BJ74 TD Build Thread - Stoffregen Motorsports
- Thread starter Stoffregen Motorsports
- Start date
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Thanks.
銀チタン
New member
Bump...
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Yeah, thanks.
I will be back working on this project next week. I received the shocks and we're working out the front spring rates. We also have the front and rear ARB's to install. Not much longer before this rig is complete.
I will be back working on this project next week. I received the shocks and we're working out the front spring rates. We also have the front and rear ARB's to install. Not much longer before this rig is complete.
Wow. Really quality work.
I wonder how the steering will turn out... One of the benefits of the tie rod behind the axle in the stock 80 steering (and some aftermarket a la 4xabs) is the ability to have correct Ackerman steering geometry (nerd alert); especially helpful at slow speeds and tight turning radius. By using that RHD arm and the further out slightly inboard hole you've moved away from Ackerman...
Probably won't even make a difference, but interesting nonetheless.
Anyway, awesome build.
What about (disconnecting) sway bar(s)? I'm a big believer in trying to build that will flex but still pass the "moose test" (i.e.; Undanmanöverprov).
I wonder how the steering will turn out... One of the benefits of the tie rod behind the axle in the stock 80 steering (and some aftermarket a la 4xabs) is the ability to have correct Ackerman steering geometry (nerd alert); especially helpful at slow speeds and tight turning radius. By using that RHD arm and the further out slightly inboard hole you've moved away from Ackerman...
Probably won't even make a difference, but interesting nonetheless.
Anyway, awesome build.
What about (disconnecting) sway bar(s)? I'm a big believer in trying to build that will flex but still pass the "moose test" (i.e.; Undanmanöverprov).
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Wow Matt super clean work as usual. Looks like just another one of "your" typical builds...Lots of thought and planning leads to great driving rigs.
Thanks Sol. I guess I have sort of typecast myself huh?
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Both items you bring up have been discussed between the customer and I. And no, that's not a nerd alert, that's a legitimate observation. I always strive to keep the good engineering when modding a vehicle, but sometimes you have to make concessions. In this case, we couldn't do the rear steer for obvious reasons. And the type of steering you suggest, by using a RHD arm, that puts the tie rod way too high, detracting from the ability to keep a low ride height. You can use the upper and lower arms with the tie rod floating in between in double shear, but then you have to use heim joints which I will not do on a street driven 4x4. Heims wear and become clunky which can lead to death wobble. The arms we used do allow for changing the location of the tie rod end, so if the customer wants to change it in the future, we can modify the arms to accommodate. It was really a cost based decision that in the past, has proven to be not as big a deal as it sounds.
There was yet another reason to run the tie rod in the configuration you see: wheel offset. We wanted to use a modern positive offset wheel to get the scrub where we want it. I feel that the choice between accurate ackerman and good scrub is an easy one.
The sway bar is another option yet to be decided on. The rear axle still has it's sway bar brackets attached to it, so we're going to try and use a stock FJ80 bar in the rear before we try to fit one up front. The packaging of the front suspension and steering, combined with the low ride height make it a tight and complicated fit. I have done it though, but it is a time consuming installation.
Thanks for noticing and keep the questions coming
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Thank you. Stay tuned for more...!
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Updates soon. I have made some good progress over the past couple of weeks, I just need to compile the pics.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
I apologize for the hiatus. I had this feeling like nobody would want to see the stuff I'm working on, because it may be lacking the excitement that you guys expect, but then I realized, it's all part of the build, so I may as well not hold back.
Been focusing mainly on the front of the truck. Mounting shock towers, building the steering shaft, modifying the inner fender wells, building new body mounts to clear the new Currie sway bar, building battery boxes and modifying the air cleaner have kept me busy for the past couple of weeks. I want to knock out all the small details first, so that at what feels like the end of the build (when the suspension is done and it rests under it's own weight) there's not a ton of small things keeping me from test driving it. I know, it's purely psychological, but it's a trick I've learned over the years to keep things interesting.
Here are some pics:
First off, building brackets by hand sucks. I can't wait until I get my plasma table up and running.
Fitting the shock towers and making axle brackets.
Been focusing mainly on the front of the truck. Mounting shock towers, building the steering shaft, modifying the inner fender wells, building new body mounts to clear the new Currie sway bar, building battery boxes and modifying the air cleaner have kept me busy for the past couple of weeks. I want to knock out all the small details first, so that at what feels like the end of the build (when the suspension is done and it rests under it's own weight) there's not a ton of small things keeping me from test driving it. I know, it's purely psychological, but it's a trick I've learned over the years to keep things interesting.
Here are some pics:
First off, building brackets by hand sucks. I can't wait until I get my plasma table up and running.
Fitting the shock towers and making axle brackets.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Modifying the steering shaft to fit around the new shock towers. By the way, the shock towers are from 4 Wheel Underground and they are really cool. I had to modify them to fit this truck as they were intended for a 40 series.
I pulled out my box of steering shaft parts and found a short slip shaft from a AE86 Corolla that worked out perfectly. The joints and splines were the same as the LC's and the length was perfect too. All I had to do was shorten the original LC shaft and mount a heim standoff on the shock tower.
I pulled out my box of steering shaft parts and found a short slip shaft from a AE86 Corolla that worked out perfectly. The joints and splines were the same as the LC's and the length was perfect too. All I had to do was shorten the original LC shaft and mount a heim standoff on the shock tower.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Next up: battery boxes.
This truck has a 24 volt system so it needs two 12 volt batteries to operate. I had to relocate both of them to fit around the new shock towers that now extend into the engine bay, which was cramped already. The driver's side box is small for one battery and the passenger side box is large to hold two batteries, but the small box is the perfect size to hold a compressor for the ARB lockers, so we're going to do that; mount the two batteries side by side in the passenger side box and then use the driver's side box for the compressor.
This truck has a 24 volt system so it needs two 12 volt batteries to operate. I had to relocate both of them to fit around the new shock towers that now extend into the engine bay, which was cramped already. The driver's side box is small for one battery and the passenger side box is large to hold two batteries, but the small box is the perfect size to hold a compressor for the ARB lockers, so we're going to do that; mount the two batteries side by side in the passenger side box and then use the driver's side box for the compressor.
