theferg
DD for Life
- Location
- Southern Utah
Nope. Same exact shift pattern. They used the same trannys regardless of LH or RH drive.
Last edited:
Project LXXIV - 1988 BJ74 Land Cruiser Build
- Thread starter cruiseroutfit
- Start date
Nope. Same exact shift pattern. They used the same trannys regardless of LH or RH drive.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
It's not over until it's over.
Knocking items off the To-Do list
While the crew was working on the front suspension and bumper, a second team was starting the assembly of the dual carrier rear bumper. Step one was to clean and wax the rear doors, particularly the areas that would be covered by the swing's door mount.
Ferg goes to town polishing and waxxing the back doors.
Rear bumper ready for assembly & install
I was still a little leery about future corrosion issues between the rear bumper door mounts and the doors themselves so we applied 3M trim tape between the two, keeping the contact patches to a minimum while retaining the strength needed for the door mounts.
Bryce applying the trim tape to the door mounts
Door mounts installed & test fitting the rear bumper
Making good progress on our To-Do List!
With the front bumper and suspension complete we moved to the rear suspension. Once again we broke the lugs, supported the frame and pulled the stock components off. Toyota had to have originally assembled the rear suspension before installing the fuel tank as the rear shackles simply cannot be removed without pulling the tank... If you want to keep them in one piece that is. Seeing as we were installing a full OME setup on the rear including new anti-inversion greaseable shackles, we opted to make a few quick guts with the cut-off wheel and get back to business. When gaps were available with the suspension work, rear bumper work was underway. We had to do some test fitting both on the truck and on the workbench to verify we had the assembly figured out for the bumper, swings and linkage but it was fairly intuitive and James had give us some great pictures during the design and fab stages that we were able to use to verify the assembly.
Rear suspension complete, time for tire installation at the hands of Mike & Chris
Adjusting the linkage on the rear swing
The prototype rear bumper turned out really slick. Again James and his team @ ExpeditionOne pulled off a neat bumper. When they hit us up about borrowing a 70 Series for prototyping I didn't think we would be running one on this rig in fact I figured it would be 3-4 months before they had a workable product. As our planned Kaymar got hung up in shipping (we'll be using it soon enough on an Aussie Outback style build
) it was quite serendipitous the Exp-One got this one done in just a few weeks. We chatted with James quite a bit during the design and build and I feel he not only was willing to take suggestions but he pretty much covered ever item we had discussed wanting out of a rear bumper for these rigs.
Bumper & Swings Installed
Meanwhile, some people were working harder than others
Next up winch, jerry can holder and license plate mount on the rear.
Knocking items off the To-Do list
While the crew was working on the front suspension and bumper, a second team was starting the assembly of the dual carrier rear bumper. Step one was to clean and wax the rear doors, particularly the areas that would be covered by the swing's door mount.
Ferg goes to town polishing and waxxing the back doors.
Rear bumper ready for assembly & install
I was still a little leery about future corrosion issues between the rear bumper door mounts and the doors themselves so we applied 3M trim tape between the two, keeping the contact patches to a minimum while retaining the strength needed for the door mounts.
Bryce applying the trim tape to the door mounts
Door mounts installed & test fitting the rear bumper
Making good progress on our To-Do List!
With the front bumper and suspension complete we moved to the rear suspension. Once again we broke the lugs, supported the frame and pulled the stock components off. Toyota had to have originally assembled the rear suspension before installing the fuel tank as the rear shackles simply cannot be removed without pulling the tank... If you want to keep them in one piece that is. Seeing as we were installing a full OME setup on the rear including new anti-inversion greaseable shackles, we opted to make a few quick guts with the cut-off wheel and get back to business. When gaps were available with the suspension work, rear bumper work was underway. We had to do some test fitting both on the truck and on the workbench to verify we had the assembly figured out for the bumper, swings and linkage but it was fairly intuitive and James had give us some great pictures during the design and fab stages that we were able to use to verify the assembly.
