BJ74 TD Build Thread - Stoffregen Motorsports

[tyv12]

Looks awesome, what are you gonna do to finish the fender edge?

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Looks awesome, what are you gonna do to finish the fender edge?

Thanks.

Well the right way to finish the edge would be to bend and shape a 90 degree piece of 16 or 18 ga steel. Plug weld and seam weld at the edge. This method is very time consuming, but nets you a fender at least as strong as the OEM fender lip.

I did a write-up on a similar body mod to a 4Runner a few years back. This truck, front and rear, took 7 whole days to complete. The second one I did took 5 days and the third one took 4 days. That's a lot of labor for something that you don't see the immediate benefit to...until you crack a fender.

Here's that fender thread if you're interested. http://www.ttora.com/forum/18-pickup-early-4runner-tech/164292-4runner-fender-mods-101-a.html

 

[njtacoma]

Thanks for sharing all the updates.

Always cool stuff to look at.

-

 

[tyv12]

Awesome thanks for the info

 

[rickashay]

It is crack, I know. Build threads have to be pic heavy, or they're not worth reading. Photobucket sucks and I wish I weren't so invested in them. It takes 8 clicks to add one photo to a forum, but I'm stuck there so I should just quit bitching.
.

Oh...#@*&%^$& you Photobucket.

I know you said you are so invested in Photobucket already.... but it sounds like it seriously might be worth the effort to switch. As a photographer, a free flickr account is what I recommend. Sharing the photos on the forums is super easy - click the "share" button, click the source code type your after and it will automatically populate, then copy & paste into forum.

I need a BJ74 in my life. This one reminds me of the Nitro Gear factory truck. Curious, does the owner have any plans for roof storage? I'd just love to see a 70-series built like this with a expo-style cargo setup/RTT on the roof.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I know you said you are so invested in Photobucket already.... but it sounds like it seriously might be worth the effort to switch. As a photographer, a free flickr account is what I recommend. Sharing the photos on the forums is super easy - click the "share" button, click the source code type your after and it will automatically populate, then copy & paste into forum.

I need a BJ74 in my life. This one reminds me of the Nitro Gear factory truck. Curious, does the owner have any plans for roof storage? I'd just love to see a 70-series built like this with a expo-style cargo setup/RTT on the roof.

I'll make the switch eventually.

The owner lives in San Francisco, actually in the city, and the truck needs to fit in his garage so even without a roof rack, it's going to be a tight fit. And we have used the Nitro truck from time to time as a reference.

The FJ40 buggy I built last year had to fit inside an enclosed trailer so we built the axle width and roll cage height with that in mind. Funny, the criteria that molds the builds into one form or another...

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Love the updates

 

[Clintnz]

Great to see another update! Some nice work there.

The stock leaf springs feel like a 50 year old truck.

Amen to that. I've driven 73/74 series with both soft & firm leaf springs & it's a different world compared to coils. Even a bone stock 80 series coil setup just does everything much better.

The stock brake booster would probably have worked, but a better pedal feel and more power is simple enough to get by swapping in the FJ80 master and booster. It's important to note that the FJ80 came with both disc/drum and disc/disc, so we ordered a FZJ80 master for disc/disc. The new booster is deeper than the original unit so some tweaking was required to get it to fit.

Lots of familiar stuff there I was a bit unsure about my similar brake setup when I first got it all assembled but now with new discs up front & new pads all round plus a few miles to bed in she's stopping great! Just drove a few hundred miles of twisty mountain roads over the weekend & it was a pleasure.

Cheers
Clint

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Major updates coming. The front end including suspension, axle, brakes, engine and bodywork is all back together. Fabrication on the rear suspension should be completed today and the skid plate hopefully by tomorrow. At that point, the rear portion of the frame can be painted, the rear axle built and everything assembled. I still need to have driveshafts built before I can drive it, but that's the last thing on the list.

Also, I got a new camera so I have been playing around with camera settings to get the best pics.

Soon guys...soon.

 

[bkg]

Tease!

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Tease... Busy is more like it. Here are a ton of pics though. I'm not going to be very wordy here, just enjoy the pics.

Had to modify the Hellfire knuckles to make installation and removal of the RCV birfs easier. The hole in the knuckle needed to be opened up. I did this on my 4000 year old mill.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Axle assemebly from a pile of parts.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Axle install and final mock up before finishing the rear suspension.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

By comparison, the rear suspension is fairly simple. Three link with panhard, OME lifted FJ80 springs, NOS FJ80 spring buckets, Fox stem top shocks, stock FJ80 axle housing and 4.11's with ARB.

Making everything fit though... notice the notch in the frame for shock clearance?

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Finish gusseting, welding up the brackets and building the links with DOM, paint and assembly was in order. The diff, however, needed some attention. New R&P and bearings will bring it back to life. Lots of other work needed finishing before paint though. The t-case crossmember had to be fit with a skid plate and tabs welded on for brake lines, etc. After paint, the frame got fitted with all the plumbing for fuel and brakes, then suspension assembly resumed.