60 series crossmember

[Pj_Marsh]

Looking for an early 60 series cruiser cross member for my 5 speed install on the '40. Anyone got one? Apparently I can use that with hj47 mounts and avoid cutting or fabricating mounts for the box, any advice from someone who's tried putting a h55f in an fj40 would be highly appreciated.

At the moment ive got a modified late 60 series cross member but its not really ideal, I had to cut it and want to avoid anything not factory. Cheers!

[Pj_Marsh]

From scouring the darkest corners of the internet it looks like the one im after is between 1980-85. Bolts up inside the frame on L-brackets

[derk]

any advice from someone who's tried putting a h55f in an fj40 would be highly appreciated.

its all been successfully done a few thousand times before but the things you usually have to deal with are

depending what the gearbox has come out of you can have problems with where the gear shifter comes up there are quite a few top plate variations for the 5 speeds with the shifters all in different positions

the tube crossmember behind the transfercase can start getting in the way and cause clearance problems the 5 speed boxes are longer than the 4 speeds

handbrake can be a problem if you had a carden handbrake and the new transfercase dosent have one

if its a vacuum actuated transfercase the diaphragm can fowl on the chassis rail the 40 series chassis is a bit narrower than a 60 or 70 series that the 5 speeds came out in

the driveshaft lengths need to be changed

the bolt pattern on the 5 speed output flanges are different to the 40 series driveshaft flanges so you have to redrill the flanges or use later driveshaft yokes with the right bolt pattern

if you put a 5 speed box in with a 350 chevy you can keep the transfercase in the same place (don't need to modify driveshaft lengths) and the longer gearbox pushes the engine forward to clear the heads from the firewall

that's all I can remember mate

[diogenese]

You can fit a HJ60 5 speed straight onto the 2F bellhousing . The box is 88mm longer so you have to shorten the rear and lengthen the front or shorten the rear donor 60 shaft to use as the new front.
I do have a spare HJ60 crossmember if you really want one.

[Pj_Marsh]

Cheers guys.

I'm mating it to a 12h-t. Got that in and drilled the mounts for it. Its on a fairly impressive lean, angling upwards at the front and down at the rear. Got 2 spare shafts prop shafts for shortening/lengthening, just having trouble with the cross member. Ive got hj47 L-brackets on the inside of the frame that will hold the pre '85 gearbox cross member, I just have to find one. Thanks for the heads up on the vacuum- I'll have to check if it fits. Box is currently in the shop getting reconditioned. Diogenese, are you able to measure the one you have? I'll flick you some cash if you are willing to part with it

[diogenese]

What measurement do you need? I'll be able to get at it this weekend.

[Pj_Marsh]

should be approx 530 mm. Hard to tell without the right mounts, but it will look a bit like this:


Another view:

[derk]

is there some reason you cant or don't want to use a late model 40 series crossmember (other than them being a bit hard to find) you'll only be shifting it a short distance from where they usually mount so it should be the right width to fit your chassis

[Pj_Marsh]

I'd give it a try if I could find one, what year would i find one on? Also, does it use those L-brackets? Have to find a pair of those too