Rear suspension complete, time for tire installation at the hands of Mike & Chris
Adjusting the linkage on the rear swing
The prototype rear bumper turned out really slick. Again James and his team @ ExpeditionOne pulled off a neat bumper. When they hit us up about borrowing a 70 Series for prototyping I didn't think we would be running one on this rig in fact I figured it would be 3-4 months before they had a workable product. As our planned Kaymar got hung up in shipping (we'll be using it soon enough on an Aussie Outback style build
) it was quite serendipitous the Exp-One got this one done in just a few weeks. We chatted with James quite a bit during the design and build and I feel he not only was willing to take suggestions but he pretty much covered ever item we had discussed wanting out of a rear bumper for these rigs.
Bumper & Swings Installed
Meanwhile, some people were working harder than others
Next up winch, jerry can holder and license plate mount on the rear.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
While I do LOVE the vehicle, I'm more impressed with these 'overnight' builds! All the planning, commitment from friends, etc... very cool! I'd really like to see this one in person.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
While I do LOVE the vehicle, I'm more impressed with these 'overnight' builds! All the planning, commitment from friends, etc... very cool! I'd really like to see this one in person.
With my schedule, things have to be condensed
I am very thankful for my employees and friends that were willing to sacrifice their time to make this build come together so quickly. Hopefully they were able to learn a thing or two and have some fun doing it too!
ttora4runner
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Colorado Springs, Again
Would've liked to help out but I probable would've just got in the way.
Build looks good.
Build looks good.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
CobraNutt
Active Member
- Location
- Salt Lake City
Awesome project! Looks like it was well thought out and executed! I should have you guys install my new suspension components I just picked up for my Liberty! You guys could probably have it knocked out in about 15 minutes! It might take me a couple weekends! Lol!
Sent from my own little galaxy...
Sent from my own little galaxy...
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Let's see some pictures of the LC in action
Coming soon, just in from a the Swell/Moab and literally headed back out the door after a brief nap this evening
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
We had made some huge progress and knocked out the majority of the smaller items but our list wasn't finished yet and the last items were going to take a little more time.
ExpeditionOne generally uses the Rotopax style gas cans on their bumper setups, however I've got a fleet of Scepter MFC's I utilize for trips and my other carriers are setup for the Scepter can. On top of that, while the Rotopax would have been a clean install (they are a neat product) it wouldn't give me an option for the license plate mounting. I could easily make a bracket that mounts to the jerry can swing carrier or bolts to the tire but I wanted to re-use the stock "Toyota 4WD" trim and light assembly that was removed from the door. We were looking around for jerry can holders online when it dawned on me that I had a handful of the Adventure Trailer can carriers left over from a previous project. Olly pulled one down from it's dusty hiding spot on the top of the pallet racking and we started sizing it up, this was going to be slick!
Rough mounting the AT can carrier
Mocking up the license plate setup
Sure enough it worked out near perfectly, mounting to the ExpeditionOne carrier with 2 existing holes and by adding just 2 additional holes to the can carrier, we had a nice secure fit to the bumper. The license plate mounting was the next stage and it proved quite simple. We removed the welded studs on the factory light as they would protrude too deep and interfere with a MFC in the carrier. Instead we drilled the hole and mounted it with some low profile screws and nuts. We added a few additional holes for the license plate itself and for zip tie holes to secure the extended wiring which was plugged back into the stock harness. Very happy with the result.
Wiring secured
Plug harness extended and tidied up.
Finished product
I've always been a 'W' guy and I'm still a big fan of their proven product line however they left me wanting in the 24V division and I had to scramble to find a solution. I attended the Easter Jeep Safari show a few weeks back and had the chance to chat with several different winch manufactures. A few had 24V options but nothing was shining as a front runner, really we just wanted a Warn M8000 in 24V but it was becoming impossible to source. Fast forward a few days and I contacted ComeUp, they had reached out to us in the past about their product offerings and they came highly recommended from a friend in the industry familiar with their product line. Not only did they have a 9k 24V non-integrated winch in stock, he could ship it that same day and we would have it in just 2 days, deal. Sure enough it arrived as planned and we spent some time inspecting it here in the shop before and during the install, I'm absolutely thrilled with the craftsmanship and material selection, finish, etc. We modified the supplied power cables slightly to allow for a particular solenoid box mounting, in the end it turned out fantastic and looks right at home in the bumper. Time will tell how it holds up under loads but I'm excited to put it through the paces in the future.
