4runner Build

[iamsparticus]

True story carl i have never owned a D60 axle and yes i know they are very strong and great, but i like the birfields and the D60 is super heavy. The equation i try and stick with is: light weight, not loads of power, and patience when driveing. This is most likley why i have never broke anything yet.

My goal with the swap is to gain a slighty beefier axle and to match the width of my rear axle with out spacers, The FJ62 axle has the 9.5 R&P and a beefier housing.

No building a FJ62 axle up proably won't be as strong as a D60 neither would building a mini axle, but i don't need that much strength. I plan to keep my front axle toyota, always, much like super fly said

On a side note i still have not made up my mind on which to do, i want to stay toyota but im open to options and the poll is growing. So far looks like the mini being built is a favorite

 

[Rot Box]

I voted mini axle. I don't think (and please correct me if I am wrong) the pinion in the 60 series axle is much stronger than a mini axle and that is the reason I would not choose it. I figured you already have money into gears and steering so just keep what you have--remember the housing WILL warp by welding on the large top gusset if you don't remove it completely and place it in a jig trust me

I went Waggy dana 44 because I like the housing strength, 61" wms-wms width, huge brakes and I don't feel like Its going to rip the studs out of the knuckle every other trail ride. Only downfall I see is I will never get anywhere near the strength of a Longfield as far as axle shafts go. So far I've been very happy, but I sometimes wish I would have went straight to a narrowed D60 and been done with it.

Once you do gears, axles, brakes, knuckle upgrades and all the other crap to make the mini reliable the cost of a D60 doesn't look too bad especially when it will always be much stronger :-\

 

[iamsparticus]

I see your point rotbox and i could regret it later but, i just dont see me needing a D60 strength wise if i do decide to keep the mini axle i will simply put long fields and a few gussets and armor and im done if i go with the 62 axle ill do the same

So im leaning more and more for keeping my mini axle I do alresdy have a bunch of money in steering and brakes into it, Seriuosly im running 35's and a 156 hp engine im not super worried about breaking stuff more worried about bending the housing or tearing a hole in the diff

 

[iamsparticus]

I think it's funny how this has become a D60 vs. a Toyota axle debate i like the diversity

 

[Panos]

I would still do the fj60 axle. a 9.5 ring gear is a hell of a lot stronger than the mini 8"
plus if you are planning on going longs either way. why not put it in a axle that is now going to be strong in all areas, birfs axles and R&P. Or you could do a 80 series axle

stock mini birf and a stock 80 birf

only problem is steering is a little tricky to make work with leafs.

 

[big cherokee]

fj80 axle all the way. you get the width you want and they are way beefy, plus you can get them in a high pinnion elocker.

i gues there is a locked fj 80 on ksl with blown head gasket going for 1300 i would love that axle set up.

 

[Panos]

fj80 axle all the way. you get the width you want and they are way beefy, plus you can get them in a high pinnion elocker.

i gues there is a locked fj 80 on ksl with blown head gasket going for 1300 i would love that axle set up.

I need to go find this cruiser right now.

 

[Marsh99]

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=678&ad=13227796&cat=&lpid=
Here are some axles for you

 

[iamsparticus]

Oh if i only had the money right now i would totally pick up the FJ 80 axles man i hate being a poor college student

 

[iamsparticus]

well its 7 too 2 on the poll, and i think im going with building the mini axle so thats what i need to start on after i finsh my sliders and skid plate

 

[iamsparticus]

My rig has been on hold im working on other peoples rigs right now

I did though take off my lower bumper piece in the front and trimmed the wheel wells a little more but then i ran out of cutting discs, also i hope to drill the new center holes in the trail gear leaf packs this week end ill get pics as we do it

 

[I Lean]

Drilling springs = sucks. Drilling spring perches = easy.

 

[SAMI]

Drilling springs = sucks. Drilling spring perches = easy.

X2

 

[iamsparticus]

springs

Drilling springs = sucks. Drilling spring perches = easy.

I was planning on just drilling the spring perch but the problem is my current springs are 20.5 inchs to the front eye, and the trail gear ones are 21.5 so to move the axle forward a inch with the trail gear leafs i would have to drill the hole in the perch 2 inchs backward and i don't think i have that much room to play with.
Im doing it on a nice end mill with special bits and slow speed i know it sucks but at this point i don't really have a chioce:-\

 

[iamsparticus]

Well i drilled the leafs and im done with one and have to get another bit to finish the other leaf pack, i burned up the first bit and all i had was sharped ones so i need a another new bit. Anyway i put rock sliders on and need to finish the kick out and paint them, ill get pics up tomorrow of the progress

 

[Rot Box]

Sweet--pushing the axle forward will help a lot btw when you headed down to Moab next?

 

[sixstringsteve]

let's see some pics!

 

[Chevycrew]

Down fall to drilling a spring... Guess where they like to break?

 

[iamsparticus]

Heres the pic

Heres the pics. I still have to paint the sliders but i decided i want to put a kick out on the sliders first. They look rusted because right after i put then on it rained for the next 12 hrs on the way to southwest cralfest oh well. There is a pic of the leaf sring i need to finish drilling monday:greg:

 

[iamsparticus]

Sweet--pushing the axle forward will help a lot btw when you headed down to Moab next?

Yes the axle forward will be sweet it will be out of the way of my oil pan and make my wheel base a little longer. I also got a 1985 housing that im going to swap in once i gusset it. When i put the new housing on i will move the axle 1 inch further forward. we are going to Moab in may if you want to come let me know and we'll add you to the caravan:greg: