Regearing a 5-lug

I'm starting my next project which will be regearing this thing. Just put the ReadyLift kit on there and some 31's. A friend suggested getting the axle from a TRD with the differential lock button from a junkyard. Any input on this method? I was just gonna drop some high gears in there, but he also suggested spending the extra $400 for a Detroit locker...but I'm not sure I need to go that far yet.


Second post Hello Tacoma World!

 

Hello, the trd axle you want to get is very different and will not work from what I am told. Our trucks have the 8.4 rear. I bought a third member used from a '96 tacoma 4x4 4cyl with 4.10 gears that I believe will bolt right in there.
The 5 speed 5 lug has 3.31 gears. 4.10 is what comes factory on the 05-10 4wd 4cyl trucks with 30.6" tires. I am thinking either have some friends help me install a detroit truetrac, or go all out and get the arb air locker $$$. I'm gonna check out eastcoastgearsupply.com, I have heard good things about them for the air locker.
The t-100s, early tundras, and late model tacomas (without trd off-road package) all have the 8.4 rear end, however the ring gear only measures 8". It gets confusing.

 

So what I need to find is a 05'-10' Tacoma rear axle from a 4x4 with the 4.10? That sounds about right. A friend of mine said get the third member and it will bolt right in. I'll have to double check with him as well. Thanks for the quick reply. Any more information is much welcomed!

 

I will be doing the install with a friend who knows what he is doing. (Teach a man to fish...blah blah blah.)

Now I see that Marlin only carries these in a 4.88 or a 5.29. From the printout I have (from the TW tire calculator) says that for "increased power" I should go with 4.11, 4.27, or 4.56.

Is a 4.88 ratio too high? I guess I'll go drive around and see what RPM I'm at going 65mph. I assume this to be in the highest gear, 5th in my case. I'm currently running at around 2100rpm at 65. Will double check that and edit post.

 

I will be doing the install with a friend who knows what he is doing. (Teach a man to fish...blah blah blah.)

Now I see that Marlin only carries these in a 4.88 or a 5.29, and suggests that they fit 8.4" Toyota Tacoma Differential's (my 5-lug). From the printout I have (from the TW tire calculator) says that for "increased power" I should go with 4.11, 4.27, or 4.56.

Is a 4.88 ratio too high? I guess I'll go drive around and see what RPM I'm at going 65mph. I assume this to be in the highest gear, 5th in my case. I'm currently running at around 2100rpm at 65. Will double check that and edit post.

After looking into Yukon Gears, I see that they do offer them in 4.11 and 4.56, but they mention they fit Tacoma's 2001-2006. Are these the same as my 8.4" 5-lug differential? Time to go find a buddy with another taco!

How can I be sure these will fit?

EDIT: From what I've read...the 6-lugs non-locking diff's are the same as my 5-lug diff. Trying to measure my diff while it is under my truck, it seems to be 8.4". The electric lockers are 8".




What about just grabbing a whole rear axle? I hear the TRD's etc. have the same mounting points...

 

I'm pretty sure the speed section of the Tire Size chart is for a 1:1 ratio, or in other words 4th gear.

A complete 8.4" third has been swapped in successfully by at least one member that I know of.

The TRD axles have the 8" e-locker. I guess you could get a complete rear axle assembly and put that in, but the 6 lug trucks are spring over axle in the rear and the 5 lugs are spring under. You might have to have someone relocate the spring mounts. From what I've been told, the rear 5 lug springs have more arch to them than the 6 lug. For instance there is a member here that put 6 lug leaf springs on his spring under axle 5 lug to lower the rear end.

Another tidbit of info is that I've also been told is that 8.4" 4.10 gears won't fit in the 5 lug third member. The third member casing for the 5 lug is different than for the 6 lug. I believe that some of the Eaton traction devices say they won't work with ratios lower than 3.54. However, I think there has been a member on here who had 4.10 gears installed in his 5-lug, I'm just not sure if it was a regear or a third member swap.

I hope this helps and doesn't cloud the waters too much.

 

Thank you for the information. From what I can gather it seems like a full swap would be the easiest way to go. Relocating some leaf mounts would actually give me more freedom to do what I'd like with the truck. The back end on these 5-luggers is very bouncy with the stock springs...running sandbags right now to settle it down...but I bottom out a lot.

 

Or should I say stock shocks.

