Fj80 solid axle swap

[Sean K.]

Thank-you for the info! The t100 tcase is chain driven like ours... Planning to put a gear driven case in front of it.

I know the ride height will be hard to achieve but I don't mind going full bush truck and cutting the frame and have the shock mounts through the hood and through the back of the truck.

I already have 529s Lined up! But that's sad you wouldn't recommend 40s... Maybe I'll start looking at d60s the only reason Im not going 1ton axles is because I don't want to narrow them down. I need the truck to be street legal and being too wide won't keep me legal. I don't have a truck to pull it on a trailer to the trails. I'm already 5500lb now with all my camping gear :/ I could just settle with 37s untill I buy a diesel as a tow rig.

Cutting isn't your problem....it's the engine location relative to the front axle; especially the A/C unit in particular. I was contemplating moving the A/C somewhere else on the engine and putting the power steering pump where the A/C sits (thought in a higher location to gain uptravel clearance)...not sure that's possible even with a TC style pump. Then again, I'm going full hydro on mine....conventional steering will be much harder to fit with a draglink fighting a track/panhard bar for room.

I didn't look where you're from...out here full width is the way to go, but not every state has the same lax vehicle regulations. The problem with 40's is you're going to have to go at least 1.5" higher in ride height and the axles, even with 300M shafts aren't going to hold up...not to mention the ring and pinion. Granted, it all depends on how hard you wheel. Another problem with a 60 is that the housing is physically taller meaning even less clearance between your engine and axle.

 

[Sean K.]

I saw a 2nd gen Tacoma with a Toyota SAS swap. It was very clean and nicely done. It was probably 3-4” lift also. Nothing insane.

Different beast though in terms of frame....the 2nd gens have a much higher/stronger frame to begin with and the engine doesn't sit as low.

 

[kolelt]

Different beast though in terms of frame....the 2nd gens have a much higher/stronger frame to begin with and the engine doesn't sit as low.

Huh? 2nd gen Tacoma is basically a 3rd gen 4runner. They both have 3.4 and basically interchangeable. Probably same frame minus the rear( leafs vs spring )

On Facebook. Look up ( pat Johnston ) his profile has a red truck. Has a lot of photos of his swap.

 

[MattJakobs]

Huh? 2nd gen Tacoma is basically a 3rd gen 4runner. They both have 3.4 and basically interchangeable. Probably same frame minus the rear( leafs vs spring )

On Facebook. Look up ( pat Johnston ) his profile has a red truck. Has a lot of photos of his swap.

1st gen Tacoma?

 

[Sean K.]

Huh? 2nd gen Tacoma is basically a 3rd gen 4runner. They both have 3.4 and basically interchangeable. Probably same frame minus the rear( leafs vs spring )

On Facebook. Look up ( pat Johnston ) his profile has a red truck. Has a lot of photos of his swap.

I misunderstood. I thought you were talking 2nd Gen 4Runner. Sorry...piss poor reading comprehension on my part.

 

[thecole1098]

Huh? 2nd gen Tacoma is basically a 3rd gen 4runner. They both have 3.4 and basically interchangeable. Probably same frame minus the rear( leafs vs spring )

On Facebook. Look up ( pat Johnston ) his profile has a red truck. Has a lot of photos of his swap.

The 2nd gen Tacoma is the one they stopped making in 2015. The 1st gen is the one closest to our 3rd gens.

 

[kolelt]

1st gen Tacoma?

Whoops. Yeah I meant 1st gen.

I’m sorry. My mistake.

 

[bike]

I haven't looked in a while, but try searching for something along the lines of "4 doors for more whores" on pirate or rock solid toys. Guy named Brian has a really nicely done taco and his build showed him cutting the frame a foot or so in front off the body mounts to gain up travel and keep it low. Had to remake his engine mounts and I think he ended up raising it and leaning back the whole drive train an inch or something like that. It's done really clean, a good build to envy. I have a small collection of 1 ton parts growing for years down the road. I looked at doing 80 series axles but I have friends that are chewing them up on 37s as I is now. Sure they're heavier rigs, but by the time you price it out domestic stuff is way cheaper and incredibly easy to find.

