Tess Ultimate Solid Axle Swap Planning Thread Take 2

[YotaFun]

Let me clarify a few things before we all begin and and calling each other

I am making plans to solid axle swap my truck.
It is not going to be in the near future.
But some time in the distant future.

I will still be wheeling the truck the way it is now, and still build the expedition side of it, however ultimately I will be doing a solid axle swap.

This thread so to talk solid axle swap tech, and what options someone could possible go with considering the requirements I am setting.

THIS THREAD IS NOT TO CONVINCE ME NOT TO OR WAY THE OPTION OF NOT DOING IT.
I already tried once and got shot down cause I guess I am just or a in general.

Here are the requirements:
All Toyota drive line i.e axle and trans case
37" tires
Any suspension set up that is not leaf sprung

Thoughts in my head is Toyota mini truck axle with e-locker and longs on a 4-link suspension with either a T-100 case, or a Reduction box and a low geared older gear driven case.

But there are many different options or ideas out there, and I am looking for input and suggestions besides the normal DON'T DO IT!!!

So please can we try to talk a little solid axle swap TECH?
i would post on pirate but I kind of want to keep my self from getting branded

[Cheese]

With respect to tech:
Don't use a stock mini axle, the width is silly and using a 20 plus year old housing on your truck and then trying to burn links to it is not worth it.

Diamond axles are the best Toy based option.

Do a little more research about E-locker vs. ARB. One unlocks fast, which is important in the front end.

Why 4 link? Mechanical steering, assist? Just asking, because there is tech there.

Not being a jerk or talking into or out of things, just saying this is what I think when I see this.

[Whitey]

http://ttora.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36
http://www.yotatech.com/f152/
http://www.hunt4steve.com/99RunLtdSAS.html

[X-Tool Pimp]

Avy you already know my opinion

With respect to tech:
Don't use a stock mini axle, the width is silly and using a 20 plus year old housing on your truck and then trying to burn links to it is not worth it.
Metal is still metal 1 yr old or 20 yrs old it will still burn in just fine and is plenty strong (my truck is rolling proof)

Diamond axles are the best Toy based option.
I agree but $$ is always a factor

http://www.yotatech.com/f152/

Your freaking kidding me right, those yahoos dont know there butt from a hole in the ground....

[YotaFun]

With respect to tech:
Don't use a stock mini axle, the width is silly and using a 20 plus year old housing on your truck and then trying to burn links to it is not worth it.

Diamond axles are the best Toy based option.

Do a little more research about E-locker vs. ARB. One unlocks fast, which is important in the front end.

Why 4 link? Mechanical steering, assist? Just asking, because there is tech there.

Not being a jerk or talking into or out of things, just saying this is what I think when I see this.

No cheese this is the info I want.

I guess I am trying to stray away from something so aftermarket.
What is your opinion on the FJ80 axle with a high pinion diff?
And would the mini truck axle still me a freezable idea if I just so happen to stay leaf sprung? I mean there are plenty of guys out there that do wheel the heck out of them running huge tires, and at most break a birf before they destroy anything more major.

About the ARB vs e-locked, I would like to keep as little more extra plumbing as possible.
I mean I could figure out a way of doing the piping from the york compressor (like 4x4mike I think has) but at the same time I am hearing the more bad then good out of the ARB and air leaks, even with the guys I wheel with so I guess that was another aspect that I should research the more good then bad of.

4 link to me just seems like a option I would rather go with then leafs for the fact that ride quality and off road performance.
Don't get me wrong here, there are plenty of guys with leafs wheel there hardest out and going far, but I would like something to compliment the rear of the truck.

Whitey, I surf that board when I can, I even have links over at pirate, and I have read Steve's build many times before, yet he has gone with a different option then I.

I do see the way I have sort of contradicted myself in the fact that I want to build something capable of doing off road adventures but still keeping it an all Toyota drive line, but I just feel it would be something different, something no one else has done, and I feel I can make it work. If I am wrong so be it.

