LJ70 Build Thread!

[Shaun]

Looks like you had a really good laning trip Ben ! Im still learning the lanes round North wales only know a hand full. Let me know if your organising an other trip .

 

[Ben]

thanks Shaun.

i dont tend to leed/organise the trips with my suzuki mates, and there quite fussy about maximum of 5 vehicles, and theres not usually any spare places. if anyone drops out on future trips though, i will give you a shout.

next trips are:-

April-29th - Llangollen and surrounding area -> Dave leads

May-20th - Shropshire -> Ben leads

June-16/17th - Lakes -> Brett leads.

ive also got a trip out with Paul at the start of June, which im looking forward to.

 

[Shaun]

If you could let me know if any one drops out that would be great Ben.

 

[Ben]

will do Shaun.

i rang Arbil today, the UK importer for ARB.

list price for a front locker was £770 +VAT.

called Devon 4x4 and they came in a lot cheaper!

going to find out when i can get a week off work and then get it ordered.

im tempted to have a go at fitting it myself.

anyone done this and know how difficult it is? any specialist tools i might need?

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Check the "feel" of the pinion bearings i.e. no roughness. If you need to change them, the job gets a lot harder because you need a new "crush" tube between the bearings,. This determines the pre-load on the bearings. If the nose oil seal on the pinion bearing is leaking, you need to do this at the same time. If you need to do the bearings, you change the seal as a matter of course.

The ARB unit replaces the standard diff. unit and requires setting up once fitted with the crown wheel and bearings. To do this you need a dial gauge and experience. Think very carefully before you commit yourself to doing this job.

Roger

 

[Rob]

Ben, I changed my crank oil seal, rear diff seal and rear prop to transfer seal from Toyota for less than that. IIRC total was roughly £40.

i wish my local main dealer would give me prices as good as those.

the old chap in the parts department in my local main stealer is miserable, grumpy, rude very unhelpful, and always quotes me ridiculous prices.

Ben have you tried these guys for genuine parts: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=12491

 

[Ben]

i havnt Rob but maybe i should!

ive just ordered an oil seal for the front of the transfercase where the prop shaft mounts. £26+VAT.

so thats over £30 for one seal, which if milners were to sell, theyd sell it for £6!

i dont mind paying more for genuine parts, but i just feel that toyota, or at least my local main dealer, take the pi55 every time with there prices!

 

[Trevor]

Hi Ben,

I bought mine from http://www.toyotadirectparts.co.uk/index.php, had to call them to check with one part number that had changed from ToyoDIY but found them friendly and helpful.

Edit:- Ring them with the ToyoDIY part numbers for the items you need, as you don't appear to be able to order from the website.

 

[Ben]

i havnt paid for the oil seal yet, was going to pick it up tomorrow afternoon.

think im going to call and email those 2 toyota places tomorrow on your link Rob and get some prices, if there cheaper i will buy from them.

would be nice to not have to use my local toyota dealer ever again!

Edit. thanks Trevor, i will try them aswell!

 

[Ben]

Check the "feel" of the pinion bearings i.e. no roughness. If you need to change them, the job gets a lot harder because you need a new "crush" tube between the bearings,. This determines the pre-load on the bearings. If the nose oil seal on the pinion bearing is leaking, you need to do this at the same time. If you need to do the bearings, you change the seal as a matter of course.

The ARB unit replaces the standard diff. unit and requires setting up once fitted with the crown wheel and bearings. To do this you need a dial gauge and experience. Think very carefully before you commit yourself to doing this job.

Roger

thanks Roger.

i do worry this may be slightly beyond my current skills.

got sent a useful link regarding diffs.

http://www.gearinstalls.com/

this one in particular was of interest.

http://www.gearinstalls.com/arbinstall.htm

 

[Roger Fairclough]

As you are intending to change your diff. ratios, now is the obvious time to do it. As this will involve both axles, and needs rather more setting up, I would suggest a professional company be involved.

Roger

 

[Ben]

Thanks Roger, good suggestion.

i want to hang fire on changing the diff ratios until ive exported it. from what ive read, certain states are quite strict about how much over size, from standard your allowed to go with tyres.

so i think for now im going to stick with the standard LJ70 ratio's.

i still want bigger tyres though, but maybe they will just be weekend boots.

 

[Ben]

update time.

i messaged and called a few of the recommended sellers, and the place Trevor linked to. they all came back to me quickly, and the prices were all better than my local dealer.

need my truck back on the road, so decided to just buy the seal from my local dealer, as it meant i could get it today.

i wont be using them again though.

that one seal from my local main stealer, cost more than the 5 that arrived from milner today.

decided to get a rear panhard rod fitted, as i dont know how long it will take for super pro to find and send me the correct bushes.

i got the one end bolted on fine, but the other end wouldnt line up properly, as the panhard rod was twisted to the axle.

this is due to the axle having been rotated slightly, by the fitting of bigger springs.

it was a real struggle to get the bolt in. in the end i had to use a crowbar and big screwdriver to twist it enough to hammer the bolt in.

but at least its back on.

so to remedy this, im going to cut, shut and sleeve the panhard rod, to get rid of this twisting effect which is eating the bushes and creating the death wobble!

this is the rust coming through on the new metal i welded in last year.

need to get some dintrol ordered and sort it out.

jacked the front end up, so that hopefully all the oil would run to the back of the gear/transfer box.

so front prop unbolted and ratchet strapped to the box out of the way.

i found i couldnt stop the flange from turning when trying to undo the nut.

so found a piece of 40mm x 10mm steel in the shed and cut a 400mm piece off the end.

marked and centre punched where i wanted to drill the holes.

drilled them out to 10mm, then marked where the cut out needed to be.

did a few rough cuts with the grinder.

then cleaned it up with a grinding disc.

bolted it on.

undid the nut, and pulled the flange off.

old knackered seal.

seal out.

new seal in.

flange back on.

referred to the toyota workshop manual for the torque settings.

all done.

just need to top the box up with a bit more oil now.

 

[Roger Fairclough]

I hope you filled the recess in the seal lip with grease.

Roger

 

[Ben]

i didnt, but i did notice that it was already full of grease.

just hope its got enough in it.

 

[Chris]

Ben, that bar is actually what the Toyota SST looks like. I have one the same that I made after seeing Jon's.

Chris

 

[Jimbo4x4]

Couldn't you have shifted the transfer into 4wd and left the truck in gear to stop the flange spinning? Helpful post btw as I need to do this to mine soon

 

[Ben]

thanks Chris.

ive not seen the toyota sst, or anyone elses. i just thought how can i stop the dam thing turning.

but im glad its similar to yours, Johns, and Toyotas.

i did think as i was roughly grinding the middle bit out, now if i was Chris, id be using a nice milling machine right now and id have a perfectly finished tool!

but it did the job, and will now live in the tool box.

Couldn't you have shifted the transfer into 4wd and left the truck in gear to stop the flange spinning? Helpful post btw as I need to do this to mine soon

good point Jim, and one i didnt think of.

im not sure how healthy for the box it would have been though. it was very tight, and i wondered if it had ever been undone before.

 

[Chris]

No, Ben. Plasma. It's the future

Chris

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Couldn't you have shifted the transfer into 4wd and left the truck in gear to stop the flange spinning? Helpful post btw as I need to do this to mine soon

It's best to use a tool to stop the flange turning, as this prevents any damage to the t/box internals.

Roger