Winch Time
Shortened cables & mounted solenoid box
Finished product, just need to run the main power cables
Next up: Tie up loose ends and head to Cruise Moab
Knocking them dead
ExpeditionOne generally uses the Rotopax style gas cans on their bumper setups, however I've got a fleet of Scepter MFC's I utilize for trips and my other carriers are setup for the Scepter can. On top of that, while the Rotopax would have been a clean install (they are a neat product) it wouldn't give me an option for the license plate mounting. I could easily make a bracket that mounts to the jerry can swing carrier or bolts to the tire but I wanted to re-use the stock "Toyota 4WD" trim and light assembly that was removed from the door. We were looking around for jerry can holders online when it dawned on me that I had a handful of the Adventure Trailer can carriers left over from a previous project. Olly pulled one down from it's dusty hiding spot on the top of the pallet racking and we started sizing it up, this was going to be slick!
Rough mounting the AT can carrier
Mocking up the license plate setup
Sure enough it worked out near perfectly, mounting to the ExpeditionOne carrier with 2 existing holes and by adding just 2 additional holes to the can carrier, we had a nice secure fit to the bumper. The license plate mounting was the next stage and it proved quite simple. We removed the welded studs on the factory light as they would protrude too deep and interfere with a MFC in the carrier. Instead we drilled the hole and mounted it with some low profile screws and nuts. We added a few additional holes for the license plate itself and for zip tie holes to secure the extended wiring which was plugged back into the stock harness. Very happy with the result.
Wiring secured
Plug harness extended and tidied up.
Finished product
I've always been a 'W' guy and I'm still a big fan of their proven product line however they left me wanting in the 24V division and I had to scramble to find a solution. I attended the Easter Jeep Safari show a few weeks back and had the chance to chat with several different winch manufactures. A few had 24V options but nothing was shining as a front runner, really we just wanted a Warn M8000 in 24V but it was becoming impossible to source. Fast forward a few days and I contacted ComeUp, they had reached out to us in the past about their product offerings and they came highly recommended from a friend in the industry familiar with their product line. Not only did they have a 9k 24V non-integrated winch in stock, he could ship it that same day and we would have it in just 2 days, deal. Sure enough it arrived as planned and we spent some time inspecting it here in the shop before and during the install, I'm absolutely thrilled with the craftsmanship and material selection, finish, etc. We modified the supplied power cables slightly to allow for a particular solenoid box mounting, in the end it turned out fantastic and looks right at home in the bumper. Time will tell how it holds up under loads but I'm excited to put it through the paces in the future.
Winch Time
Shortened cables & mounted solenoid box
Finished product, just need to run the main power cables
Next up: Tie up loose ends and head to Cruise Moab
Knocking them dead
CobraNutt
Active Member
- Location
- Salt Lake City
Nice work, as always!! It all fits so well, you guys make it look factory installed!
Sent from my own little galaxy...
Sent from my own little galaxy...
- Location
- Never Far From Nowhere
Most of the project pictures were taken with my Canon Rebel T2i and a 35-80mm f4 lens.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Those not taken by Stephen i.e. the winch and rear bumper pics, were taken with a Canon 70D. I'm far from proficient with using it but I'm sure trying.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
ExpeditionPortal gave the Project LXXIV some love
http://expeditionportal.com/featured-vehicle-toyota-land-cruiser-bj74/
http://expeditionportal.com/featured-vehicle-toyota-land-cruiser-bj74/
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Tying up loose ends:
A few have asked about the sliders as I inadvertently neglected to make mention of them. When my partner Steve (LandCruisersDirect.com) and I were discussing the build and the crunched timetable we decided our best bet would be to source some off-the-shelf sliders. Turns out the fine gents at Cruisin Offroad has pre-made ones available and Steve went ahead and ordered them before it even made it to our shop. The take-off chrome steps ended up on my super-stock BJ74 "Righty". The bolt-on sliders are nicely made and don't require any modifications to the pinch-weld or frame to be installed. There are a couple minor things I would change if I were building them in-house but all told they are a viable option for your short wheel-base 7x Series and they have worked well on LXXIV.
