FJ 470 DS4 /FJ 460 DX

The new Motor Vehicle Regulations and emission regulations required to upgrade the engine of the FJ 460D minitruck. The new Simpson S433 DI engine was installed on the FJ and few modifications were done to the axles to enhance the load carrying capacity.

• Production – 1989 – 2005
• Plant – Nashik/Zaheerabad
• Model – FJ 470 DS4/ FJ 460 DX

The FJ 470 DS4 / FJ 460 DX was fitted with –

• Simpson S433, 3.3 lit diesel engine
• KMT90,  4-speed Gearbox
• Spicer T18, 2-speed transfer box (DX variant)
• 104.5″ Wheelbase
• 57” Wheel Track

The FJ 460DX was the 4WD version. The 4WD version was in huge demand in the coffee estates of Coorg where these vehicles were used to carry materials up steep gradients. The FJ 4WD replaced tractors for such operations as the tractors had the inherent risk of flipping over in steep gradients.

A FJ Minitruck passionately restored by Mr Santosh Rodrigues of Karnataka Agencies at  Mangalore.

Author’s note – The drivers of the 4WD had an ingenious way of achieving “torque multiplication” for the loaded, steep gradient operation. They used to remove the front propellor shaft so that the entire 2.46x Torque is directed to the rear axle. Of course, this leads to breakage of the rear axle shaft but does the job which no other vehicle could do. They carried stocks of rear axle shaft and changed it as soon as one shaft broke. Changing of the rear axle shaft was very easy, being a full floating axle.