Fj40 on narrowed wraith axles chop chop

[Rodamis]

So I had this pair of wraith axles I had no use for aanymore and a Tamiya cruiser body from a retired project and decided they would go well together . Another thing I really wanted was some sort of hydro steer look alike set up on the front axle and to hide the steering servo so here is the start to the rig I am going to run for this season . It should be a gooder

Let's get onto a few pics


So I cut 1 1/8 out of the front housing flipped the diff to a Chevy passenger side pumpkin and built a heavy front axle truss to add weight down low and to support the fake ram set up. What I used for the ram was an axial aluminum link a small piece of hard steel tube that I found in a box of scrap that fit over link with a little wiggle room. This gave me the look I wanted here is a few pics of what I am talking about



Decided to mount my shocks on top of the axle instead of fighting the tires rubbing them in the stock mounting potion. since I have 50 degrees of turning with the axial uni's up front I didn't want the shocks to get in the tires way. Plus it is going to be a fairly heavy rig and the wider shock stance will give it much needed stability. Here's a few pics of the front axle all dressed

[URL=http://s124.photobucket.com/user/RodamisPrime/media/fj40%20pick%20up/20150313_154251_zpsqmzuefte.jpg.html][IMG]

[Rodamis]

[Rodamis]

Built up a small heavy skid to keep so extra weight down low and mounted up the axles to it . Used some plastic twin hammers rear trailing arms and decided it was getting an ultra4 rear suspension with sway bar . Built the rear axle for it and decided that I wanted the pumpkin as close to the tire as possible so when I narrowed it I cut 9/16 of an inch from each side off the ends . Modifying ar60 axles is stupid simple . Cutting and making new flat spots on the axle shafts is easy as well but what I do recommend is using a locker that has set screws to lock the axle shafts in. If you did this mod with stock shafts or even the uni's where your new flat spots are made the shift diameter is smaller then factory. So I used vanquish lockers to tighten up the slop . Let see some pics already right !!!

[Rodamis]

I started working on the body at first I didn't have a plan or a body to use. I was going to make a cage that looked like an exo cage of a pick up cab and then that's when the fj40 body called out to me . The body was from a dead project and was just sitting there . Here is the start to a full cage



Threw some more bent rod at the cab and ended up with this style . I am not copying a certain rig just a collaboration of stuff I have seen and liked in the past .

[Rodamis]

Just a little more tube work done to it having a hard time deciding what to do with the lower rear tube work and how it will tie in with the back of the cab

[Jonnie Fraz]

Looks good! I dig all the fab work. please keep the updates coming. By the way...did you make the frame building jig or is it something you picked up?

[simp]

Great fab work!

[Rodamis]

Originally Posted by Jonnie Fraz

Looks good! I dig all the fab work. please keep the updates coming. By the way...did you make the frame building jig or is it something you picked up?

Thanks the pin table helps with keeping stuff where it's supposed to stay while I weld out the basic structure. I made that pin table it works pretty good . Pm me for more details.

Originally Posted by simp

Great fab work!

Thanks much appreciated. Working on the grill hoops right now . Trying to come up with something unique but that's hard to do with all the cool custom work going on these days.check in I will be posting every second day or so till its complete

[kranswall]

That truss is very Frankenstein man, I like it! Good job on the steering ram that is sweet. Also props on that jig table...very handy I bet.

[djjiz]

In. Thanks.

[Rodamis]

Finished what will be the final front front push bar and popped the grill into the body to detail the pics to give you a better idea on what it will look like . On to the pictures






That's all for now . Started getting the skid ready to mount to the cage so I can finish the lower section on the cage to clear the drive train. Thanks for all the likes and keep watching

[rjwalker]

This is one nice rig nice work to

[Kylar]

Wow! Sick skills and build! If i could build a FJ this is how i would do it!

Cant wait to see it finished!

[Rodamis]

Originally Posted by rjwalker

This is one nice rig nice work to

Thanks rjwalker the body came from a rig I built that looked just like yours except on a gelande2 chassis that I got bored with lol

Originally Posted by Kylar

Wow! Sick skills and build! If i could build a FJ this is how i would do it!
Cant wait to see it finished!

Thanks much appreciated. Stay tuned for more

[MIKO]

Amazing "hydro" steering! I'm looking forward to testing and results!

[looneybin]

Love it. Looks awsome. I built a faux hydro system a while back on a set of wraith axles very similar to yours. I had a heck of a time with the akerman though. With the sliding link it would cause the outside wheel to always turn sharper than the inside wheel. I tried several knuckle arms and angles.

[looneybin]

Stock length axles

[Rodamis]

[QU OTE =MIKO; 8d05]A mazing "hydro" steering! I'm looking forward to testing and results![/QUOTE]
Thanks . I think it will work perfectly once I finish making a new bell crank

Originally Posted by looneybin82310

Love it. Looks awsome. I built a faux hydro system a while back on a set of wraith axles very similar to yours. I had a heck of a time with the akerman though. With the sliding link it would cause the outside wheel to always turn sharper than the inside wheel. I tried several knuckle arms and angles.

looneybin that's a sweet looking bouncer . I found that the farther out my ram was the worse the inside tire would understeer thats why mine is on top of the axle . If i Pulled the ram closer to the center of the axle it actually lessens that problem even more. All the 1:1 pictures I looked at had the ram set farther back so I worked off that.

[Rodamis]

Got a little more done . Welded the skid to the cage put the lower front tube work in . Everything up front clears nicely . Will be working the front shock towers now



J

[Rodamis]

Built a simple transfer case Mount, a simple motor plate and starting the mount for servo soon as I post these pics . Feel free to comment or ask questions