2007 FJ Cruiser - Lifted and locked - 410Fortune wifes rig build thread

[410Fortune]

Two lockers and 4.56 gears in the mail this week along with the ARB mini compressor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heck yeah!!!! I saved for a while to get these for my wife
We shopped and shopped for ARB's when I came across a super Toyota package deal, seriously this guy will build the complete diffs (FJ cruiser has 3rd members front and rear) with the lockers, gears, etc for almost cheaper then I could buy all the parts myself!

Chase Perry at East Coast Gear Supply is the MAN:
http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum...77#post1468877
I only wish our Fords had removable 3rd members for the 8.8, makes things so much easier!

FJ cruiser = monster
So the BII and the FJ will both be fully locked
I will get some updated pics of the FJ and the installation of the diffs/compressor/switches, when it all gets here!

[Sams01XplrSprt]

do u got pics of ur fj.

nvm i saw them on page 1 it looks nice r going to do an exhaust or hids or anything else to it or what. I like that color fj that is my favorite color.

[410Fortune]

Sam I will get sum recent pix
alot has changd since we 1st tuk thos pix

yes HID's and yes a cat back exaust built by my buddy Chuck here in Denver are in the works.....

[Sams01XplrSprt]

how many k hids r u going to put it on the fj

[410Fortune]

I am not sure! Julee is light shopping right now, we will likely put 4 on the roof and 2 up front
once we have two of the lights she wants here, we will look at location and mounting options

Plan is to make the roof bar remove-able (so it fits in the garage)

[RangerX]

Originally Posted by Sams01XplrSprt

how many kids r u going to put it in the fj

Yeah Jamie, how many kids r u gona hav?

[410Fortune]

1 kid LOL
already found the yellow and black seat

I have a 4 door explorer and an 02 sport trac for hauling family, the FJ will also be used, all of them are 4 doors, I think we're covered


Hey Bill check this out!:
Your tikis have a new home, I built all this junk for the new Calspa:







we love it! The houde came with the deck, but we stained it last summer, then we got this amazing deal on a 2006 Calspa, so we moved it in, then I built all the privacy fencing and blinds for under $200
Your tikis make the perfect drink holders and decor!!

we had two trees removed from our backyard also, (dead) and I left one 6' tall (background pic 2) so I/we can carve a tiki in it! Coming to Colorado? LOL

Someday I want to get more tikis from you, they are so cool!!
(no palms in CO LOL)

[RangerX]

Damn, nice setup!!! And lol on the 'drinkholder, glad they turned out to be functional tikis.

[410Fortune]

i still want to put little red led's in their eyes

[410Fortune]

OKay good news! New built front and rear diffs including gears and lockers are ON THEIR WAY

UPS says the 60 pound package will be here on the 24th

complete front and rear differentials for 07 FJ cruiser built by Chase @ East Coast Gear Supply
Nitro 4.56 ring and pinions
ARB air lockers
ARB mini compressor
front and rear 3rd members

I send him back our diffs for cores when install is completed.

FJ is going to be a bad mo fo! time to learn how to install Toyota diffs!!

[JTX]

Looks sweet! Gonna talk to my girlfriend about getting a 4x4 now. haha.

[410Fortune]

Dude! The new diffs arrive TODAY!!

updated pics:

rear led's and Bandi CB mount for FJ:


Rear LED's again:


Front Projectors and flat black grill:

[JTX]

That thing is sick man.. I never use to like them, but your slowly changing my mind..

[Sams01XplrSprt]

looks nice so far u got pics of the hids installed yet 410

[410Fortune]

No Hid's to install, yet
I plan to upgrade both the Explorer and the FJ to HID kits soon

But right now I am getting the 98 V8 out of the garage so the FJ can go in, likely this weekend. FJ = 4.56 and ARB install

[410Fortune]

[Sams01XplrSprt]

if i ever got a fj cruiser i would get in yellow cause its my favorite color and ur wife fj cruiser is lookin awesome

[410Fortune]

well Sam if you ever got a yellow FJ, its gonna need some upgrades to keep up with my wifes rig!!

I finally got the ARB's installed, I took my time and did it the 410 way, keeping with tradition, this is no 4wheel parts differential swap, what you are about to see is performed with love and affection, to help make my wifes rig super special, its the small things!!!

Any day now I will be a dad, 36 years it took, I cant wait!!

With a new baby coming its going to leave alot of time for projects around the house, our goal is to also take him camping / mountiains / lakes / trails etc as soon as possible and as much as possible...with the wedding, pregnancy, etc we have misssed most of the last two seasons.... not this year!!

So if the FJ want to keep up with the BII its gona need some lockers, and we figured if you are gonna re-gear for tires, bite the bullet and go all out so, 4.56 Nitro ring and pinions with brand new ARB's and mini compressor installed ourself, saved about $1500!!!

