PabloCruise
Hard Core 4+
Great stuff Matt!
Thanks for the pics on the threads...
I can't wait until you get the drag link/relay rod in!!
Thanks for the pics on the threads...
I can't wait until you get the drag link/relay rod in!!
-
RS MAY CLUB MEETING
Hi Guest: Our monthly RS meeting on Wed. May 1st will be held at the Rooney Sports Complex. Details and directions are here. Early start time: 7:00 pm. to take advantage of daylight. We'll be talking ColoYota Expo and Cruise Moab.
If you are eligible for club membership, please fill out an application in advance of the meeting and bring it with you.
Brahma's Saginaw/FJ60 Power Steering Conversion
- Thread starter subzali
- Start date
You guys can have them. I'll clean them up a bit.
PabloCruise
Hard Core 4+
MAtt, just saw your PM's...
Hope this helps:
High pressure side is outboard and forward
Also shows factory return line fitting
Hope this helps:
High pressure side is outboard and forward
Also shows factory return line fitting
74fj40
Hard Core 4+
Max, I will clean them up hopefully this weekend so I can get them to you first thing next week.
Look what came in the mail yesterday...it's pretty
And it does have left-hand threads. From the stud to the beginning of the threads it's 4 3/4" and from the stud to the end of the threads is 7 1/2", so there are 2 3/4" of threads. It looks like I'll be threading both ends in almost all the way and maybe even still need a small spacer plate to move the steering box out away from the frame just a bit.
EDIT: measured again and put up actual lengths...
Look what came in the mail yesterday...it's pretty
And it does have left-hand threads. From the stud to the beginning of the threads it's 4 3/4" and from the stud to the end of the threads is 7 1/2", so there are 2 3/4" of threads. It looks like I'll be threading both ends in almost all the way and maybe even still need a small spacer plate to move the steering box out away from the frame just a bit.
EDIT: measured again and put up actual lengths...
Last edited:
PabloCruise
Hard Core 4+
Sweet!
Glad it arrived!!!
Glad it arrived!!!
Day 5 (or "Since I am a redneck I drove this thing around today" 
): May 10, 2009 - 9 hours
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Pipe wrench
4. Grease
5. Drill Press/Drill bits
6. Portable electric drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
7. Scribing tool
8. 6" dial caliper
9. machinist scale (metric would have been nice)
10. straightedge
11. square
12. angle grinder (probably the most useful metal working tool ever invented)
Today I got a lot done (I would hope so with 9 hours to work with), trying to stay on schedule with getting my welding done this coming Friday. It doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot of work. I got my drag link assembled and mounted (very relieved to find that it's going to work just fine) and got the holes drilled in my frame to mount my steering box.
1. First I threaded my FJ40 tie rod end deeper into the drag link tube, since I knew it would have to be in almost all the way from some of my previous measuring. A pipe wrench and putting the stud into the tapered hole on the tie rod made this part very easy. Note: the tie rod end is a little thicker than the steering arm that that the TRE is designed to fit into, so the stud is a *little* on the short side, but a small modification to the castle nut and all is good.
2. Next was the moment of truth: I threaded the J7* drag link end into the drag link tube. I used some grease to make it easier and threaded it in quite a ways, again knowing that I would have to to make it work. I got each side so they had about the same amount of threads showing. I then held it up to the pitman arm and plugged it in. Perfecto. I put the driver side tire on to get a better idea of whether everything was straight and perfect! I had to actually lengthen the drag link a little bit to get the tires straight when the pitman arm is straight, and even with a little plate spacer for the steering box it will put the amount of threads showing at a very comfortable amount.
3. Having gotten that out of the way I was now ready to get the drill pattern for the steering box transferred to the frame. But first I wanted to go for a drive Seriously, I wanted to make sure my spring wouldn't hit the drag link (as Mark Whatley notes the FJ60 pitman arm has a pretty good drop in it) when the spring is flexed upward. So I hooked a couple things up, made sure the clamps holding the steering box on were tight and started the truck up and drove out of the barn to the hillside so I could tweak it out. I backed up the bank and let the weight of the truck sit on the front driver corner. I had it on the bumpstops and I still had 1/2" or a little more of clearance between the spring and the drag link, so I should be good. (note: that was just with the steering box clamped to the frame, so it turns out the pitman arm will be higher when it's actually installed than I had it here - the way I'm mounting it leveled out the steering box quite a bit.)
4. So I took it back in the barn and copied the bolt pattern onto a piece of paper. Took the dial caliper to measure the distances and took readings that correspond really closely to nice even metric measurements (110mm, 50mm, 5mm), so I was pretty sure they were close.
5. I then took some of the 3/16" flat stock I got from John and copied the hole pattern onto it. Took it to the drill press and drilled the pattern. I was able to duplicate the hole pattern pretty closely so I felt confident I could use that to drill the holes in my frame. The FJ60 box is mounted with an M12 bolt, which is about 0.466" in diameter. A 12mm drill bit is 0.472", and that's what I'm going to drill the sleeves out to for a snug fit.I'm going to use 1/2" Sch. 160 pipe for the sleeves. EDIT: I went with 3/8" Sch. 80 pipe for the sleeves in the end. See post #33. The OD of 1/2" pipe is 0.840", and the ID of Sch. 160 is 0.464", so I can drill it out just a tad to get the bolts to slide through. If the alignment is off I can take it up to 1/2", if something warps or something. 1/2" Sch. 80 pipe has an ID of 0.546" (same OD), which will probably have too much slop for what I want to do. Edit: The OD of 3/8" pipe is 0.675", and the ID of Sch. 80 is 0.423", so I can drill it out just a tad to 12mm (0.472") to get the bolts to slide through. If the alignment is off I can take the ID up to 1/2", if something warps or something. For now I drilled 1/2" holes in the frame, because I'm going to have to eventually go up to 27/32" (0.84375") or so to have a clear hole for the sleeves through the frame and reinforcement plates.
