Justin's IFS Torture Test; Build and BS thread

I'll keep it in mind. I hope to be wheeling west of the Rockies around that time of the year.

 

I'd say get used to breaking CVs. I won't even consider going to 35s without doing an SAS. I'm popping them left and right with 33s...and that's in lame-ass FL wheeling (of course, they are some extremely aggressive 33s ). Even broke the stub axle on the OEM CV, which sucked hard because it took the hub with it. I doubt I'd make it past the first obstacle up there without grenading something.



I wish someone made a chromo birf inner race/cage/cup/stub axle we could just plug an OEM or after market halfshaft into. (Edit: that didn't cost $500 per side)

 

Amen to that. I wheel pretty light on the throttle so it's been ok for me, plus my tires don't weigh shit. The one i broke was a reman i was just waiting to replace anyway, and i was at full lock. Got an oem in now.

Edit: I've also heard the manual hub CVs are weaker but idk how true that is

 

Most of the ones I've broke have been Autozone new CVs with a lifetime warranty. They pop at the birf if you breathe on them too hard. The OEM CVs are quite a bit more durable, but all else being equal, I'd rather pop the birf than the stub axle. I currently have an OEM CV in the driver's side and a NAPA new CV (lifetime warrantied) in the passenger. I have yet to really put the NAPA CV to the test, so I can't say if it'll be better or worse than the Autozone one.

Toytec does have those Lotus CVs for $500 a pop, but from what I've read about them, only the Birf cage and inner race are chromo, which in my book doesn't make them any better than the OEM CV since that's not what broke on mine. Plus it kind of pisses me off that they want $500 a pop for them and I've head you can get a full set of chromo axles for a Toyota solid axle for less than one of these things cost.

I hadn't heard that manual hub axles are weaker, but I guess it could be true given the stub axle is probably longer on the manual hub version.

 

Yeah at this point I think it's best for us to just stick to OEM. I've seen the shafts snap in half on Autozone CVs before just from reversing with an open diff. And you're right that the aftermarket Chromo options are just too expensive for the little bit of gain you get. I'll probably stick with OEMs in the front until these tires wear out, and I'll be collecting fj60 axle parts so hopefully I'll be ready to SAS when it's time for tires and I can go larger.

On the manual hubs, I've heard the extra length, plus thinner shafts cause them to be weaker. I've heard that several times form 3rd gen 4runner guys, but I think their manual hub axles have a taper on the end too so that may add to the problem. Also I've heard the tripod in the cup is smaller on the manuals but idk why that would be the case. Haven't taken the time to compare them in person

 

I wish I could find OEM CVs for manual hubs at the salvage yard, but they are scarce as hens teeth around here. I can't really afford to pay the premium at the stealership for new ones. Basically, my dreams of going up there and running AOP and all those other cool places with you guys are just going to remain dreams unless I win the lotto or something and can suddenly afford to SAS the OGT. I can't see going all that way and breaking my shit on the first obstacle and being done for the rest of the weekend.

Edit: Oh, and FYI, you can probably get an aftermarket housing that has a driver's side drop for your front axle so you don't have to mess with the T-case. I think Rockassault has one.

 

Justin ran all the hard stuff with us at Windrock and then broke on on a small stair step later. Just bad luck more than anything. The trick to making CV's (and anything else really) last is just being easy on the throttle, taking slack out of the drivetrain and knowing when your truck just isn't going to make an obstacle. @slander only ever broke one CV after years of beating the crap out of his IFS.

You don't have to mess with the tcase if you flip the FJ60 axle

 

Well, like most Floridiots, I am prone to be a bit heavy on the throttle since most of us start out playing in the mud and you need the tire speed for the tread to clean. When the stub axle exploded on me though, I was crawling up a fairly steep hill with minimal throttle with the wheels straight. The other thing to consider here is I am lincoln locked in front with 33x13.50 Super Swamper LTBs, so I'm getting a lot of bite. I'd probably rarely have an issue if I was running an open diff, but I wouldn't be nearly as capable either.

