cumminscruiser
Adventurer
60 mods
Thanks for the link to the taig gate access panel.
Thanks for the link to the taig gate access panel.
My 60 mods thread
- Thread starter ntsqd
- Start date
overLand_Cruiser
Observer
nice looking 60! I must say, you have pretty good taste...
xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
You and your darn 60, I'm watching 5 on ebay though funnt thing I can't afford any of them. 
I'm still jealous.
Aaron
I'm still jealous.Aaron
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Thanks, Yours looks pretty good too! I'm glad that we're not biased or anything!overLand_Cruiser said:nice looking 60! I must say, you have pretty good taste...
On 'mud there is a sticky about using Muriatic Acid to unclog heater cores. Muriatic Acid is highly concentrated Hydrochloric Acid. The stuff is dangerous and nasty to work with. It's vapors will corrode any steel that they land on, and even with a near constant prevailing ocean breeze they land on a lot! I used to use it for removing plating from hardware that I needed to weld on. A friend told of using vinegar to clean off the corrosion in the fuse block to his Datsun 510. I decided to give it a try on the plating and it works wonderfully well so long as you have a little time. An overnight soaking is usually needed.
Back to my plugged heater cores, I decided to try vinegar in them too. Prior to soaking in vinegar the main heater core would only trickle out with a garden hose hooked to it wide open. Last night I again hooked the garden hose up and blasted backwards through the core. It flowed full blast!! Success!! The rear core is currently soaking, but I will only let it go one day since there are plated steel tubes involved.
Tonight starts the next round of updates. I've got the V6 calipers, braided SS hose bits, and the wheel bearings (thanks Kurt!). I have to move the brake hose tab in order to put the shocks where they belong. In the process I plan to eliminate the dust shield mounted hard line and angle fitting.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Teaser pic:
Things are moving slow, but they are moving. I have determined that the Ford F-250 upper mount will work with this configuration and have found a source for a lower mount similar to the mini-truck LA mount, only heavier duty. I hope to have those mid to late next week. From the looks of it I believe that I will have to remove the stock upper mount. I had hoped to not have to do that. Once the mount parts are here I'll be able to say for sure.
In the mean time the right side has all new wheel bearings (hand packed with Redline CV Joint Grease - the best high temp extreme pressure grease that I've found for a reasonable price) and seal, the locking hub was thoroughly cleaned and reassembled lightly using the same grease as the wheel bearings.
The left side is just starting to come apart. The locking hub is soaking in the solvent tank and has a chance of coming out clean. An oddity has surfaced though. The RS 'dial' for the locking hub is red which is the color that I am used to them being. The left side 'dial' is gold. Does anyone know why this might be? It was not painted by a PO, this is the original color. It functions just fine. Am only curious as to why it might be gold instead of red.
As it happened I had a new set of FJ60 rotors for a vented rotor upgrade on a new front axle Patch, but that project has stalled since what is there is working fine. So the 60 gets new rotors too.
The first of the 3 braided SS hoses is cut to length and covered with Raychem Heat Shrink to keep the grime out of the braid. Now that I have the length I can cut and assemble the other caliper hose.
Things are moving slow, but they are moving. I have determined that the Ford F-250 upper mount will work with this configuration and have found a source for a lower mount similar to the mini-truck LA mount, only heavier duty. I hope to have those mid to late next week. From the looks of it I believe that I will have to remove the stock upper mount. I had hoped to not have to do that. Once the mount parts are here I'll be able to say for sure.
In the mean time the right side has all new wheel bearings (hand packed with Redline CV Joint Grease - the best high temp extreme pressure grease that I've found for a reasonable price) and seal, the locking hub was thoroughly cleaned and reassembled lightly using the same grease as the wheel bearings.
The left side is just starting to come apart. The locking hub is soaking in the solvent tank and has a chance of coming out clean. An oddity has surfaced though. The RS 'dial' for the locking hub is red which is the color that I am used to them being. The left side 'dial' is gold. Does anyone know why this might be? It was not painted by a PO, this is the original color. It functions just fine. Am only curious as to why it might be gold instead of red.
As it happened I had a new set of FJ60 rotors for a vented rotor upgrade on a new front axle Patch, but that project has stalled since what is there is working fine. So the 60 gets new rotors too.
The first of the 3 braided SS hoses is cut to length and covered with Raychem Heat Shrink to keep the grime out of the braid. Now that I have the length I can cut and assemble the other caliper hose.
overLand_Cruiser
Observer
i used F250 towers and they worked out great, but I had to modify them so that the shocks would mount vertically. I am only running pro comps right now. Check out my build on MUD, specifically post 223 for pics and info.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Thanks for the links!
I'm moving the lower mounts off of the spring plates to be on top of the axle tube as far outboard as they can reasonably be put. The idea is to get a more linear motion ratio to the dampers. This should make softer valving more effective for a nicer ride quality. We'll see.......
I'm moving the lower mounts off of the spring plates to be on top of the axle tube as far outboard as they can reasonably be put. The idea is to get a more linear motion ratio to the dampers. This should make softer valving more effective for a nicer ride quality. We'll see.......
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
One other thing, the other day I noticed that two of the 4 keys given to me for the truck have the name "Wallace" stamped in them. I am thinking that's as good a name as any. Patch and Wallace. 
