Buying FJ60: What to look for?

[cruiseroutfit]

...I've been crawling all over the 60 series portion of Mud. I'm not finding info, yet, like are they all the same axle shaft splines or are the fronts & rears different. I'm sure it's there somewhere, just need to find it...

Some answers here:

Front Axle Specs:
http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/tech_front_axle.html

Rear Axle Specs:
http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/tech_rear_axle.html

T-Case Tech:
http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/tech_split_case.html

 

[njtaco]

As long as the six runs reasonably well, by ear & eye, I don't care beyond that. Long term plan is to go to a 350/700R4 combo.

Have you considered an FJ62?

fuel injected
4.11 gears
trussed front axle housing
steeper pinion angle in front, if you ever lift it much...
power windows, power locks, air conditioning
already an automatic, so shifter is in place
vacuum transfer case shifter into 4wd (maybe bad? maybe good?) (high-low range is still linked)
might be possible to purchase one inexpensively with blown transmission (for cheaper?)
To me, there are a few details about the dash I like better, like a double-din stereo, grab bar for passenger, etc.
Better chance of a lower-mileage truck with less rot

Just a few thoughts...

 

[ntsqd]

Thanks Kurt! So fronts are the same as my '84 p'up, but the rears have more spline teeth. Interesting.

I wouldn't turn down the right 62, but it's not really what I'm looking for. My Sub has the PW/PDL options and while they're handy, they're also a failure mode in a 20+ year old truck that I don't really want to do deal with. Unless someone has already done it I'd be inclined to think that the stock auto's shifter won't work with a GM trans. The GM trans' have an odd spacing for the park position. The trussed front housing would be nice.
The number one thing I don't like about a 62 are the headlights. This '91 Sub of mine has weened me of any interest in tiny rectangular headlights. I've threatened many times to put the old '79's front clip on the '91 just to get real headlights.

Had a Doh! moment last night. Can't use the NP271 (unless partially as a home brew doubler) because of the centered output.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Thanks Kurt! So fronts are the same as my '84 p'up, but the rears have more spline teeth. Interesting.

Birfs are 100% identical, as is the drivers side inner axle, the passenger side shafts vary in length.

The rear on your 84' should be the same spline count at the diff (30 spline (fine), 33mm/1.31"), pretty much all 70's-90's had the same spline configuration at the side gear. Where the axles really vary is the Semi-Float design. The mini truck has the wheel bearing retained setup where as the Land Cruiser axles are a c-clip design.

The number one thing I don't like about a 62 are the headlights. This '91 Sub of mine has weened me of any interest in tiny rectangular headlights. I've threatened many times to put the old '79's front clip on the '91 just to get real headlights.

Swap the front clip off of an FJ60

Had a Doh! moment last night. Can't use the NP271 (unless partially as a home brew doubler) because of the centered output.

A definite issue. Never seen a 271 used in a doubler, but the 203 is a common setup with commercially available adapters. There are centered rear axle options such as a Land Cruiser center section running pickup truck shafts

 

[ntsqd]

[HIJACK]Hijacking my own thread; I have noticed that some of the planetary type doublers have ratios that are the same as either the NP208 (2.6:1) or the NP271 (2.7:1). I'm guessing that this isn't an accident. Need to take the '79's left over 208 apart enough to see what would need to happen.....

Ug! a 203 is a huge lump, even as just the hi/lo case![/HIJACK]

I take it that possibly excepting things like pattern & stud length that a Cruiser Drop-out will fit in the Mini's axle housing? That opens up the possibility of some interesting hermaphrodites.....
Eeuuuuwwww, C-Clips! That floater option looks better all the time.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...I take it that possibly excepting things like pattern & stud length that a Cruiser Drop-out will fit in the Mini's axle housing? That opens up the possibility of some interesting hermaphrodites.....
Eeuuuuwwww, C-Clips! That floater option looks better all the time.

The process uses the tubes of a mini-truck axle mated to the 3rd housing of the Land Cruiser axle housing. With the substantial size difference in the LC 3rd member itself, it wouldn't be possible to modify the mini housing. On that note, guys have sucsessfully run mini-housings behind larger motors in Cruiser applications. Dieselcruiserhead here on ExPo ran one behind his Cummins 4BT for example. Though I would personally opt of the custom centered LC housing or go with a narrowed D60, 9", etc.

 

[Mike S]

I simple installed an FJ60 FF rear end in my 60. The stock 'C' clip semi floating rear axles are not a common point of failure in FJ60s. I got my FF rear cheap and had plans to nstall a factory e-locker from an 80 in the rear, so I swapped the FF rear axle into the 60 when we were doing the OME suspension and 5 speed.

M

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I simple installed an FJ60 FF rear end in my 60. The stock 'C' clip semi floating rear axles are not a common point of failure in FJ60s. I got my FF rear cheap and had plans to nstall a factory e-locker from an 80 in the rear, so I swapped the FF rear axle into the 60 when we were doing the OME suspension and 5 speed.

M

I guess "common" has some ambiguity I went through 3 SF 60 shafts before upgrading to the FF in 05'. I picked up 8 FF 60 axles in Cali (SOR) for my wheelin buds and customers here in SLC. Combined we had broken over a dozen SF shafts, in almost every case the drivers side rear. That being said these were all pretty rallied trucks. Knock on wood not a single axle failure out of the group since the upgrade :ylsmoke: I wouldn't hesitate to build a SF axle under a 60, I would either upgrade to Poly shafts or carry spares though