SASsy '97 4Runner

[cougarfreak]

Here's my little addition to the thread. I have a pictorial history of it's build on my web site (see my sig).

This one is from the top of Driveshaft Hill on the way to Fordyce in NorCal.
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/Driveshaft%20hill%20Scottys%20pic.jpg

This is from Walker Hill on the Rubicon:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4902%20E%20Xed%20up%20on%20the%20Rubicon.JPG

Cruise Moab with TLCA on the Kane Creek Trail:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_9559%20X%20up%20in%20moab%2006.jpg

Cougarfreak recovering a broken pilot at a VORRA race at Prairie City:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_9542%20Pilot%20Recovery.jpg

[cougarfreak]

I have been running the stock Toyota 8" rearend in my 4Runner with 4.56 gears, and a Detroit Locker. Back in 2005, I was Chasing a VORRA desert race in Hawthorne for my friend Oscar Lara #724. We were prerunning the course with 5 guys total in the vehicle (includes me driving), and a full load of recovery gear in the back in case we were to get stuck, or broke. There is an 8 mile or so section on the course that has 6 30' rollers that one can hit as fast as your vehicle can go... we hit them at about 80mph. It was like a roller coaster ride... an absolute BLAST!!!!! At the end of the section, I stopped to make sure everything was ok.... well, it wasn't. I had installed airbumps in all 4 corners, but the rear housings I mistakenly only mounted 1/2 way up the frame. The housing bent into the center of the frame cocking the air bumps off their pads, and rendering them useless. I nursed it back to the pit area where I heated up the frame and moved the bump housings back to where they needed to be, then full frame gusseted both sides with some 0.250" angle iron. That did the trick and I was back in business. Unfortunately, Oscar's race didn't fare much better. Oscar's motor caught fire from all the ATF fluid that was puking out his breather tube (faulty valve body) and ended his race 3 miles from finishing in 1st for his class. The long term effects of this Roller coaster ride were bent axle tubes from the perches out. this issue didn't rear it's ugly head until last year (2006) when my wheel bearings started making a terrible grinding noise on the way home from a Rubicon play day. Time to ditch the 8"...
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4224%208in%20rear.jpg

I thought about a Diamond Axle housing, or a race 9", but both would have set me back at least $3500. I weighted my options, and $$$, and... I sourced a Dana 60 rear axle from PnP out of a 1975 Ford F250 Hi-Boy.
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_2235%20D60.jpg

The rear axle shafts were 16 splined (30 splined are much more desireable), but I was going to have to go with custom shafts anyway since I was cutting it down from 64"(stock width WMS-WMS) to 60.75" (Stock 3rd gen 4Runner 8" width). I didn't keep it stock width because I didn't want to have to run spacers in the front to keep the track width proper. The cost of having the axle tubes cut down and bored out to accept 35 splined axle shafts was not too bad, so I went that route. I could have gone with dually hubs (They make the WMS-WMS narrower, but I'm not sure by how much), but I didn't want to make another trip to the junk yard to get those. I also didn't want the hub sticking out too far, as I tend to smack them from time to time (found this out when I ran center cones in my rims and had to cut them out after deforming them on a wheeling trip). So here's the list:

* The diff cover is from Ruff Stuff and is 0.375" thick (that aughtta handle a good beating).
* Axles are 1541 Chromolly 35 splined Yukon trim to fit. They arrived 33.5" in length.
* Rotors are '75 Chevy 3/4 ton fronts (lots of years use same rotors)
* '76 Cadillac El Dorado brake calipers (parking brake)
* Great Lakes Offroad's mounting brackets (Ford and Dodge are different)
* Detroit Locker
* 4.56 Yukon Gearset

Time to install!!! I cut down the axle shafts. This is what they looked like out of the box:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4231%2035sp%20Yukons%202.jpg

Time to trim... Driver:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4233%20Driver%20measured.jpg

Passenger:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4237%20Pass%20measured.jpg

Trimmed an extra 0.120" each side and chamferred:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4241%20Trimmed.jpg


Looking good with 35's!!!
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4242%20complete%20axle%20n%20tire.jpg

Set under the truck, 1.5deg angle pinion flange to the d-shaft to keep everything running without vibration:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4245%20D60%20installed%20rear.jpg

Welded perches (I love using gas):
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4249%20Perch%20welds.jpg

Time to Truss (No more bent housings for me!!!). 2"x4" 0.120 wall square tubing will be used. This will go on top of the axle. The axle tubes are beefy already with 0.50" wall, but I saw a Dodge in a desert race make a smiley face outta his front axle with the same tubes. If I bend this axle, there's going to be a lot more wrong with the rig than just bent axles!!! Let's not find out!!!!
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_4251%20Truss%20mock.jpg

[cougarfreak]

A little update on progress:
I welded on the air bump plates:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_5002%20Air%20bump%20pads%20on.jpg

http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_5003%20Air%20bump%20pads%20side.jpg

and carved out the truss to fit the pads:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_5004%20Truss%20w%20bumps.jpg

http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_5005%20Truss%20n%20bumps%20front.jpg

Welded on the shock tabs and bolted on the shocks:
http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_5007%20shock%20tabs.jpg

http://www.cougarfreakphoto.com/files/IMG_5006%20shocks%20mounted.jpg

Next up, carve the truss to fit the rear shock tab and shock, then it's TRUSS WELDING TIME!!!!!!