A.) I like mine but I'm still up in the air over what is the best all-around set-up. That gets debated pretty regularly on the toy list, too, so it's not a Taco specific dilemma. My truck drives quite well on the road and absolutely rips in the rocks and other articulation-dependent wheeling (the Klune-V crawler is going to be the final piece of the equation) but it could be better in the area of pre-running type stuff and high speed sand. I don't do much mud, but I imagine it's the same.
Q.) Are there any major issues I should be aware of?
A.) Although solid axle swaps (SAS) were common place on earlier Toyotas while they were still a rarity on Tacomas, there have been a number of Tacoma solid axle swaps recently. The major differences between the earlier trucks and the Tacoma are in the front suspension, drive train and steering. The font differential of a Tacoma is on the driver's side while on previous trucks and 4Runners it is on the passenger's side. The same is true, naturally, of the drive shaft and transfer case output. The Tacoma also breaks the mold by going to rack and pinion steering behind the front axle rather than the recirculating ball style steering box on the driver side frame horn like earlier trucks. As a result, very few of the SAS components available for the earlier Toyota trucks and 4Runners are a direct bolt-up on a Tacoma.
Q.) Are there any kits containing everything need for doing a SAS on a Tacoma?
A.) No. There aren't even any definitive tried and true solutuions to the various issues like there are on the ealier trucks.
Q.) Can you at least outline the parts I'll need to gather in order to do a SAS similar to the one on your truck?
A.) Yes.
Q.) Well?
A.) Well what?
Q.) Well then -do- it, you cretin!
A.) Technically, that's not a question... not to mention that sort of abusive tone isn't the best way to elicit information. In any case, you'll need the following things:
1- An axle with driver's side diff. I'm using a reverse rotation Dana 44 out of a mid 70s Ford that has been customized by Currie. Ford spec'd the RR D44 on 77 1/2 thru 79 F-250s and 73 thru 79 1/2 F-150s. The F-250 axles were set up for leaf springs while the F-150 axles were set-up for coils. The reverse rotation diff is stronger when driving forward and keeps the pinion/drive shaft out of the rocks better. It's been shortened to 59" flange to flange, spring pads have been attached and, I believe, the knuckles have been rotated. The outer axles/knuckles have been converted to Chevy for the 6 on 5 1/2 bolt pattern to match the Toyota rear axle, although the lugs are still American thread. This Chevy hub, according to NAPA, is the second design and uses the following NAPA part numbers:
- outer bearing: BR35 - inner bearing/race: LM104949/JLM104910 - seal:
The knuckles have also been machined with a flat top and studs to mount steering arms necessary for hi-steer crossover steering. The flattop knuckles, according to most accounts, were used up until 76-77 on GM and full size Jeep 44s. Dynatrac and ORU make crossover arms for 44s. Extreme Gear Offroad also has them.
You'll also need studs and cone washers to attach the steering arms to the knuckle. The GM dealer part numbers are:
Adapter (cone washer): 3965138
studs: 3965137
AllPro has a deal with Currie to build a hybrid Toyota/Dana 60 axle that uses the Toy center section with Dana 60 knuckles/u-joints but still the 6 on 5 1/2 bolt pattern. They look hella beef, but I've heard some express the concern that the weak link has been moved from the relatively easily repaired axle u-joint to the expensive and difficult to repair ring & pinion in the diff.
AllPro/Currie are also making available Toy/D44 hybrid front axle housings and plan to provide complete axles in the near future.
The Currie high pinion 9inch stuff seems like a reasonable option because of the interchangeability of the 3rd members. That is one of the cool things about the Toy axles, if you grenade a diff you can carry a single replacement 3rd member to put in either axle. Of course the interchangeability probably isn't worth the expense of 2 custom Currie axles since on a Dana 44 or stock Toyota axle the diff rarely breaks.
