5 Lug to Solid Axle—1997 Tacoma build

Hello inter webs, after much thought I decided to make a build thread for my build. I took my 5 lug 2rzfe powered truck and converted it to 4wd and solid front axle. My intentions for this truck were to be an overland/expedition style of truck with daily drive ability. I didn’t want this truck to be lifted super high and it’s a pretty low sas. To say the least, it was killer to get the project done. This is the documented journey...



Before I started and I was in the design/gear crunching phase some of the unknown things I couldn’t find information on were:
-Steering shaft from the column to the box, what was the spline count and where could I source a shaft?
-I am going to use a R150f from a ‘91 4Runner with the 2TR bellhousing, which pressure plate, clutch fork, clutch combo works?

Axle build:
I picked up an axle from a 1981 Toyota pickup off of craigslist. It came with an axle housing, third member, knuckles, and spindles.
-complete rebuild kit from low range offroad (all new bearings, seals)
-Longfield axle 30 spline shafts
-IFS front hubs (widen the axle to about factory width)
-Aisin ifs locking hubs with a trail gear conversion inner hub gear
-trail gear truss
-trail gear crossover steering





*Im not a trail gear fan boy or anything, but I found this guy from Sidetracked off-road in Folsom CA and he was able to hook me up with a lot of parts.

 

Transmission/driveline:
So I found through 4runners forums and pirate 4x4 that you can bolt a “R” series transmission behind a 2rz/3rz using a 2TR manual trans bellhousing from a 2nd gen Tacoma. The pre 96 r150 have the correct input shaft length to mate up with this bellhousing. The 96 and newer r150s have about a 30mm longer input shaft and this needs to be machines down. This thread on Toyota 4runners was a big help: At one time marlin crawler sold a custom conversion bellhousing but stopped production once they realized it could it already existed.. they have since started selling a conversion kit again.

This is the combination of parts that worked for me:
2TR bellhousing + 2rz clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, clutch, throw out bearing + “R” series trans clutch fork+ 1991 r150f/transfer case + 2TR slave cylinder = happy Toyota.

I found that there the only difference between 2rz vs 3rz clutche/pressure plate/flywheel is that the 3rz has a larger clutch diameter at 9 7/8” vs the 2rz at 9 1/4”. So I could have used at 3rz clutch if I hadn’t already ordered an Aisin 2rz clutch, but hey you learn. Toyota uses the same inside diameter throw out bearing (1.378”) between “R” and “W” series trans, the only difference being the distance the bearing contacts the pressure plate. Kinda hard to explain, here are some pics, some of the data is referencing rock auto’s catalog.

2rz throw out bearing:
Width 1.75”

3vz (1991 4Runner in my case), and 2TR
Width 1.59”

Just for show for 96 and newer r150s
Width 2.38”

 

Looks good man!

 

Thanks! Tacos are great.

Driveline cont.
On the rear I had a 1 piece driveshaft built by South Bay drivelines in San Jose, they were recommended on 4x4wire.com and since I’m in the Bay Area that works out for me. I have no complaints about the driveshaft the guys at SBD are very helpful and have built many of these driveshafts and all I needed to give them were the length, desired walk thickness of the tube and which pattern transfer case/pinion flanges. They sized the biggest u joints for the flange type and it has a ~6” slip yoke.

 

Steering:
I used trail gear frame plates for stiffening and the drivers side has holes and frame tubes for the steering box. I used an IFS steering box and re sealed it with a kit from Napa. The crossover steering kit was also trail gear and traditionally the links mount on top of the steering knuckles. Because i was going with a low lift, the crossover links were scrapping the frame on compression so my solution was mounting underneath. The kit is quite complete including: steering arm, both crossover links, tie rod ends, and steering arms.

 

Steering pump:
My stock Toyota pump was dying so I thought I’d upgrade to a Saginaw pump. The Saginaw pump outlet fitting is 16mm (same as Toyota pump) and I used the oem banjo bolt, washers, and high pressure hose. Chevy has used Saginaw pumps forever and since about the 80’s has used a 16mm male-o-ring pressure fitting and before that the pumps used 3/8 inverted flare. Any pump with a 16mm fitting should work with the Toyota banjo and pressure hose. The return fitting is a 3/8” hose which I have hooked up from the steering return to a stacked plate cooler then to the pump. I built a bracket out of 1/4” plate and used the original tensioner.

