02 Tacoma doublecab 3-Link on FJ80 axles

I like your thinking

 

Agreed brian's the man. The all thread trick got me the clearance I needed but as soon as I loosened it they went right back to where they were. I'm not quite there yet anyway.
Problem with the front axle is it has to be assembled in order because the knuckle has to be removed to put the birfs in the housing (Camo method) the hellfire knuckles are too beefy. So third needs to go in the housing first, then axle shafts and then knuckles/hubs. Parts for the high pinion should be here weds 8/26, going to but the shafts probably monday. and assemble sometime next weekend.

 

If I were you I'd just bolt up the knuckles to the bare housing (or with the 3rd in place as well) with your steering arms in place and get everything tacked on where you want it before you go ahead and build the whole axle. You're gonna be checking for clearances so many times and picking up and taking out the housing for anything is gonna suck ass

 

Good call

 

I think you are right about most people being intimidated by these axles

I'm looking forward to this build. Not a lot of tacomas out there with f80 axles. This is going to be a super cool project.

 

There was a bad-ass red double cab that was 3-linked with 80 axles and he swapped in a D4D. I'm pretty sure he was canadian, I saw a video on you tube of that thing in action a long time ago but haven't been able to find it again.

This weekend I'm going to climb under the truck and remove any unnecessary components such as the front diff and cv's (I already pulled the front drive shaft). I still need to be able to drive it in case my buddy cant trailer it to a shop. I think trying to put the dual T-case's in first makes the most sense that way I will have the old cross member out of the way for mocking up the lower link brackets and I'll be able to check the pinion angle for both axles when the time comes and I can still drive it. The pinion length for the 9.5 lc third and my "8.4" are the same (I'm pretty sure, but I'll doublecheck) so theoretically I could get a rear driveshaft length but I wont know the ride height yet until the front is in. I also haven't decided what I'm going to do for rear suspension yet, probably just go with a set of 63's, I would love to 3 link the rear too but money isn't going to allow that right now (later down the road), I know the axle wrap is going to be horrendous but I'll cross that bridge when it comes. Having the exhaust, and rear drive shaft occupying the passenger side rear makes a traction bar almost impossible.
Need to pick up the RadDesigns triple shifter

 

What are you planning to support the duals?

I would wait until very end before you do anything with the drive shafts. Things might change a million times and it saves $$ to wait for drive shaft measurements after everything with the suspension front/rear is dialed in.

63"s seem to be hit/miss. Lots of mixed opinions about how to make them work well. They seem to be either too soft or too stiff.

I also would like to link the rear of my truck at some point in the future. Linking the rear is another money pit and I am not ready to do that yet. Before linking the rear I am going to get an internal roll cage. Not spending more money on the truck until that is done.

 

Custom crossmember using factory tcase mount patterns and bushings at the frame, I know the vibrations aren't going to be fun but it shouldn't be too bad, once I know where the frame-side link brackets will end up then I'll know more of what I'm going to do.

I always wanted a cage too, no one makes a d-cab one though, I don't want to spend the money to have one custom made. I was thinking of just buying the regular cab cage and adding on to the back of it for the rear, while adding some connections so I could pull it out if need be. Just getting the front linked is going to be enough on my plate for now.

 

since there doesn't seem to be a big Cruiser presence on here I posted over on pirate, maybe someone with an 80 can answer this. Are the left and right wheel hubs specific or can they be swapped to either side? I forgot to mark which side was which. The Axle I was told was from a 92 lc non-abs unlocked. One hub has 5 perfect circle holes drilled in it from the factory, the other one -no holes.

 

Guy on pirate said it could be for balancing them, and thats their way of removing material. Im using new wheel bearings and trunnions so i dont think it would be a problem putting them on either side.

 

It seems like the guys that use the factory tcase mounts for duals end up with good results.

About the cage...yea, no matter how you look at it is gonna be a shit load of work and $$ I have the opposite problem you have. I've been in regular cabs with internal cages and it can be extremely uncomfortable. This is where having a custom design vs buying a premade one might be necessary.

Good info. Glad you found the answers you needed.

 

Look up the 4xinnovations cage for extra cabs, could probably do some fab work and make it work on your double cab

 

Yeah been following them for some time.

 

Iirc they do some custom stuff. Might be able to work something out

 

You guys have any preference on frame reinforcement plates. I would probably make my own if i had access to a plasma, but for the time and materials it would take I might as well buy them. Kind of bummed that Off road solutions went out of business because I liked their design the most, Probabaly going IFS box and pushing it as far forward as I can so it would be cool if it had the mount for it. Leaning towards the SORD. Any that I missed?

Ballistic fab
Sky offroad
trail gear

 

Chop the front of the frame off and use 3/16s 2x3 square tube.

 

I wanted to chop the frame but doing it in my driveway didn't seem realistic lol.

I bought the trail gear plates and cut the steering box mount to mount it as far forward as I could

 

Meh i did it in half of my two car garage with a barely working 110v welder and an angle grinder to cut fish plates. Its nice to not have to weld all those frame plates onto the paper thin frame. If i can do it, anyone can!!

 

Haha I didn't know it was a pissing contest of who has a worse setup. Inside>outside lol

 

Lol!!!