Project Land Cruzah

[Dooner]

Thanks Uncle
Ive got a couple of holes left of the cluster that were used for Oil press and amp meters in the past. Thinking about using the space for a small rocker switch panel for lights and stuff. Got the cluster panel used for 40 bucks I think, here in Fresno. I got the doors and bikini top from the same guy.

[Dooner]

Here are some random shots of the Slave cyl and bracket, clutch master, and a top shot of the 465 / Marlin T Case on the new X member

2023 Update! The hydraulics worked great from the getgo, but the '40 started creeping at stoplights a few years ago. Shifting started getting harder as well. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered a new matched set of genuine Asin units for an FJ60. Back to smooth Cruising!

[Dooner]

Finally got the T Case cross member finished up, and the power train is on the mounts, off of the hoist!

The Cruiser has always had an appetite for dinosaur juice  , and with a small stock tank and a bad gauge we have ran out of gas more than id like to remember  . Ive been thinking about ways to get more fuel capacity on the rig. Im thinking about using the stock fuel tank to transfer fuel to a fuel cell through a  momentary switch operated electric fuel pump. The stock chevy fuel pump would then pump the gas to the motor. Another option Ive heard of is that you can mount a late model S10 tank under the rear of cruisers. Id like to get a Jerry can /  tire carrier in the future too.
What are you guys doing for fuel storage?
Mike

[brc]

I built a rear tank.  The rear tank holds about 14.5 gallons give or take a little.  If I was a little smarter at math I could figure out the exact amount I have the deminsions for the tank I built.  I have it set up to transfer fuel to the under seat tank.  I use a standard pressure electric fuel pump.  It works pretty well but you have to watch the fuel guage in the regular tank so you don't pump the fuel out the inlet.  I was looking for a cut off switch to shut the pump off when it got full but I never found one so I just monitor the fuel guage.  I did put a low pressure light on the dash so when the rear tank runs out it illuminates and I can turn off the transfer pump.

I used to carry a Jerry can on the rear tire carier but when I built my new carrier I got rid of it.

I have a friend who took out the under seat tool box and built a tank to go under both seats and gives him more than 30 gallons of fuel.  I couldn't do that I have my compressor mounted under the drivers seat along with some other crap.

Good Luck

[Dooner]

Ran into a slight snag.. even though I went slow with welding on the truss, I ended up warping the Kagotta out of the 83 housing. Messed with trying to straighten it out for awhile and ended up punting, picking up an 85 housing which is what I really wanted anyway. Well to make a long story short, I trussed and armored the 85 this time taking it real slow with the stitch welding, letting it cool down good between welds. Well some how I managed to warp the 85 housing too, not as bad as the 83, as I could get the Longs into place, but bad enough that the birf would be loaded into the bottom of the knuckle ball, not letting it rotate when turning the wheels. Anyhow after some research I read Longfields instructions for installation and found that some grinding may have been needed. I found a post on a dessert truck forum talking about axle housings bent when welding on trusses. The guy talked about heat shrinking by welding on the opposite side of the bend and then cooling with a wet towell, which would pull the housing in the opposite direction of the bend. I wasn't real sure what that would do to the housing metal, like making it brittle or whatever, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I ended up doing the welding and cooling thing a couple of times real gentle like, not wanting to taco the axle up in the other direction. I also clearanced the knuckle ball using my trusty dremmel tool with the flex extension, taking down the ridge around the trunnion bearings, getting it nice and smooth. Don't know if it will go straight or not, (don't care really) but the knuckles are finally together! This marks another huge milestone and some forward progress!

[Dooner]

Here is the LC vented rotor and caliper mounted up, with the caliper disasembled. I used a marker to show where the caliper comes into contact with the rotor. This area will be clearanced.

[Dooner]

Here im drilling the LC rotor to match the IFS hubs, using the IFS rotor as a template. Check out my high tech machining jig!

[Dooner]

Here are some comparison pictures:
1. Vented LC rotors on IFS hubs
2. IFS Rotors and hubs
3. SA non vent rotors and hubs

[BoG-ToY]

can I ask why you dint get fj60 rotors? off of like an 86 fj? they fit right on from autozone.... and should fit without any mods? no grinding, no drilling... just a direct bolt on?


Ok, upon a second glance I realized the you are using IFS hubs as well, meaning your calipers are mounted on there on the other side of the knuckle.... I must ask... how are you going to get those bolts in and out?  remove them one turn at a time hile pulling off the hub?

if those were the right rotors though I still dont think you would have needed to drill anything out

[Dooner]

When I did the search on this setup, I found that most the guys are drilling out the threads and tapping the caliper, allowing you to run the bolts in from the back. Im planning to do that as well. I just did it this way cause it was easy for mockup, and I dont have a tap yet.

As for the rotors, these are for the FJ60. They bolt right onto the Solid Axle hubs, but the pattern is different for the IFS, requiring drillin'. Got my info from this thread.. http://www.yotatech.com/f31/widening-79-85-toyota-sfa-without-wheel-spacers-59071/     

It really wasnt a big deal to drill out the rotors, Just align the IFS and LC rotors, making sure that the holes were offset from each other and drill away with a 1/2" bit. I used lugs to keep things somewhat centered while i drilled the others. Took maybe 15 min. per side being real careful, checking and rechecking as I went.

