Topic: The Low and Slow Tennessee Build Thread

[dbbowen]

Can any of you fellas help me out with bump stops for the front axle? The allpro kit comes with the actual rubber bump stops, but it doesn't look like it comes with the tower that it "bumps"  into. Any ideas? Anyone have  any pics of their set up?

[dbbowen [OP]]

So I got home and made a little progress tonight. Yesterday, I got the entire axle clean, inner tubes and all. I basically poured degreaser into it and duct taped a toilet bowl cleaner to a stick and pushed it all in the inner axle, then pressure washed the daylights out of it. So much gunk came out.



Went to Home Depot and bought this awesome contraption, wire wheel thing. I swear theres a tool for everything.




Took the wire wheel to the whole axle. Here is the finished product, doesnt look like much, but compare it to the original photos from page #1 on the thread and its all shiny and silver.




After some painters tape and 2 coats of primer:



And 2 coats of Rustoleum "Hammered Black" paint. I might go back tomorrow and hit it with one or two more coats.




The easy part is done. Now on to doing the same thing to the knuckles and hubs!

Oh also, If you couldnt tell... I upped my light game. My neighbor loaned me his work light, its the kind that gets to be like a million degrees and burns the daylights out of you when you accidentally touch it. Its stupid bright though!

[redneckcustoms13]

I can tell you from experience of wheeling our area. You can never put too much paint on a front axle. All the shrubbery and dirt we run over takes them to bare metal quick.

[dbbowen [OP]]

I can tell you from experience of wheeling our area. You can never put too much paint on a front axle. All the shrubbery and dirt we run over takes them to bare metal quick.

Welp, looks like ill be going back tonight for coats 3 and 4 lol. I guess the knuckles and hubs will be getting the same treatment. So far its got 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint. hopefully after tonight ill be good. My Jeep friend told me to powder coat.... but his jeep has 20 inch wheels and does not see dirt. I dont think im going to take much of his advice

[:)bestgen4runner]

Just a suggestion but consider the brush on paint. I have experienced far better results, and You can lay it on thick. 
Plus there is no overspray.

[dbbowen [OP]]

Just a suggestion but consider the brush on paint. I have experienced far better results, and You can lay it on thick. 
Plus there is no overspray.

Think I could use the brush on over what I've already sprayed?

[:)bestgen4runner]

Think I could use the brush on over what I've already sprayed?

Yep, should not be a problem. Then When You scratch the hell out of it wheeling all You have to do is brush on more over the scratches. 

[dbbowen [OP]]

Got some parts in today... Truss/dif armor, 2 diff breather extension kits (at this point, any easy way out is cool with me), oem transfer case mount for the dual case crossmember, speedo extension (only trail gear part of my build), knuckle preload scale, 54mm socket, and this neat little grinder bit. Its for grinding  the knuckle balls if you need to. Still waiting on my budbuilt crossmember... Youd think them being in tennessee would make shipping pretty quick.

Spoke with a few of the folks at marlin. They are able to order and drop ship the allpro sas kit and rear kit for me so I only have to pay one place. They are not charging me shipping and throwing in an elocker guard for the free! So, Ill order my hp elocker diff in 5.29 (they already built it... just waiting on me to order), Sliders, allpro front and rear, and 54mm nuts from them here soon. After that, I should have all of the parts I need! Except for the marlin ultimate axle rebuild kit that I asked for christmas.



Ive gotten a RIDICULOUS amount of cleaning done. I didnt really take any pictures because my entire upper body was covered in grease and whatnot. All of the hub and knuckle parts and bolts are now grease/mystery crud free.




This is the only pic I got.

[redneckcustoms13]

Your shop dog sure looks like a cat.

[dbbowen [OP]]

haha my fiances cat loves messing with the pile of parts in my spare bedroom. It hangs out in the boxes

[dbbowen [OP]]

Alrighty yall, sorry I havent posted in a while.... It has mainly been a lot and a lot of cleaning and painting and no one really cares about that. Ive gotten in some more parts:

Marlin full axle rebuild kit
Allpro Sliders
Third gaskets and new brake hard lines
Bumpstop extensions etc.
Crossmember
Misc shifter boots
My HP Elocker third will be here Monday as well as some hardware and stuff.
Still waiting on my Dual case to be built, no worries I told them it wasnt the biggest rush because I have to get this axle back together first, and Im running out of places to put things
SAS and Rear were ordered through Marlin from Allpro and whenever Allpro decides to ship it out I can get the brakes and High steer onto the axle.

Ive got the primer and 2 coats of black enamel on the dual case crossmember/skid, going to go with one more coat on there and call it good.



If you havent been able to tell, I dont have very much space, so Im painting my sliders in my neighbors garage down the street. They have a coat of primer and the first coat of black enamel on them now. The only pic I have of them is bare metal.




My home brew backing plate eliminator kit. I accidentally cut one of the hard brake lines with the grinder so I replaced both of them.




And this morning before work I started getting the hubs back together. Marlins kit didnt come with the O rings for the hub dials so I ordered them from lowrange for the cheap. Once they get here Ill get the hubs fully back together. Idk if you can tell, but those are RCV Chromo hub gears in there..




Once the O rings get here, Ill get these back together first, then work on knocking the new Bearing races into the steering knuckles and Spindle. That way when it comes time to put things back together it goes smooth.

I still need to weld on the Diff Cover, Axle Truss, and cut the housing for the third member before I can really get it back together so Im kind of at a standstill.

[OVRAROK]

looking good, sounds like a nice selection of parts. 

