Moderators! Sorry about the unclear title, i meant to put "Front diff maintenance and gearing questions!"
Im also not sure if this should have been a Newbie Q or not, so feel free to correct my post.

Okay, picked up this for free.


Now i have a few q's.
is it going to pay off to re-gear a front diff? do i have someone put in the Locker? i always hear people say they have to send it off usually to get the gears back in the right spots, etc. I just need a run through on what maintenance and work to do on it. Im pretty mechanically programmable to do my own work i just need to know what to do, how to do it, and what to buy.

Keep in mind a SAS is no were near my trucks future, IFS is going to suffice for about 5 yrs at least.

EDIT
to answer some questions, and thank you UKMyers.
Im running 31's right now, and will probably keep running 31's to avoid the lift for right now.
Im planning to lock both front and back diffs, and just get new 31's shocks and level my truck out
Thats it, i guess re gearing wouldn't be so necessary... if tire size is so vital.

 

Fixed your title for you. If you regear that front diff you need to regear the rear also. Setting up gears is sort of an art and requires a few special tools. It's not rocket science but it's easy to do it wrong. What tires are you running...what are you planning on doing with your rig? Some more info would be good.

 

The thing is.. If you go to larger tires your going to wish you regeared.

What gears do you have right now? 4.10's or 4.56?

If your going to regear, you might as well hand the guy the lockers at the same time cause he can't charge you any extra labor.

For your front differntial you'll need a ring and pinion set AND a master install kit.
Both found on this page:
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/c-616...oyota-7-5.html

For your rear diff you will also need a ring and pinion set, as well as a master install kit. Might as well throw in a solid pinion spacer while your at it.
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/c-616...-e-locker.html

Add up the numbers, add in lockers, then add $100-$200 per diff for a gear guy to set them up if you bring them the differentials.

Like Joey said, setting up/ installing gears is not something the average shade tree guy could do.

Go here, read..
gearinstalls.com

 

x a billion on the gearinstalls.com. (and anything else in Scuba's post...)
Zuk is to gearing a Toyota like John Bonham is to the god of thunder...



I'm just going to add that AT or manual tranny makes a difference.

AT's almost always have lower gearing, so 4:88's with 33's and 5:29's with 35's is not always the case...

While that is truer with 5 speeds, and it will more than get you by with an AT, it's just not the blanket theory someone might post up here in a while.

It's also not a law you use x gear with x tire... You can over gear or under gear if you want, it's a free country.


Personally, I'd LOVE to have a AT 4Runner with 5:71's and 33's to pull beach duty with

 

Always. It keeps the truck in, or improves the powerband.

Yes. And as already stated, b/c the labor will be cheaper since there is a dude right there anyway.


Research. And tons of it! And as stated, see Zuk at gearinstalls.com.

Gears look like you can just slap them together, but believe me... They are FAR from it. Pinion depth and backlash are two that jump out at me...


Well don't look now, but you've got THE BEST, mass produced IFS to ever find it's way under a truck/SUV (2nd only to a H1 Hummer in my opinion). It does get a bad wrap, but usually by extremer's who aren't really ever satisfied with anything. Keep your expectations and limits real, and 9 times outta 10, it'll be all you need. You just can't go crazy b/c of the little pumpkin, 2 times the joints of a solid axle, and limited articulation. It's fine for what it is. But a SA has 2 less joints and no rubber boots to split.

I would HIGHLY advise against this, or at least make it a selectable. The reason lockers in a front axle are a no-no is b/c simply turning exerts a ton of force and the little guy up front and his 4 friends won't like that vary much. Plus, it makes steering mucho hard.

Go with a geared limited slip or selectable (ARB only) if you want to steer, Powertrax no-slip or Aussie locker if you understand the risks.

" The"Aussie Locker" has approximately 1/2 the backlash of some other automatic lockers. The design use specialized low profile gear sets (small, wide teeth) which have almost zero backlash when engaged resulting in smoother operation. Any backlash present in the locker occurs between the cross shaft acting in the grove cut in the cam gear. Because the camming operation is smooth and progressive, rather than sharp and abrupt, it results in well mannered handling characteristics over other automatic lockers."


I'd try traction and 30's 1st... That might be the best approach. The difference in the 30 and 31 is only a 1/2 inch anyway...

And it's a narrower tire so it's lighter...

 

i did my rear aussie install myself...didn't even screw it up....pretty happy with both on road and off road performance with it for the money

..most shops will set up your locker for you for no additional charge if you are regearing since the whole third is pulled anyway...

 

Thank you all so much for the feed back, in this i have concluded a few things.

Okay so with more traction a larger tire might not be necessary along with the lift, making things so much cheaper and realistic. Also considering that would make the whole process cheaper because i wont have to re gear. For the
lockers I guess now that i should just lock the back diff, and leave my front diff alone, ill keep the new one for spare, and later on a re gearing.


So in conclusion and with he help of feed back, ill be buying a rear AUSSIE locker, and then what do i need after that? if im not re gearing.

Then later on... sliders and tires.

Thanks a lot guys

 

Well. Bigger tire size is helpful when you start wheeling the larger rocks. You'll start getting hung up on your rear diff and catch things underneath on smaller tires.

A rear aussie is a great place to start. Even without re gearing.

LMK if you need help with the install.

 

Sounds like we have a Saturday planned together, haha whenever i get the cash and buy it! soon! Now did i need to buy the master install kit and ring and pinion still?

*to add to that, i think maybe ill go up and inch or two according to what i have now with my new tires and they will be BFG A/T most likely or some good mudders


Thanks again

 

You won't need any master install kit with the Aussie locker. The master install kit just contains bearings and shims for setting up a new ring and pinion. Which you don't need unless you are regearing

Some say 33's are doable on stock gears.. Some swear against it. I ran stock gears for a year on 33's. It's doable.

Just search, and read, and search some more.. You'll figure it all out.

 

IF I did 33's, I'd try my best to do the 10.50 BFG's and aluminum rims...

Be forewarned though, BFG's are some heavy tars... I went from 235's to 30's(!) on my little no lift, reg cab 22RE 4WD, I could feel how heavy they were and lost 100 miles A TANK!

12.50's and steelies would be a stretch... You V6 will do it, but the question is, at how much of a loss in MPG?

But either way, just get familiar with door codes, paint codes and options and go hit a salvage yard up for some 4Runner 4:56's or if you get lucky, 4:88's.

And just so you's know, as far as I know ALL the IFS front axles are THE SAME. It's the REAR 4:88 that IS NOT regearable...

So if getting MORE than 4:88's is is your future, I'd think about that...


PS, don't forget you have a V6 rear now. It's worth more than a 4cyl just for that. In any condition.