6. So since I've had the steering box mocked up for a few days and drove with it today and it worked well I decided to keep it in that spot. So I marked it and went to work. My intermediate shaft will have plenty of room to slide in and out, and it won't interfere with getting my shock tower mounted (too much). The frame slopes down right here, so trying to bolt through the frame because tricky because you have to stay inside the ID of the frame box. Luckily the FJ60 bolt pattern isn't too long to accomplish this while keeping the box level. I located my upper left bolt hole as close the ID of the frame as I could (keeping room for the sleeve as well), marked it, and drilled it. Something to note: the frame is double thick on top and bottom because it's actually two c-channels connected together, and the c-channels overlap on top and bottom.
7. Once I got the upper left bolt hole located I drew an arc for my lower right bolt hole, and found the point on the arc that's as close to the ID of the frame as I could get and marked and drilled it too. I found that the box was now sitting level and the pitman arm swings very close to the bottom of the frame. Perfect, further from the spring the better, without interfering with the frame. I did make a small mistake though, which I hope will get rectified, which is that there's a boss on the steering box that is hitting the frame, keeping the box from sitting flush against the frame. There are two solutions: my lower right bolt hole should have been a little bit higher, tilting the box down slightly, or if I space the box out from the frame it should clear. I have to space the box out away from the frame anyway because of the radiator support, so that's how I'm going to solve that issue.
8. I then finished off the other two bolt holes, which have all kinds of room away from the ID of the frame.
9. While I was doing all this I was thinking about how to sequence the welding event to maximize efficient use of time. I need to purchase some drill bits and I think I have a good sequence figured out, just gotta clear out some of the parts that are in the way and figure out a way to get the truck to the welder!
I'm already thinking of things I would do differently if I were to do this again (thinking, wow, I'm putting a lot of work into this. Hopefully nothing happens to this truck but if it did...).
1. I would NOT do the drag link the way I did it now. I would have a custom one made (single center tube, not sleeved and welded or cut and welded).
2. I also would NOT do the intermediate shaft the way I did it. Since I know where the box is going to be mounted I would have a custom one made, with smaller u-joints and a dedicated slip joint.
3. I would (still might) shorten the steering column inside the cab (hopefully I would have a little more developed fab skills by then so I could do such a thing).
Okay, for some pics:
FJ40 TRE threaded in almost all the way (it ended up getting back out a little bit before all was said and done today)
J7 end threaded in and hooked up
Front view of steering box with J7 end hooked up
Side view of drag link all hooked up (notice plate in front of steering damper - that's in the way and is going to have to come off sometime soon. It's welded on there pretty good - I'm going to have to get several cutoff wheels to get it off.
Showing that they are close to parallel
Mocking up my unstraightened shock tower ($17 apiece at dealership, in stock)
Showing how close the shock tower is to the steering u-joint. With the box spaced out it's going to be worse; I'm going to have to add a spacer to the shock tower to get it away from the u-joint.
Showing how close the radiator support is to the steering box. It needs to go a touch more, a 1/4" plate should do it.
Yep, found some interference!
If you look down between the brake hose and the c-clamp you can see the lower shock mount. It's probably going to have to move a smidge.
Driving redneck style! (actually checking for system interference)
All the weight's on the driver's side and I didn't break a birf!
Here's the setup:
Here's how close it is/was with the suspension on the bumpstop: remember the pitman arm got raised during the course of the day so it's no longer THIS close...
See it's on the bumpstop
Oops found some interference!
good thing those aren't going to be on the final product...
And this is what I like about FJ60 steering over minitruck/OEM steering: wheel turns right, pitman arm turns right (my (now) old steering had a boot that was always torn up from steering right and rubbing it):
Wheel turns left, pitman arm turns left:
Here's the interference I was talking about where I should have made the lower right bolt hole a little higher. Putting the 1/4" spacer plate in there should solve this little issue though...
See how the upper left and lower right bolt holes are the restrictions on what angle the box can be at? Raising the lower right bolt would have tilted the box forward and prevented the above interference from happening.
My pitman arm swings close to the frame but it misses It stays well clear of the spring.
So now I have to prep my truck for welding day. I am going to remove the radiator, shroud, bib and hood. That way the welder can get to the back side of the frame to fill in some of the flex holes. I'm going to have him weld those two plates in, as well as a blank 1/4" reinforcing plate. Then I'm going to go all the way through the frame with the 1/2" holes I have started on the front side. Then I'm going to step all four holes up to the 27/32" size so the sleeves can slide in. Once I get the sleeves in I'm going to put the 1/4" spacer plate on the front side, bolt the box on to make sure everything aligns properly, and have him tack the plate in place. Then take off the box, tack the sleeves in place, then burn it all in.
Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.I need to get my u-joint for the intermediate shaft to mock up my box fore/aft. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have this in hand
3.I am waiting on my drag link parts (FJ40 TRE and BJ70 drag link end) to mock up my box side-to-side. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have the TRE in hand. Still waiting on BJ70 drag link end - those Canadians are slow eh? EDIT: As of 4/30/09 4Wheel Auto in Canadia received the 70 series drag link ends they ordered. But they now come with the drag link tube attached, and the retail price has increased from about $100 CA for just the end to more than $225 CA for the end plus the tube 
. It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.
4.I need to get the FJ55 column keyswitch removed by a locksmith (I don't have a key so I can't do it the kosher way and I don't want to destroy it) so I can use my current keyswitch. EDIT: As of 4/30/09 I went to a locksmith down the road from work and had them rekey my ignition switch to match to match my current keyset. We'll see if that stops the run-on problem I've had as well since I've owned this truck.
5.I need to mock up my shock towers and see what modifications will need to be made. EDIT: As of 4/29/09 I know I will need to bend the shock towers back to their original location. Maybe I can get rid of these to somebody who wants straight F-250 shock towers and I can go buy me some new bent shock towers? Any takers?
6. I have to get some plates (NOW!)(at least one, maybe two 1/4" plate) cut and drilled to the bolt pattern of my steering box.
