Am i going overboard on Re-gearing and Dana 60 axles?

[Ida4runner]

So with the Dana 60, 35 spline chromoly axle shafts, electric OX rear Locker, 4.88 gears, ARB front locker and EVENTUALLY the Marlin Crawler kit, I should be beefed up a bit compared to rinky dink OEM crap.

OEM rear in these are not rinky dink, your tossing way too much money at the rear of this when you should FIRST be figuring out what you're going to do about the real weak link which is your front.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Are the factory 8.2 axle shafts chromoly? If not, then perhaps the aftermarket 30 spline chromoly axle shafts are still a significant upgrade.

Not a huge upgrade in strength considering the money involved, if we're still talking about the Diamond axle.

 

[Inv4drZm]

OEM rear in these are not rinky dink, your tossing way too much money at the rear of this when you should FIRST be figuring out what you're going to do about the real weak link which is your front.

The OEM rear won't last on a set of 35's without a rebuild, I've seen it numerous times on this forum, and first-hand with my brother's and my truck. A solid pinion spacer to replace the factory crush washer might help after you rebuild it but I personally still wouldn't trust it heavily.

35s + light rock crawling = grenaded rear end leaving you stranded.

That said, I have 37's now and still on the original steering rack, no power steering cooler, and haven't bent a tie rod. My brother shortly after installing 37's had steering rack issues, and has bent 1 tie rod.

35's should be fine with factory front end, as long as you figure out how to get the alignment to hold well, add a power steering cooler if you want, then spend the money if you move up to 37's on beefier tie rods and landcruiser steering rack.

Neither of us have had a broken CV, and only t-case I have seen crack the housing from hopping all 4 tires at once.

 

[Ida4runner]

The OEM rear won't last on a set of 35's without a rebuild, I've seen it numerous times on this forum, and first-hand with my brother's and my truck. A solid pinion spacer to replace the factory crush washer might help after you rebuild it but I personally still wouldn't trust it heavily.

35s + light rock crawling = grenaded rear end leaving you stranded.

That said, I have 37's now and still on the original steering rack, no power steering cooler, and haven't bent a tie rod. My brother shortly after installing 37's had steering rack issues, and has bent 1 tie rod.

35's should be fine with factory front end, as long as you figure out how to get the alignment to hold well, add a power steering cooler if you want, then spend the money if you move up to 37's on beefier tie rods and landcruiser steering rack.

Neither of us have had a broken CV, and only t-case I have seen crack the housing from hopping all 4 tires at once.

If you're saying the stock axle with chromo shafts, solid pinion spacer won't hold up to 35's I have to disagree because I've actually wheeled that and in Moab.

And I have broken stock cv's, those in my experience are the first thing that break before anything else, chromo cv's just push the next breaking point down to the R&P and so on.

Face it, I absolutely love my 4th gen but it's not a crawler for Moab, anyone can throw $20k+ at a vehicle and do Moab but at that point you'd be better off getting a stock 1st gen, adding 33's, lockers, dual cases, chromo front and be money ahead.

How are you going to fix the weak front on the 4th gen? how your front is holding up with 37's is beyond me, do you ever wheel in solid rock? what happens when you stuff your wheels and have to turn?

 

[awhitney1]

In regards to the front, Marlin Crawler has just come out with their IFS system for the 4th gen 4runners that includes, beefier steering rack, RCV axles, beefier spindle gussets, upper/lower control arms.

With my wheel size and overall weight of the vehicle, i'm willing to spend the money to have something more beefier for light right crawling and adding lockers.

If you're saying the stock axle with chromo shafts, solid pinion spacer won't hold up to 35's I have to disagree because I've actually wheeled that and in Moab.

And I have broken stock cv's, those in my experience are the first thing that break before anything else, chromo cv's just push the next breaking point down to the R&P and so on.

Face it, I absolutely love my 4th gen but it's not a crawler for Moab, anyone can throw $20k+ at a vehicle and do Moab but at that point you'd be better off getting a stock 1st gen, adding 33's, lockers, dual cases, chromo front and be money ahead.

How are you going to fix the weak front on the 4th gen? how your front is holding up with 37's is beyond me, do you ever wheel in solid rock? what happens when you stuff your wheels and have to turn?

 

[Inv4drZm]

If you're saying the stock axle with chromo shafts, solid pinion spacer won't hold up to 35's I have to disagree because I've actually wheeled that and in Moab.

