Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

So a couple weeks ago I finally killed one of my 7 year old PBR's and it's officially time for new tires... Right now I've got cheapie 15" steel wheels and 37" Rocker radials. Thinking of a few different options...

Just buy another set of 37x13.5r15 PBR's
-Pro's: cheap
-Con's: committed to a dying wheel size in 37"+ tires

Buy 17" aluminum beadlock wheels and whatever 37" tire my heart desires
-Pro's: Beadlocks, fully supported wheel size, better performing, won't add much weight...the 3RZ needs all the help it can get.
-Con's: Twice as expensive...the wedding is in 7 months and that shit's not cheap either.

Buy 17" aluminum beadlocks and 40's
-Pro's: 40's
Con's: Worried if the 3RZ will be able to maintain highway speed and front axle breakage. 5.29 v6 8" gearset and mini truck outers.

 

Webwheelers don't use double low, or they don't have duals.

Dual low gets used all the time. Never use 2.28:1, only to multiply 4.7:1. Even when I need wheelspeed, it's in 4.7 2nd or 3rd. This is all with a 3.4 and 5.29 axle gears.

This is 4.7 3rd If I remember correctly:
https://youtu.be/YOaZZ0XFyIQ

That had a series of deep and high slick ledges at the end with standing water. If it was dry I would have crawled that in double low and it would have made for a boring video lol.

 

Highway speed with 40"s and that engine will be interesting. It drives ok but much slower. Long gone are the days when I could down shift to gain speed and do aggressive lane changes. I can live with mine, as I think it is a good compromise. It will also be a challenge for that front axle depending on how you wheel

In your situation would probably go the 17" aluminum beadlock option with 37"s...mostly because of the axle.

Haha! Yea it would have been boring as you did some good bouncing around on that climb

Man, you guys with all of that mud out there. I wouldn't be able to do it. I hate mud.

My buddy had duals and went to a single case. I've met a few guys that did the same here in AZ. So not everybody uses it all the time. Others like yourself and snowy do. I guess it depends on the circumstances.

 

In those conditions I would not have made it up in double low. I hate mud as well, but when it rains overnight and then during the day there's not much you can do about it.

Toyos did surprising well in those conditions considering that's supposed to be their worst. I had to air them down to 4psi front and 2 rear to get them to work, but they def surprised me!

@Snowy just get another tire for now, spend all your wedding gift money on beadlocks and 17" 37s.

 

These trucks just flat out work In the rocks...

 

Friday Flex vid

 

Man that truck is clean!

 

I was going to ask you about the tires. That's really cool that they can get the job done in mud if needed

Those pics are great!

X2

 

Nice Slander! SFA FTMFW

 

Thanks man, still working the bugs out. Researching hydro assist and power steering pump upgrades now.

 

That was a most excellent video!

 

What front axle wms do you have?

 

make sure to get quality parts. Steering is not the place to go cheap. Tons of "stories" on the web of guys that did hydro assist or even full hydro for $150 from the local tractor supply store and a case of beer. Not sure how many of those stories are actual success stories

 

Alot of the quality parts are nothing more than cheaper or stock parts with slight mods and a 200% markup.

I'm looking for easy to find pumps to swap in so I can find parts in the middle of anywhere if I need them. I'll take a slight drop in flow or gpm for something easy to find at a parts store/some tweakers yard

 

Yea fittings and hoses are nothing special.

I think the deal breaker comes with the power steering pump and selecting the correct ram. That's what gives people the biggest headaches. The pump is really a big deal.

 

The pump is what I'm talking about.

 

I will say the ps pump from psc does not bolt onto a 3.4l motor. I called to order their "kit" since they discontinued it and was told it will still bolt on as long as i got trail gears ps pump bracket but i had to drill the holes in the actual pump out one size bigger to fit the bolt. I would just pick up the trail gear pump and bracket and run theirs. A lot of people use them on many different builds and seem to be of good quality and pump a lot of volume. Plus psc didn't give nearly enough hose. Just get the pump and take the lengths you need to a local hose shop to be made.

 

I believe i am just under 63". Its fror tacoma brakes and 1.25" spacers. But do have a new axle on the way that will be 67" wms.

 

Got you.

People try all kinds of things to avoid spending money on a pump. But even though you can get hoses and fittings locally or cheaper online, it is a huge time saver to get a kit with a good pump and all the other minor stuff pieced together.

I have the PSC pump, but for the 4cyl....and yea, I had to go with TG's bracket. In my case it bolted directly without any issues.

But it seems like the pump/bracket combot for the V6 is different then from what you said.

 

Sounds like the same procedure for a Saginaw tc pump, which is what the psc pump is. I'll probably just get a remand pump off rockauto and do the flow mods I have been reading about. If I have to drill holes, I'm saving a few hundred bucks.

As for hoses and fittings, I get the fittings off Amazon and will probably use the hose kit from psc again like I used to build my hoses that are in there now.

Piecing together a kit myself doesn't scare me, the trucks been put away for the winter so I have a few months to gather parts. I just have this to build and to fix my big ass oil leak coming off the back of the block that just started.