broken cv after lift, what do I need

[Kotrin]

I have that angle on my 4Runner with a 3" Lift. Toytec Ultimate BOSS setup with Front/Rear Plate Bumpers. I have done several exploring and a week long overland trip. I haven't bound a CV but I also don't keep the pedal on the floor either. I do have a diff drop but I know from my older 4Runner (97 with 200k miles) that I had to replace the first set of CV's due to them being worn out and just carried an extra set.

The limiting strap, can't say i've heard of that minus on a custom long travel or SAS setup. But I'm by no means a master lift specialist.

 

[Ol'Blue]

This is my .02 on this little issue.

It's normal after a lift period. The CV axle was in its happy spot for some extended time and wore as it should. Now comes the lift. It changes the angles of the axles. Someone goes wheeling with new said lift and the axle breaks. There are countless dudes on this forum that it happens to or has happend. Now there is the good news. CV axles are easy to replace in a 3rd gen. Do them your self it's not hard. I have done enouph of them it takes me about 40 minutes on a trail( not mine but other buddies rigs) with the correct tools.

Also for thought- if you go and put the bad ass CV axles in a stock rig and everything else is mostly stock I promise you the front 3rd member will blow at some point. Watched that happen also. The ring and pinion blew the F up when this dude was trying to pull a nasty hill that was all rutted to hell.

I would rather fix CV axles all day long vs blowing that front diff.

Something you might want to think about and if you drive it like a sane person it's less stress on the front end is a spartan locker for the front. I'm going that route next in my 99. Check them out.

Hope this helps out a little. Just keep extra CV axles with you. Almost all my buddies who wheel a 3rd gen do just for that reason. I keep two in my rig on long trip. I'm always on the hunt for stock CV axles in the local bone yards.

Blue

 

[Black798]

Curious when you installed the coil over conversion. Did you need to install the black perch and on what setting is the black perch on?

Thats the thing about this kit. Rather than the black perch that rquires you to dissasemble the strut to adjust, this kit is like the BOSS setup where it is adjusted with spanner wrenches. But that is also where part of the problem is. Thats because these bilsteins arent the ones from a tundra. They are just adjustable 5100s so they dont have the right stop in it like the tundras or BOSS which allows them to droop too far.

The limiting strap, can't say i've heard of that minus on a custom long travel or SAS setup

I had a similar thought where i thought that they were only used on desert racing rigs. But theres quite a few jeep guys that run them and both Dirtco and BFAD run them.

I totally agree with Blue that if the front diff isnt beefed up the lotus axles are just going to make things worse. Horsepower will always find your next weakest link. And changing the cv isnt that bad, I was doe in 45 minutes without air tools and it was my first time. And now with the autozone lifetime warranty I dont have to really pay for them. But i do need to eventually pick up a oem spare. But realistically I cant add a spartan to the front because I daily drive in a lot of winter conditions and I want the predictability of open diffs. If i ever get the money to do it I will either add lsds or arbs. Ideally arbs.

But either way I knew getting into the lift it would increase the likelihood of breaking something. But really when this cv broke I was hardly putting any load on it at all. So I think limit straps are in order since the joints bind even in a straight line. It will be interesting to see what toytec says about what I need to do as well when i call them tomorrow.

 

[Black798]

Also figured I should ask here rather than start a new thread. In the rear I am running ome 906 coils and i can tell the stock shocks are stopping the axle from articulating fully. So what would be the best shock budget wise and ride wise that will allow the suspension to articulate fully.

 

[Chim]

No official measurement but here is 3" lift with 1" diff drop at ride height.

 

[Ol'Blue]

Also figured I should ask here rather than start a new thread. In the rear I am running ome 906 coils and i can tell the stock shocks are stopping the axle from articulating fully. So what would be the best shock budget wise and ride wise that will allow the suspension to articulate fully.

When I had my 906's I just ran a stock 4th gen shock. It worked out pretty well for me bolted in and gave a me crap ton of flex so much I had to pull the rear sway bar out because it was getting in the locker motor on the rear end and even into the gas tank skid if you really want to give it that much credit. None the less I had no problem flexing and actually it was almost too much and I had to get bump stops because the spring almost fell out just keep that in mind if you go that route. I really liked it bit I wanted a full 3.5 in the rear of my 4runner because with all the shit I put in my rig it sat it down righr at 3in loaded up. Worked out great.

Blue

 

[kolelt]

This is my .02 on this little issue.

It's normal after a lift period. The CV axle was in its happy spot for some extended time and wore as it should. Now comes the lift. It changes the angles of the axles. Someone goes wheeling with new said lift and the axle breaks. There are countless dudes on this forum that it happens to or has happend. Now there is the good news. CV axles are easy to replace in a 3rd gen. Do them your self it's not hard. I have done enouph of them it takes me about 40 minutes on a trail( not mine but other buddies rigs) with the correct tools.

Also for thought- if you go and put the bad ass CV axles in a stock rig and everything else is mostly stock I promise you the front 3rd member will blow at some point. Watched that happen also. The ring and pinion blew the F up when this dude was trying to pull a nasty hill that was all rutted to hell.

I would rather fix CV axles all day long vs blowing that front diff.

Something you might want to think about and if you drive it like a sane person it's less stress on the front end is a spartan locker for the front. I'm going that route next in my 99. Check them out.

Hope this helps out a little. Just keep extra CV axles with you. Almost all my buddies who wheel a 3rd gen do just for that reason. I keep two in my rig on long trip. I'm always on the hunt for stock CV axles in the local bone yards.

Blue

Good advise mate. Curious who makes strong CV for our trucks ? I saw 2 3rd gen in local junkyard. Might have to go back and see if there are CV and how they look. How can you tell a OEM CV from aftermarket?

And so you say you can blow a 3rd member with strong cv? Interesting. Definitely not something you want to do when wheeling. And I agree. Breaking a CV is better and easier to fix then new gears.

Spartan locker in front vs air ? What you think on this ?

 

[Black798]

Toytec sells some lotus heavy duty cv axles that are supposed to be 6 times stronger. But they're 500 a piece. For me personally I would prefer an air locker up front just because it will maintain the open diff road manners and is totally selectable. Spartan is cheaper but wants to lock all the time.

 

[Ol'Blue]

Good advise mate. Curious who makes strong CV for our trucks ? I saw 2 3rd gen in local junkyard. Might have to go back and see if there are CV and how they look. How can you tell a OEM CV from aftermarket?

And so you say you can blow a 3rd member with strong cv? Interesting. Definitely not something you want to do when wheeling. And I agree. Breaking a CV is better and easier to fix then new gears.

Spartan locker in front vs air ? What you think on this ?

I just find them in a junk yard most the time. Dose someone have a pic of an oe axle. As said about the spartan is good bit am ARB is nest. Just hit it when needed and turn it off the rest of the time and have open diffs. I loved my ARB in my SAS rig. They are the cats ass buddy let me tell you. I wheeled most trails in 4x2 low range with the rear locker in that's it.

 

[Black798]

Yes sir, those arbs are pretty slick. My parents Chevk k10 has em front and rear. But I looked into it and just the rear would be over 2000 installed on my 98

 

[abishoff]

i would go with a diff drop

 

[Black798]

I'm thinking I'll make the spacers for the did drop here in the next few weeks. Currently I have limit straps on the way so that I can control the amount of droop. My theory is I make it reliable using the straps and then the diff drop will allow for a little more travel.