7. I have to get some pipe (NOW!)for sleeving my frame, cut to length.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it)
7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c. I have to get a low pressure return fitting for my steering box
8.I have to sharpen a bunch of drill bits so they are ready for use. I have to buy some drill bits that I will need.
9.I have to get the frame drilled to the bolt pattern.
10. I have to remove anything that will be in the way of the welder.
11. (Welding day)
a. Two plates will need to be made to fill in the flex hole in the frame, ground flush. The reinforcing plate will have to be welded in place on top of these plates.
b. The mounting holes will need to be extended through these plates.
c. The sleeves will have to be placed in the frame.
d. The spacer plate will have to be tack welded in place.
d1. Everything has to get burned in
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.There's a plate on my frame, welded in front of my steering stabilizer. It isn't really doing all that much good (maybe a little bit), but it's mostly in the way, so I'm going to have to cut that off. (See 7a)
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.Make sure high pressure hose works properly. If not figure out what needs to be done to make it work (research thread pitches if necessary, rebend hard sections to position loop in hose where I want it to be). It should work as long as the fender doesn't get in the way
17.Figure out what I'm going to do about a return line cooler (I decided I'm going to buy a tubing bender for $15 and try to rebend the tubing to fit where I want it to go, in front of the radiator behind the grille).
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
): May 10, 2009 - 9 hoursTools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Pipe wrench
4. Grease
5. Drill Press/Drill bits
6. Portable electric drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
7. Scribing tool
8. 6" dial caliper
9. machinist scale (metric would have been nice)
10. straightedge
11. square
12. angle grinder (probably the most useful metal working tool ever invented)
Today I got a lot done (I would hope so with 9 hours to work with), trying to stay on schedule with getting my welding done this coming Friday. It doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot of work. I got my drag link assembled and mounted (very relieved to find that it's going to work just fine) and got the holes drilled in my frame to mount my steering box.
1. First I threaded my FJ40 tie rod end deeper into the drag link tube, since I knew it would have to be in almost all the way from some of my previous measuring. A pipe wrench and putting the stud into the tapered hole on the tie rod made this part very easy. Note: the tie rod end is a little thicker than the steering arm that that the TRE is designed to fit into, so the stud is a *little* on the short side, but a small modification to the castle nut and all is good.
2. Next was the moment of truth: I threaded the J7* drag link end into the drag link tube. I used some grease to make it easier and threaded it in quite a ways, again knowing that I would have to to make it work. I got each side so they had about the same amount of threads showing. I then held it up to the pitman arm and plugged it in. Perfecto. I put the driver side tire on to get a better idea of whether everything was straight and perfect! I had to actually lengthen the drag link a little bit to get the tires straight when the pitman arm is straight, and even with a little plate spacer for the steering box it will put the amount of threads showing at a very comfortable amount.
3. Having gotten that out of the way I was now ready to get the drill pattern for the steering box transferred to the frame. But first I wanted to go for a drive
Seriously, I wanted to make sure my spring wouldn't hit the drag link (as Mark Whatley notes the FJ60 pitman arm has a pretty good drop in it) when the spring is flexed upward. So I hooked a couple things up, made sure the clamps holding the steering box on were tight and started the truck up and drove out of the barn to the hillside so I could tweak it out. I backed up the bank and let the weight of the truck sit on the front driver corner. I had it on the bumpstops and I still had 1/2" or a little more of clearance between the spring and the drag link, so I should be good. (note: that was just with the steering box clamped to the frame, so it turns out the pitman arm will be higher when it's actually installed than I had it here - the way I'm mounting it leveled out the steering box quite a bit.)4. So I took it back in the barn and copied the bolt pattern onto a piece of paper. Took the dial caliper to measure the distances and took readings that correspond really closely to nice even metric measurements (110mm, 50mm, 5mm), so I was pretty sure they were close.
5. I then took some of the 3/16" flat stock I got from John and copied the hole pattern onto it. Took it to the drill press and drilled the pattern. I was able to duplicate the hole pattern pretty closely so I felt confident I could use that to drill the holes in my frame. The FJ60 box is mounted with an M12 bolt, which is about 0.466" in diameter. A 12mm drill bit is 0.472", and that's what I'm going to drill the sleeves out to for a snug fit.
6. So since I've had the steering box mocked up for a few days and drove with it today and it worked well I decided to keep it in that spot. So I marked it and went to work. My intermediate shaft will have plenty of room to slide in and out, and it won't interfere with getting my shock tower mounted (too much). The frame slopes down right here, so trying to bolt through the frame because tricky because you have to stay inside the ID of the frame box. Luckily the FJ60 bolt pattern isn't too long to accomplish this while keeping the box level. I located my upper left bolt hole as close the ID of the frame as I could (keeping room for the sleeve as well), marked it, and drilled it. Something to note: the frame is double thick on top and bottom because it's actually two c-channels connected together, and the c-channels overlap on top and bottom.
7. Once I got the upper left bolt hole located I drew an arc for my lower right bolt hole, and found the point on the arc that's as close to the ID of the frame as I could get and marked and drilled it too. I found that the box was now sitting level and the pitman arm swings very close to the bottom of the frame. Perfect, further from the spring the better, without interfering with the frame. I did make a small mistake though, which I hope will get rectified, which is that there's a boss on the steering box that is hitting the frame, keeping the box from sitting flush against the frame. There are two solutions: my lower right bolt hole should have been a little bit higher, tilting the box down slightly, or if I space the box out from the frame it should clear. I have to space the box out away from the frame anyway because of the radiator support, so that's how I'm going to solve that issue.
8. I then finished off the other two bolt holes, which have all kinds of room away from the ID of the frame.
9. While I was doing all this I was thinking about how to sequence the welding event to maximize efficient use of time. I need to purchase some drill bits and I think I have a good sequence figured out, just gotta clear out some of the parts that are in the way and figure out a way to get the truck to the welder!