As for other options, I suppose anything is possible if you have a compelling reason like easy access to a way cheap, built to the hilt axle of some sort... In any case you'll need gears to match what you have, or want, in the rear axle and now is the perfect time to put a locker in the front, might as well be a Detroit or ARB... And there are the aforementioned issues with spring perches, overall width, pinion lining up with the t-case output. Remember you may need different outer axles/knuckles for wheel stud pattern conversion and brake calipers/rotors that work with the converted outer axles if necessary. If it's a used axle, now would be a good time to rebuild it with new bearings, seals, and u-joints.
There has recently been a lively discussion on TTORA concerning the merits of using an axle with a passenger side diff, Toyota or Dana, largely to take advantage of the many crawler options available for earlier Toy transfer cases. Chuck Gardella is going that route on his hybrid truck. My decision to stick with the driver side drop was based on a number of considerations... Neither the Marlin nor Klune were available when I decided to do the SAS. I knew I wanted a crawler but the best guess at the time was that Marlin would make something using the stock Taco case and I wanted to keep the over-all configuration of the truck as close to stock as possible because I knew I'd be getting the TRD headers when they were available. After nearly a year of constantly badgering Klune and Marlin, Klune was the first to take on the project. The Atlas was an out growth of wanting a gear driven case with lower gears and twin stick shifting (which is available for Toy cases if one goes the Marlin route...).
If I had it to do over, and circumstance were the same, I'd do the same thing. If I were to do my solid axle swap now, or in the near to mid-term future, I'd think long and hard about the Marlin set-up because of it's proven track record and lower cost, but I'd still be hesitant about the passenger side diff, especially if I were running headers. Waiting to see how the existing, but uncompleted, passenger side swap[s] pan out and what's involved with the exhaust/fuel tank relocation could help clarify the decision.
2- Front leaf springs and shackles. I'm using custom Alcans that are longer than the Alcans used on the earlier model solid axle swaps -[get actual length]-. The springs supply approximately 5 to 6 inches of lift for clearance between the diff and oil pan and to allow 33 to 35 inch tires. The shackles are custom fabricated pieces, as are the shackle hangers on the frame. Because of the way the Tacoma frame widens at the fire wall, the shackle hangers need to be cantilevered to the inside of the frame rail with custom pieces mounted to the frame. Mine were originally welded to just the inside wall of the frame rail and began to tear off as a result. Bracing across the bottom of the frame rail seems to have eliminated this problem.
3- The steering box from the pre-Taco IFS truck and associated components so you can go to crossover steering with the swap. Everything from about a foot below the steering wheel needs to be hacked out and replaced, including installation of a support bearing at the fire wall and substantial beefing of the frame horn where the steering box will mount. The tilt steering or location of the steering wheel is unaffected, though. A custom Borgeson or Flaming River steering shaft would be a sweet, but expensive, option. My steering shaft is fabricated out of PTO parts and retains the stock Toyota rag joint, something I'd like to eliminate at some point... Something I've discovered recently is that the early IFS boxes have a shorter casting where the steering shaft attaches.
Another crucial element is replacing the stock Tacoma oil pan with the oil pan from a 3.6l 2wd T-100. You'll need the windage tray, pick-up tube, dipstick guide and dipstick to go with the oil pan.
| Oil Pan | 12101-65030 |
| Plate (windage tray/baffle) | 12122-62040 |
| Strainer (pickup tube) | 15104-62060 |
| Gasket (for pickup tube) | 15147-62020 |
| Dipstick | 15301-62060 |
| Guide Tube | 11452-62060 |
| Guide Tube Union | 9040510033 |
The T-100 pan moves the sump to the rear allowing use of a straight drag link and hi-steer crossover steering. You'll need the machined knuckles, steering arms, pitman arm, drag link and tie rod for crossover steering. Apparently the stock hoses that run from the P/S pump to the steering rack in the center of the truck by the front diff don't reach over to the driver's side frame rail where the IFS box is located for the crossover steering conversion. The fittings will connect to the IFS box but at least one of the hoses is too short to reach.
