shawnhog

Ok then, here goes:



THE STORY:
The above is my baby, and she is a great trail rig, until just recently when I blew out a CV shaft on a trail. No biggie, right? On Thanksgiving, I went under there to see if I could finally hook up the 4wd for the winter, and I found that my diff brackets are completely twisted to the point that the damage would likely be about 2-3 grand for a mechanic to straighten it all out andre-install my 4wd system... So I was talking to my family and buddies, and I came to the realization that it may actually be cheaper to just pick up a SAS from All-Pro (say what you want, I've good luck and a great relationship w/ them).

THE SITUATION:
I already have a lift of 4-5 inches, using a mixture of All-Pro and Explorer Pro-Comp gear, and she is up on 33" Po Comp Mud tires (works great up here in the winter). I've already the trail armour (a combination of aftermarket and home-built, as no one makes a rear trail bumper for the swing-out rear tire carrier 4runners), and a winch is on the way.

Now, as I already have most of the gear, as well as a baby-fresh 3.0 under the hood (custom intake/exhaust coming soon), what would I be looking at with a SAS kit? The All-Pro is about $1K, the Marlin $1.4K, and the TG also $1K. The Marlin and All-Pro incluse the steering crossover, and '85 Toy axles aren't too had to come by up here.

My question is this: I want to have the SAS, custom driveshaft, and the axle (rebuilt) for the front. What do you think that this is going to run me? I am a good welder with my own equipment, but I am tempted to have a local offroad shop do it for me, since it is winter and I only have a carport, no garage. I figure probably about $2K, which is actually the quote from the shop. They make great stuff, of this I can be sure since the enter into the local tough truck comps (and win them) and they use the same equipment as what they put on customers' trucks.

So:
SAS--$1,000(likely All-Pro)
Axle--$250(believe it or not)
driveshaft--$300??(who do you go to?)
d-shaft rebuild--$400??(again, who knows this?)

Later on will be the rearend rebuild/disc conversion, the e-locker (if I can ever find one, lol!) conversion, and the parking brake disc conversion.

I am running 4.56 gears (yes, it's an automatic!), so I will likely have to re-gear, so a rebuild might be nice, too.

What do you guys think? Wha would bean average cost for JUST the front? I have everything else, and I like the flex my rear coils bring.

Godzilla

Heres a good link with links in it

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...light=sas+cost

Flygtenstein

If you can pay a shop to do just the front for less than 3k, I would be impressed, just labor getting the old off and the new on.

It is always cheaper up front to keep what you have. Over time when you break, that changes.

Swapping a truck changes the beast. It makes the rig a trail truck and really switches up how everything works.

Good luck.

shawnhog

I did check out that thread, but but I think that my situation is unique in that my front end IFS 4wd system is MANGLED, to put it nicely. Essentially, a mechanic would more or less have to a frame-off, remove the mounting brackets, weld in new ones, align it all up, do a bunch of other pointless crap that they always do to jack up their prices further, etc... in all, the price is getting REALLY prohibitive.. so much so that a $2,000 front-only SAS is seeming the CHEAPER option.. if you can believe that! The guys at my offroad shop specialize in Toyota SAS pojects, which lowers their price a pretty good bit.

She already handles horribly (like a trail rig should) on the road, since there is no swaybars anywhere, and the superflexy links for the rear makes for a nice shudder at highway speeds, lol! So I am not worried about even worse road manners. I plan on eventually changing to Bogger tires when the current ones wear down.

the trail gear stuff seems nice, especially the 3" lift in the front, as it would help keep things a bit more even all-around (you know how springs like to settle after break-in).

So basically to everyone: if you take away everything else and focus on what it takes to SAS ONLY the front, what would be the cost there?

Robinhood150

The thread linked above shows my itemized cost.

You can save a little money by rebuilding the axle in your apt. You don't need a garage to do that.

Marc P

I think mine was done about right for what I wanted. Very similar to what you will have.

If I had it to do over again, I would go with the Trail-Gear kit...I have had good luck with them so far.

Here was my breakdown..

axle $250
hysteer and hanger kit $475.
ring and pinion/master install kit $230.
wheel spacers $65.
knuckle rebuild kit w/wheel bearings $145.
rotors $50.
locrite locker $115.
springs (pick-a-part) $35.
shocks (stock F350 rears) $free
Ford shock towers $20.
brake lines $55.
U-bolt flip kit $50.
diff armor $160. (installed)
Front driveshaft $200.
Rear CV driveshaft $50. (thanks Craigslist)
Bumpstops $25.00
All-pro rear upper links $100.
materials $250. (welding/grinding/paint/grease/fluids)

I have about $2225.00 into it so far.

Flygtenstein

Different?

Whether it was farted on by a gnome or perfectly stock, you are still cutting all that crap off.

Real honest advice: If you want to swap it, swap it. You wanted answers, we told you and now you want new ones. Can't help there.

Cutting is cutting, welding is welding. Most places quote a leaf swap on the front of these at 30 hours drive in/drive out plus parts.

shawnhog

Sorry about the inconsistentency with my questions and responses. I do appreciate your taking the time to respond, I really do! I think that I would probably wind up going with TG, for reasons that are my own. Again, I apologize if I seemed rude, but I really wanted to avoid all the hubbub that goes on with the other threads involving SAS's, and I was being a bit TOO pin-point with my questions. Basically, most of the other threads seem to veer totally off course and the original question was more or less never answered. It became a pissing match. While that is all good and fine (it is a free country), I just wanted to get a few clearer answers.

