Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

Because there are shit locker and gear choices for them.

 

That's what I am gonna try if I can find an axle locally. If not, I'll go diamond again.

 

Famous last words

Ok, you might not go over 40". But what about wheeling with 37", 38" or 39" tires without having to worry about breaking anything?

It pays off to think outside the "all toyota parts" box. A 14bolt shaved is just such a great option. Cheap, strong, plenty of aftermarket support, etc. Also, with 2nd gens I would personally go with 1 ton axles anyway, as those trucks are heavier, bigger and wider.

 

The FJZ80 rear is a one-ton axle. 9.5" R&P, full float axles, beef housing. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck....

They are cheap on car-part, 6-lug, lightweight, high clearance, and gears are as easy to setup as any other Toyota third with multiple locker options. It's a great axle option.

Pair one up with a fabbed housing with a 9.5 third and FZJ80 outers and you've got a kickass combo. Especially now that there are options for either high steer on fabbed knuckles or y-link with a RHD steering arm.

 

Interesting. I guess I don't know much about those axles

Question is, after everything is said and done, can you build them as cheaply as a 14bolt or dana 70 and will they have the same amount of strength?

 

I'm going to be running a rear d60 once it's done getting the gears and locker installed. It'll have 35 spline axles etc. Plus the superduty 10" ring and pinion can be run in a 60 as well. It's not a bad choice. Me personally it came down to weight and ground clearance when I made my choice as well as being readily available to me. Also For a second gen I'd definitely say one ton from the get go. I've seen lighter trucks on smaller tires twist 9.5 shafts. It's not "really"a one ton axle and the fzj80 is not a one ton truck last time I checked.

 

Depending on the original condition of the axle you could. Is it as strong as a 14bolt, no, but its good enough for what 98% of wheelers do with a full cab truck. Plus it doesnt weigh a fuck ton and it has good ground clearence stock as opposed to a 14bolt.

I considerd a 14bolt, but went fj80 because it would have been less work to hook the brakes up as opposed to a 14bolt and i wanted to have something a bit different. Over half the people i wheel with have 80s or 80 rears so it helps they would have spares for me as needed. I did just buy a set of rear hubs for it incase i break the hub studs i can get it back wheeling again in a few hours. I also carry spare shafts for it. My friend with a 14 bolt carries the same level of spares for his truck as well.

 

It seems like those 80 rear axles are a good choice then for tires under 40". I guess if they can be found and built cheap, why not? Why is it that not more toyota guys are using those axles? Just curious.

Yea, a 14bolt has no clearance in factory form. Have to shave them to make it practical, otherwise is a waste of time. There are actually some "hidden costs" with 14bolts: shave kit, labor [if you do not trust your welding; better what you are doing!], shaved gears [if you do not have the tools to shave it yourself], disk brake conversion, etc. I ended getting a late model 14bolt, as they come with disk brakes already.

Your friend carrying spare parts for the 14bolt is probably wasting his time. I have never seen anybody break those axles I am sure it has happened though..

 

Want to know an easy way to jinx yourself?

 

The offset scares people on the 80 axles for some reason. If it wasnt for the yota freaks i wheel with i would have not even thought about them, i didnt even realize the 80s had a factory full float!

His 14bolt came with twisted splines and was bent, he carries the stock twisted spline axles as trail spares. He twisted the center section skyward twice as well. Once he didnt weld it to the tubes, the second time the welds failed. He shaved it using his milling machine and it has the same ground clearence under the diff as a d44 and no shaved ring gear. Its pretty sweet but took him forever to do it.


Also carrying spare parts almost guarentees you wont break them!

 

That's why I've got spare inner axle shafts and a spare birf now.

 

Lol, thats why i carry a spare tcase input and crawl box coupler!

 

To be honest I did not know those axles were full float from factory either LOL. I thought it was a conversion people had to do. I guess you learn now things every day

More people should be all over those axles. It seems like a really good option.

BTW...it seems like your friend got a really beat up 14bolt to begin with. An yea..after the shave you get a lot of clearance. It's really an important mod to do to with those axles.

 

He paid 50 bucks for a c&c 14bolt out of an old tow truck, so yea it was beatup. He built a triangle of death and bent that mofo back into position. He was going to build a clone of it with a 14bolt i got for free to swap in my old jeep, but i sold that hunk of crap jeep before that swap ever went down.

 

Damn I'm over here wasting my time with a non shaved non disk brake 82 14bolt axle. Does it drag? here and there and every time removes a little of the problem. I figure ill let mother nature take care of the save for me

 

I paid quite a lot more for my 14bolt with straight axle tubes

Still a Jeep hater??

I guess the 14bolt can flatten those rocks pretty good LOL. Not a big issue with a tall rig like yours.

But for the rest of us...the shave/disk brake mods are awesome.

Actually, I can't believe you kept those nasty drum brakes LOL

 

Yeah I keep thinking I need to upgrade but I don't think the t100 master I picked up will do the trick. Haven't really looked into other options

 

And he has less than 500 bucks into a locked and regeared 14bolt!

Fuck yea, they stopped making good vehicles at the cj5. I owned 3 jeeps, a 93 cherokee, a 94 yj and a 44 willys mb. The only good thing on those chrysler era jeeps are the 4.0 and the 5spd, evreything else is left over scraps from other mfrs.

 

Yea I still haven't upgraded my master cylinder. I think the t100 is the ticket from what I've heard. Next on my modification agenda is to sort that out.

But man...get rid off those drum brakes!

I have about $500 in just the axle LOL! Add carrier, shaved gears, locker, add shave kit, labor for the shave job, etc. It got fun

oh yea the 4.0 and 5spd was a good combo!

 

The biggest bitch is loosing the taco booster for the older t100 booster. Doesn't offer nearly the assist as the tacoma did. Half tempted to jump to a Chevy booster and master