4- Modified front drive shaft. The stock front drive shaft will need to be modified to have a Spicer u-joint on the diff end to mate with the Spicer u-joint yoke on the axle. If you went with the AllPro/Currie hybrid Toy/D60 variant you may have to modify or replace the flange at the axle end. In either event you should take the opportunity to put a longer slip yoke in the shaft to accommodate all the flex and travel you went to a solid axle and long, soft leaf springs for in the first place. You'll probably have to notch the transfer case crossmember for drive shaft clearance during axle droop.
Q.) How much will a Tacoma SAS cost?
A.) It won't be cheap (I haven't totaled the cost on mine out of sheer terror...), but the final cost will depend on where you source your parts and how much of the fabrication you do yourself. Once you source your axle, including any of the mods mentioned earlier, you'll have the biggest single item nailed down. The following list will complete your costs:
- long travel drive shaft modifications
- crossover steering components
- 2WD T-100 oil pan and associated pieces
- springs, spring hangers, shackles, shackle mount, and bushings
- new axle U-bolts and flip plates
- blocks, lift springs, and/or longer shackles combined with longer travel shocks in the rear if you aren't already lifted 5 to 6 inches.
Q.) Anything else?
A.) If you want to get into the rocks more (and why else would you be doing a SAS?), and especially if you have a manual tranny, you'll definitely want lower t-case gears or a crawler. With the torque multiplication of an auto the crawler isn't that much of a "must have". Consider bobbing your bed or going to a flat bed so you can get the departure angle to take full advantage of your new trail capabilities.
Be sure and line up reliable long term transportation before you get started. However long you think it will take, it will take longer to work out the bugs.
If you want better articulation with greater strength and durability than the stock coil-over suspension/rack & pinion steering set-up and don't mind a slight reduction in your ability to make high speed runs through deep sand and desert, I think you will be very happy with the results!
Q.) Could you provide the high-points of what I'll need in list form?
A.) See below:
-=front axle (don't forget gears, locker, bearings, seals, u-joints, and stud pattern conversion if needed)
-=brakes that work with hubs on front axle including longer brake lines (Japanese to SAE, try Earl's...)
-=long travel front drive shaft
-=steering shaft support bearing
-=steering shaft
-=steering box
-=pitman arm
-=drag link
-=tie rod
-=steering arms
-=2WD T-100 oil pan
-=windage tray
-=pick-up tube
-=dip stick
-=dip stick guide
-=springs
-=spring hangers
-=shackles
-=shackle mount
-=bushings and bolts
-=axle U-bolts
-=flip plates
Q.) Is there some place I could see some of what you're talking about to help me visualize it better?
A.) See these links off my web page:
Tacoma specific steering stuff
Misc. suspension and drive shaft
Q.) Has any one else done a solid axle swap so I might check out their stuff and get another perspective or other ideas?
A.) Yes. Robert A. has a Tacoma with a SAS done by Extreme Gear Offroad. Chuck G. (SNOWCHUCKER on TacomaTerritory.com) recently completed a hybrid swap with some Tacoma pieces and some prior generation pieces. He is a wealth of good information (http://www.bentup.com). Brian N. from UT has a coil sprung RC D44 SAS using a Scout steering box. Other sites (all of which I ganked from a post on TTORA by Mike R., http://www.toy4x4.net/sas/ ) that are a "must see" before you get started are:
Bob's SAS page with a comprehensive parts list...
http://microtech.com/bob/projectsas.asp
Steve N. with SAS and Marlin Crawler for the stock Tacoma t-case...
http://www.norcalttora.com/projects/steve_sas/
Ronn E. in AZ...
http://home.earthlink.net/~azttora/tacoma4x4.html
Fish
CornfedSAS
Some random fuckstick in AZ
Dan in AZ
Shane in AZ
Robert A.