So I am in the hunt for a rear axle housing in the new england area since mine rusted through. If I am keeping my differential, then do I need to match the gear ratio with a donor vehicle from a salvage yard? If it is just the housing, then I would think it wouldn't matter (e.g. a housing from a 4.10 or 4.56 should be the same as my 4.3). Is this correct?

I just havn't seen the inside of the rear axle, so I don't know if the housing has any hardware in it that I would have to match.

No, the gear ratio is all in the diff. As long as it's a 3rd gen 4runner axle, your diff will bolt up. You might want to take advantage of this and find a complete elocked axle if you plan on off roading much in the future tho.

If you have a elocker you need an elocker housing. The assemblies are different. You can modify a non elocker axle, but it is not that simple.

Good eye, I wasn't looking at his sig. It may be very difficult to find an elocker axle without the diff. You may have to just get a complete 3rd gen elocked axle with the diff included. If the ratios match you can sell your diff, and install the complete new rear end. If the ratios don't match you can swap your existing diff/ into the new axle and then sell the diff that came with it.

Thanks for the info guys.

Yeah, I know I have to find an e-locker one. I have seen the thread on retrofitting an e-locker, and it is definitely more work than I am willing to do.

The main reason I ask this is because I am trolling salvage yards right now. The last one I talked to required that I give him the gear ratio and said it makes a difference, so he might have been looking for a full axle with diff.

Do you think I would be able to sell my diff for a good price? I would need to recover that difference if I were to buy a complete 3rd member. The shipping is killing my efforts to find one. I really want one from the south (without rust), but O' how to get it up here without breaking the bank?