Sliders installed on the bone stock truck.
The rear lights are still a work in progress i.e. they work but I don't know if I'm done with them and more so they likely won't be the same lights used on this bumper when it hits production. These lights are the standard 2" fleet truck & trailer variety, very inexpensive, great quality and easy to source. My debate was how to set them up color wise. The pivots of the carriers nearly fully block the amber turn signal and both corners, so an amber was mandatory. What about the second set of lights? Red for additional brake/park visibility or clear for a nice back-up light option? I'm still on the fence there and while the harness I built for the amber turn signals also included the wiring for the 2nd lights, it isn't terminated back inside the vehicle so they are non-functional for the minute. I'm waiting for the chance to get back over the the big-rig supplier to grab some clears, I want to see just how much light they will project as a back-up light before I commit. If the light they offer is dismal I'll mount a higher output LED option on one of the carriers or in the middle of the spare tire carrier.
Rear bumper light configurations.
The reason this build needed to come together so quickly was for the Cruise Moab this last May, not that I had to take this vehicle but I wanted to and thus in needed to be ready by the time I left just a few days after the build. During the Cruise Moab event, I would be a trail leader for 3 days of off-road travel in the San Rafael Swell (Devil's Racetrack, Eva Connover and Black Dragon Canyon for those familiar with the area). Our group would consist of ~20 vehicles and thus communications were essential. Despite my personal preference for 2M (ham) there are still enough users out there with CB only and I would need to have options for both. CB was easy, I leaned on my old standby Cobra 75WXST. They are simple to mount, completely hidden when removed and I've had decent luck with the range and clarity on them. I mounted the control box behind the glove box and used a mag-mount antenna on the LH fender. The antenna isn't permanent but I'll need to bend and powder-coat a fender/hood lip bracket that will work... still on my to do list. For 2M I went even more basic, my hand-held with a remote mic. The range isn't insane but for trail duty it worked out just fine. I do plan to install a full mobile 2M unit and matching antenna, again waiting on the fender/hood lip bracket and some more time.
Cobra CB with the control box mounted behind the dashboard.
Mag mount antenna, while temporary it has proven a decent solution.
The last major item on my to-do list was a power port in the rear for the fridge and any other accessories. I was at a cross-roads, 12V or 24V? 12V would require the use of a simple 24V->12V converter but they are easy enough to source and install. However the main accessory I plan to use in the rear is the ARB fridge/freezer so why not get the better performance offered by the 24V. I wired it as such knowing it will be easy enough to change in the future. I used the ARB 12/24V harness kit, it includes a nice flush mount receptacle for the fridge outlet proper. Just to be on the safe side, I added a "24 Volt" label above the outlet.
Fridge outlet.
Following CM the BJ74 spent some time in the shop getting some clean up and a minor repair. The last day of Cruise Moab the engine was sporadically failing to shut off with the key. The 13BT turns off with a vacuum cutoff to the intake and we quickly found it had a vacuum leak at the clutch booster (yes these have vacuum assisted clutch systems for a really easy pedal push). I tracked down a new booster assembly but decided to pull the existing one to see if I could identify the failure point. The booster has an output seal that can wear out or more likely dry up a bit from lack of use which can cause it to let vacuum leak. Sure enough a new seal did the trick and it hasn't failed to shut off since. Check that for a super easy repair and an inexpensive part cost.
You can see how the ID of the old seal is substantially larger than the new seal.
Shaft that the seal rides on.
Beyond that it has been getting some trail time. Most recently the Retro Ramble which is a 4x4 event for 80's era rigs. This year was the inaugural event and we had a small group of neat vintage 4x4's including my buddy's Samurai that lost a head gasket out in the Great Salt Lake Desert. We tried swapping a head gasket along the trail but it didn't take (thinking cracked block). LXXIV to the rescue, we pulled him the ~50 miles back to the highway and met a buddy from SLC with a trailer to pull him into the valley. It wasn't record pace towing but she lugged the Samurai around nicely.
Retrol Ramble
I've been out of town for a few weeks and was really craving a rip around town in LXXIV (pronounced "El-Lix-Iv" around this parts), my wife must have read my mind as she arrived to pick me up at the airport in the beast. Keeper!
A few have asked about the sliders as I inadvertently neglected to make mention of them. When my partner Steve (LandCruisersDirect.com) and I were discussing the build and the crunched timetable we decided our best bet would be to source some off-the-shelf sliders. Turns out the fine gents at Cruisin Offroad has pre-made ones available and Steve went ahead and ordered them before it even made it to our shop. The take-off chrome steps ended up on my super-stock BJ74 "Righty". The bolt-on sliders are nicely made and don't require any modifications to the pinch-weld or frame to be installed. There are a couple minor things I would change if I were building them in-house but all told they are a viable option for your short wheel-base 7x Series and they have worked well on LXXIV.
Sliders installed on the bone stock truck.
The rear lights are still a work in progress i.e. they work but I don't know if I'm done with them and more so they likely won't be the same lights used on this bumper when it hits production. These lights are the standard 2" fleet truck & trailer variety, very inexpensive, great quality and easy to source. My debate was how to set them up color wise. The pivots of the carriers nearly fully block the amber turn signal and both corners, so an amber was mandatory. What about the second set of lights? Red for additional brake/park visibility or clear for a nice back-up light option? I'm still on the fence there and while the harness I built for the amber turn signals also included the wiring for the 2nd lights, it isn't terminated back inside the vehicle so they are non-functional for the minute. I'm waiting for the chance to get back over the the big-rig supplier to grab some clears, I want to see just how much light they will project as a back-up light before I commit. If the light they offer is dismal I'll mount a higher output LED option on one of the carriers or in the middle of the spare tire carrier.
Rear bumper light configurations.
The reason this build needed to come together so quickly was for the Cruise Moab this last May, not that I had to take this vehicle but I wanted to and thus in needed to be ready by the time I left just a few days after the build. During the Cruise Moab event, I would be a trail leader for 3 days of off-road travel in the San Rafael Swell (Devil's Racetrack, Eva Connover and Black Dragon Canyon for those familiar with the area). Our group would consist of ~20 vehicles and thus communications were essential. Despite my personal preference for 2M (ham) there are still enough users out there with CB only and I would need to have options for both. CB was easy, I leaned on my old standby Cobra 75WXST. They are simple to mount, completely hidden when removed and I've had decent luck with the range and clarity on them. I mounted the control box behind the glove box and used a mag-mount antenna on the LH fender. The antenna isn't permanent but I'll need to bend and powder-coat a fender/hood lip bracket that will work... still on my to do list. For 2M I went even more basic, my hand-held with a remote mic. The range isn't insane but for trail duty it worked out just fine. I do plan to install a full mobile 2M unit and matching antenna, again waiting on the fender/hood lip bracket and some more time.
Cobra CB with the control box mounted behind the dashboard.
Mag mount antenna, while temporary it has proven a decent solution.
The last major item on my to-do list was a power port in the rear for the fridge and any other accessories. I was at a cross-roads, 12V or 24V? 12V would require the use of a simple 24V->12V converter but they are easy enough to source and install. However the main accessory I plan to use in the rear is the ARB fridge/freezer so why not get the better performance offered by the 24V. I wired it as such knowing it will be easy enough to change in the future. I used the ARB 12/24V harness kit, it includes a nice flush mount receptacle for the fridge outlet proper. Just to be on the safe side, I added a "24 Volt" label above the outlet.
Fridge outlet.
