Hiya guys,

I went to eliminate my ADD system and bits of ring teeth fell out the drain plug. I had to have the rear diff repaired by a mechanic when I bought it last summr. ZUK figures it's just mileage wear and tear and I think he's right so I'll take the time to regear this time. This ADD Elimination was going to be my first attempt at my own vehicle mod which instead evolved into my first vehicle repair.

I shopped around and am happy with East Coast Gear Supply. ZUK told me Nitro gears are the way to go so that's what I'll be getting. I have a friend who will teach me how to do this as he has the tools for it.

So my questions are what else besides the two sets of ring and pinion and instal kits should I get? I don't want to fix just one part if there is something else contributing to the bits of metal I found. I assume everything in this part of the drive train is original from when the 4Runner was built in 92.


I've decided to go for 5.29 gears so I can move up to 35's as I'm on fat 33's now. The tires need replacing soon anyway so after this repair that will be my next buy. This leads to tire types.

This vehicle is my DD and as I'm in Northern Canada it will see lots of street on road trips, rock and deep bog mud. I want a good all around tire and have heard the BFG M/T are the way to go and they do not seem too over priced.


Last bit is which mechanical locker should I go with? Air Lockers and E lockers are out of the picture for now. I most likely will get some in the future so want something in the mean time. I like the Aussie Lockers so far and this is mostly due to price. Some of the other mechanical lockers cost so much more that I might as well go selectable.

Any good ideas are which one and from where who might ship to Canada?


I'll post a thread on my repair attempt and follow that up with me learning how to restore my 92 V6 4Runner. I want to get the rust off and paint it in my garage, including the frame. When I start that other stuff I'll need advice right down to what tools I should buy. I bought a house with my first garage so it's time to set it up now that I'm working.

I fly to work tomorrow morning and back next week. I'll log in to check up on replies so I can get ordered next week.


Thanks in advance! Pictures coming when the parts arrive.

 

Bump for advice please before I blindly spend a good bit of money.

I am less than amateur as a mechanic so really rely on all of you for information and advice.

Thanks again.

 

I just sifted several threads here, on Pirate, and ih8mud, and the general consensus seems to be that they're all the same, with perhaps a slight nod to the Spartan for being slightly stronger. Are you locked in (heh) to an automatic? Because you might like an LSD like the Truetrac more, if you're on pavement a lot...

 

Solid pinion spacers.

:wabbit2:

 

Thanks fellas. I'll get those solid spacers and have a look at the cost of a Spartan compared to the others. I did notice Detroit lockers are quite pricy.

When your ring and pinion go are there other parts that tend to deteriorate and need replacing at the same time?


Also, would you guys say 5.29 gearing is the way to go if I want 35's or will 4.88 do the job better?

Thanks for the replies!

 

general rule is 4.88 for 33s and 5.29 for 35s... I live in Fernie, b.c and ive heard that some folks hate mechanical lockers on icy/snowy roads... Theres lots of threads on here discussing lunchbox lockers.. I have a sparten locker in the rear and i find i had to change my driving style a bit on the road but i also run 35 studded tires in the winter which helps. Most people would def say save up and get a selectable locker for the front if you do alot of road driving and plan to use your 4x4...

 

As long as you're replacing the ring and pinion, there's no reason not to freshen up the whole diff. Get a master rebuild kit.