 

Brakes:
On the front I used ifs v6 calipers with Tacoma rotors (slip on rotors) and made
a spacer setup to mount the caliper. On the rear I used sequoia rotors with 96-04 mustang calipers and a home brewed caliper bracket. These calipers have parking brake provisions so I wouldn’t have to use a transfer case brake or no parking brake at all. For the master cylinder I used a Chevy 1 1/8” bore with a home made mounting bracket modeled after some I found on Pirate 4x4. The LSBV was removed and I replaced it with a manual wilwood porportioning valve. I also added a T100 brake booster to help pump that master cylinder.

 

Steering add on, for the steering shaft I used an ifs 4Runner intermediate shaft cut down and re welded to fit the length I needed. The spine count is the same for the taco and the ifs rigs.

 

Thanks man!

 

Front leaf springs:
The front leafs are different drivers side to passengers side due to some taco lean. It is a complete bastard pack of S10, ifs pickup rear leafs, and some add a leafs. I didn’t add any overload leafs. In the bastard pack I found that the s10 leafs didn’t do much lifting but function to add more load capacity. On the rear of the leafs I used the extended shackles that came with the trail gear spring hanger kit and that to aided in lifting the truck.

Driver
-ifs pickup rear leaf
-2nd ifs pickup leaf
-3” rear lift skyjacker add a leaf
-cut down s10 leaf

Passenger
-ifs pickup rear leaf
-2nd ifs pickup leaf
-1.5” lift fat bobs add a leaf
-cut down s10 leaf

 

Sweet truck, my next tacoma I build is going to be the cheapest 5lugger I can find and start with that! Holy crap that shackle angle blows!

 

Other notes on the front axle... I originally was going to go spring over on the front axle, but after setting everything up it was too tall for my uses and opted to do spring under. In my opinion the results are great! But it was killer to get there. One obstacle was the oil pan. I used a t100 2wd 3rz oil pan (rear sump) and pickup. In spring over, there was enough clearance, it was when in spring under things were contacting so I had to re design so everything would clear. Keep this in mind if you’re going to do a low sas...

Vs how the T100 pan started
Image via google


Since I had the spring pads already for spring over, there were the right place for the bump stops. I first used

$17 energy 9.9101g all purpose bump stop - pack of 2

energy 9.9101g, they’re the right shape, just too short at 2.2”. I they ordered energy 9.9155g which is closer to 3 1/8” which works out fine.

 

The rear axle:
Was from a 3rd gen 4Runner with e locker picked up from Craigslist for $200. It was a good deal to me, but then I had to chop off all of the coil and link suspension parts. Damn that was a lot of grinding! I put new wheel bearings and seals and everything is tight like a tiger. A 12ton harbor freight press and bearing splitter got the job done, but I had to modify the press because of the length of the axle shaft and it took a lot of force to move the bearings. The shock mounts front and rear were from 2x2 square tubing 1/4” wall with a 1.5” inside diameter. Bilstein 5100’s all around soak up a lot of the shock that a solid axle creates.

On the front trail gear shock hoops are great for the price. Look good and do their job. I did have issues with my drivers side hoop because the strengthening gusset tube was hitting the steering shaft so I had to give that tube a different angle to clear.

 

Rear springs:
The rear leafs are pretty simple. The main leaf is the original main leaf, a couple of s10 leafs, the second taco leaf, and Tacoma overload leaf. On the rear I have the original shackles, and everything moves/flex’s eh alright. It’s not a 63” Chevy spring or coilover setup but it works, doesn’t pop or squeak, and carry’s a load.

 

One of the cleanest looking sas builds, I love it.

 

Nice engineering to make it work, luv the way you moved and adjusted pieces parts to make this work.

 

Your front shackles are going to invert and bend leafs when you droop...

 

Exactly what I was thinking


Also does the axle hit the pan at full Bump?

 

Nice! Good work. It looks good, i really like it.

As others have mentioned...you need to address that shackle angle issue. That's a big deal with leaf springs.

 

Thanks, yeah the shackle angle was disturbing me at first, but I’ve yet to have an issue with shackle inversion. When I was first putting it all together I was going to go shackles up front, but after talking to an experienced work friend he suggested rear shackle.

@anthony250f
The oil pan doesn’t contact at full compression. It took a while to get that oil pan right, but it works.