Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

Yeah, I'm at the point where as long as the windows are intact I'm happy lol

 

Im trying really hard to keep the body straight but ive slowly hit it in a few places (Bed, bottom of the fenders from the tires, etc.) Mines starting to have a little beat look.

 

My body was thrashed long before the sas. We were talking about that at camp one day how I have a beat to hell Tacoma and have not even scratched it wheeling post axle swap

 

wheeling is too easy now perhaps

 

Def not! I'm now driving a truck made to go on the trails I wheel on. Not smashing an ifs dual case Tacoma on 33s with only one locker, down trails that need 37s and f/r lockers lol!!!

 

i gave up on body perfection a long time ago. high clearanced bedsides without a bumper. one side bent all up. door scraped, and wing on the bumper bent from hells revenge. 100% function over form and smiles

 

Plus a smashed up Toyota truck just seems "right". Kind of like a red Ferrari, the two go hand in hand.

 

05+ super duty super 60 is where it's at for a front axle if you need the strength of tons. Cost/ benefit is the best, only downside is the goofy bolt pattern and matching up a rear axle.

If you want to stay Toyota then 9.5/ 80, I don't understand dropping the coin for a custom axle and then building it with 8" diff or mini outers.

 

I was cruising car-part recently and went down the rabbit hole of realizing you can pick a SD 60 up for like $300.... They are super cheap because Ford has made a million of those trucks

 

thats what i picked mine up for, stupid cheap. i still need to order the correct tool to get the damn hub out though

 

That's a really cool pic. And that front diamond axle has some battle scars in it

I see haha! Well, you definitely proved that a lot can be accomplished with IFs

You can just get the matching SD rear axle. Similar to a 14bolt in strength.

Those newer SD axles are massive. The inner Cs, knuckles and axle tubes are significantly bigger than any other D60. I believe the ball joints are bigger too and the brakes are also ridiculously huge. Best part...from factory they come with 35spline axle shafts all around. I considered one but ended up with a kingpin.

Negatives: not many steering options. Some people don't like the unit bearings. HUGE center section casting, the diff is also pushed almost all the way to the left, leaving very little axle tube exposed to put stuff on, crazy big brakes, etc.

You can build of pair of 1 ton axles for the price of one diamond axle with a 8" and toyota mini outers

Now, if you start upgrading stuff they are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. RCVs are over two grand for those axles. Another grand for the air locker. Then add gears, custom steering, etc.

Then, If the axle came from a truck with a bunch of miles it is probably a good idea to replace the unit bearings and ball joints. Some guys do a live spindle converson to get rid off the unit bearings. That's another grand easily. It adds up. But then you forget about it. Last axle you will ever build.

 

Looking for opinions, My truck is no longer the daily. I am looking to build a truck I can take to lowes when I need then turn around and drive it to say the rubicon, or moab. Across the country, wheel it and reasonably not be to limited.

I Dont want a trailered rig and I dont want something thats going to limit me.

Possible options
Custom fj60 front with ruffstuff housing, rcvs, six shooters 5.29 gears arb locker.
Rear Fzj80 on 38s

OR

One tons 40s and the works..

 

What is the budget?

What do your friends wheel?

Do you have access to cheap/free parts for one or the other?

 

I basically have this truck, go with the cruiser axles and 37s, Except I have auto lockers. It will go damn near anywhere you point it.

Also why I'm never bobbing or building a tube bed, I still need to haul shit in this thing.

 

As far as a budget im not to concerned with it, Id like to keep it south of 10 grand. I have been very close to just doing leafs on it several times before but with it being a dd couldnt pull the trigger. Just recently got a new job and had to get a car so the truck got pushed out of the dd.

The group I wheel with now are mostly jeeps, on 37s. We wheel everything from windrock to rausch creek. I pushed the ifs locked on 35s probably past its limits.

the big thing idk about is how drivable one tons and 40s is on the streets

 

For suspension Im going with something probably frowned upon by many but ive never dealt with linked suspension so Im looking at the ruffstuff radius arms on the front with coilovers and chevy 63s for the rear.

 

I would run super soft leafs and a sway bar over radius arms. My friend runs radius arms on his zj and in order to get it to flex, he has to pull one of the upper arms off and pretty much every time he wheels he shears the upper bolt off and his axle flops forward. It also does really weird stuff under power.

 

I also have been eyeing the TG link kit B but just not sure how much I trust TG

 

My situation is similar to yours. My truck is not a DD anymore, but I do not trail it either.

Tons and 40's are totally driveable on the street. Truck will handle differently of course in terms of power (lot of added weight), but everything else will be similar. My truck fits on regular parking spots/garages, it also fits just fine in my house garage with my car next to it. It is not like you are jumping all of a sudden on a big ass F350 dually LOL

In terms of suspension...well...that's a tricky decision. It always comes down to personal preference. Dick Forster was the first person I believe to ever do a radius arm set up on a Tacoma and it worked quite well for him. Can't say that i have seen many others.

Leafs vs Links....either will work well. Again, personal preference. I ended up going with links up front after seeing how my buddy's truck drove and handled with links (good road manners, more flex, etc.) It sort of convinced me that the extra money was worth it. But there's a zillion rigs with leaf springs, so that obviously works well.

I think TG kits are good. Saves time..unless you of course have the time to scavenge for parts of your own.

 

If you are looking to stay under 10 grand then finding a pair of LC axles on car-part is the way to go. Then you don't have to change wheels, hubs, brake lines, etc.

Axles: $700 for an FJ60/FZJ80 combo
Lockers/Gears: $1400-$2000 depending on if you can set them up or have a friend set them up.
Hi-steer: $300
RCV's: $700
Driveshafts: $300
Leaf springs: $400-$800
Shocks: $300
Brakes: $300
Misc Parts (shock towers, steering shaft, steering box, tabs, shorter radiator, anti-wrap bar, etc) : $1000
Tires: $2000

Total: Roughly $8500