Putting a locking diff from another 1st gen on a 99 base model?

is there a way of pulling a locking differential off of another first gen tacoma and putting it on a 1999 toyota tacoma base model. How would i go about installing it, is it plug and play?

 

There are so many threads there are so many different options.

What skills are you bringing to the table?

Just what is your 1999 2Wd 5 lug? 4x4 or Prerunner??

Have you searched at all

 

Lol. Weld the third member... cheapest

Base model as in 5 lug, no this will not work. Elocker is found in trd models only, which mean prerunner trd or 4wd trd. You'll need the entire rear axle if your base is a 6 lug. Base model axle will be a 8.4 and elocker are 8" thus needing the entire axle vs the third member.

 

There are lots of threads on this topic, I'd do a search and do a little more reading.

But no, it is not "plug and play". It can be done as long as you swap the entire axle housing, but you'll need to do all the wiring.

That said, as much as I like my TRD locker, there are far better aftermarket options (Harrop, ARB). More expensive, yes, but depending on what you want it for, may end up being an overall better option.

 

I have a friend with a e-locker Prerunner that's willing to swap me axles, would you say it isn't worth the effort? Is the OEM E-locker worth it?

 

Yes it's worth the effort. Of course many will say there's plenty of better choice out there, which is true. But going from an open to selectable, that's better than remaining open.

There's the same saying, why buy a tacoma when there's a better truck out there or why keep the IFS when SFA performs better.

 

Yes a locker is better than an open diff, but is the OEM e-locker worth the effort? I've heard plenty of instances where the OEM e-locker fails to engage or just doesn't work.

 

I think that's mostly with trucks that live in the rust belt, the actuator gets all fubar'ed with rust over time. Or when people simply don't use it for years. The one on my 04 has never given me any trouble

 

Really, it's not plug and play? Swap rear axle, buy pre-wired harness - plug, test, and use. That's pretty much it, plug and play. What modification is needed?

 

Well my friend and I are in Socal so we don't have that rust issue haha. Good to know.

 

Same goes for everything else... example: arb air locker.... They leak. Compressor will always engage? No failed component?

I'll take my chance with an elocker vs remaining open if I have the choice. At least it's a 50/50 of it working when I'm in a bind vs 0/100 of not having a locker.

 

Not what I was asking but okay.

 

The TRD e-locker has the reputation of taking awhile to engage, unlike the ARB that locks when you press the button (assuming it's not leaking air). With the TRD e-locker you kinda have to think ahead with it, if you wait until you're stuck and need it then it might not engage right away. Usually mine will within a few feet of driving but I tend to just leave it locked on trails where I know it's needed.

 

I can't say if it's worth it for you. I'd say that if I were to do it again and start from scratch, I'd probably start with a non TRD truck and go with Harrops front and rear. Literally the only thing left on my truck that's "TRD" is the locker and the stickers.

ARBs are another brand that is well established, and despite people's fears of air leaks, that's just not as big a deal as people think it is.

An axle swap with a TRD locker is definitely the easiest and cheapest way to go in a lot of ways. It's a popular mod for a reason, and at least you have some idea of the history of the axle from your friend's truck, rather than getting one with an unknown history from the junkyard.

The TRD lockers ARE good strong lockers, and you're unlikely to break one, but as others have said, their design makes them prone to a delayed engagement. I find having to drive forward or backward often in a zig-zag to get it to engage annoying. Annoying enough to swap my TRD locker for an aftermarket one? No. At least not yet.

Sorry, but I don't consider installing a wiring harness "plug and play".

 

If it is worth doing only you can decide.

Though check and make sure things work before swapping axles.

Know what gear ratio in case you need to swap the front gears to match

Lack of use will cause problems

 

An excellent and often overlooked point. Gearing. 4cyl/v6/auto/manual/pre-runer/4x4 all have different ring/pinion gearing options.

If you end up having to regear, that negates at least some of the cost benefits.

$1000 for an aftermarket locker sounds like a lot, but when you end up having to replace bearings, seals, re-gear etc... it's not as bad as you might think, especially if you're paying someone to do the work.

 

Something to be said for brand New with a warranty !!

Maybe in my misguided youth I would have just rolled the axle under and hoped for the best.

Now I would have to nose at things all new bearings and brakes .

Are the flanges the same My tired brain can not recall go to put the rear drive shaft on things don`t line up I had that once or Twice but can`t think why.

 

Yeah, that's all the same, it would bolt right up. I think it's all the same, including the # of splines on the axles.

I haven't seen it as much lately, but there was a rumor out there a while ago that the 8.4" diffs (non-locker) were stronger than the 8" locker diffs (bigger = better/stronger), but the ring and pinions of the 8" and 8.4" are actually the same. The size difference was basically just to remove confusion that the 3rd members aren't compatible between housings.

There is a way to grind down parts of one diff housing to fit the 3rd member from the other diff, but my tired brain cant recall if that's for the non locker diff to fit in the locker housing, or visa-versa. I *think* it's to fit a trd locker in a regular housing. But it needs to be done fairly precisely, to the point most people just swap the housings.

 

I'd have to disassemble and reassemble (not expecting him to help but it would be nice lol) 2 axles. Not hard, just time consuming, and he didn't ask for any cash. So we'll see what happens. Part of me just wants to buy a rear ARB locker, but then the other part is thinking that the ARB can go in the front instead.

 

My OCD would tingle if I had two different lockers, lol. I'm sure it would bug me having the better engagement in the front, and the delayed engagement in the rear. Although, I'm still rocking 5100 shocks in the back and extended travel Kings up front, so....

I would highly suggest getting new U-bolts for both axles when you swap them. Then torque to spec and then re-torque after ~500 miles.

Other things to consider are the ABS if either of you have it. I'm pretty sure most axle housings have the ports for the ABS sensors even if they don't have ABS, but I'm not 100%.