looking at a SAS Taco in the AM, would like advice

Hey TacomaWorld- I'm really thinking about buying this SASed first gen tomorrow. I'd love if you guys could point me in the direction of anything specific to inspect with the SAS (other than the quality of his welds) since it was done by this guy himself in his garage. Here are the details-

189000 on the truck, motor replaced under warranty at 40,000 because crank balancer came loose and stripped the crank- so 149k on the motor. He says it runs great and cruises on the highway. It has a front Dana 44, stock rear axle with 4.88 gears, Detroit lockers, manual transmission, 37 12.50 r17, 3.4 v6. Trail gear leafs front and rear. Set up for dual transfer case but not installed. No hydro assist. Frame plated with 1/4", crossover steering and GM 1 ton rod ends. Boxed frame in the rear.

The guy says it's in awesome shape. I want to daily drive it so first thing I'd do it pull the detroit lockers. Maybe throw an e-locker in the rear and an ARB in the front, or ARB's in both...

Anyway, I appreciate any input!

Photos-

 

he says he used a trail gear kit

 

Interested in the outcome but looking at your tundra build, you seem handy on both sides of the welder and mods.

If you do get it, what are the possibilities of moving to three/four link up front?

If I were purchasing, I would highway drive AND flex it and test lockers.

Good Luck!

 

Price? That would help other than weld check shocks and flex if possible make sure there aren't any weird noises on freeway or when flexing and I'd go for it if right price I'd say no more than 12k

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll be sure to get it on the highway and flex it out.

He's asking $5500....

 

Wouldn't be opposed to a 3-link in the future.

Thinking about daily driving this and using it as a weekend wheelers and expo rig for a few years and then eventually having it become more and more of a crawler on a trailer behind a diesel

 

It doesn't look half bad, however there are no real good quality close ups of his welding. That'd be the first thing I look at. Look for components rubbing each other like the tie rods and draglinks hitting each other or the frame. Tires hitting leaf springs or the body... It'll be pretty obvious. Also, those lockers are perfectly fine to DD, no need to change them, unless you really want to. Look for leaks, especially the steering box. $5500 isn't a bad price at all IMO.

 

Well... I bought it!



Front axle is from a Wagoneer. Has 1.5" wheel spacers and the 37s rub the frame slightly at full lock. I'm not sure what the backspacing on the wheels is, but I'm going to ditch the 17s and switch to 15s. Other than that is rubs a little on the back of the wheel well. I tubbed the firewall on my Tundra, but I think this might not need much more than massaging with an 8 lb sledge. No rub from any of the components like drag link, tie rods, etc.

I've seen prettier welds, but they all look like they have good penetration and they are far from bird shit.

There is a slight leak from the steering box. In the local classifieds I recently saw a rebuilt IFS steering box drilled an tapped for hydro assist for $300. It's gone now, but I'm going to keep my eye out. Hydro assist is high on my list of priorities. Do I need to go to a higher powered power steering pump or can the stock one be used?

Are 4.88s the right gear ratio for 37s with the 3.4L or are they a little high? It drives well on the highway, likes to stay about 70-75.

I believe it has the 5" trail gear springs and it sits tall.

The detroit lockers are fine for a daily, but I live in snow country. They great for 3' of snow but are absolutely terrifying if you're on packed snow commuting to work. That's why I was thinking about the selectable locker. Seems like an e-locker can be picked up for cheap for the rear.

 

Wow looks great man...killer deal too...your pic makes the truck look much cleaner

 

Looks like a good deal. Congrats.

 

Now this, is really cool.

 

Wheeled it yesterday and it was fun as hell. All the obstacles were... easy.





I need hydro assist ASAP. I'm wondering if the stock power steering pump can handle it. Any input? My IFS steering box is leaking, so I need to figure out how to replace seals and drill and tap it for the hydro assist. Instead of buying a new box. Wondering if I should just add the ram and wait to upgrade the power steering pump until/IF I have an issue with it.

3.4L with 4.88s and 37s- is that the correct ratio? Doesn't seem bad at all with the 5 speed but I don't have much to compare it to. They don't make 5.29s for the Dana 44.

I also have a howl/whine with a rumble/vibration while on the gas. My tundra had a burned up ring gear and sounded somewhat similar, but didn't have the rumble. Could it be the driveline out of balance or something like that? It's noticeable at all speeds.

 

Please take your questions over to the SAS section, we will be able to assist you much more than this thread will

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/solid-axle-swap-bs-thread.205596/

 

Check out these links for possible answers:
1. 2.
This video and post from NorcalPR Phil from TTORA:



This is with the stock t-case in low range, and the tranny shifting from 3-5. The Whining is normal, it's the crackling/rattling sound that sounds like a loose shifter...
I had to have the stock t-case in low range, otherwise I'd be driving faster and the road noise is too loud. The crawl box still makes noise at gears between 3-5...