[dbbowen [OP]]

yeah I decided against the trail gear kit after talking to a few people. I'm exited to get this all together, I've been waiting on parts for a while. No word from allpro on shipping the lift kits :/ I'm sure it will be next week sometime. Sqwadoosh has me worried lol

[OVRAROK]

Are you planning on attending the round up. Would like to see this build in person

[dbbowen [OP]]

Are you planning on attending the round up. Would like to see this build in person

The marlin roundup, or the lone star cruisers round up? I unfortunately can't make it to California this year. Was hoping in 2018. It's been my dream to do the rubicon trail once for a long time. Part of why I'm building my rig. I've got to make it out there

[dbbowen [OP]]

Also, does anyone know how to get that broken bolt out of the hub body? It's pretty stuck in there :/ I also need to find a replacement bolt for it

[dbbowen [OP]]

Little update from today, I got the broken bolt out of the hub body using the drill method... 

Got a second coat of paint on the sliders. One of them kinda looks bad because its so cold outside and im painting. After it completely dries up I think Ill wet sand it and then put the third coat on.




I also assembled the steering knuckles and spindles with all new gaskets and what not. I think the home brew backing plate eliminators are going to work nicely. I read you cant fit the RCV axles through the knuckle completely so Im assembling them this way and then sliding them over the ball as a complete unit once I get the axles in, which is waiting on the thirdmember modification. If anyone knows the torque specs on the bolts shown here that would help out A LOT.






Knocked in my new bearing races using the old ones that I grinded down little bit. Them suckers got HOT.


Gotta keep my eye on the prize!!

[dbbowen [OP]]

O rings came in the mail so the hubs rebuilt and done. Officially my worst paint job ever on the red centers, but after painting an entire axle, steering knuckles, sliders, hubs, and axle armor.... I'm going to say screw it. Notice the photo is strategically taken where you can't notice. Maybe one day Ill take them back off and get them looking better, but for now theyre fine. The bolts are just hand tight, going to fill them up with grease when they go back onto the axle.

[OVRAROK]

bottom caps and steering arms 71 ft lbs

spindle bolts 38 ft lbs

Torque spindle nut to 43 ft. lbs.
Spin hub right 4-5 rotations
Spin hub left 4-5 rotations
Loosen inner spindle nut
Spin hub right 4-5 rotations
Spin hub left 4-5 rotations
Torque spindle nut to 43 ft. lbs.
Spin hub right 4-5 rotations
Spin hub left 4-5 rotations
Loosen inner spindle nut
Spin hub right 4-5 rotations
Spin hub left 4-5 rotations
Torque spindle nut to ~21 ft. lbs. lock ring then second nut torque second nut to 33 ftlbs

locking hub body 23 ft lbs

hub dials 10ft lbs

brake calipers 68 ft lbs

[dbbowen [OP]]

YES!!! Thank you for this! My FSM is for an 87 4runner so no solid axle info at all! haha

[dbbowen [OP]]

After the better part of a year searching and searching.... I present to you....





FJ80 HP Elocker third 5.29
FJ Cruiser Std Elocker third 5.29

[SqWADoosh]

After the better part of a year searching and searching.... I present to you....





FJ80 HP Elocker third 5.29
FJ Cruiser Std Elocker third 5.29

You are going to love them. Planning on running the 12voltguy panel for them?

[dbbowen [OP]]

I wasnt, hilux-1983 included a harness that attaches to a rocker switch like the arb one. So I figured I would do something similar for the front one. I already made my own in cab winch controls out of the blank where the cruise control would have went. Since I am doing the dual case, I really need to find a place for all of these switches. I don't have a clutch start cancel button, so the rear window switch was going to go there. I was planning on completely ditching the rear window lock switch, and putting the e locker switches above the radio in the blanks there where the radio antenna switch would have gone. That just leaves me looking for a place for the rear windshield wiper. I was thinking about cutting the trim on the plastic that goes around the transmission shifter and moving all 3  there, but I don't know how well I could cut the holes, and I'm pretty sure they need a lip on the edge too, in order to sit flat

[dbbowen [OP]]

I'm trying to make it look as factory as humanly possible

[H8PVMNT]

What?  Spools that turn off?!  Nice!

[P-DiseToy24]

looks like this build gunna turn out pretty nice... keep up the good work

[dbbowen [OP]]

looks like this build gunna turn out pretty nice... keep up the good work

Thanks man! Since I can't build a bad to the bone truggy or bobbed 4Runner with links, I'm trying to make it all nice and fancy, I can't wait til the dual ultimate gets here and I bolt it up to the brand new tranny. It's going to be glorious

[Congill77]

What is the wiring plan that your going to do for the elockers? If your going to wire it up your self and use the built in limiting switches and use relays I have a really good diagram that I found awhile back I could get you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dbbowen [OP]]

What is the wiring plan that your going to do for the elockers? If your going to wire it up your self and use the built in limiting switches and use relays I have a really good diagram that I found awhile back I could get you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, I have a harness for the rear, I was just going to cop out and buy the kit from low range for the front :/

[dbbowen [OP]]

Notched my axle housing to fit the HP Elocker tonight. Only drilled/tapped 3 of the holes, have to put a bead of weld on the third one so I have a drilling surface. The hole needed to go on the shoulder of the ring around the diff hole and the bit kept walking. The diff fits though! Just gotta weld a bead and drill the hole and weld on the armor and be good to go.


Removed these studs, and this is it looked like before all of the sparks flew.


Ring gear notches opened up a little bit and the E locker motor notch all notched out.


Third member in there like swimwear.