IFS to SAS? Someone help

[Thorgan112]

So, I just went to take a look and try and find what has been making the clanking noise under my t4r. Well what do I discover? GREASE EVERYWHERE!! The boot to my cv ripped open, and when I tap the arm that holds up the front differential it makes a little noise, so I believe that is what it is. Unfortunately, this cv was ripped once before so I think its time for a new one .

Now everyone, I know this is a big jump, but if I am going to replace on cv I will prob just do both, and I am not one who wants those napas, so I would end up getting OEM. At that point After product and install, I am prob looking about 1000 bucks for that. Is it worth it to do the IFS to SAS switch at this point? how much does it run? If its only like another thousand I would much rather take the 1,000 hit and do away with cvs

 

[CdaleR4000si]

I'm sure other will chime in here, but I. Pretty sure that a SAS is going to run you FAR into the thousands. Particularly if you're not doing the install yourself.

I'm all for seeing more SAS'd rigs, but this seems to be about like doing a V8 swap just because you need new plugs and wires

 

[DeathCougar]

So, I just went to take a look and try and find what has been making the clanking noise under my t4r. Well what do I discover? GREASE EVERYWHERE!! The boot to my cv ripped open, and when I tap the arm that holds up the front differential it makes a little noise, so I believe that is what it is. Unfortunately, this cv was ripped once before so I think its time for a new one .

Now everyone, I know this is a big jump, but if I am going to replace on cv I will prob just do both, and I am not one who wants those napas, so I would end up getting OEM. At that point After product and install, I am prob looking about 1000 bucks for that. Is it worth it to do the IFS to SAS switch at this point? how much does it run? If its only like another thousand I would much rather take the 1,000 hit and do away with cvs

If you can't install your own CV axle, be prepared to spend well north of $2k on a SAS to have a shop do it properly.

 

[Link817]

I was well into the 5-6k range for a leaf spring setup. cv at the parts store w/ a life time warrenty is less than $100 if i'm not mistake when you take your core back. What arm are you talking about that holds the front diff on?
Parts on a sas setup start looking like 1k hear and 1k there to get a good setup, the snow ball will never end and repairs will eat a budget to death.
Not to kill your idea but reality is, its expensive.

 

[JWaldz]

A sas just b/c your cv's are done for and from the sounds of it you won't be doing the replacement yourself? Doesn't seem like what your wanting makes logical sense for why you're wanting it. I mean, unless you're ok with shelling out many thousand's of dollars. It takes a lit of preparation and time to do a sas. OH, and $$$. Yea it takes a lot of $$$!

 

[slowpoke99]

If you can't install your own CV axle, be prepared to spend well north of $2k on a SAS to have a shop do it properly.

Very true! Especially for a 3rd gen. The average SAS kit for 1st/2nd gens is around $1k + the price of the axle and labor. Of course you can save $$$ if you fab the hangers and other stuff like shock mounts and hoops yourself. Now with our 3rd gens you have to figure in the cost of the kit + the axle, ifs steering conversion to run hi steer, t100 oil pan conversion, etc. not to mention added costs of the rear suspension mods if needed to match the ride height to the front. Ask me how I know. Now if you're planning on doing any extreme wheeling/rock crawling, it would be worth the gain of axle articulation that you get out of an axle swap. But I'm sure you've seen by now that a good majority of the guys on here have rigs that are more than capable of surviving moderate/mild to difficult trails just short of the extreme stuff. I too am all for seeing another sas thread but you're the only one that can decide wether it's what you need. Either way, I'm sure the guys here will be more than helpful in helping you out in whatever direction you choose. Good luck!

 

[Fiddynut]

Napas are $104 each with no core and lifetime warranty. Why would you want to go to the steelerahip and pay their inflated prices? LIFETIME! You rip a boot they give you a new axle.
A good SAS setup is 5-8k easy. If you can't change your own axles a SAS is not the way you want to go.

 

[snow junky]

how did you come up with cvs costing $100.00 installed??.... obviously you plan on having a shop do your sas. your looking at over $6,000

 

[Thorgan112]

Lots of responses lol, thanks for the input guys. I can install the cv myself but I need the car ASAP bc it is my means of transportation to work, and by the time I am home its dark and I don't have the time to install other than wknds. Now as far as the SAS, I had no idea it would cost that much, and I definitely don't have the expertise in installing that unfortunately until a year ago I knew nothing about cars lol, so I'm still learning. I wish I had a second vehicle so I could start doing the conversion myself and learn a bit too but that's not reality for me . Looks like I'll be going with another cv.

Out of curiosity, has anyone who's done the swap gotten the axle from a junk yard and then purchased the SAS kit? It sucks, I really wanna make the swap, but if it's more than 3k I can't afford it right now.

