Differential/Carrier Interchange Info Needed

Hey guys, I'm looking for info on the interchange of the differential and carrier components.

My truck is a 4 cylinder, 4x4 and I'm wanting to re-gear. But instead of my truck being down for the entirety of the re-gear I was considering getting some junkyard diffs and rebuilding them at my leisure.

Specifically I want to know if the front carrier is the same on the 4.10 and 3.73 versions. I want to retain the stock open diff up front but the rear carrier will be replaced with a locker.

I'm sure the differential housings are the same but I don't know if the carriers were the same from the V6 (3.73) to the 4 cyl (4.10).

I've seen that V6 parts are much more plentiful on ebay so does anyone know if the carriers interchange?

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

I'm looking at doing 4.88s in my 4 cyl, but if I bought a V6 clamshell I could just order the 4.88 gears for V6, right? Then install them as normal. The ratio is 4.88 either way, no matter if it's a 4 cyl or 6 cyl. The only difference is whether you get "thin" or "thick" gears.

Am I on the right track here?

For the rear, since I want to replace the carrier anyway it shouldn't matter what differential I buy. I think the housing castings are the same for all Tacomas 2005-2015. It's only the carriers that are different, correct?

 

I think I got it.

Nitro gear sells only one type of ring gear for the 8.4 rear, so all the carriers must be the same regardless of factory gear ratio. If all the carriers are the same then all the housings must be the same as well.

For the front they sell ring gear in either thin or thick. The one you need depends on the factory gear ratio. Carriers with factory 3.91 and lower (numerically less, like 3.73) need the thick gears.

So I can put a V6 front diff with a V6 carrier in my 4 cyl, as long as I buy the thick gears from Nitro.

 

Im in the same boat ….

 

anyone know if the front ring and pinion is interchangeable with the rear
as in exactly the same part

ECGS lists TRD sport front as 8"
rear as 8.4
however I've heard the 8.4 is a misnomer, that it is actually 8" dimensionally, and only called 8.4 to identify it is the stronger housing that uses carrier handles