 

[a4runner97]

Cutting isn't your problem....it's the engine location relative to the front axle; especially the A/C unit in particular. I was contemplating moving the A/C somewhere else on the engine and putting the power steering pump where the A/C sits (thought in a higher location to gain uptravel clearance)...not sure that's possible even with a TC style pump. Then again, I'm going full hydro on mine....conventional steering will be much harder to fit with a draglink fighting a track/panhard bar for room.

I didn't look where you're from...out here full width is the way to go, but not every state has the same lax vehicle regulations. The problem with 40's is you're going to have to go at least 1.5" higher in ride height and the axles, even with 300M shafts aren't going to hold up...not to mention the ring and pinion. Granted, it all depends on how hard you wheel. Another problem with a 60 is that the housing is physically taller meaning even less clearance between your engine and axle.

Yeah I'm fine with sticking with the lc axle. Becuase full Widths would be too wide for me to drive on the street. As for engine by clearance I don't have problems removing the a/c and relocating the steering pump if that's all I have to move. I've been thinking fill hydro as well. Or at least plumbing the box for it. Looks like I have lots of research a head of me.

 

[IBallEngineer]

Yeah I'm fine with sticking with the lc axle. Becuase full Widths would be too wide for me to drive on the street. As for engine by clearance I don't have problems removing the a/c and relocating the steering pump if that's all I have to move. I've been thinking fill hydro as well. Or at least plumbing the box for it. Looks like I have lots of research a head of me.

I don't know about running 40's. There used to be an awesome forum devoted to FZJ80's where Christo Slee got his start selling upgrades. Look at Slee off-road for some ideas.

My concern is the FJ80 rear is offset to the right just like the front. I have no idea what that does to driveshaft angle, or if it will matter for what you are building. Just be aware of it.

My FJ62 weighs over 7000 pounds, I have run 35's with ARB lockers for 20 years and NEVER broken anything. Well that's not true I had a spider gear break in the ARB carrier after 10 years. I too run FZJ80 axles, they are 3" wider than the stock FJ62 Axles, and have way better brakes, full floating rear, and high pinion front. When I wheel it, I wheel it hard. I've had ARB lines rupture, solenoid connections fail, but never any of the Toyota parts. I did have to customize the front Knuckles because I remain a dinosaur with leaf springs on that rig.

40's, sheesh, I just don't know.

 

[TBuzz]

I would highly recommend the 4wu kit to anyone. I have one on my 3rd gen mini truck and it rides much better down the road on 37’s than my 3rd gen 4runner does on 285’s and ifs. Obviously it wheels much better too. Frame height is right at 25” the frame is notched heavily for steering linkage clearance, it has passenger drop duals and will do 80 with one hand on the wheel no problem. In a perfect world I’d have the same set up on the 4runner, but that’ll never happen.

 

[a4runner97]

Thanks for the information everyone! Starting to look and collect parts now.

Gonna stick with 80 series axles and limit myself to 37s. Trying to find elocked axles. And do airlockers as a last resort.

And probably going with the 4wu kit...

 

[a4runner97]

Change of plans bought a d60 front and sterling 10.5 from a 05 Ford

 

[kolelt]

This is a pretty well written SAS swap.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/4landrunner-build-up.418629/

 

[kolelt]

I would highly recommend the 4wu kit to anyone. I have one on my 3rd gen mini truck and it rides much better down the road on 37’s than my 3rd gen 4runner does on 285’s and ifs. Obviously it wheels much better too. Frame height is right at 25” the frame is notched heavily for steering linkage clearance, it has passenger drop duals and will do 80 with one hand on the wheel no problem. In a perfect world I’d have the same set up on the 4runner, but that’ll never happen.

What is 4wu exactly ?

 

[Rockdawg84]

What is 4wu exactly ?

possibly the best link suspension conversion that you can do to a Toyota:first:

An Off Road Suspension Company

 

[kolelt]

possibly the best link suspension conversion that you can do to a Toyota:first:

An Off Road Suspension Company

But those are rear kits only.

 

[Rockdawg84]

But those are rear kits only.

No look again. The 4 link system is for the rear and the 3 link is for the front. They even support brackets specifically for using fzj80 front axles.