jeremy

i've looked around the site for sas info and haven't found anyone discussing why everyone is using a dana 44 for convertions, i was originally gonna use a 44 but after talking to marlin i think i want to go with a toyota straight axle from an 85,the crawler set up will work better with a right side drive, and supposedly this set up is stronger? is there any reason this will not work ? i know the axle is narrower but wheel spacers should solve this, also all wheel bolt patterns will be the same, brakes same etc...any info would be appreciated i'm putting this in a 99 tacoma

AznSky

Not to push you away, or say anything bad about yt, but I believe you'd get a lot more responses here

http://www.cottora.com/

But I'm sure you'll get responses here as well from the big guys that did an sas (44runner, watrd, shane etc.)

jeremy

those delphi forums are a pain in the ass, seems to me someone on here might know a thing or two, but maybe not?

Korrupted

Tacoma's have a driver side drop and the '85 Yota axles are passenger. So you would need the driver side Dana 44.

jeremy

not with a marlin crawler set up, i could run the existing but that requires two adapters to work the crawler, and that sounds like cheese, Marlin has done alot of these and they said it would work this way, maybe i have to replace the t/c to make this work which would be better than a chain drive t/c any way

toy283

You could always use a FRORFab front axle; a Toyota axle in whatever width you want, with the diff on whatever side you want as well.

44Runner

That is an option, or use an FJ-80 front. I would not use a Mini front. You would need a whole lot of wheel spacer to make up the 5" difference.

It can be done, it is just more work...

crawler#976

fyi on spacers

I'm running 1-7/8" spacers per side on a 84 Toy axle, and the street manners are not good at all. It's changed the geometry so much that the minor imperfections found w/ doing a major conversion like a SAS are much worse. With no spacer, the truck exhibits no signs of "Death Wobble" at all. I used 3/4" spacers, noticed a very slight wobble at 40 MPH, going to 1-1/2" made it worse, and at it's current width, the wobble in horrible between 40 and 45 MPH. Flat out scary...........

The other sticky point on running wide spacers is in having to adjust both wheel bearings and knuckle bearings on a regular basis. The added stress is substantial, I have to check the entire front end after every major hard core trail. Hub studs (cone washers and nuts) and steering knuckles must be checked after every run, period.

But, the added width is welcome off-highway, it makes a noticable change in stability.

later

jeremy

Thanks for the info on this guys, anybody know what the width on a landcruiser axle is, will it have to be cut?, if it does then i might as well go back to my original plan of 44 front, toyo rear, or ford 9" rear, any suggestions?

Shane

Toyota axles are difficult to shorten as they are two stamped steel shells welded together, alignment becomes an issue. If you stay with a driver's side drop the 44 will be the easiest solution. You can flip a toy axle over to driver's side but you have to redo the perches, rotate the knuckles, and redo the drain fill and vent holes.

I'd stick with the toy rear until breaking it becomes a problem, it's very strong.

RockComa

Just b/c it is a driver drop means you have to use the 44 axle. Flip the knucles and all parts to opposite sides, flip the housing so the diff is on the driver side, cut the front off, relocate studs and flip the 3rd member using the cut off piece as a removeable diff cover and you can install the FZJ80 landcruiser axle in the front of the tacoma. Your best bet is to contact Mike Shilling on the NC4x4.com messageboard. He's running dual cases from an 87 mini truck and an 82 toyota axle in the front of his 200 tacoma so he can answer any of your questions better than anyone else i've spoken with. Also on that same board contact Bruce Hatton. Bruce has been in this field for about 40 years and chances are if he hasn't done it, it can't be done.

Shane

I'm running Front Range's "wide" kit which uses the IFS wheel hubs to gain 1.5" each side and have no problems to report yet. No death wobble yet up to 60mph with no shocks.

feet, inches, same difference right?

RockComa

Also I have spoke w/ Marlin about mounting a top shift case to my standard 98 case. $1500.00 just for the 4.7 kit and the adapters b/c your going from 21 spline, using some 23 spline turbo case parts, then mating them to the tacoma 26 spline. But for $200.00 more he can build the case. I found it cheaper though to build my own since I had the case. Call Marlin and he will give you all the part numbers you need to do it. That's what I did.

lcopelan22

ETC.... There's plenty of other "Big Guys" on this website that should be mentioned -- I think "CRAWLER 976" should be the first, but that's just me. I was just telling a buddy that we could do his SAS in a weekend. It's not hard at all. Knowledge comes from experience, experience comes from doing. Sitting on your computer talking about it gets you nowhere, get down and get to it, learn something while you're doing it, that's the only way to get it done as far as I'm concerned! That's how I did it. I had been talking about it for years, But it's one of those things that you just have to do. If your serious about this and have a second vehicle, go out there and hack off your IFS. That's a good motivativator, It was for me!! I just wish I'd found this site before and not right after I did the swap.

44Runner

An 80 front is 63" I believe which would make it 3" wider than your ass end which is perfect. No cutting needed...

AznSky

I was just naming names off the top of my head, I know there are other "big guys" like crawler 976.

crawler#976

lcopelan22, thanks for the mention- but if it's newer than a second gen, I'm limited in my knowledge. SAS'n a Taco or newer Runna is a whole differn't critter. I've got a fairly good handle on the old junk tho

--------------

Shane, after my rig was completed, it really drove nice. But, I think things have been "tweaked" after 3 years. I know the castor changed as the springs settled, and I've added more weight which dropped the springs further yet. I'd also bet the FROR kit is much more hub centric than my AOR spacers- I have to snug'm, tap'm into what looks like the center of the hub, tight'm, road check it, and repeat till it's close. PITA!!!!!!!! The FROR kit is sweet! Makes me wish I hadn't sold the IFS front axle. I also wonder about shocks, maybe I need to get a stiffer valving.........hmmmmmmmmm...........Bilstein 5150's??

later

jeremy

once again thanks for all the info guys, did a lot of calling around today i am looking at the 80 axle and have found one with no abs, no locker, hub to hub no brakes, w/2 xtra axles, $700 sounds like a good deal, i also found out that setting up steering on these is a bit complicated, sounds like knukles etc... have to be sent to OTT in canada to rebuild for proper steering, and weld the abs port, any one know whats up with steering on these, and i am looking to put a crawler in here so that brings up other issues as well as far as t/c goes, right versus left drive etc... and getting it all to jive, yeee haw here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

44Runner

700 bucks sounds like a bunch too me...

jeremy

i asked around today and most people said these things go for $1000-$1200 with no xtras included