Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

Spend the extra money for coil overs

 

Not going coil overs until I 4 link the rear. Want to start with the fox air shocks first since they are wayyyyyyyy cheaper and I’d like to work the bugs out of the truck first.

 

From a quick google search it looks like they are about $460 each? If thats true then for 2 its only $101 less than what I paid for my 2.0 coil overs with clicker adjusters.. I agree, don't waste time with air shocks especially if you're going to drive it on the road at all.

 

I need 2.5 or bigger air shocks or coil overs as I’m dealing with a lot of weight over the front axle of the truck. It’s got a 4bt in it so it’s a heavy mofo.
I’ll be about $2000 or so for coil overs that will handle this thing or about $800 for 2.5 air shocks. From what I’ve gathered.

What are your coil overs and where you get them if you don’t mind me asking??

 

I've got a 1fz so im not that much lighter than you and run 2.0's just fine, I got the tuning just right I guess. I know Carli uses 2.5" kings for their coil over conversions on diesel super duties/rams.

I got mine through DSM. Message them on here for the TW discount.

 

This is only from my web wheeling experience but I have read that air shocks are good only on super light rig. I doubt a Tacoma with a Cummins falls into that category. Why not run a regular coil spring and shock up front and cut all that shit out/off when you do coilovers.

 

I’ll have to check them out thank you! And since your in my neck of the woods when this thing is done we should hit the trails.

Idk about super light rigs only. Seen a lot of pretty heavy mid size wheelers running them.

But I don’t want to set this thing up with coils and a shock and then have to redo it all when I go coil overs. When I’m done with the air shocks I can just get coil overs and just swap them. No mod required unless I want to change something.

 

What are you doing with your rig? Crawling, bouncing, or racing?

 

Depends what kind of mood I’m in. Lol

Most likely crawling/screwing around in the woods. Once a year hard sand dune use.

 

You’re probably fine with 2.0’s then if you aren’t pounding whoops or the desert. Trail riding will never put enough heat in the oil to make a difference from 2.0 to 2.5. Even if you do stretch it’s legs once a year at the dunes, you’ll still be ahead of air shocks dynamically with 2.0’s too....plus you don’t have to worry about air temp changing your ride height and having a nitrogen setup on hand

 

Definitely! Get that thing done so we can hit Rieter

 

Interesting. Well, at least you found what the culprit was even though you don't know exactly what was wrong with the drive shaft

So did you get a dual double cardan shaft or just double cardan on one end and single joint on the other?

 

It’s a tom woods double cardan, so 2 joints on the tcase end and one on the pinion

 

Ahh, I see.

I wish I could have a double cardan in the front. I tried but it didn't work Though I have a high pinion d60, the pinion does not point straight up to the tcase. So in my case I have no choice but to have a drive shaft with single joints at both ends.

Somebody told me that a dual double cardan shaft could work, but I have no idea. Anyway, I have no need to engage the front driveline at anything over 5-10mph.

 

You are linked though? Stock 80's run a single cardan so I just twisted/lengthened my upper link to point the pinion at the tcase

 

But wouldn't that change your caster also? I really don't want to mess with my caster; really happy where it is now. I am getting about 5 and quarter degrees.

 

Yeah it does but im not sure how easy it is to fix that with dana axles. I know mine was at 6 degrees, not sure what it is now but I haven't noticed a difference.

 

You don't want a double CV anyway especially if you don't need to run 4wd at high speeds. A 2 joint shaft is stronger and less maintenance.

 

The way I thought about it is the stress is spread over 3 joints instead of 2 which would make it stronger? Maybe im not thinking right

 

Since i have links, the fastest way change the pinion angle would be to adjust the length of the upper link. I guess I could do it a little bit and see how it affects caster.

The only other way to make a more dramatic change to the pinion angle would be to cut and rotate the inner Cs. Not willing to go that route any time soon. From what I've been told, those inner C's on d60s are pressed into the axle tubes with some crazy brutal amount of force. Apparently getting them off is quite a task; and probably worst pressing them back in. Also, the link brackets would probably be off depending on how much the housing rotated, thus requiring cutting them off and re-welding.

I hope my good ole' 2 joint shaft with its home brewed extension will suffice then. I certainly have no need for wheeling at high speeds with 4WD. There are tons of sand dunes in this area but I don't go there 'cause my truck is too slow