Need help/advice- regearing front diff issues

Hello to all TW members, I have been lurking for many months and the time has come for me to ask for help. In august 2024, I purchased a 2010 trd offroad tacoma @200k miles for $10k. I bought it for cheap because the front and rear diff gear ratios are not the same because someone probably wanted to re-gear the truck and only got around to doing the rear from 3.73 to 4.56.

I have confirmed the rear has 4.56, so I made a call to my local driveline shop and decided to pull the diff out myself and have the shop regear it to 4.56. This shop has had my front diff for over 2 months when the boss told me it'd be a couple weeks max. He tells me he keeps ordering the wrong carrier and parts for the fairly standard 4.56 yukon gears I got for it. I'm feeling frustrated because my truck has been on jackstands in my garage for 2 months and I keep getting blue balled every week I call him,and tells me its gonna be another week.

I need help because this driveline guy seems like he's wasting my time and need advice if anyone else has regeared their front diff to 4.56 and what carrier you used, maybe a recommendation for a good 4wd shop in Salt Lake city, Utah?

 

The easiest and quickest would be to get a complete clamshell from ECGS and send them yours for the core charge refund. Otherwise you could send them your diff to have them regear it and send it back to you, but that would take more time. ECGS will send you the return shipping label and you just pack up and return in the same box.

 

Thanks @kodiakisland, thanks for steering me towards these guys. I wasn't aware of their website. I'm gonna give them a call on Monday and ask if they can sell me a carrier for my 4.56 gears. I've already purchased brand new gears, seals and bearings so sending ECGS my current diff doesn't sound like a good idea. Thank you!

 

the carrier for 3.73 doesn't work for 4.56. you either need a toyota carrier or arb or some kind of locker. the part number for the toyota one is
For front gears clamshell T8S
Differential Carrier Toy41311-35120
Or nc-t8s-4

 

Just went through this myself with 4.30 gears. The above info is correct. You need the 41311-35120 carrier to run 4.56 gears. ECGS will get you squared away without any drama. I'm another happy customer and have found they usually are pennies on the dollar compared with local shops who generally don't know what they're doing.

 

I ended up returning the standard size 4.56 and bought a "Thick" 4.56 ring which works with the 3.73 carrier. Was this a bad call? Should I have bought a different carrier? He only charged me $250 to regear and install new bearings and seals. I don't think it was a bad price but I'll def be taking my business to ECGS for any further diff work. Thanks for your help fellers.

 

$250 is a steal! I had Overland shops in Portland area quoting me $1000-$2000 for a front diff regear. Overland....

 

$250 for the labor only is how I read it. The OP supplied all parts, gears, carrier, etc..

 

Still a good deal. I've paid $500 for labor only and that was cheaper than the rest.