[YotaFun]

Avy you already know my opinion

Yes I know, we discussed it in Chat and I wish could have read my old thread to get a little more info out of the options I had, but I just deleted it cause I wasn't getting the results I like.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Like the ideas Avy.
Just be ready to take the criticisms cause everyone has 'em.

Also - just my opinion (state it this one time and then on to the tech) is that while I do appreciate the planning that goes into these things, I would wheel the piss out of it till it doesnt cut it. Thats always my plan for my truck, wheel it till it won't cut it anymore, and then mod, and keep going.

I'm not a forward planner like this, I dont plan my next mod until its time to do it, as new info gained between now and then may alter my plans, or I may see a different need than I originally envisioned based on my actual reason for needing to upgrade.

With that being said, best of luck, and lets get to the tech...
You may want to copy your ideas post over to this thread, and I'll try to keep an eye on it and help everyone play nice.

[Good Times]

if you really must stick w/ some factory stuff (though it wouldn't be my first option), you can get the new tundra rear axle which has a monster pumpkin that'll be a good starter for the rear though I'm not sure what you'd do with the front. if I had the desire to do what you're planning in the distant future, i'd get front and rear diamond axles or do something crazy like portal axles

I think the biggest difficulty you'll have isn't finding the right axle or what not, it's the building of the suspension design. That will seriously dictate how you want to build everything. Not only that you'll need to factor what kind of steering setup you want and how you want everything to fit in your 4runner w/o it becoming a monster truck.

If you haven't gone on pirate, download the latest 3 and 4 link setups along with a few different leaf designs and figure out what works for your application. You can have the best 4 link setup visually but it may not be ideal for your terrain so make sure to research all of the math (lots of geometry n crap). Get that squared away before you start buying or anything else. As you design your setup, make a lot of mock ups on designs of where each component will reside so once you start buying and fabricating, it'll be a walk in the park.

One thing that I learned from my adventure on building the 4 link rear was that an extensive research performed prior to building will save you a lot of time. I'm definitely grateful for the 2+ yrs of just plotting, designing and asking a lot of questions from others that have performed similar projects. Pirate is your friend O yeah budget for 2-3x your original cost :P

Lastly, remember that for every part you muck, it'll give you 10x the trouble cuz it's not stock anymore Also, every park you muck, it'll muck up other areas which requires you to muck up more! It's a never ending battle.

[Lee]

fj62 axle will work really well for your truck.

[20005spd]

as said above, you cant run a mini truck axle on our trucks, they are waay to narrow.

my first question would be, what is your budget? im planning to keep my sas cost low, im not spending 10k$ not every sas costs 10k$

the hard thing about planning when you dont know your weak spots is you dont really know what you NEED from what you WANT.

the reason for my sas is i need a front locker, lower t case gears and more flex. the cheapest way for me to do that is....ill be running an fzj80 axle, has the correct width for our trucks, comes with a front locker factory, comes with 410s which i will continue to run since im keeping my current tire size and will save me a ton of money, has very strong shafts that do not need to be upgraded. using this axle puts the diff on the pass side, so ill run an adapter, with a single case 4.7 gears. that gives me the crawl i need but saves me money cuz im not putting duals which requires another adapter another case which equals more money.

i dont wanna sas and be sky high so ill be linking the front to keep it low. also running leafs on an fj80 axle is tough because the steering will interferre with the leafs. look at the sased tacos and 4runners on the web and they are usually to tall for my liking.

as lee said fj 60 axles work well. good width for our trucks, 9.5" ring gear, everything else is like mini truck axle on it. steering, longs, leaf springs can be easily run. but after the cost of the axle and longs and gears and lockers (since a 60 axle dosent come with 410's you need to chgange it) your already up there in price and have no other parts.

dana 44, keeps diff on driver side, can find them everywhere, they sell everything you need to build them, but then if you wanna crawl, you need a $1400 crawl box

i could keep going but i think ive got your gears moving enough