 

I'm surprised you're still running the stock shocks in the rear. I've heard the stock rears bottom out after putting in the AAL. You can use the yellow bilstein shocks or the bilstein 5100 from the TRD trucks in the rear of the 5-lug.

 

Yeah I've been waiting to get some 5100's to stiffen up the back. I didn't put that AAL in.

 

CappyCap I think put 3.73s from a donor v6 into his truck. I think he ran into some trouble (it wasn't just an easy 3rd swap). If you search his ID, I think you'll find what you're looking for!!

 

I saw that thread, and he had to pull the third member as you said.

From what I can tell:

My 09 5-lug Tacoma with manual transmission has the 8.4" (8") rear end, with 3.31 ratio. This seems to be the same as a non-locking V6, but CappyCap ran into trouble.

Maybe I'll send him a PM.

 

Subscribed.

I'd love to hear some information from someone who has done the swap from 3.31 to 3.73 about power/mpg vs stock.

 

Yes, the '96 Tacoma 4CYL gears should bolt right into to your 5 lugger.

As for gear ratios 5 lugs (2005-2010):

• Automatic: 3.58
• Manual: 3.307 (referred to as 3.31)

The specs for 5 lug trucks: 8.4" housing, the pinion measure 8", 30 spline.
You don't have to look specifically for 05-10 Tacomas, our diff is similar to T100s (I know it gets confusing...)

IMO, there is no need to go more than a 4.56 gear ratio. Any higher and your MPG will drop and your RPM will be high. Your engine will be screaming.

IMO, for a 5 lug ('05-'10) to be regear, you can do the following specs:

• 29"-30" go with 3.73 gears
• 31"-33" go with 4.10 gears
• 33" go with 4.56 (if you want increase power)
• I have not seen another 5 lugger that has gone with a tire more than 33" inches, and I know there are going to be a few who run 33"

IMO, it would be easy if you buy a complete 3rd member with gears installed. With some tools, I am sure any one can swap the 3rd member. If labor fees are going to be just as much as parts, I feel I can do the install myself, so far it has been true (**knock on wood**).

Definitely replace the shocks. A lot of the 6 luggers sell their shocks in the B/S/T thread. Just wait for the right price...

 

I'm also trying to regear a 5 lug and I'm finding a lot of info/misinfo. I want to make a list of all 3rd members that will swap directly into the 2nd gen 5 lug. Please let me know if any of this info is wrong. I got this info from http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/diffs/ and http://www.justdifferentials.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=490_494&products_id=2578.

According to the above links all these 3rds should bolt up...right? Are the flanges perhaps different?
-All tacoma 4x4 and Prerunner (with out factory locker)
-All T100
-2000-2006 tundra
-2000-2007 sequoia

 

They are different... I think it had to do with mating up to the surrounding parts more than the gears themselves. That's why CappyCap had to take the gears out of a 6-lug 3rd and put them in a 5 lug 3rd, or something like that.

 

Hi guys, thought i would chime in i didnt really read the whole post been a little busy lately (understatement lol)
anyways.
just my .02, i tried to rebuild my third member with 3.73 gears and the shop couldnt get it to go so i ended up buying a complete rearend with a 3.73 pumpkin already completed. The shop said it swapped out fine took 1/4 of the time to do it too. anyways, the rearend came from 6 cyl pre-runner. The only thing just make sure you dont get a e-locker or anything like that cuz it would be too much a PITA to deal with all the electrical or what not. My recommendation whatever gear you choose i would do a swap than a rebuild, unless you go for like 4.56's or something, than i would have a shop like west coast or something build it for you with a locker.... Sorry for the rambling just this issue screwed me severly, lost about 750 bucks down the drain for a hunch, would hate to see someone else make the same mistake. The only downside to the swapping is the gears are a bit louder than before. Other than that it runs the same, gas mileage dropped about 1 mpg, and the torque is better but lost a few hp's but that can change with headers or something. again sorry for the rambling.

 

i just swapped the whole third member it fit fine,
yeah no one knows what the member size really was,
its weird... the gears in the 5 lug are a diff size than the 6 lug but the pumpkin fit exactly the same... it was very weird.
be careful not to gear to high thought it gives better torque but if you do a lot of hgwy driving it lowers the high end.
i personally like the better torque

 

What year prerunner did the 3rd you swapped come out of?

 

2008