I'm already thinking of things I would do differently if I were to do this again (thinking, wow, I'm putting a lot of work into this. Hopefully nothing happens to this truck but if it did...).
1. I would NOT do the drag link the way I did it now. I would have a custom one made (single center tube, not sleeved and welded or cut and welded).
2. I also would NOT do the intermediate shaft the way I did it. Since I know where the box is going to be mounted I would have a custom one made, with smaller u-joints and a dedicated slip joint.
3. I would (still might) shorten the steering column inside the cab (hopefully I would have a little more developed fab skills by then so I could do such a thing).
Okay, for some pics:
FJ40 TRE threaded in almost all the way (it ended up getting back out a little bit before all was said and done today)
J7 end threaded in and hooked up
Front view of steering box with J7 end hooked up
Side view of drag link all hooked up (notice plate in front of steering damper - that's in the way and is going to have to come off sometime soon. It's welded on there pretty good - I'm going to have to get several cutoff wheels to get it off.
Showing that they are close to parallel
Mocking up my unstraightened shock tower ($17 apiece at dealership, in stock)
Showing how close the shock tower is to the steering u-joint. With the box spaced out it's going to be worse; I'm going to have to add a spacer to the shock tower to get it away from the u-joint.
Showing how close the radiator support is to the steering box. It needs to go a touch more, a 1/4" plate should do it.
Yep, found some interference!
If you look down between the brake hose and the c-clamp you can see the lower shock mount. It's probably going to have to move a smidge.
Driving redneck style! (actually checking for system interference)
All the weight's on the driver's side and I didn't break a birf!
Here's the setup:
Here's how close it is/was with the suspension on the bumpstop: remember the pitman arm got raised during the course of the day so it's no longer THIS close...
See it's on the bumpstop
Oops found some interference!
good thing those aren't going to be on the final product...
And this is what I like about FJ60 steering over minitruck/OEM steering: wheel turns right, pitman arm turns right (my (now) old steering had a boot that was always torn up from steering right and rubbing it):
Wheel turns left, pitman arm turns left:
Here's the interference I was talking about where I should have made the lower right bolt hole a little higher. Putting the 1/4" spacer plate in there should solve this little issue though...
See how the upper left and lower right bolt holes are the restrictions on what angle the box can be at? Raising the lower right bolt would have tilted the box forward and prevented the above interference from happening.
My pitman arm swings close to the frame but it misses
It stays well clear of the spring.
So now I have to prep my truck for welding day. I am going to remove the radiator, shroud, bib and hood. That way the welder can get to the back side of the frame to fill in some of the flex holes. I'm going to have him weld those two plates in, as well as a blank 1/4" reinforcing plate. Then I'm going to go all the way through the frame with the 1/2" holes I have started on the front side. Then I'm going to step all four holes up to the 27/32" size so the sleeves can slide in. Once I get the sleeves in I'm going to put the 1/4" spacer plate on the front side, bolt the box on to make sure everything aligns properly, and have him tack the plate in place. Then take off the box, tack the sleeves in place, then burn it all in.
Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.
3.
. It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.4.
5.
6. I have to get some plates (NOW!)(at least one, maybe two 1/4" plate) cut and drilled to the bolt pattern of my steering box.
7. I have to get some pipe (NOW!)for sleeving my frame, cut to length.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it
)7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c. I have to get a low pressure return fitting for my steering box
8.
9.
10. I have to remove anything that will be in the way of the welder.
11. (Welding day)
a. Two plates will need to be made to fill in the flex hole in the frame, ground flush. The reinforcing plate will have to be welded in place on top of these plates.
b. The mounting holes will need to be extended through these plates.
c. The sleeves will have to be placed in the frame.
d. The spacer plate will have to be tack welded in place.
d1. Everything has to get burned in
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.
17.
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
Last edited:
you want a 70 pitman arm?
MDH33
Hard Core 4+
Some 2.5" OME springs would really help that clearance issue.
Nice job Matt!
Nice job Matt!
Day 6: May 12, 2009 - 3.5 hours
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Drill bits
4. Portable electric drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
Today I basically removed the bib, radiator, and radiator support and cleaned up the frame so the welder can get to where he needs to weld. I made "rubbings" of the holes so I can make cardboard templates of the plates he's going to need to make to fill the holes in my frame. I got my low pressure steering box fitting from Burt, so all I have left is to get my spacer plate back from a guy my dad works with who's helping me with some machining, and get my sleeves figured out, then load it on the trailer and go! And hopefully everything will work out with the welder's schedule...
Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.I need to get my u-joint for the intermediate shaft to mock up my box fore/aft. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have this in hand
3.I am waiting on my drag link parts (FJ40 TRE and BJ70 drag link end) to mock up my box side-to-side. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have the TRE in hand. Still waiting on BJ70 drag link end - those Canadians are slow eh? EDIT: As of 4/30/09 4Wheel Auto in Canadia received the 70 series drag link ends they ordered. But they now come with the drag link tube attached, and the retail price has increased from about $100 CA for just the end to more than $225 CA for the end plus the tube . It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.
4.I need to get the FJ55 column keyswitch removed by a locksmith (I don't have a key so I can't do it the kosher way and I don't want to destroy it) so I can use my current keyswitch. EDIT: As of 4/30/09 I went to a locksmith down the road from work and had them rekey my ignition switch to match to match my current keyset. We'll see if that stops the run-on problem I've had as well since I've owned this truck.
5.I need to mock up my shock towers and see what modifications will need to be made. EDIT: As of 4/29/09 I know I will need to bend the shock towers back to their original location. Maybe I can get rid of these to somebody who wants straight F-250 shock towers and I can go buy me some new bent shock towers? Any takers?
6. I have to get some plates (NOW!)(at least one, maybe two 1/4" plate) cut and drilled to the bolt pattern of my steering box.
7. I have to get some pipe (NOW!)for sleeving my frame, cut to length.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it)
7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c.I have to get a low pressure return fitting for my steering box.
