Crunchy Taco? - 1st gen on 35s BS

The fact RCV only warranties the 19 spline to a 35” tire says a LOT. Stock toyota axle shafts are about the same as stock Dana 60 shafts and super safe to 37’s. Chromos are good to 40’s.

 

My vote is go back down to 33’s and enjoy wheeling for now. I know internet cred is awesomer on 35’s and IFS but the reality is that shit starts breaking with some regularity at that point.

It won’t kill you to keep your eyes open for a deal on a complete rig either. Picking up somebody else’s project is always more economical than building new. The upside to a good set of axles/tires/wheels is that they can go under anything and are an investment long term.

It’s part of why I’m considering an 4.3 LV3 swap on my Tacoma now that I’ve got another 3RZ on its way out. Yeah, it’s a $6500 upfront cost for the engine/trans/atlas but it’d be the last drivetrain I’d ever need.

 

The are not many trails in Colorado that 33's coupled with lockers can't handle. Sure you can't do the hardest lines but at that point you should probably have a cage and zero fucks about body damage.

 

Yeah, I definitely fucked up there; I was so excited to jump on this axle for the FF setup and disk brakes that I didn't consider the chromos being a step down...because chromo. It was all supposed to be a big improvement from stock in terms of brakes, housing strength, maintenance, etc

I sold a factory e locker housing and shafts for $150 and I'm wishing that I hadn't. Transfer my third back into it and sell this setup from under the truck. The fact that it had 2+ previous owners should have been a clue, right?


The spare shaft I have is already starting to twist at the splines so now I'm wondering when I'm gonna be doing the same spindle, wheel hub, bearings, rotor job again. I don't want to keep feeding $400 shafts and $200 in spindle and wheel hub parts into this axle with every failure so I'm keeping an eye out for other options.

 

The reality is that I'm still, for the most part, running the same trails that I was on 31s and 33s just with more ground clearance and altered lines.

 

I agree somewhat. As for "wheeling hard" a lot of these failures have been on easy trails and dirt roads but I won't argue that the parts were probably compromised beforehand.

Hard to believe that on tons and 37s I'd be going through u joints, axle shafts, steering parts, etc.

I carry 2 spare CVs and 2 spare hubs because they are easy enough to change...except when you break the splined end of the CV off inside the axle tube. Likewise, I carried a spare rear shaft but you can't change it when the shaft grenades the spindle with it

 

Just go buy a Chrysler as a daily and you’ll feel better knowing you have something that breaks when you look at it

 

The easy trails are usually where you break. The only cv I ever broke was on a basketball sized rock, on a trail exit. 400ft earlier I was idling with the front end about 4ft off the ground and the bed dug into a rock face that I was leaning into. I blew the trans up leaving a stop light on the way to a grocery store and stripped a tcase input leaving work, my trucks more reliable crawling LOL!!!

I agree with the others, drop the tires down to 33s and save up for some real axles and 37s.

 

GF talked me into taking the truck out this weekend since I've been cranky staying at home. We ran Hackett which is pretty much all dirt and loose gravel. It did well enough and I didn't break anything

 

Glad to hear you got the truck back on the dirt! Even if it isn’t super technical wheeling, it’s gotta feel good making it out and back without any drama.

 

Yeah, it was good. Not sure if the PS pump is better than the last one or the improved hose routing and lack of a filter is making for less resistance but it doesn't whine at full lock like the last one did immediately after installing. Hope it lasts longer than the last one


The trails were a shit show, so much reckless driving and impatience with people cutting loose and then some. Had a moto almost dump his bike into the side of my truck trying to pass without giving me a chance to get over. We also got stuck because of a SXS roll over because they were driving too quickly

 

You are making me nervous about my filter now lol.

 

I don't think the filter really was the issue; it shouldn't add that much resistance at all.

In order to put the filter in I had some janky hose routing and I think I had a bend that was getting pulled too tight

 

Makes sense, I tried my best to keep smooth curves on mine. Also solid avatar.

 

Yeah, I believe I tried to follow the 3" radius rule that the hose MFG imposed... I think the line going out the core support to the cooler was getting restriction where it met with the hardline and pulled the hose partially closed

I am planning on getting magnets to stick on the reservoir to collect any glitter that I create without needing the inline filter.

 

Wait....there's a GF??? Thought you were in quarantine???

 

I was under the premise that he still thought that girls were gross

 

I thought he was a she!

 

There is something to be said for matching your tire size to the axles and drivetrain. IFS and 33's, Toyota axles and 37's, tons and 40's all pair well together and you generally don't have to worry about breaking them. I have way more fun wheeling than I do internet bragging rights to having the biggest tires. Breaking and trying to fix yourself on the trail sucks, and even sucks more if it ruins a long wheeling trip.

In 6 years of wheeling my current setup, I've broken one inner axle shaft when I was bound up in rocks as big as my truck. Other than that I've never cut a trip short or had a major failure. Just PM every winter and good to go again.

 

Tow rig tech counts, right?

The factory cold side intercooler pipe on my 6.7l PSD is plastic. After a lot of hemming and hawing I decided $300 now is better than a $300+ tow when I blow out the factory plastic one while towing in an inconvenient location.



95k miles of CCV gunk and EGR soot. Gross. Charge air pipe was an easy install. I'll get on it more tomorrow to make sure it's not leaking