And I have broken stock cv's, those in my experience are the first thing that break before anything else, chromo cv's just push the next breaking point down to the R&P and so on.

Face it, I absolutely love my 4th gen but it's not a crawler for Moab, anyone can throw $20k+ at a vehicle and do Moab but at that point you'd be better off getting a stock 1st gen, adding 33's, lockers, dual cases, chromo front and be money ahead.

How are you going to fix the weak front on the 4th gen? how your front is holding up with 37's is beyond me, do you ever wheel in solid rock? what happens when you stuff your wheels and have to turn?

Honestly Moab is some of the easier wheeling I have done, you don't need any clearance and there is rarely loose rocks on obstacles. California and Colorado is quite a different story.

I have more travel with 37's and my +2" kit than factory length mid-travel, even after limiting my uptravel so I can can turn full lock at full tire stuff.

I want to get the Marlin LT kit which will help with control arm clearance and fitting a stronger rack. I'm not saying the front end is bulletproof from the factory, just that the front R&P very rarely breaks, the steering rack should last a couple years, and tie rods are easy to replace on the trail.

And yes I've never broken a factory CV, the ones I know that break them left and right are usually running cheap aftermarket ones.

 

[awhitney1]

Hey bud, thanks to you, I finally ordered my Dana60, regear and lockers!

Honestly Moab is some of the easier wheeling I have done, you don't need any clearance and there is rarely loose rocks on obstacles. California and Colorado is quite a different story.

I have more travel with 37's and my +2" kit than factory length mid-travel, even after limiting my uptravel so I can can turn full lock at full tire stuff.

I want to get the Marlin LT kit which will help with control arm clearance and fitting a stronger rack. I'm not saying the front end is bulletproof from the factory, just that the front R&P very rarely breaks, the steering rack should last a couple years, and tie rods are easy to replace on the trail.

And yes I've never broken a factory CV, the ones I know that break them left and right are usually running cheap aftermarket ones.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Hey bud, thanks to you, I finally ordered my Dana60, regear and lockers!

I am so sorry.

You're going to love being able to crawl over everything with lockers, and the regear will be great on the street too.

 

[awhitney1]

Can't wait! Should be here around June and installed. After that, the grueling breakin in process lol. Can't wait for lockers and some extra added beef to the rear end! The Ox locker should be nice with the front ARB locker.

I am so sorry.

You're going to love being able to crawl over everything with lockers, and the regear will be great on the street too.

 

[Ida4runner]

In regards to the front, Marlin Crawler has just come out with their IFS system for the 4th gen 4runners that includes, beefier steering rack, RCV axles, beefier spindle gussets, upper/lower control arms.

With my wheel size and overall weight of the vehicle, i'm willing to spend the money to have something more beefier for light right crawling and adding lockers.

I know all about that kit, what is the cost for the kit? last I looked it was still in R&D and was going to cost way too much to justify unless you're building a dedicated trail vehicle.

 

[Ida4runner]

Honestly Moab is some of the easier wheeling I have done, you don't need any clearance and there is rarely loose rocks on obstacles. California and Colorado is quite a different story.

I have more travel with 37's and my +2" kit than factory length mid-travel, even after limiting my uptravel so I can can turn full lock at full tire stuff.

I want to get the Marlin LT kit which will help with control arm clearance and fitting a stronger rack. I'm not saying the front end is bulletproof from the factory, just that the front R&P very rarely breaks, the steering rack should last a couple years, and tie rods are easy to replace on the trail.

And yes I've never broken a factory CV, the ones I know that break them left and right are usually running cheap aftermarket ones.

You have no frame/body mount clearance issues, no rubbing with your tires turned and stuffed?
What wheels and offset are you using? are you using spacers?

 

[Inv4drZm]

You have no frame/body mount clearance issues, no rubbing with your tires turned and stuffed?
What wheels and offset are you using? are you using spacers?

There is some rubbing, none that hinders offroad ability, but it isn't desert wheeling-ready. Hard bottom outs still rub quite a bit. But it survived the Rubicon trail and a number of others so far. I just need to add more spacers to the bumpstops and that'll be fixed.

See page 62 of my build thread for pics and more info. Feel free to post in my thread with any other questions.

Inv4drZm's Build Thread