So you push your 1st gen offroad - what cracks next?

Negative. Pickup and 4runner housings are made from pretty thin material, Ive had a few bent housings. Also I don't think the "weak" long spline shaft on fj80 elocker is something to be super worried about. Not many people are breaking Toyota rear axle shafts, and an 80 series weighs a hell of a lot more then a 1st gen tacoma. Im always more worried about the 8mm studs holding the shaft to the hub. Ive broken front studs on my old 4runner, Im running arp studs and extra dowl pins this time around.

 

Well, I just wrapped up fixing my cracked axle housing.

On the Road Again - Temporarily Patching the Rear Axle Housing

 

Passenger wheelwell, top rear.

Had a small crack for a while, but it really started to separate on a recent trip to Moab. I'm lazy and haven't pulled everything apart to see what a repair would require, but I'm a curious about a couple issues.

• Is what appears to be white sealant/glue original? Is that how the panels were joined from the factory, or were they welded and this is from a previous repair?
• Anyone done this fix and if so, any advice? Especially related on the best way to pull the panels back together prior to welding. Or would I be better off fabbing a sheet metal patch?

 

Your inner fender apron is trying to fall off, you're gonna want to tack that back together and then slater seam sealer back on it (that's factory by the way, and flammable)

 

Not a crack, but on the same spot other people have had leaks on the rear axle. Crushed the axle housing tubing under the driver leaf perch this weekend after trying to hop up and over an ice shelf.

Time for a fabricated housing if I can get ahold of Front range offroad. Ruff stuff isn't making their housings right now since they don't have a welder to make them. And there aren't any non builder housings for an 8.4 from TG.


Bad side


Good side for reference

 

Nice work!

Is that a slight weep that was starting by the corner of the perch?

 

No. nothing's leaking currently.
Was likely moisture or snow from driving around prior to taking the pic

 

Front subframe :|

 

You don't say. How's this one look? lol

 

I feel your pain man.

 

also the passenger side.


Yeah something fishy on that. Good luck on the fix man. Not an easy one but totally doable!

 

Replacement shock towers/coil buckets were still available when mine was destroyed.

Edit: These are the part numbers for my '02.

Coil Buckets

Driver 51501-35080

Passenger 51502-35080

 

My goodness, the savagery! Love me some good carnage shots though. But with the prices of these trucks lately this is kind of the equivalent to slide tackling an expensive painting in a museum haha. Ill advised. Hope you fix it up!

 

What are the tubes running in front of the radiator for?

 

You're asking about the extra cooler attached to the condensor? It's for power steering.

 

Damn…right through the weld.

Do you think you could grind into the crack, clean it up and re-weld?

 

I heard talk of an 80 series; here's a teardown of a 91 HDJ80 after many kms of hard off-road use. Plenty of cracks in the frame and body, and the J80 is a lot beefier than a 1G Tacoma overall with a far stronger chassis and thicker sheet metal, though it is quite a bit heavier as well.

 

That even has reinforcement on top of the bucket?

 

I still maintain that just plating the top doesn't solve the issue. It keeps the coilover from cracking that part, but clearly the whole bucket is getting hit harder all around and more so then the driver side one.

So I think plating the whole thing is the best way to do it. Similar to what you, Ryan, and I did.

 

I still have on my list to build a crossbrace this year. I think that's the best solution.

Dirt designs won't sell me their top hat things anymore though, so guess I start from scratch.