Interesting, I didn't know you could do that. Wouldn't the knuckles be upside down, messing with the camber and junk, along with the steering arm being on the bottom?

 

Put an auto locker in front and that would help quite a bit.

You cut and turn the knuckles and front diff cover. Not terribly hard, just a little labor intensive.

 

If they made a Detroit for it, I'd consider it, but I've heard horror stories about carriers with lockrites/spartans ripping in half. I'm not really convinced it would be any better than the Lincoln locker anyway. A buddy I have down here has a 1st Gen on 35" KM2s and a spartan locker in front. He hates locking the front hubs for fear of breaking something.

Maybe if I downgraded to a TruTrac LSD, it would help, but then I'd still lose some capability. I'm pretty much damned if I do and damned if I don't.

 

I never broke another CV axle after putting an Air Locker in the front of my old 1991, but I never went full hard core or ran 35s either. I topped out at 33x10.50 MTs on that truck.

 

My Spartan is amazing. It ratchets just fine at low rpm and locks with a lot of throttle or when you get any wheel slip. They actually reinforce the diff too. I'd recommend it for sure.

Lincoln locker in ifs explains your CV indta-death.

Also, check out @slander build for the flipped fj60 axle

 

Yank the front "locker" out, run it open and get a winch. If you know what you are doing, these trucks are badass on 33s with a locked rear. Stick a crawl box in it and it's even better. I ran harder trails with the above setup than 95% of the SAS forum and it was still a DD. I would have taken my truck IFS on all the trails I ran at AOP with my sas when I was up there in the fall.

 

Haha, everybody thinks the Lincoln locker is the reason for my issues, but if you think about it, it's no different from an ARB when locked. It just never unlocks (basically it's a spool), and in the cases where I've popped a CV, it's pretty much always been in a situation I'd have an ARB locked anyway. Really I think I just need to find a source for OEM CVs that doesn't cost me a few hundred when I break one. The OEMs lasted a good while before the one stub axle exploded.

 

Yeah...I got zero experience when it comes to doing the kinda stuff y'all are doing up there, haha. There would definitely be a learning curve and some broken shit or dented sheetmetal involved, especially given my "I'm probably gonna eff somethin' up but Imma try it anyway" attitude.

Between the price of a winch and a crawl box, I could probably afford to SAS the truck though.

@allenfab does have an IFS diff he could loan me so I could test out how much capability I lose and if I still bust CVs or not with an open diff. If I don't lose a noticeable amount, I could just go with a True Trac when I regear, then I'd still at least have an LSD unit in it. I guess that's something to think about.

 

I stuck a front locker in a d30 on Jeep that's how I cut my teeth lol. That thing broke an axle Everytime it went into 4lo, that's why I never locked the Tacomas front end until I cut the IFS off. I hate trail wrenching!!! You are right though, running rock trails on 33s tears the body up, all my body damage was done pre 37s lol!!!

In all seriousness get a crawl box before an axle swap, hands down the best mod. Worth every single penny!!

 

Much want.

 

I had a YJ too. Ironically, I never had much issue out of the frontend, but by the time I sold it, I was on my 4th set of R&Ps in the rear and on the 9th rear driveshaft and 2nd t-case. It was on 16x35 Boggers open/open with 4.56s with a 4.0/manual. I loved it, but it was a bigger maintenance queen than the OGT.

 

The Lincoln puts a lot of stress on the axles over time from being locked constantly and binding up, making them weaker gradually. Lunchbox ratchets when it needs to do the front is only bound up when it needs to be.
You're right, you will lose tons of capability by running no locker in the front, but you will gain a lot of reliability and lose no performance by going with a lunchbox locker.
Side note. Fuck air lockers. Harder to steer because they don't ratchets as you turn like a lunch is, way too expensive, and not reliable because you have a million things to go wrong.
If you're ever at a meet with me I'll let you drive mine. I'd seriously recommend a Spartan for your use case

 

Auto life left foot brake for days. Saved $2k+ for a crawl box