How much time for rear-end swap?

I just picked up a complete 4.10 rear end with ABS and E-locker for my 2004 Tacoma. It's got the 4.10 instead of the 4.56 that I currently have...

I have this weekend mostly free. Is that enough time to:

--Pull out current rear-end
--surface clean with wire wheel/grinder and paint new unit with rust converter and engine paint
--swap 4.10 with 4.56 gear ratio from current unit
--install new rear end/bleed brakes

Just wondering, since i"m guessing that a simple swap would be a day-long project, but I'm new to trucks in general.

Also, is there anything that won't be common sense and imagination?

Mark

 

The ring and pinion from a non e-locker axle is not interchangeable with a ring and pinion from a factory e-locker axle.

 

Good info. I checked, and they're both E-lockers W/ABS. The only difference that I know of is that I have the 4.56 gearset. I'm finding that getting the ABS sensors out of the old housing SHOULD be simple, but They don't want to come out. I have pretty much zero patience tonight so figure that if the answer doesn't come to me after a pint or two, that I'm calling it quits for today.

Any suggestions that don't destroy the sensors (I hear that they're pricey) to get them out in one piece?

 

if they're both elocker units why swap the ring and pinions over, remove the old third, install the new third. shouldnt take more than a few hours unless yours is extra rusty

 

Maybe I'm confused about the terminology, but the intent is to keep the 4.56 gearset (if that's called the "third"). If that's right, then I plan to swap third members.

Neither has more than very light surface rust. I'm just paranoid and lazy,and never like to do things twice. I figure time spent now is time I won't have to spend when I'm older. I tend to keep vehicles forever. The 2004 PreRunner is my newest vehicle

 

the third is the piece that bolts into the axle housing, it holds the gears. If your doing this all you need to do is pull the axles out a little bit (easier to just pull them completely out, and then pull the third and install the other.

all elocker axles had abx even if the truck didnt. The ABS is all at the outer ends of the axles

 

I guess that I learned a new term today!

I plan to swap the third member to keep the 4.56 gears.

The new axle housing has covers over the ABS sensor holes since the truck came without ABS. Those covers came off easy, but the actual ABS sensors in the old one gave me enough frustration to make me grab a cold one and quit for tonight.

Maybe a good nights sleep will help out

 

ah, try not to force them. if anything remove the axle shafts carefully and try to push them up and out, the orings get stuck last thing you want to do is break one theyre expensive

 

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Ahhh! Good tip, and I hadn't thought of that. My mind was already thinking about using R-134a to freeze them in hopes that they shrink in the bore.

I pulled out the axles already (to put in new wheel bearings), On my way out of the garage on my way to the the bike trails in the morning, I'll give it a whirl.

 

I'll need to look up the procedure somewhere (Unless someone has a link). Good advice, especially considering that I've had a few bad experiences with junkyard parts and my project Volvo that I just finished.

 

Just what is wrong with your original axle housing you had to swap it out?

I have never been able to remove U-Bolts without cutting .

 

The old housing is bent bad enough to destroy the right wheel bearing, spacer and tire in less than 500 miles. I am lucky in the fact that I got the U-Bolts off in about 2 minutes total (for both sides). Win some/lose some I guess

 

Got the rear-end in. Not bad time for a newbie (7 hours). Funny thing is that the HARDEST thing for me, was that I had to take off the load sensor to get at the brake clip at the upper bracket, for the brake line going to the housing. The clip was so rusted that the sensor and the bracket holding the brake line to the truck frame had to come out.

I had zero issues getting the actual axle housing into place, and no issues swapping the axles that I recently built into the housing. According to the tape measure, the alignment already looks better!

I DID find that the old third member may have issues. There was powdery metal on the magnet. Someone at the local brewery (I needed some fuel...growler-style) told me that was normal. He has three Tacomas so he just might know his stuff, but me being a car (not a truck guy), for now I'm sticking with the 4.10 ratio. I don't tow, and I'm mainly using this truck as a travel system for mountain biking at the moment so I should be OK.

Thanks for all the tips so far!

Mark

 

tiny little metal particals on the magnet is normal.

 

Good to have that info. Thanks!

For now everything is good, and the axle is straight. Can't figure out parking brake though

Previous owner had none, and the one I have from the 2003 wont work because the 2003 is under the leaf springs, and this one goes over....since I have limited knowledge on this, I googled it and came up with Dorman part C138655 as the likely case to fix the parking brake. Hope to get in working over the weekend.

Mark