8.I have to sharpen a bunch of drill bits so they are ready for use. I have to buy some drill bits that I will need.
9.I have to get the frame drilled to the bolt pattern.
10.I have to remove anything that will be in the way of the welder.
11. (Welding day)
a. Two plates will need to be made to fill in the flex hole in the frame, ground flush. The reinforcing plate will have to be welded in place on top of these plates.
b. The mounting holes will need to be extended through these plates.
c. The sleeves will have to be placed in the frame.
d. The spacer plate will have to be tack welded in place.
d1. Everything has to get burned in
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.There's a plate on my frame, welded in front of my steering stabilizer. It isn't really doing all that much good (maybe a little bit), but it's mostly in the way, so I'm going to have to cut that off. (See 7a)
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.Make sure high pressure hose works properly. If not figure out what needs to be done to make it work (research thread pitches if necessary, rebend hard sections to position loop in hose where I want it to be). It should work as long as the fender doesn't get in the way
17.Figure out what I'm going to do about a return line cooler (I decided I'm going to buy a tubing bender for $15 and try to rebend the tubing to fit where I want it to go, in front of the radiator behind the grille).
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Drill bits
4. Portable electric drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
Today I basically removed the bib, radiator, and radiator support and cleaned up the frame so the welder can get to where he needs to weld. I made "rubbings" of the holes so I can make cardboard templates of the plates he's going to need to make to fill the holes in my frame. I got my low pressure steering box fitting from Burt, so all I have left is to get my spacer plate back from a guy my dad works with who's helping me with some machining, and get my sleeves figured out, then load it on the trailer and go! And hopefully everything will work out with the welder's schedule...
Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.
3.
. It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.4.
5.
6. I have to get some plates (NOW!)(at least one, maybe two 1/4" plate) cut and drilled to the bolt pattern of my steering box.
7. I have to get some pipe (NOW!)for sleeving my frame, cut to length.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it
)7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c.
8.
9.
10.
11. (Welding day)
a. Two plates will need to be made to fill in the flex hole in the frame, ground flush. The reinforcing plate will have to be welded in place on top of these plates.
b. The mounting holes will need to be extended through these plates.
c. The sleeves will have to be placed in the frame.
d. The spacer plate will have to be tack welded in place.
d1. Everything has to get burned in
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.
17.
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
PabloCruise
Hard Core 4+
Go Matt Go!!!
You are in the home stretch!
You are in the home stretch!
At the risk of providing sig quote material, and bordering on our generally clean forum rules, I'm very excited to say that I have two nipples in my hands and the world is right again
Get your heads out of the gutter guys, it's pipe nipples I'm talking about...
3/8" sch. 80 is the perfect combo of OD/ID I will need for sleeving material, and I will bore out the middle with my 12mm drill so it's a tight fit around the mounting bolts.
Also had to get an 11/16" drill for the OD in the frame (which will be a LOT better than the 7/8" I was originally planning for when I was thinking I would have to use 1/2" sch 160. Turns out 11/16" drills are not easy to find (White Cap had one in stock) and 1/2" sch 160 is not easy to find either (maybe if I had asked for nipples they would have been available, but I like the 3/8" sch 80 nipples better). I got two 8" long nipples at Kelly Supply, which should give me a little extra material to work with. So tonight I have to do some finish grinding to my mounting plates, cut the threads off the nipples and cut them to approx. length, bore out the middle, and load the truck on the trailer. I think I now have everything I needed, talk about cutting it close
Get your heads out of the gutter guys, it's pipe nipples I'm talking about...
3/8" sch. 80 is the perfect combo of OD/ID I will need for sleeving material, and I will bore out the middle with my 12mm drill so it's a tight fit around the mounting bolts.
Also had to get an 11/16" drill for the OD in the frame (which will be a LOT better than the 7/8" I was originally planning for when I was thinking I would have to use 1/2" sch 160. Turns out 11/16" drills are not easy to find (White Cap had one in stock) and 1/2" sch 160 is not easy to find either (maybe if I had asked for nipples they would have been available, but I like the 3/8" sch 80 nipples better). I got two 8" long nipples at Kelly Supply, which should give me a little extra material to work with. So tonight I have to do some finish grinding to my mounting plates, cut the threads off the nipples and cut them to approx. length, bore out the middle, and load the truck on the trailer. I think I now have everything I needed, talk about cutting it close
Last edited:
Day 7: May 14, 2009 - 2.5 hours
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Drill bits
4. Drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
Tonight I prepped my truck for the big day - tomorrow! I cut and drilled out my sleeves, trimmed down my reinforcement/spacer plates, finished making my templates for the filler plates, and loaded the truck on the trailer.
Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.I need to get my u-joint for the intermediate shaft to mock up my box fore/aft. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have this in hand
3.I am waiting on my drag link parts (FJ40 TRE and BJ70 drag link end) to mock up my box side-to-side. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have the TRE in hand. Still waiting on BJ70 drag link end - those Canadians are slow eh? EDIT: As of 4/30/09 4Wheel Auto in Canadia received the 70 series drag link ends they ordered. But they now come with the drag link tube attached, and the retail price has increased from about $100 CA for just the end to more than $225 CA for the end plus the tube . It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.
4.I need to get the FJ55 column keyswitch removed by a locksmith (I don't have a key so I can't do it the kosher way and I don't want to destroy it) so I can use my current keyswitch. EDIT: As of 4/30/09 I went to a locksmith down the road from work and had them rekey my ignition switch to match to match my current keyset. We'll see if that stops the run-on problem I've had as well since I've owned this truck.
5.I need to mock up my shock towers and see what modifications will need to be made. EDIT: As of 4/29/09 I know I will need to bend the shock towers back to their original location. Maybe I can get rid of these to somebody who wants straight F-250 shock towers and I can go buy me some new bent shock towers? Any takers?
6.I have to get some plates (NOW!)(at least one, maybe two 1/4" plate) cut and drilled to the bolt pattern of my steering box.
