Hi! I just bought two (maybe) 82 pickup trucks. Is there a way to identify the axles? Both trucks have seen better days... they both have a truss on the bottom of the longer side. I know that neither one is 84 or 85 they both have round fenders. Also, can you visually ID a long field vs birfield? I am going to toss the SFA under my 4runner, I just don't know which axle to rip out and start rebuilding. Thanks!

 

I tried to upload a picture of each.

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b195/HRDC0R19/20181012_163916.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b195/HRDC0R19/20181012_164057.jpg

 

you can visually identify a long from a stock. early longs will have a welded ring to make them a little longer than a stock birf on the bell. then he stared cryo without a ring IIRC. then ultimately he had a whole different birfield that would be etched.

81-83 axle housings will have a lower truss, but it will not extend to the u-bolt area.

and what I can understand from what you typed, there is no way to identify what birf you have without actually removing it from the front axle housing, unless it was claimed you have a gun drilled shaft.