Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

I can agree with @1999RegCab on a lot of those points, originally I had sourced a mini truck axle and was going to use my e locker rear, then direction changed and I got another front and was going to use the knuckle balls and build ruff stuff Toyota axles. Then I even bought Reid d44 knuckles! I sold everything and maybe lost $100 for my misguided ideas before biting the bullet and going 1 ton. Then he question was spend hours and hours cleaning and cleaning and cleaning junk yard axles only to replace every seal and bearing etc for peace of mind, or again bite the bullet and go new. Also I totally agree money is a matter of perspective, that $3,000 that was mentioned someone spent on their axle is what I pay 12 times a year to live in the house I do. This is a big country with a lot of diversity it's apples and oranges.

 

Fuck it SAS all the things. Back on topic

 

I'd say it's not as cheap on a 2nd gen as on a 1st gen if anything. I'm not doing a crawlbox (fj case has already been swapped in) and doing one end at a time to keep it driveable I have about $3k in minus my time and labor and I only have Chevy 63s, fj case, and a sterling almost ready to go in after it's geared and locked. The front end is going to be another animal and it'll definitely bring things well over 10k easily.

 

Ill have to tally my costs up, but with tires im under 5k, but i also did get a lot of hookups. I only paid 1k for beadlocks and practically new 37s for example. My budget went out the window due to needing to get the truck running for a trip, and im not including the steering box i exploded due to haveing the lines hooked up backwards.

To put that in persepctive i have close to $3500 in my duals and lefty setup that i built myself in 2008 dollars.

 

Yea man, I went back and forward several times. Wasted money like crazy way before I even got started with my project LOL. Lack of patience and guidance rarely works well with these things

Our SAS stories are somewhat similar seems like. We both ended up going with 1 ton axles - though you took it to a whole different level with those 609s! - , and we both have to deal the harassment of those who believe we wussed out by having a pro builder take the the lead on the projects [the stupid "built vs bought" argument.]

did you get 40"s in that rig yet?

 

Dude...at $3,500 for the duals you were pretty darn close to Atlas 4 territory!!

 

You just can't stand to not let everybody know how much money you make huh?

Like buy a nice F-Toy, a built Toyota crawler, or like two built XJ's. 10k goes a long way if you are buying a complete rig.

 

@1999RegCab thanks for the advise man! I plan on doing it right (in my eyes) the first time. Although I have a tow rig the goal is to keep it streetable, so I know I won't be going bigger than 37s. This being said, I am one of the Toyota purists who wants to keep it all Toyota, lol. Not sure about swapping the rear, but going to do at least a front FJ80. Keep it passenger drop so gonna need some t case research. Then 12" coilovers up front, 5.29s (buddy helping me with the project can do gears), Eaton lockers which we might convert to cable, not sure yet, but gonna buy unlocked FJ80s to save $$$. Never done a project like this before so should be fun! Gonna accumulate parts over a year or so then spend a month throwing parts and more money at it

 

Tell me about it! I would have done that, but at the time 4spds were even more expensive because they were a new product at thr time, and i watched the hell my friend went through trying to fit one in his zj.

My truck does crawl slower than his 4spd auto zj!

 

He lives in the bay area, therefore all his income goes to rent/mortage, therefore he really has no money lol

About buying built rigs....that's a double-edged sword. My builder stated repeatedly that many customers come with "built" rigs they bought allegedly "cheap", only to realize it was all a big mess. The only other thing more expensive than starting a SAS from scratch is to fix somebody else's hack job.

Glad to hear some of my SAS BS is helpful

It seems like you are moving in the right direction with good planning and research. Also, nothing wrong with being a toyota purist lol.

For me, it was really more of a personal decision. After running the numbers for what I wanted to do with "all toyota parts" I realized I could get 1ton axles and stronger drive train parts for the same money.

But it's really all based on personal preference. The toyota stuff has been tested and proven, but keep in mind you can get more for your money if you go with other parts.

With today's prices, after everything is said and done with all the configuration and accessories, an atlas 4 for the tacoma will push you north of $4,000 - unless you happen to get some sort of deal through a vendor. And it is bigger than the Atlas 2, so yea, it is a bigger project to make it fit under the truck if you want to have a flat belly.

 

This thread was cool when it wasn't all money talk. I guess I'll go back to pirate for "builds"

 

It's simple economics, maybe above your head but I'll try and explain. In places where the cost of living is high, wages match that. Income vs cost of living is proportional (for the most part) someone remarked that 10k is a lot of money and someone else said they didn't think it was that much money. For me, where I live, that's 3 months rent I was making a real world connection, now somebody who say only pays $500 in rent and that's high for them, their 3 months totalled will seem like pennies to people who have to pay way more to survive where they live. It's all relevant to where you live, and I was just making a point, I don't remember ever posting my income. I'm a freaking tattoo artist do you think I really make that much money??? Fucking keyboard warrior

 

This is tacoma world, a "build" is someone slapping a light bar on the front grill, and a roof top tent in the bed, or snapping pics of their buddy welding some sliders and evreyone shoots a load.

 

Just because your cost of living and wage is higher, does not mean that you have a higher discretionary income for things like a truck build. If your gross income and living expenses are proportional than it is a wash whether you live in the hills of Kentucky or the Bay area. Or because discretionary income is above your head, I will spell it out.

Bay area:
$7,000 Net income after taxes (Roughly 120k per year gross income)
$5,000 cost of living
$2000 discretionary income to spend as you please

Kentucky
$5,000 Net income after taxes (Roughly $78k per year gross income)
$3,000 cost of living
$2000 discretionary income to spend as you please

Your purchasing power for things to do as you please is the same in both scenarios regardless of if you "feel" that $10k is a large amount of money

 

You're damn right that is building!

 

We are DINKS both with professional careers in a high cost of living area, and 10k is still alot of money...

 

Nailed it.

 

That's just a different way of saying what I did. Wether my hourly is $165 an hour and rent $3000 or $65 an hour in parts of the US where rent is $1200 it's the same I will be saving the same amount. Just like you said. But if my income is 10k a month, 10k will seem like less money to me than it would to a teacher who makes maybe $3,000 a month, which was my point. Lol at 120k a year I wish.

 

Hard to believe the grass is greener at Pirate. That forum is full internet savages and vikings LOL. No matter what you post there, from stupid questions to amazing builds, they'll eat you alive. That place is brutal haha [or it used to be years back]

Besides...this is the solid axle swap BS thread

Haha, very true

Still...from all other forums out there, I still think tacomaworld has the best platform. Not stupid adds clogging everything, and it is well designed.

After everything is said and done I bet you still have more than 10k on your rig

 

Getting there guys. Just tacking shit up according to all pros specs. I'll probably have to adjust.