Special thanks to Chase at East Coast Gear Supply and to Toyota for making these rigs SUPER WICKED EASY to work on, I LOVE THE FJ, the more I work on it, the more I like it, big learning curve here no manuals, I am used to my Fords so with this truck its learn as I go I have learned alot! The full floater rear axle and 3rd member (8" ring gear tacoma/4 runner/fj 95+ rear) makes me wish I had 9" in both my Fords

The FJ has its power back, 4.56 = wake up call!!! okay on to the pics/how to:

first the front end, jack up the truck, support with jack stands BY THE FRAME, remove both tires and factory skid plates (all 3).
Now you are looking at the dust cover, small plat head screwdriver, working around the edges and it pops off, dont BEND IT:





cover removed, cv axle retaining nut exposed:
This SUCKER is HUGE, 36mm to be exact, I had to go to Harbor Freight and purchase a whole new set of impact sockets in 3/4" drive to get this sucker! LOL any excuse to buy some tools!!



Little trick to getting them loose, dont do like me, you should have the lug nut threaded on the stud to protect the threads here:


Nice new 3/4" driver!! $8!!! thanks HF!!!

perfect time to get the front diff drained and let it drip:


24mm socket here (I had this one LOL)

remove cotter pin, castle nut, replace castle nut to protect tie rod stud, use dead blow hammer and BLAMO, take the tie rod off the knuckle:



Unbolt the two lower ball joint retaining bolts (17mm I think): THANKS TOYOTA!! (Ford pay attention):


Also unplug CAREFULLY the wiring clip for the wheel speed sensors


Congrats, now you can swing the entire knuckle/brake assembly out far enough to remove the cv shafts. No need to remove the brake caliper, the upper ball joint, shcok, or sway bar! repeat other side

Okay now Chase made me aware of these 4 little gem's, these 4 bolts retain the pass side axle shaft and CAD to the differential, these bolts are TIGHT
So its best to break them loose NOW while the diff is still in the truck, MUCH easier then attempting on the work bench. Another special tool here!! 14mm internal star thingy doo dad (cant think of the proper name now but HF had the whole set!!)



Now to drop the front diff, there are 3 large bolts that retain the entire front diff assembly, one is a very large hex nut (again Harbor freight had the tools needed! I got the whole set!!):



remove the two front retaining bolts, 18mm I think, and carefully drop the diff! I used a jack to support the assembly, this allowed me to UNBOLT the hose retaining BOLT, disconnect the wiring and vacuum line for the CAD assembly (center axle disconnect, just like our gen II 95-96 V6 trucks) before fully dropping the diff assembly, careful here, its HEAVY



vent hose, vacuum line, etc:

[410Fortune]

Part duex:

Diff is out! CV shafts are hanging there:


Here is the stock front diff and CAD assembly, next to the new 4.56 and ARB diff, looks like we need to swap some parts!!



This is how Chase runs the air line for the front ARB, NICE!!:



Removed the CAD /axle tube, rear mount, and front two mounts from the old diff, clean and paint, LOL Wifey uses her FJ:



wire brush the wirt, then remove the CAD:



any excuse, new sockets:


diff mounts front and rear, remove from old, clean, paint, install on new:





front assembly readyt to go back in! CAD and mounts covered with Rustoleum hammered grey (had some) assembled with new silicoln, and ready to go back in





I will likely be the only person to ever see how pretty it turned out, but hey thats less dirt in my eyes when Im under there and its far and above what any shop would do, we love our FJ this much!

now to re-install, reverse everything above, fill the diff with gear lube, plumb the new air line CAREFULLY and then on to the rear diff









now we have some time to kill so instead of a messy hand pump, I put the FJ on an IV injection of gear lube, took about an hour to gravity feed it full , but I didnt spill a drop! Did this for the back also

[410Fortune]

Part thrice, full floater rear, talk about EASY!!


support truck by frame, remove wheels, etc, man shes dirty! Those shocks are 1 month old!! pictured at full droop with OME 3" springs, Bilstein 5150 shocks, and stock everything else





Keep your eye on the goal, removing this stock 3rd member:



remove the rear d shaft, 14mm socket and 14mm box wrench, drain rear diff, again 24mm:



now to remove the 4ea per side, 17mm spindle to axle tube retainer bolts:


again no need to disconnect the brake caliper/rotor, etc.

UNBOLT the brake hard line bolts from the entire rear axle, the e brake cable retainer brackets, and carefully unplug the wheel speed sensor wires/clips
THIS will allow you enough clearance to pull the axleshafts out of the 3rd member without disconnecting the brake lines

sorry for the crappy pic, here is the entire rear spindle / brake / axleshaft assembly pulled out from the rear housing, supported with jack stand to keep the axle shaft from hanging on the inner grease seal:



repeat both sides and you are ready to remove the 10ea 3rd memeber retainer nuts, then pull the 3rd member out of the housing:





This is a TIGHT fit, some wiggle-ing and lifting is required, a jack was used to support it until it was fully out and could be safely lowered by hand

now the new diff, stuffed with Nitro 4.56 and ARB locker, CAREFULL with the copper air line!



install is reverse of above, use RTV Gasket material when installing the new diff, or you will have leaks, TRUST ME I KNOW LOL (yes I had to do this twice), factory gasket without silicoln = leaky leaky mess



new diff installed, new air line plumbed and routed VERY CAREFULLY! Now on to the wiring, plumbing and compressor, the HARD PART LOL