FJ Sill Plates

Got a good surprise on Saturday morning; a package in the mail. Firstly I was blown away that Aust post even worked on Saturday, secondly the contents of the package; my FJ sill plates.

A buddy over on FJCC had put a group buy together a few months back to get alloy sill plates shipped in from the US. The price was too good and I just couldn't say no.

Installation is one of the simplest I've done on anything for my FJ so far!

1. Removal of the current plastic sill plate. This is actually the most difficult part as the adhesive is pretty good. I used a razor to lift the edge enough to get a good hold, then I could just pull it away.
2. Once the plastic sill plate had been removed, the next step was to clean off the residual adhesive gum. I used a 3M preparation product I had laying around, which is ideal for the purpose. A couple of minutes using this with a soft cloth and the surface was totally clean.
3. Since it was a typical late Autumn day in Canberra (< 12 degrees) I heated the surface up with a heat gun as per the instructions that came with the new sills. Apparently the adhesive works better if the surface temp is warm.
4. With the surface now warm, remove the adhesive backing from the new sill and gently place on the clean paint work. By placing it lightly down, this gives the ability to make adjustments. Once satisfied with the location, press down firmly on the new sill piece to fix it into place.
5. Now all to do is stand back and admire your new bling!

1. Use a razor to lift the corner of the OEM sill guard.

2. Slowly pull the old OEM sill guard away, a heat gun can help.

3. Surface preparation product; perfect for removing the old adhesive residue.

4. Surface completely clean and ready for new sill plate.

5. Sill plate installed; some tasty bling

TRD Workshop Stool

Since I've had nothing new to add to the FJ of late (waiting on bits on order; BajaRack, Warn XP 9.5S winch, etc) I decided to build a new workshop stool.

Using the plans from Miller Welding I built the square frames up to spec. When it came to the legs, I thought 550mm was a little short, so I made mine 700mm. End of the day, it'll come down to what you find comfortable.

For the seat, I used some 15mm hardwood I had laying around from another project, cut it to size (330x330), then rounded the corners and edges off. Once I was happy with that, drilled in 4 x 6mm holes to attach the seat, and countersunk them.

After cleaning up the welds with a grinder I primed the steel then sprayed the frame racing red. The wooden seat was also primed then sprayed satin black.

Once the seat had a couple of coats of paint and dried appropriately, it was time to add the piece de resistance; a TRD decal I had spare. With this centred on the stool seat, I finished it by adding a couple of clear coats to protect everything.

Now for those cheeky bastards wondering "what makes it a TRD stool", the answer besides the sticker is absolutely nothing. But I guess if I get bored I can always add a brake kit and supercharge it!