Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

Thanks for the tips man, I set up my 5.29's in my 82 but they have the threaded adjusters. Only shims I had to mess with was the on the pinion.

 

I don't see how a mini spool is any stronger than a Lincoln locker or a lunchbox locker. You are still relying on the strength of the carrier, the only advantage is no little pins to break. In the long run you are going to be stressing your carrier more having it spooled than with a lunchbox.

 

there are lots of differences but the weak link will always be the center pin if it's aftermarket and if you weld it then any of it could be the weak link. welding it is not stronger than spools just cheaper.

 

I disagree, the weak link is the carrier itself.

 

I'd say welding is strong. Better than those shitty lunch box lockers. Both of mine failed and now that I'm spooled it's been good since.

 

My carrier was just fine after I ruined the locker and axle shaft on my rear. Only reason the front carrier broke was due to the shitty ass locker exploded and took the carrier in the aftermath.

 

I was looking at that pic, and it looks like the carrier failed and blew the whole thing up. The rear axle makes sense, typically if you blow an axle with any auto locker, there's a good chance the lockers going to break as well, see my jeep experience below.

If i was running a mini spool (or welded) in a toyota axle smaller than a 9.5", i would for sure have a spare 3rd ready to swap in there in case that bastard blows (posted for the people considering one). I would probibly have the same thing ready with a lunchbox locker as well just in case. I used to run a lock wrong in a jeep front axle and it failed, the pins got jammed in the locked position between the two halves of the locker and all the holes were wallowed out big time. I didn't notice it until i stripped everything down to part the jeep out.

I would get a full spool and then just worry about snapping axle shafts instead of a mini spool/welded rear and worry about blowing up the center pin or the carrier in a toyota axle. Now if we are talking 14bolts and up, i would not even hesitate running a mini spool in one of those, you will probibly shear the hub bolts off before breaking anything in the diff.

 

That I can agree on... But, I don't run Toyota shit so I've got no experience with them. I can see where you're coming from though. Spool would ultimately be better than a mini or welding, but I still feel the other 2 options are better than a lunchbox. On the other hand, I wish ARBs were cheaper lol.

 

Yea, I'm curious to see how the spartan locker holds up that I'm putting into my fj80 rear axle. I may be a bad test subject because according to tacoma world i should have blown up my elocker 5years ago driving on the street... 6yrs of wheeling with a crawler and no problems yet, i must be doing something wrong or have some sort of a freak axle!! It cant possibly be people talking out of their ass....

 

When Mark and I installed his spartan in a D60 it looked like a better design than the lock wrong. However, I will never buy a lunchbox anymore. I just wasted too much money fixing the damages from them or them getting damaged in the wreckage. If and when I do upgrade to tons it'll be the Yukon grizzly locker. For an extra $250 it can be purchased and it's life time warranty with a $2000 insurance plan on any component's it damaged when it breaks.

I thought elockers were pretty strong? I haven't seen much problems. Maybe it's a 2nd Gen thing? Lots of know it all do it all 2nd Gen people out there...

Probably got that one freak axle though. Definitely makes sense.

 

Yea once i step up to some bigger tires and have to re gear, I'm thinking Detroit.

And yea it was a thread saying its a design flaw for all elockers regardless of year and not a QC issue, or that the 2nd gens have more power and are bloated pigs compared to the earlier trucks.

Ill miss that elocker for sure! Its at least going to live on in a buddies 1st gen 4runner!

 

Not to rain on your parade more but with the style of truss you posted a picture of you'll still want to tie it into the casting. You don't want some rinky dink thing only connected to the axle tubes be your only form of holding your upper link in place. I just sent you the link to high nickel content MIG wire (for use in a "regular MIG") that will hold up just fine when welding mild steel plate to cast iron. It's NOT a big deal to weld to cast anymore, just a little costly...ok maybe a lot more costly compared to standard MIG wire.

 

really? I ran a lock right in the back of my taco in the 8.4 diff for years Killed 2 center pins and the carrier never got hurt so I guess if you are trying to compare Toyota stuff to danna 30 shit you would have a different opinion.

Yeah ill kinda go with that.

Edit: so as far as my over all opinion based on what I've run/destroyed (Spartan, lockright, Detroit, ARB) I would say that I would much rather just weld my diff and save up money for the real deal ARB.

 

Ugh... Well, fuck IDK what to do anymore haha. That wire isn't terrible in terms of price. And I am sure I can resell it once I am done? Does that wire serve any purpose other than welding to cast?

Thanks for the link. I actually didn't even notice it before

 

I was just adding some sanity to the conversation of "just mini spool it because its stronger than a lock right" and i was saying that its really not that much stronger so to speak than a lunchbox locker, there's just not a bunch of pins and shit to fail in there. The carrier and or center pin (which usually takes the gears and carrier with it) are still the weak link.

I dont really see what a dana 30 has to do with anything, i flogged the ever living piss out of one of those and the only thing i ever broke was axle shafts and the lock right pins, but they failed locked. By that logic its stronger than an 8.4 toyota rear 3rd!!

 

The rear in my 82 is welded and I have been beating on it pretty hard for a year with 37's and have had no issues. I have been looking and it doesn't look like they make full spools for the tacoma rear though so I don't have a lot of options. I'm not dropping the coin on an ARB either

 

Just called ECGS and they do not make full spools or mini spools for the tacoma. Leaves me with a detroit or arb and I'm not spending the coin on an arb so I guess I'm going with a detroit.

 

Search pirate to be sure, but I'm pretty sure the v6 8" carriers and gears work in the Tacoma diff.

 

Your Flogging is not my beating. In all honesty I think the Toyota rear ends are as tough as 44's but that's just my opinion. My welded 8.4 was the one that broke 2 center pins and the Lock right ended up dying as well so I stuffed the factory spiders back in it and welded it up then beat on it like a red headed step child till I got the funds for a ARB installed that wheeled in for 3 months then pulled it out for the sas.

Trust me when I say the coin is well worth it in the end if you at all DD your rig.

 

Will do bud, thanks.

I just don't think it would be worth it for me. I drove my 82 all the time on the road with the welded rear and it never bothered me. The I just want to keep the tacoma streetable to cruise around town and run errands and whatever in. I might put 1500 street miles on it a year..