Following CM the BJ74 spent some time in the shop getting some clean up and a minor repair. The last day of Cruise Moab the engine was sporadically failing to shut off with the key. The 13BT turns off with a vacuum cutoff to the intake and we quickly found it had a vacuum leak at the clutch booster (yes these have vacuum assisted clutch systems for a really easy pedal push). I tracked down a new booster assembly but decided to pull the existing one to see if I could identify the failure point. The booster has an output seal that can wear out or more likely dry up a bit from lack of use which can cause it to let vacuum leak. Sure enough a new seal did the trick and it hasn't failed to shut off since. Check that for a super easy repair and an inexpensive part cost.
You can see how the ID of the old seal is substantially larger than the new seal.
Shaft that the seal rides on.
Beyond that it has been getting some trail time. Most recently the Retro Ramble which is a 4x4 event for 80's era rigs. This year was the inaugural event and we had a small group of neat vintage 4x4's including my buddy's Samurai that lost a head gasket out in the Great Salt Lake Desert. We tried swapping a head gasket along the trail but it didn't take (thinking cracked block). LXXIV to the rescue, we pulled him the ~50 miles back to the highway and met a buddy from SLC with a trailer to pull him into the valley. It wasn't record pace towing but she lugged the Samurai around nicely.
Retrol Ramble
I've been out of town for a few weeks and was really craving a rip around town in LXXIV (pronounced "El-Lix-Iv" around this parts), my wife must have read my mind as she arrived to pick me up at the airport in the beast. Keeper!
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
CruiserFest & a new home
Much of my summer was spent traveling with the Expeditions7 team. I had a few weeks here and there to enjoy LXXIV however I was really looking forward to CruiserFest. For the past 5 years I've lead trail runs for the CruiserFest event, the last few leading a group from Moab to Tooele (CF site) via some of Utah's finest back roads. The truck performed flawlessly and we had a fantastic trip. Sadly during the voyage I got word LXXIV had sold and was headed to a new owner immediately following CruiserFest. It wasn't a complete shock, a gentleman had flown in and spent some time inspecting it while I was still traveling and it was active inventory. Still it was really a killer rig, I'll just have to find another to replace it.
Black Dragon Canyon in the SR Swell
Pony Express Trail
A chance meeting with the E7 fleet en route to CruiserFest
My last picture
The new owner is enjoying the truck thus far... "2 days behind the wheel and lovin' every minute of it". I'm sure he will enjoy it for the years to come, it is a great truck.
Much of my summer was spent traveling with the Expeditions7 team. I had a few weeks here and there to enjoy LXXIV however I was really looking forward to CruiserFest. For the past 5 years I've lead trail runs for the CruiserFest event, the last few leading a group from Moab to Tooele (CF site) via some of Utah's finest back roads. The truck performed flawlessly and we had a fantastic trip. Sadly during the voyage I got word LXXIV had sold and was headed to a new owner immediately following CruiserFest. It wasn't a complete shock, a gentleman had flown in and spent some time inspecting it while I was still traveling and it was active inventory. Still it was really a killer rig, I'll just have to find another to replace it.
Black Dragon Canyon in the SR Swell
Pony Express Trail
A chance meeting with the E7 fleet en route to CruiserFest
My last picture
The new owner is enjoying the truck thus far... "2 days behind the wheel and lovin' every minute of it". I'm sure he will enjoy it for the years to come, it is a great truck.
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- Location
- West Jordan
It would be a killer rig to own for sure. Congrats to the new owner!
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
I'm bummed... it was a perfect truck.
That is the bad news... the good news is that we have a few clean stockers here at the shop that could make great build platforms. Righty, Goldilocks and White Stripes.
Here are the clean slates:
Righty, Goldilocks and White Stripes
What to do?
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
cruiseroutfit said:
Well, I figured out what to do. "Jenny" is now in my stable. I had always love the rig and how our customer theferg had set it up. We handled the original sale, helped theferg with a bunch of the parts and install and I was able to spend a bunch of time on the trail with him and the lovely rig. I knew it was a killer rig. His needs were changing (building a new 4x4
) and I was seriously missing a BJ74. Jenny has found a home
LXXIV (sold) on the left and Jenny on the right. More pics coming!