universal windshield wiper motors? Need to put windshields and wipers in this thing so I can drive it on the street. Haven't ruled-out reusing the stock ww motor and linkage, just wondering what my options are.

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#237 ·
jesusgatos said:
Anybody have a good source for universal windshield wiper motors? Need to put windshields and wipers in this thing so I can drive it on the street. Haven't ruled-out reusing the stock ww motor and linkage, just wondering what my options are.
Click to expand...
Maybe look into an older cj style wiper motors that mount on the top of the window frame. I believe they are all self contained
 
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