Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

If you go fabbed front, you might as well build the holy grail Toyota axle of a 9.5 center with FJ80 outers

 

And..... You are going to want/need a crawl box anyway, may as well knock out two birds with one stone

Also don't discount the fj60/62 for the reasons I told you. Having a diff that works f/r is really handy with how you want to use your truck. It's one of the main reasons I went that route. Also not having to pay the $1000+ fj80 tax is nice

 

x2 ^ Especially with a heavier 2nd gen and 4.0l drivetrain

 

3rd gen runner with 3.4

 

Fair. But the outers and axles aren’t as strong as 80’s, right?

 

Still, 9.5 FTW over 8 or 8.4

 

Still a mini outer but with 9.5 centered.

benefit to run a rear 9.5 as well and carry 1 matching trail spare thrid..

 

Then yeah 9.5s on fab'd housings. Could get away with a front HP8, but 9.5" would be better. Coming from a guy who has a 8"elocker rear. 9.5s have better aftermarket support then they did years past with gears/lockers.

 

What's honestly the benefit of having matching front and rear thirds in a rec wheeler?

It's not like he's carrying a spare third with to keep wheeling if he breaks one, plus a it's stupid easy to pull the DS and axle shafts on an FZJ80 rear to isolate the rear R&P and get home in FWD.

 

What's the strength difference on mini outers vs. fj/fzj80?

I'm not super concerned about needing a spare third. It'll get trailered to parks if I'm doing "hard" shit. If I drive it on trips then I'll be easier on it.

 

That doesn't matter for what you are doing with that rig.

 

actual strength, unknown. but here's the size difference.

mini vs 80

 

Your spare third is whatever one that doesn't break. Driving home on the highway with a locked front sucks balls as well.

 

I'd say it matters. FJ80 outers definitely steer tighter than mini's and are substantially stronger. I've seen John break 2 birfs with his FJ60 front under his 3.4 swapped second gen in the last 3 years and I've broken one too. I'd call the outers the weak point in my drivetrain at this point.

 

Breaking down two axles to swap diffs around doesn't suck balls either?

 

It does suck but a nice option, especially if you are street driving it from TN to MT.

Hey I'm just saying I would take the savings in the front axle and dump it into a crawl box setup. Perhaps I'm ignorant, but I have zero worries about breaking my front axles, even my cobbled together out of used chromo parts from evrey axle mfr setup.

 

I'm planning to put a selectable in the front.

 

609 front, 9 FF rear

 

Can't take it with you when you go right? If I hit the lotto tomorrow, that's what I'm building for sure with Gearworks 10's!

 

Hey I'm just throwing out options as someone who specifically built the truck to drive 8+hrs one way, wheel whatever trails I want, then make the reverse drive home on a budget.

I drove my yj home from slade KY to Chicago in FWD after blowing the rear output on the tcase and it sucked.