Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

I'd definitely go with an Atlas if you're looking at spending $3300 already on the FJ and dual case...

 

That's my thought as well, just wanted a ballpark on the Atlas to make a more informed decision. I wonder how many 2nd gens have an Atlas underneath them, can't be too many.

 

Well, an atlas 4 is roughly $3500 depending on all the options you want. And well... you'll probably never break it. DO EET!!!

 

Atlas 4, Dana 60, and a 14 bolt

Think I'll be good after that.

 

And a V8...........

 

I paid $3400 for my atlas. It came with the universal shifter kit and I chose to run a sancroniced rear section with 3.0 gears and the front box is a 2.7 Ratio. The main selling point is it is one ton stuff and I can do fwd only with it.

 

Im /B]I sure your going to have to modify and cut out the floor boards in your truck to make that atlas fit in there. What you guys all need to understand is that there are reason why we do things that we do.that fj case has prove itself time and time again. It has never failed in my truck or Wyatt's and we both are running a 41 " tire . Another thing to think about is once you change that rear axle out ,now your going to need to get your speed reference from somewhere. We run speed sensor out of the fj case .

 

That's a good point as well Ray. Lots of stuff to consider while planning the build.

 

At one point I looked at putting an Atlas in my truck but when I saw just how many had blown out front outputs under FJ Cruisers I decided to stay with what is tried and true. The Atlas is a good case but I have yet to see an FJ Case fail. Heard of one failing but have never seen it. I have personally seen two Atlas's fail under FJ Cruisers so I wasn't impressed. Not to mention the amount of floor work I was going to have to do to make it work.
So I stayed with the crawler and FJ Case under my 6200 pound rig on 41's and have yet to have a failure. Not to mention all the options in gearing I have with it. I don't have front dig but have never needed it either. Just my two cents.

 

How is the crawl box going to cost you that much? You can buy a gear drive case for 75-100 bucks, get marlins 4.7:1 gears and the adapters and build it yourself. If you watch pirate you may be able to find a used crawl box setup and save some $$$. I have no idea what the fj case costs, but like other have said the cost is just part of the equation, the floor hacking, cross member building, and drive-shafts will have to be factored into the cost. You do have to get your shafts modified for a crawler box, but i had a local shop do mine for 150 bucks total and could not be happier with them. The atlas may require some more work in the drive-shaft department.

Like wyatt and oneup said, atlas's look pretty cool, but those big bastards can be a PITA to get setup and are really only needed for certain wheeling styles or in vehicles you can get duals into easily.

 

And when I give my 2 cents on what I've done and how im doing it keep in mind that I have a first gen and the tcase is staying clocked at 45 deg to help out front drive line angle that's why I said the only thing I need to move is my fuel filter location. Im tall and have no need for a flat belly.

 

I paid $525 shipped for my fj case and did the twin stick mod myself. Then add the cost of the shifters I'm at ~$725?

 

Also after trying to install my atlas over the weekend I found out that my atlas was built and sent with a long input shaft so I had the choice to either get a spacer or get the correct input sent to me. the spacer should be here by Friday and I can try again.

 

Hell, I've seen FJ cases even cheaper. Shifters are basically free... fab them yourself!

 

if i had the know how and tools then yeah.

 

I just wanted to come on here today to let you all know how we'll this truck performs on road and off-road. Since it been built its been all thru big bear forward and backwards ;couple times all in the same day. It gone to the Marlin round up in the rubicon ( fully load with raffle prize for the round up) parker Arizona for RST AZ ROCKS it ran presidents choice and true grit and even up launch pad . You guys want to wheel some real shit , take your rig up and play with the AZ BOYS ( much respect to you guys ) not to mention they some of the coolest guys to hang with. Every event that it has gone to I drove up there and back home each one of those event is more than a 6 hour drive. This truck handles like a dream.i really,enjoy driving the this truck (on the hwy at 70 mph @2100 rpm and 16 to 17 mpg )it weren't for the cost of those 41 tires I might daily drive it. These trucks truly are a passion to build and enjoy.there has to be a lot of respect for anyone who takes on a challenge like this and produce a truck to this level , the attention to detail and engineering and hard work and long days. Wyatt took something that everyone said it could be done at that time and prove other wrong.Engineer said that 4.7 case in front of that fj case would last and again it been thru the toughest trails known almost 10 years old now. I can attest that when we just pulled his marlin case there wasn't any fretting and internally the case look brand new , the only reason we pulled was so Marlin could test some new updated parts outs.wyatt,Jason ,Dan , Jordan and other paved the way working out the geometry of the suspension, there's was countless hours spent on pioneering what we all know as the beast( the first 2 gen ever built. Until you have walked in this man shoes and down that path , nobody has the right to call this man a fraud.Wyatt has spent countless hours with others online and on phone helping others,he very generous with his time and knowledge.please be respectful to this man I think he has earned it.

 

Someone refresh my memory. Is there a difference between the Tacoma J-shift transfer case and the FJ case??

 

Well mainly they bolt up to different transmissions. If a 1st gen taco case fit a 2nd gen, I imagine more people would use it instead of shelling out $500+ for an FJ

FWIW I found my FJ case on eBay for $430 shipped IIRC.

 

1st gen case is 2.28:1, 2nd gen (and FJ case) are 2.57:1. I'm sure there are other major differences like ajohnson mentioned.

 

1st gen taco case I'm pretty sure is 2.57:1 All the older rf1a cases and chain cases were 2.28:1