Oddly, it appears that these keys are two sets of slightly different pairs, and only one set is able to unlock the rear hatch. Valet keys for an FJ60?
Oddly, it appears that these keys are two sets of slightly different pairs, and only one set is able to unlock the rear hatch. Valet keys for an FJ60?
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
I stumbled onto something on Mud about that too. Looks like 60/62's got gold dials and the mini trucks got red dials. Most other Aisin's that I've seen are red dials too. One poster speculated that the gold dials might be stronger. I rather doubt it as the guts of each are the same; unless it was only the bezel and dial that were replaced.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Three steps forward......
.... two steps back.
That's what it's been feeling like anyway!!
These are OME Med/Heavy springs. I originally bought the whole kit as it was less to do that than to just buy the parts that I wanted. Worked out to be a bonus as I was able to measure the extended and compressed lengths of the front and rear shocks intended to work with these springs.
Turns out that the 4 Fox 2.0" remote reservoir 8" stroke shocks that I already had would work with some mount location adjustment in the front and should bolt-on at the rear if I replace the spherical bearings with urethane bushings. The Fox loops are wider than the Bilstein's that I've done this to previously and their install is a problem yet to be fully solved. I may have to make some changes to the rear mounts and re-install the bearings.
Finally got the front shock mounts glued on and painted. POR-15 sure runs easy for how thick it goes on. We'll see how the mounts work out, they are essentially a copy of the Mini-Truck design. In order to avoid running a bead straight up the frame rail & creating a stress riser I plated the outside of the rail with similar thickness cold roll and welded the towers to those. Hidden under the tower itself are 4 rosette welds between the doubler plate and the frame rail.
Unfortunately the steering box interferes with the most ideal location for the tower, so I moved both back the same amount as was needed to clear the steering box. Which is why some of the body work done to the fender liner doesn't align with the mount.
.... two steps back.
That's what it's been feeling like anyway!!
These are OME Med/Heavy springs. I originally bought the whole kit as it was less to do that than to just buy the parts that I wanted. Worked out to be a bonus as I was able to measure the extended and compressed lengths of the front and rear shocks intended to work with these springs.
Turns out that the 4 Fox 2.0" remote reservoir 8" stroke shocks that I already had would work with some mount location adjustment in the front and should bolt-on at the rear if I replace the spherical bearings with urethane bushings. The Fox loops are wider than the Bilstein's that I've done this to previously and their install is a problem yet to be fully solved. I may have to make some changes to the rear mounts and re-install the bearings.
Finally got the front shock mounts glued on and painted. POR-15 sure runs easy for how thick it goes on. We'll see how the mounts work out, they are essentially a copy of the Mini-Truck design. In order to avoid running a bead straight up the frame rail & creating a stress riser I plated the outside of the rail with similar thickness cold roll and welded the towers to those. Hidden under the tower itself are 4 rosette welds between the doubler plate and the frame rail.
Unfortunately the steering box interferes with the most ideal location for the tower, so I moved both back the same amount as was needed to clear the steering box. Which is why some of the body work done to the fender liner doesn't align with the mount.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Success!!!!!
No pics yet but last night I was finally able to install the rear Fox shocks. Now all that stands in the way of driving it is needing a rear brake hose (current is cracked & a little short) and some clamps to hold the rear shock reservoirs to the rear shock cross member. Some number 56 hose clamps and raiding Patch's upgrades stash for some -3 hose and adapters should cure both problems. Possibly as early as this evening, but certainly by sometime Saturday.
No pics yet but last night I was finally able to install the rear Fox shocks. Now all that stands in the way of driving it is needing a rear brake hose (current is cracked & a little short) and some clamps to hold the rear shock reservoirs to the rear shock cross member. Some number 56 hose clamps and raiding Patch's upgrades stash for some -3 hose and adapters should cure both problems. Possibly as early as this evening, but certainly by sometime Saturday.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Pictures!!!
Rear shocks installed:
First real trip taken with the 60, my GF & I went for a mtb ride in Sycamore Cyn off PCH. As I was taking these pics some poor bastid was getting the 3rd degree from the Officer just out of the camera's left.
Mugu rock:
Today I needed to move stuff around in the driveway. I'm hoping to take the TrailBlazer on a short trip next weekend. So I've got to get the trailer lights wired and sort out which slider to use. Clearly this one isn't correct. I've since found one that works well.
Odd that the minimal tongue weight of the TrailBlazer settles the rear down more than did the carrier and two MTB's. I've yet to get many miles on these OME springs, but so far I'm not impressed. I know leaves can ride better than these do.
Rear shocks installed:
First real trip taken with the 60, my GF & I went for a mtb ride in Sycamore Cyn off PCH. As I was taking these pics some poor bastid was getting the 3rd degree from the Officer just out of the camera's left.
Mugu rock:
Today I needed to move stuff around in the driveway. I'm hoping to take the TrailBlazer on a short trip next weekend. So I've got to get the trailer lights wired and sort out which slider to use. Clearly this one isn't correct. I've since found one that works well.
Odd that the minimal tongue weight of the TrailBlazer settles the rear down more than did the carrier and two MTB's. I've yet to get many miles on these OME springs, but so far I'm not impressed. I know leaves can ride better than these do.
xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
I love you truck!
Aaron
Aaron
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