LJC 160

[Rabid Rhino]

Post GZ 2018 Pre GZ 2019 Update
Quick phone dump as I just found some pics.

When I got home last year I gave her a quick wash, against my Rock Climbing Wall to see what damage I might have got...
I live in Rockland County. No guesses why they called it that.

I didn't mean to get my neighbour's house reflection in the window but it is cool

With the spare off the car the rear sits a good 3 inches higher at the rear for that dragster look.

I already knew I had damaged the Front Diff Casing but wasn't sure about anything else with all the bangs & scrapes you hear.

I put the whole vehicle up on axles stands and put it in drive to see if I could feel the ring gear fouling on the casing. Nope.... I'd been lucky.
I even checked the axle oil which didn't have any filings.
So I drove it around and even had time to take it to the final car cruise of the year at Bear Mountain so named because there are so many squirrels there.
The Yanks liked it as they really only got LJ10s & LJ20s through some independent importers before Suzuki established its self in the early 80s

I even drove it around in the winter and did some trails as I live on the edge of Harriman State Park which is about 60,000 acres of rocky mountainous terrain that is unregulated after 5pm so you can just turn off a road & head into the hills... if nobody sees you.

[Rabid Rhino]

After some more winter knocks & scrapes & with Gonzookin 2019 approaching I decided to fix the axle.

The axle really took a beating

Especially the diff

So, how lucky was I ?

You can just about see a polish mark where the Ring gear must have momentarily hit the casing before it partially deflected back out out.

The ring gear confirms the story with just a slight scuff on the edge along a few teeth

[Rabid Rhino]

I don't know when the axle last got shown some love so while it was in pieces I decided to give it a complete new set of seals & bearings.

Good time to inspect the RCVs, which looked fine. Heck they look spectacular.
Any one with 413 axles looking to upgrade.... Here are the part numbers (as nobody over here knows about the 413.... they're all Samurais.)
I had to send them my old 413 half shafts so they would believe me. Pre 86.5

[Rabid Rhino]

With 3 other LJ80 builds at the top I thought I'd do an overdue update on mine to make it 4. We just need something on Robbie's.

I'm absolutely clueless on body work but I can hit stuff with a hammer. A few whacks and..... fixored !!!

[Rabid Rhino]

I always thought diff protectors were an unnecessary waste of money as I assumed the thickness of the casing and the shape would have been strong enough especially on such a light vehicle.... WRONG.
I never needed them in the UK. I wish I'd got them fitted by Aftermarket4x4.

Last year at the Zuwharrie Raffle I won an axle truss and 4 knuckle ball gussets (behind the transfer case mount)

so now was a good a time as any to fit them.

[Rabid Rhino]

The axle took a lot of heat and I was paranoid about it warping without an alignment bar or mounting it on a jig.
We eyeballed it and it looked fine.

To be safe we ran a couple of beads down the opposite side of the casing to the brace then ground them back.

Then it was ready for paint.