7.I have to get some pipe (NOW!)for sleeving my frame, cut to length.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it)
7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c.I have to get a low pressure return fitting for my steering box.
8.I have to sharpen a bunch of drill bits so they are ready for use. I have to buy some drill bits that I will need.
9.I have to get the frame drilled to the bolt pattern.
10.I have to remove anything that will be in the way of the welder.
11. (Welding day)
a. Two plates will need to be made to fill in the flex hole in the frame, ground flush. The reinforcing plate will have to be welded in place on top of these plates.
b. The mounting holes will need to be extended through these plates.
c. The sleeves will have to be placed in the frame.
d. The spacer plate will have to be tack welded in place.
d1. Everything has to get burned in
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.There's a plate on my frame, welded in front of my steering stabilizer. It isn't really doing all that much good (maybe a little bit), but it's mostly in the way, so I'm going to have to cut that off. (See 7a)
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.Make sure high pressure hose works properly. If not figure out what needs to be done to make it work (research thread pitches if necessary, rebend hard sections to position loop in hose where I want it to be). It should work as long as the fender doesn't get in the way
17.Figure out what I'm going to do about a return line cooler (I decided I'm going to buy a tubing bender for $15 and try to rebend the tubing to fit where I want it to go, in front of the radiator behind the grille).
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Drill bits
4. Drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
Tonight I prepped my truck for the big day - tomorrow! I cut and drilled out my sleeves, trimmed down my reinforcement/spacer plates, finished making my templates for the filler plates, and loaded the truck on the trailer.
Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.
3.
. It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.4.
5.
6.
7.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it
)7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c.
8.
9.
10.
11. (Welding day)
a. Two plates will need to be made to fill in the flex hole in the frame, ground flush. The reinforcing plate will have to be welded in place on top of these plates.
b. The mounting holes will need to be extended through these plates.
c. The sleeves will have to be placed in the frame.
d. The spacer plate will have to be tack welded in place.
d1. Everything has to get burned in
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.
17.
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
Day 8: May 15, 2009 - WELDING DAY - 5.5 hours
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Drill bits
4. Portable electric drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
5. Transfer punches
6. Lathe
7. Iron Worker machine
8. Bandsaw
9. Angle Grinder
10. Welder
11. Hammer/Chisel
12. all kinds of other stuff, I don't even know
Today was welding day, and it was a complete success! It all turned out great! We filled in the holes in the frame, transferred the mounting holes through to the back side, and welded plates on both sides and welded the sleeves in. I am very happy with the work. That assembly is not coming off, and everything lined up perfectly, it's a tight fit for the mounting bolts, the pitman arm just clears the frame and everything is looking great. Didn't get pics yet (didn't have my camera
) but will get some as soon as I can. Have to put it back together now.
Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.I need to get my u-joint for the intermediate shaft to mock up my box fore/aft. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have this in hand
3.I am waiting on my drag link parts (FJ40 TRE and BJ70 drag link end) to mock up my box side-to-side. EDIT: As of 4/28/09 I have the TRE in hand. Still waiting on BJ70 drag link end - those Canadians are slow eh? EDIT: As of 4/30/09 4Wheel Auto in Canadia received the 70 series drag link ends they ordered. But they now come with the drag link tube attached, and the retail price has increased from about $100 CA for just the end to more than $225 CA for the end plus the tube . It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.
4.I need to get the FJ55 column keyswitch removed by a locksmith (I don't have a key so I can't do it the kosher way and I don't want to destroy it) so I can use my current keyswitch. EDIT: As of 4/30/09 I went to a locksmith down the road from work and had them rekey my ignition switch to match to match my current keyset. We'll see if that stops the run-on problem I've had as well since I've owned this truck.
5.I need to mock up my shock towers and see what modifications will need to be made. EDIT: As of 4/29/09 I know I will need to bend the shock towers back to their original location. Maybe I can get rid of these to somebody who wants straight F-250 shock towers and I can go buy me some new bent shock towers? Any takers?
6.I have to get some plates (NOW!)(at least one, maybe two 1/4" plate) cut and drilled to the bolt pattern of my steering box.
7.I have to get some pipe (NOW!)for sleeving my frame, cut to length.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it)
7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c.I have to get a low pressure return fitting for my steering box.
8.I have to sharpen a bunch of drill bits so they are ready for use. I have to buy some drill bits that I will need.
9.I have to get the frame drilled to the bolt pattern.
10.I have to remove anything that will be in the way of the welder.
11. (Welding day)
a.Two plates will need to be made to fill in the flex hole in the frame, ground flush. The reinforcing plate will have to be welded in place on top of these plates.
b.The mounting holes will need to be extended through these plates.
c.The sleeves will have to be placed in the frame.
d.The spacer plate will have to be tack welded in place.
d1.Everything has to get burned in
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.There's a plate on my frame, welded in front of my steering stabilizer. It isn't really doing all that much good (maybe a little bit), but it's mostly in the way, so I'm going to have to cut that off. (See 7a)
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.Make sure high pressure hose works properly. If not figure out what needs to be done to make it work (research thread pitches if necessary, rebend hard sections to position loop in hose where I want it to be). It should work as long as the fender doesn't get in the way
17.Figure out what I'm going to do about a return line cooler (I decided I'm going to buy a tubing bender for $15 and try to rebend the tubing to fit where I want it to go, in front of the radiator behind the grille).
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Center Punch/Hammer
3. Drill bits
4. Portable electric drill (happens to be 1/2" drive with a big motor)
5. Transfer punches
6. Lathe
7. Iron Worker machine
8. Bandsaw
9. Angle Grinder
10. Welder
11. Hammer/Chisel
12. all kinds of other stuff, I don't even know
Today was welding day, and it was a complete success! It all turned out great! We filled in the holes in the frame, transferred the mounting holes through to the back side, and welded plates on both sides and welded the sleeves in. I am very happy with the work. That assembly is not coming off, and everything lined up perfectly, it's a tight fit for the mounting bolts, the pitman arm just clears the frame and everything is looking great. Didn't get pics yet (didn't have my camera
) but will get some as soon as I can. Have to put it back together now.Punch List:
1. I need to start a list of mounting hardware I will need to get (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible) - box mounting bolts, exhaust clamp bolt, intermediate shaft bolts, etc.