[Dooner]

Heres one with the rotor bolted up ready for mounting

[Dooner]

This is the inboard side of one of the calipers. I taped up the pistons and the fluid holes to keep out grit and provide a little protection. The left side shows where the material was carefully machined away (with my angle grinder!) and the right side shows the area to be removed, carefully scribed (with a sharpie pen!)

[Dooner]

Couple of shots of the driver side brakes all mounted up.

[46&2]

Nice build so far man I am digging your Cruiser 

[BoG-ToY]

OK..I got yah..yeah.. I guess the IFS use bolts to hold the rotors to the hubs while SFA uses the actual lugs to hold junk together.. sounds good man, yeah...Ive heard the same thing about going up in bolt size... and swapping junk around...

[Dooner]

Nice build so far man I am digging your Cruiser 

Thanks for the encouragement! It'll be on its wheels next time I get a chance to work on it. Once its a roller, Im planning to start on the roll cage I picked up from Metal Tech.

OK..I got yah..yeah.. I guess the IFS use bolts to hold the rotors to the hubs while SFA uses the actual lugs to hold junk together.. sounds good man, yeah...Ive heard the same thing about going up in bolt size... and swapping junk around...

Yeah it blew me away when I found out that you could go wider without the spacers just by getting the right pieces. Gotta love Toyota for that.. Almost like they designed it that way!

[Dooner]

I played with the Cruzah for about 1/2 hour today. Playing with ideas for running the front brake lines. I got some of Marlins Military Spec flex lines, so ill be running those from the caliper. Im thinking about running them forward to the frame near the shocks where ill weld on some brake line tabs. From there Im gonna run hard lines forward to the backside of the front crossmember under the radiator where ill have the stock LC brake line "T". Ill make up a new hard line that will run back to the master cyl from there. Trying to keep the lines out of harms way and to give the flex lines the room they need. Anyways im sure theres better ways to set up the lines, but this worked out pretty good on my Burb. Any Ideas out there?

[71 Redwood]

nice build,,nice rig..

[Dooner]

Thanks for the good words Redwood! 
Made a little headway yesterday, got the Cruizer setting on its wheels again. found that the calipers were hitting the rims during a trial fit. Found that the fin nearest the hub was contacting the rim, requiring a bit of grinding to make it work. Ill get some pics up in a few days.

[BoG-ToY]

yeah... that was the only problem I had with removing my spacers, I was thinking bout dong the flip but the LARGE V-6 style IFS calipers get in the way... let me know how much you gotta take off the calipers.....  get some good pics that way I can see

[Dooner]

I pretty much took that first fin down all the way. Dont think I really needed to take the fin that far, but it was like trimming your sideburns.. Started going nice and straight and then Doh!! No More Sideburns! Ill get some pics down the road for ya'll.

[Hammerhead]

"trimmin' sideburns" 

[Dooner]

Look Ma! No Jack Stands!! 
Grabbed some quick shots tonight to show the ol Cruizer on its own 4 feet!

[Dooner]

Heres a nuther

[wflaw45]

lookin good!

[Dooner]

Thanks wfla, this build is taking forever, so its cool that its starting to take shape.

I got a cage kit from Metal Tech ( Thanks goes out to Jon for helping me load it into my truck ) I ended up getting a full family cage with extra spreaders and hand holds.

I started tacking it together a couple of days ago. Its going quicker than I figured and I found that the only hard part is notching the fishmouth accurately. Not having a notcher, I once again did it Farm Boy style, using slide on carboard templates and a cutting wheel on my grinder to get the angle close, and then following up with a grinding wheel to finish it up. The trickiest part so far has been matching the A pillar angle of the driver side to the A pillar on the Passenger side, while keeping the tubing out of the clutch pedal throw.

Ill get some pics online in a couple of days to show you guys what im talking about

[71 Redwood]

man every time i liook at your rig.. its looking good, i like the way it sits..what kind of lift does it have?

[Dooner]

Thanks brudda!
The suspension is nothin fancy, its spring over with the springs reversed front and rear to stretch out the wheelbase. I ended up dissasembling all of the spring packs, cleaned the leafs with a wire wheel on my H/Fgrinder, painted the leafs and sprayed some dry lube between the leafs, and then reassembled with new larger center pins (with the heads facing down to fit the perches that are now under the packs instead of over). I decided to leave the shackles in the front ( lots of debate out there on this subject ) and found that when the suspension is dooped out, the leafs will splay out in a forward direction, because the clamps would be in the back. To solve this, I dissasembled the front packs again and re-drilled the center pin holes ( again debatable ) on some of the leafs to place the clamps in the front again and on others to keep them sequential.

There are alot of pros and cons to spring over vs. spring under, I decided to go this route for the added articulation and ground clearance.

[BUDDERS]

I like the look of the stretched wheelbase.  I'm wondering how much articulation you will get compared to a regular SOA job.  If anything, I'd think it would ride better and not give you as much bucking action on the road.

[Yota87Truck]

tight rig