Cebby

This has been a good while in coming to fruition, but well worth the wait!

First things first - Major major thanks to David (DMG) for giving up his Saturday to make this happen with me. Without his skills (ASE certified master tech), awesome facility, and well outfitted toolbox, this never would have happened as it did. We started into it around 9:30 and wrapped up a little before 5 with a break for lunch (Rocky's giant fish rules!)

For those that haven't been following along, I'll lay it out.

I've been piecing together the parts for this for a few months. I started with getting a front diff from DMG that he had out of a late 80's 4Runner. This is a non-ADD housing meaning that it does not have the actuator on the tube like the later models. Simpler is better!! Less to go wrong.

I then sourced an early 90's 4Runner rear 3rd with ABS sensor from Toyota Parts Dude.

I bought these housings separately so I could have minimal downtime.

Next came getting the parts for the regear and some ARB lockers. Randy's came through with the internet special front and rear gears and master overhaul kit. My dealings with them were troublefree. I got the ARB's from Alex at PORC. He will beat everyone's price AND offers outstanding service.

I had the gears and lockers sent directly to Whaley Enterprises (Otter) who Shazad had recommended. I was looking for someone who had done ARB's in Toyotas in Pittsburgh, but everyone either had not or was too expensive. Otter is about 4 hours from Pittsburgh. Fortunately, a lot of teamwork made the logistics work. The rear third was delivered to Otter by Toyota Parts Dude, the front pig was delivered to Otter by a friend of mine from Pittsburgh (who also brought the finished items back for me), then of course the direct ship of the parts to Otter.

I've had the completed diffs for a while, but did no thave a free weekend to get this going. DMG and I were free this past Saturday, so we had at it. I had hoped to also install my Budbuilt skid and bellpan, but there was a bit of cancer on the front of the cross-brace behind the valence where the from of the skid mounts. That will happen another day.

I've yet to mount the compressor - mainly due to the amount of work I need to do under the hood to make the Extremeaire fit.

I'm Jones-ing to get finish the OBA, but likely won't get to it until after vacation.

Look for a write up coming - for now have a look at a few of the pics...

Front Diff Out


Non-Add Front Diff with 5.29's, ARB and Extended Breather going in


Notice the front breather tube. (above pic shows standard length) You need to cut down the union to about 1/2" of surface for the tube/clamp to grip. If you leave the union the normal length, it makes the hose kink at the turn under the oilpan. Very important!!

Cebby

Rear 3rd out - had to disconnect the sway bar clamps on the axle tube to allow clearance for the 3rd to go back in...


Rear 3rd in...


Breathers...




CV Mod - Punch out the studs and grind the holes in the flange to clear the splines. Took about 30 minutes for 12 holes for me.

Knocking out the studs...


Grinding the holes...


Look how easy to slide the CV in/out now without those pesky studs in the way...

Robinhood150

Cool deal mike! I didn't realize you could remove the front 3rd without taking out the CVs.

Have you totaled up the damage to the wallet yet? $2500 for me.

Cebby

$2,269 - less what I can get for my 4.88's

Robinhood150

Damn, you beat me. The $460 in labor for the front is what did it. I've still got to sell my gears too.

Cebby

So there -

WSU4runner

Soooo...how much you want for the 4.88's?

Cebby

Am I guessing you want to be on the waiting list too? There are 4 ahead of you...

sschaefer3

I have no idea why they did not extend the front diff on those trucks, they did at the same time on the FJ-62 and later on the 3rd Gen 4Runner.


What exactly is the CV mod, we have those huge press in splined shafts, so the studs were gone a year or two later.

rimpainter.com

Looks like fun Mike! Nice work. Always nice to see a fellow penny-pincher in action. (a little more than pennies in this case though)

Cebby

I called it the CV mod for lack of a better term. There was a short writeup on off-road.com about this a while back. (http://www.off-road.com/toyota/cheaptricks/quickcv/)

Basically the studs (press fit splined) that are attached to the stub axle shaft flange that go into the diff and can be removed with an air hammer. Oddly enough, the stud has a bolt head on the back side of it - on 2nd Gen's anyway... (I should have taken a pic of the stud after we drove it out - you can see in the pic above with the air hammer some that are out already).

We just threaded the nut back on to the studs to protect the threads and then hit it with the air hammer. The air hammer attachment used was kind of a blunt piece that looked kind of like a bullet. They came out very easily this way.

I then took a die grinder with a metal cutting bit and reamed out the holes enough so that the splines just snugly fit the hole. Now they are removable and it shouldn't be necessary to dismantle anything out at the wheel side to remove the CV's - except remove the axle bolt under the hub dial.

Arnold

Instead of enlarging the holes on the flange, I used my bench grinder to grind the splines off the bolts. Only took a couple seconds per bolt too.

914runner

If I ever do get a front locker or regear I will be sure to do the CV mod!
Thanks!

AJ3

Ditto....much easier......

I did that in preparation to break cv axles. 35's 5.29's with a lockrite. I have been on every tough trail numerous times in cali and have yet to break a cv.
Knock on wood......

PAhydrohead

Mike,

Congrats on completing the first stage of your major mods! Can't wait till you get the compressor in there so we can test her out.

Oh yea, how much to move me to the top of the waiting list?

Bill

Cebby

Thanks Bill!

You are actually #2 behind David.

DMG

Nice writeup Cebby! I should have the uhmw in a couple of weeks, btw

DMG

Cebby

The time has come to change the break in oil. Just so happens a race shop near me carries Royal Purple. Only the best for my baby...



I went with 75W90 on the shop owner's recommendation...

Cebby

I got the oil changed this past weekend. When I pulled the magnetized plugs that were in the diffs, there was some build-up on both of them. Not metal shavings, but what appeared to be powdered metal suspended in the oil. There wasn't alot.

I was just curious if this is normal for new gears - or could this have been residual matter from the housing? (we cleaned the diffs out with brake cleaner prior to assembly)

sschaefer3

That black coating on the gears come off within the first 3K miles. It's normal. I just dumped the FJ-62's rear diff and it was the same black sludge stuff. I pulled the drain plug on the front diff and the lube is still clear, It has not been in 4WD since the re-gear.

The gears are clean now and your good to go.

For gear questions I find the old Kong's 4X4 gear card an excellent reference.