 

[slowpoke99]

I've done quite a few axle swaps with junk yard bought axles. Most swap kits come with axle rebuild parts so it takes a lot of the parts hunting out of the equation. '84/5 axles are the most popular due to the axle truss extending all the way out to the end of the housing. I was where you are when I did my first swap so I won't say you can't do it. But I will say read, read and read some more and know what you're getting into before you start. It's not as complicated as it looks if you have some welding/fab skill.

 

[MStudt]

You don't need to purchase any kind of a kit if you know exactly what you're looking for. Parts can be had for quite a bit less if you know the right places to look. Axles can be found for around a $100 in my area.

With your cv axles. Why don't you buy some from CVJ? They sell reman OEM cv's for a pretty descend price.

 

[slowpoke99]

You don't need to purchase any kind of a kit if you know exactly what you're looking for. Parts can be had for quite a bit less if you know the right places to look. Axles can be found for around a $100 in my area.

With your cv axles. Why don't you buy some from CVJ? They sell reman OEM cv's for a pretty descend price.

Holy s***!!! You should be stockpiling front axles for $100 a pop! I've yet to find one for less than $300 where I'm at. Must be a supply/demand thing :shrug:

 

[KidVermicious]

8" housings can be found for $100 around here, more often $150. A complete front axle minus third is normally around $300 though.

 

[slowpoke99]

8" housings can be found for $100 around here, more often $150. A complete front axle minus third is normally around $300 though.

Now that makes more sense to me. That's more of what I run in to around here. Seeing "axles found for around $100" got me excited!!!

So if you figure the op finds a $100 housing. Sounds cheap enough. Then add the cost of Longfields(or even dirty 30's for that matter) chromo hub gears, differential, gears, locker, hi steer, and all related knuckle parts, he's back to over $1k just on the axle. Now I'm sure it can still be built cheaper (stock birfs, stock gears, no locker) but then why do it anyway when his ifs cv's are stronger than stock solid axle birfs.

 

[Dous]

There is no way you are going to be able to SAS a 3rd gen by yourself for 2k. If you are paying someone to do it, you will blow that figure out of the water.

If you use a bunch of junkyard crap parts, then sure, you may be able to bring the price down, but is it really worth it at that point?

I spent wayyyyy north of $2k on my SAS, and paid no labor.

 

[Kurtis]

A "SAS Kit" still requires welding and all sorts of other stuff. Even if you use leaf springs instead of coils and links it's going to require welding and still cost a decent amount. Unless you spend a bunch of money and/or go coils it is likely to ride like crap anyway. Unless you are pushing the limits of your IFS do not go SA. And by pushing the limits, I mean your IFS will not let you do obstacles and that means you are probably breaking CV axles or other parts on a regular basis. A SAS can also bring in a whole new zoo of problems, vibrations, death wobble, all sorts of stuff. Stick with replacing your CV axles once in a while. You can also get Porsche CV boots that won't rip the boot as often.

 

[CallMeAnEngineer]

It barely costs anything to pull CV's from a slavage 3rd gen and reboot them. Also, you can reboot the one you already have as long as it looks to be in good condition. SAS costs well, well over $1000, and experienced mechanics have gotten themselves in over their heads. It's not dropping the IFS and welding on a few brackets. Just get some OEM CV axles and save yourself the headache / possibly destroying your rig. If SAS was cheap and easy to do, you'd be hard pressed to find a t4r on here that was still IFS.

 

[JamesDean91]

Sas is expensive and only worth it if you plan on using it for what it was built for, i have had my share in doing solid axle swaps on everything from a 88 runner to a 00 silverado. And the 3rd gen runner is by far the most work. I have been stock piling parts for my build and have over 1k in 1 differential. By the time I'm done i will probably have 6k just in my front axle that's not including links, truss, mounts, shocks, steering box, oil pan, and all the other couple hundred bucks in nickel and dime stuff

Have you looked at lotus cv joints?

 

[Doc2012]

[MENTION=51127]Dous[/MENTION]:


You ise a 44?

I've got a guy here whos giving me an 85 axle.

Oh yeah buddy. Oh yeah.......

 

[thardy]

I just completed an SAS on my 3rd gen. I did everything myself and got unbelievable prices on everything I had to buy. Axle cost me $200 for the Dana 44. I reused everything that was still good. After all said and done I am into it probably $2500-$3000. Like I said I did it myself (with the help of my dad who has done many SAS projects) and it was down almost a year. Don't even start to think once you've finish the SAS your in the clear. They still break. Ask me how I know!! Unless you plan on doing some serious rock crawling or hard core wheeling DO NOT SAS!! If I didn't wheel hard it is much cheaper and easier to replace a cv boot or axle multiple times than it is to even think about an SAS, and if you don't do it right WATCH OUT. just my .02.