Again, I do apologize for the frankness.

Basically, like anyone else, I don't want to waste my money, as it is hard enough to come by these days. At least we can all agree on that, right? And of course, like anyone else, I came to this forum to see if I can't research some info, and if nothing seemd relevant, I ask my own question. What made me write this initially is two things: The general info provided on SAS kits, and the mentioned thread of total SAS project prices.

The SAS pricing, while very informative (and I thank those who have written in not only in this thread but in the original SAS price thread), generally covered a topic involving taking a stock toyota through everything that involves converting it into a trail rig. Unfortunately, this is not the case with mine, as it already has most everything but the SAS itself.

As for the SAS info threads.... I am aware that there is a good deal of arguements about one Chris Gieger and his affiliations with All-Pro and Marlin. I will not ask about this, nor will I venture any of my own opinions on the matter. That is not the purpose of my thread.

Of course: "What is the freakin' point of this thread??" Well, it is bck to my main question: What sort of pricing would a person figure for only a complete SAS for the front of a 1991 4Runner? This would include the SAS kit, as well as the axle and driveshaft. I am currently negotiating a price with the local offroad shop, and if they can't come with a price that I deem reasonable, then perhaps I will perform it myself.

I do appreciate your answers, and especially for your honesty. I apologize for being annoying. Overall, I figure that it might be around $1,500.00 for starters (If I did my own labor), and from there the sky. Do you figure that 1500 would be a decent starting point?

slosurfer

You can take some of the price breakdowns that people have already posted and subtract the stuff that you are not going to be doing and there is the $$$ figure you have been seeking.

spaceycayce

My SAS was quoted about 30 hours or so for the labor on front and rear. I'm guessing the front to be around 20-22.(2700 for front and rear total cost) The axles were quoted at 1250 for the rebuild(arb lockers, 5.29 Gears). The driveshaft(trail gear's 12") was 190ish + labor(TBD). I am probably paying too much but I live in a place with limited fabricators and my guy came highly recommended. Also, if you need it by a date or ASAP, get a date confirmation for it or you may have to wait a while. (There is a problematic Jeep Engine Swap in front of mine) .
The trail gear kit is nice b/c it comes with the knuckle rebuild kit and a few other items. Good Luck, Post some pics of the carnage and the SAS when its done.

On the axle no more than 300(if its mint), I got mine for 250.
So with the Kit 1100, Driveshaft 200, Gears 140, Locker (holidays are close), you are lookin at about 1600-1700 w/o a locker and doing your own labor.
That's if hubs and birfields are in good shape. Mine were so I was lucky.

AH64ID

You can probally get a way with doing a ton of it at home... Get your truck ready to weld the front bracket and shackle hangers on (before removing IFS), then go to a shop, have them weld it all on.. go home.. with a rented or borowed plasma cutter and air compressor cut all your old stuff off... bolt up the remaing parts... Get shock towers ready... head back to said welding shop, weld shock towers in place...

Do what you can yourself, and only pay for what you need to..

And the T/G kit comes with steering too...why does everyone miss that??

Flygtenstein

Please, having been someone on the other end of the shop line, do not tell them you want a quote, but you already have an idea in mind.

Shops offer a service. They complete work that the customer is not willing or not able to do. Either you want them to do it, or you don't.

30 hours of time at a conservative for Colorado shop rate is 1500 dollars. That is just labor. The TG kit for 1k still needs a driveshaft, a geared diff and an axle.

We understand you are asking a slightly different question. Read the link and don't count things like "rear driveshaft" "front hydro assist" or "custom links."

Robinhood150

Specifically for the driveshaft it depends on what kind you want. A good long travel CV will be around $300-$350 from Jessie at High angle drivelines. A normal U jointed one will be around $150, I believe. A square shaft can be made pretty cheap if you can do the work, maybe $50?

Scofco

Couldn't you buy an '85 and replace whatever is wrong with it and still come out on top here?

If an SAS is a money issue, and you'd have to get a garage to do it. You're looking at $4k at least am I right?

Buy a truck with the solid axle already there and part out your current runner.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Front SAS with a kit and shop labor. You find someone to do it for you under $2K and 1) they don't really know what all is involved and/or 2) they won't do it right. 20 hours of labor for the front is a minimum and $50/hr for labor is the norm.

Then throw $500-$1000 on there for all the contingencies like the driveshaft and stuff you forgot about and you might get a SAS done for $2500.

If you can weld...wait until it is warm and do it yourself.

Trying to give you a pinpoint $$$ amount with all those variables, and sight unseen, is like trying to put a saddle on a galloping horse.

If you need parts...I got them too.

AH64ID

The advantage to a SAS is you already have the IFS steering box, and wider rear axle. You would still need to lift an 85, and convert to crossover steering. Not to mention all the long travel leafs are longer, so you would be installing the same hanger on the frame, at the same cost.... There really is no advantage to going to an 85 if you want a flexy 4" lift or more...

85badger

Don't forget to add in a new set of tires.....33's aren't going to fill in the wheel wells very good. +$1200

saitotiktmdog

This rig is now for sale on ebay.

lightemup

i like that paint job did u do it your self