AZ89LONGBED

iTrader: (3)

Well, I am taking a break for today from assembling my LCE & EB motor, and I have been dreaming a bit on e-locker swaps.

Could I Swap in an entire Tacoma e-locker rear axle, run wheel spacers (up front), and be ok? Would the overal wider rear Taco rear end affect handling if I didn't put spacers on?

Just a few ravings of a mad man.

On another note, I have pulled out the old motor & re-installed new mounts, assembled the motor, and will drop it in tomorrow! Woot!

Matt16

The Tacoma axle is wider than the pre-95 axle, but yes you can do so. It's probably easier just to install the e-locker third after modifying you current housing. Here's a link with the info you need to retrofit a e-locker into your current axle housing.

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/electric_locker/

AZ89LONGBED

iTrader: (3)

Since I will be doing this swap in my driveway just replacing the entire axel housing would be easier for me, vs welding & grinding, etc.

The spring perches should align according to info I searched on here, but the driveshaft flange compatibility raises concern. Do I need to do some drilling or need machine work to make my driveline compatible?

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

Order a Triple Drilled Flange from some like Brian at Wab-Fab.org


that should fix your drive line capatibility question

axle width:
Toyota Rear Axle Widths:
55" wide, '79-85 4wd trucks/4runners - 6 Lug
58" wide, '86-95 4wd trucks/4runners - 6 Lug
56" wide, '79-95 2wd Trucks - 5 Lug
60.75" wide, '95.5-'04Tacomas/4runners

wheel spacers will only be needed up front, 1.25" spacers would be the best IMO...

Is this a 2WD or did you get a match gear set for the front too?

AZ89LONGBED

iTrader: (3)

I'll get a matching front 3rd, did some of those tacos come with the 4.56 or only the 4.30??

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

Not sure about the Taco Rations, thought I had a link book marked but not finding it. Personally I would pop the third out to verify the Ring gear tooth count just because it would suck to buy another third member off somewhere like craigslist that you can't return...I had the elocker on my old (and missed) '05 Tacoma, be sure to get an e-locker skid plate for it, about $50-75..very cheap protection for the locker motor.

How about the wiring for the E-locker?
ORS has a good one (down towards the bottom of the page)
http://www.offroadsolutions.com/harnesses.html

olharleyman

Good info I was thinking the same thing for my sas 93runner but will the spacer work for the 85 solid axle?

AZ89LONGBED

iTrader: (3)

OCD-- What is the price on that flange?

ETA: Nevermind, I found the part on wabbitt-ito's website.

RatLabGuy

I'm alsmot positive that the spring perches are NOT in the same place, at least I know thsi to be the case w/ the 80s Runners. i just installed an E-locker into my '89 (gen 1) Runner, and did not do whole axle swap for this very reason. Plus, I wanted 5.29 gears so it needed to come out anyway.

if thsi is teh case, then the total; amount of work is more than just swapping teh third. Keep in mind also the Taco rear is intended for 16" wheels,.don't think 15" will fir, so unless you oddly have 16s already, you'll have to change wheels. Plus you'll have to re-do all teh brake plumbing so the new stuff liens up w/ old; e-brake line, etc etc. But... couldn't you get rear disc brakes this way? that's a bonus.

The axle mods really are pretty minor. I did all the mods in a Saturday. What took longer was doing the wiring... lots of good writeups on it though.
IDK about you, but moving around an axle is a serious pain. I chose to leave teh axle attached and do all te hwork under my truck. The key is, get that sucker jacked up as high as you possibly can (e.g., 12 ton jackstands) so there's enough too to sit up under it; then it's easy doing the welding, drilling, etc.
The welding literally took 5 min;a few passes on 2 spots. Grinding for about 90 seconds. More time spent on prepping, climbing in/out etc than actually doing anything. You really only have to "move" (e.g., drill/tap) 2 of the holes (the ones on the side for the long studs).

tc

Ebrake is on the other side IIRC, perches don't line up, wider width, all kinds of stuff to fab to do an axle swap compared to drilling a couple holes for a thirdmember swap ... no brainer to me.

AZ89LONGBED

iTrader: (3)

yeahp, that sounds like the 3rd swap is easier all things considered. But dang, it sure sounds like an easy idea, and it did say somewhere that I searched on here that spring mounts did line up... Anyways, thanks for all of your input.