2.
3.
. It's cheaper to order the rebuild kit with all 4 ends than it is to order just this one...going to wait and see if they come up with any solutions...Specter's kit is $179. EDIT AGAIN: Don was able to find a 70 series drag link end for a "reasonable" price and it should be here this week.4.
5.
6.
7.
7a. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it
)7b. I have to figure out what kind of bracketry will be needed for the Sanden air pump
7c.
8.
9.
10.
11. (Welding day)
a.
b.
c.
d.
d1.
e. I have to get a plate made in place of the EGR pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold.
f. I need a change made to the back end of my exhaust - tab with bolted connection.
g. I need my windshield frame support brackets (where the knobs screw in) to be rewelded in place so I can drive around with the the top (including bikini top) off.
h. I need to have a spacer plate welded to my shock tower.
12.
13. The drag link, steering column, and intermediate shafts will have to be bolted up.
14. The shock towers will have been located and mounting holes drilled, but I will need to do some measuring and figure out what shocks I need to get (thinking Bilstein). Also figure out what steering damper is needed.
15. Trim fender(s) to accept steering box and shock towers.
16.
17.
18. Get my steering all centered, get everything buttoned up, flush power steering system and go for a drive!
Last edited:
Day 9: May 17, 2009 - 9 hours
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Angle Grinder
3. Hammer/Punch
Just in case you thought I was slacking, I went for a test drive today! I got the radiator back in, body panels mounted back up, and after 6 attempts at getting the right belt (went through about 13 or 14 belts to try and find the right length, it's a long story), which took 2.5 to 3 hours by itself (we live 15 minutes from the nearest parts store) I found the right one (with the help of my buddy CJ7 Matt) and we filled up the pump, bled it and tried it out! Very happy with the improvement!
Punch List:
1. I need to get some mounting hardware (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible)
1a. Box mounting bolts (they need to be a little bit longer and finer thread)
1b. Exhaust clamp bolt(s)
1c. Intermediate shaft bolt (needs to be a touch longer)
1d. Radiator support bolt
1e. Bib bolts
2. I need to figure out the bracketry to mount the Sanden air pump
3. I need to reconfigure the driver side radiator support rod, figure out how to make that work
4. I need to mess with the shock towers a little bit to get them to mount properly so they clear everything. I think I will have to move my lower shock mount a tad.
5. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it)
6. I have to measure for shocks (probably going to go with a generic brand shock this time, since I might be doing a suspension lift and new tires in the somewhat-not-so-distant future)
7. Right now I'm not running a return line cooler. Should get that figured out before too long
8. Make sure my steering is centered
9. Take everything back apart and get it all cleaned and painted
If I were to do this again, I would probably do the following differently:
1. Cut the FJ55 column down just a tad (might still do this); it feels like it's crowding me a bit. Maybe if I move my seat back (which would help my long legs anyway) that will make it feel more comfortable.
2. I should have been paying more attention and tilted my steering box more forward, as I had a picture of in an above post.
3. I should have been more cognizant of my fore/aft alignment of the box. It would be nice for it to be about 1/2" more forward; the u-joint connections would clear the inner fender better.
4. Along the same lines, I would make the spacer plate a little shorter. It extends past the box towards the back of the truck. That coupled with the weld fillet push the shock tower a little further back than I would like. It's not a big deal, I just probably will have to relocate the lower shock mount to get it straight.
5. I would try to find a smaller diameter pulley (might still do this) for a couple reasons. A smaller pulley will give more boost (not like I need more; I can steer with one finger when I'm stopped), but there is also a problem with the JT Outfitter bracket. It's awfully close to the upper radiator hose, and it adjusts so it gets even closer as you tighten the belt, so whatever belt you're running has to be super tight (we got it half on then rotated the pulley to get it the rest of the way) and even then there's only 1/4" or so clearance. If I had the means/skills I would do that differently; I would make the bracket swing out away from the engine block and/or I would find a smaller diameter pulley.
Good stuff though! This conversion was a lot of work! The end result was somewhat anti-climactic: "Okay, so this feels like any other vehicle I've driven - my pickup, the Suburban, etc. Man that was a lot of work to get this truck up to 20th century standards!"
But I tell you what, it's SO nice to not have slop in the steering! And the other benefits I will come to appreciate with time, when I'm on the trail and not fighting with the drawbacks of the OEM steering configuration...
We filled in the flex hole in the frame and partially filled another one (lower right), then welded this reinforcing plate on top and transferred the holes.
Here is the front side, with the spacer plate welded on (and there are sleeves in the frame BTW, just in case you missed that part in previous posts)
Closer view of the welds
Closer view of the front side
Notice how the plate extends past the box. I wish either the box was a bit further forward, or the plate was shorter, etc. because this pushes the location of the shock tower further back than I'd like.
Showing the clearance of the steering box with a 1/4" spacer - it just clears the radiator support
Showing marking the inner fender for clearancing
This is one of the reasons I wish the steering box was slightly more forward (Editorial note: http://www.borgeson.com/ makes u-joints and steering shafts for Jeeps and could probably make one up for a Land Cruiser application too. Iron Pig Offroad uses them for their FJ60 power steering conversion kits - this may eliminate the need for me to reposition my steering box or cut my fender, as the u-joint and shaft are smaller. In fact, the OEM shock tower may possibly be maintained if this route is taken, I will have to investigate further):
Showing the high pressure hose from JT Outfitters - no leaks yet
For now I used washers behind the top bolts where the inner fender mounts to the frame to space it out just enough so I wouldn't have to hack into the structural part of the fender support. This is how much (little) clearance I have, still have to figure out exactly what I'm going to end up doing here.
