3rd member identity questions

so when you call the dealership and give them your vin or model style and they look up the model number or part number for your 3rd member, im having the darnest time trying to figure out which models 3rds are interchangeable.

i posted a wtb add on craigslist and got a response saying he has a couple but idk how i am going to identify which model numbers they are to make sure they will fit my 08 4 cylinder prerunner and accommodate 4.56 gears. i was looking to get cappy caps (idk if thats the spelling) third but he mentioned he had to get another one cause the 4.56 wouldnt fit in his.

is there any way to see on the 3rd member a part number or any other way to identify if it will fit the criteria i am looking for it too?!

thanks in advance!

 

Take a look at this thread
http://www.yotatech.com/f123/how-check-gear-ratio-diffs-not-truck-145804/
No vin numbers on diffs but it is easy to count the turns to figure out.
What gears you have right now?

 

I have 4.10 and that's for the link! I'm on the cell but ill check it out real soon

 

I should probably mention which I forgot to, the housing I'm looking to buy don't have gears in them right now, its the 3rd empty. That's why I'm asking because another member on here couldn't fit his 4.56 in his stock housing

 

Ok in 2gen trucks if the housing was from 4.10 then you can fit 4.10 and above gears. If housing was from 3.73 then you can not fit anythign above that.
Last part, I dont think there is anything visible to identify housing. but I never seen 2gen housing yet so I could be wrong.
just buy housing with gears from junk yard.

 

That is not true. You have two housing that are found in 2nd generation Tacoma's that are NOT 5 luggers. One is the housing that is found in all non TRD Off-Road trucks, and the other is the E-Locker housing found in all TRD Off-Road truck that come equipped with the standard E-Locker.

All of these come from the factory with the 3.73 gears with the exception of the 6 lug 4 cyl engines, they come with 4.10s from the factory with no exceptions. All of the non E-Locker housing are identical in nature with the exception of the third member and or ring and pinions, but the R&P's are interchangeable. You can pickup the gears you need from ECGS or Randy's Ring and Pinion if you cant find what you're looking for on Craigslist.

 

^ thanks very helpful. I'm looking to get a 2nd 3rd so that I can keep my stock 4.10 open set up id I ever want to go back to stock