Everything installed, belt found, ready to be bled and go! The belt is from Autozone, it's a 15520, which I think is 15mm wide, 52" long (the OEM Toyota ps belt is 17mm BTW). But my 52 3/8" belt from NAPA was too short, so I'm not really sure...
Showing the clearance (or lack thereof) with the upper radiator hose
Tools needed
1. Various box end wrenches (loving my stubby Gear Wrenches)/ratchet/sockets
2. Angle Grinder
3. Hammer/Punch
Just in case you thought I was slacking, I went for a test drive today! I got the radiator back in, body panels mounted back up, and after 6 attempts at getting the right belt (went through about 13 or 14 belts to try and find the right length, it's a long story), which took 2.5 to 3 hours by itself (we live 15 minutes from the nearest parts store) I found the right one (with the help of my buddy CJ7 Matt) and we filled up the pump, bled it and tried it out! Very happy with the improvement!
Punch List:
1. I need to get some mounting hardware (I want to stay JIS metric for as much of this as possible)
1a. Box mounting bolts (they need to be a little bit longer and finer thread)
1b. Exhaust clamp bolt(s)
1c. Intermediate shaft bolt (needs to be a touch longer)
1d. Radiator support bolt
1e. Bib bolts
2. I need to figure out the bracketry to mount the Sanden air pump
3. I need to reconfigure the driver side radiator support rod, figure out how to make that work
4. I need to mess with the shock towers a little bit to get them to mount properly so they clear everything. I think I will have to move my lower shock mount a tad.
5. I have to cut off the plate that's in the way of the steering stabilizer (some PO did it
)6. I have to measure for shocks (probably going to go with a generic brand shock this time, since I might be doing a suspension lift and new tires in the somewhat-not-so-distant future)
7. Right now I'm not running a return line cooler. Should get that figured out before too long
8. Make sure my steering is centered
9. Take everything back apart and get it all cleaned and painted
If I were to do this again, I would probably do the following differently:
1. Cut the FJ55 column down just a tad (might still do this); it feels like it's crowding me a bit. Maybe if I move my seat back (which would help my long legs anyway) that will make it feel more comfortable.
2. I should have been paying more attention and tilted my steering box more forward, as I had a picture of in an above post.
3. I should have been more cognizant of my fore/aft alignment of the box. It would be nice for it to be about 1/2" more forward; the u-joint connections would clear the inner fender better.
4. Along the same lines, I would make the spacer plate a little shorter. It extends past the box towards the back of the truck. That coupled with the weld fillet push the shock tower a little further back than I would like. It's not a big deal, I just probably will have to relocate the lower shock mount to get it straight.
5. I would try to find a smaller diameter pulley (might still do this) for a couple reasons. A smaller pulley will give more boost (not like I need more; I can steer with one finger when I'm stopped), but there is also a problem with the JT Outfitter bracket. It's awfully close to the upper radiator hose, and it adjusts so it gets even closer as you tighten the belt, so whatever belt you're running has to be super tight (we got it half on then rotated the pulley to get it the rest of the way) and even then there's only 1/4" or so clearance. If I had the means/skills I would do that differently; I would make the bracket swing out away from the engine block and/or I would find a smaller diameter pulley.
Good stuff though! This conversion was a lot of work! The end result was somewhat anti-climactic: "Okay, so this feels like any other vehicle I've driven - my pickup, the Suburban, etc. Man that was a lot of work to get this truck up to 20th century standards!"
But I tell you what, it's SO nice to not have slop in the steering! And the other benefits I will come to appreciate with time, when I'm on the trail and not fighting with the drawbacks of the OEM steering configuration...
We filled in the flex hole in the frame and partially filled another one (lower right), then welded this reinforcing plate on top and transferred the holes.
Here is the front side, with the spacer plate welded on (and there are sleeves in the frame BTW, just in case you missed that part in previous posts)
Closer view of the welds
Closer view of the front side
Notice how the plate extends past the box. I wish either the box was a bit further forward, or the plate was shorter, etc. because this pushes the location of the shock tower further back than I'd like.
Showing the clearance of the steering box with a 1/4" spacer - it just clears the radiator support
Showing marking the inner fender for clearancing
This is one of the reasons I wish the steering box was slightly more forward (Editorial note: http://www.borgeson.com/ makes u-joints and steering shafts for Jeeps and could probably make one up for a Land Cruiser application too. Iron Pig Offroad uses them for their FJ60 power steering conversion kits - this may eliminate the need for me to reposition my steering box or cut my fender, as the u-joint and shaft are smaller. In fact, the OEM shock tower may possibly be maintained if this route is taken, I will have to investigate further):
Showing the high pressure hose from JT Outfitters - no leaks yet
For now I used washers behind the top bolts where the inner fender mounts to the frame to space it out just enough so I wouldn't have to hack into the structural part of the fender support. This is how much (little) clearance I have, still have to figure out exactly what I'm going to end up doing here.
Everything installed, belt found, ready to be bled and go! The belt is from Autozone, it's a 15520, which I think is 15mm wide, 52" long (the OEM Toyota ps belt is 17mm BTW). But my 52 3/8" belt from NAPA was too short, so I'm not really sure...
Showing the clearance (or lack thereof) with the upper radiator hose
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PabloCruise
Hard Core 4+
Yippee Matt!!!
Congratulations - nicely done.
I remember I couldn't stop grinning when I drove mine again with the PS.
Great job.
Congratulations - nicely done.
I remember I couldn't stop grinning when I drove mine again with the PS.
Great job.
RicardoJM
Hard Core 4+
Very happy with the improvement!
Good stuff though! This conversion was a lot of work! The end result was somewhat anti-climactic: "Okay, so this feels like any other vehicle I've driven - my pickup, the Suburban, etc. Man that was a lot of work to get this truck up to 20th century standards!"
But I tell you what, it's SO nice to not have slop in the steering!
You've done a great job Matt!!!
Nice work. Obviously well thought out!