Just filled up my tank. And thought id post up my mileage. I'm getting 15.61mpg let's hope it goes higher after I replace this BVSV.

 

Yea I kinda felt bad asking questions all over Ed's thread. lets keep it on this one.
Well today i did look up SAS kits, ifs eliminator kits w/e And addictedoffroad had the best deal. like u said only $1100. sounds fair vs the 1200-1350 from marlin crawler, wabfab, all pro etc. i guess i can always sell all the extras that were included in my SFA purchase. I will just get everything for the 4" lift in the front included in the SAS/ifs eliminator kit. and then just buy a matching lift, shocks & springs for the rear to compliment the front. this way i can get it all to the same height.

So i guess ill do that. Also at least i will have all new parts rather then used. and you guys all had a point... i will probably end up spending more piecing together everything piece by piece so yea. this looks like the more "smart and economic" way to go.

Only thing is that i wanted to stay away from Bilsteins. i heard from many members here that they are a great product. But from my 2 offroad buddies from the 4runner & 85 pickup i posed in the previous page on this tread, they told me that they both had bad experiences with those shocks. like having to send them back for repairs, or a leak of some sort(idk) and they recomended me to NOT get those. So idk what to do about that. Maybe i can just upgrade the socks to the better version of the bilsteins? or see if they can sell me the kit w/o the shocks so i can go through with my Walker Evan shocks. then again i think those kits are bought in an actual "kit" so they probably wont be sold separately.

 

Just call Scotty... he's a good dude! Was very friendly to me when I could get a hold of him, ya know? He's a busy dude with projects/the company and expeditions I guess? SO, ... call him, what can he say, 'NO!'? hahaha. Look over his site and see if he offers OTHER shocks? Personally... I would go Fox, but that's just from what I've read from "Baja" guys.... Remember ALL SHOCKS CAN BREAK, homie... especially when you're talking FULL STUFF, FULL DROOP, over and over, along with some occasional nasty compression speeds, etc.... BUT, FOX and others are VERY rebuild-able. If you don't want them... Just sell them or trade someone for something else you need, right? Guys like Scotty seem pretty accomidating... I can't say HE WILL or is likely to accomodate this request.. But he may.. Again, just ask. BUT, ...keep in mind, just like buying a whole tray of something in food.. You pay 50% LESS than you would if you just bought one... So, buying this kit, all separate? DEFINITELY wouldn't be 1100$, ya know? So you're getting a deal on the shocks, right? Keep that in mind. AND, maybe that is part of 'the kit', PERIOD.. Like a package deal from TG or something, ya know? TG probably has a deal with Billy's, etc.

Honestly? I heard that too, recently, from a wheeler.... His billy busted on the driver side... I asked him, "were you being STUPID?".... HIS ANSWER?>>> "DERRRRRRRRR!" hahaha. What does scotty put in his? Read through his Sons build, that orange one(DROOOOOOOOL!!!!!! JHAHAHAHAHA)..... Look at his 3rd Gen runner SAS..... See what THE BUILDERS use, right? And as I was saying.... If you wheel responsibly... and everything is within it's compression/extension limits.... They shouldn't be a problem. BUT, if you wanna use THE EVANS shocks... Well then.... you'll have to buy the billy's at a discount(when you think about it) and resell em before ever opening the box!.... ??? Whatcha think?

 

PS> Why did you delete the pic, man? hahaha... THAT PIC MAKES ME WANNA SPEND MONEY I DON'T HAVE, DUDE!

 

when i quoted your link it took it off. i dunno why. Trust me i tried to fix it too lol
And btw I was also interested in fox shocks as well. I wanted either the Fox shocks or the Walker evans. and the Fox ones are slightly cheaper. just by a few bucks.

 

Btw didnt get around to installing that bvsv this weekend. Spent a little too much time doing other things that took up my "free day" and this weekend i got to work overtime so i might not even get to it this weekend. BUT I DID, however do a couple of things.

I was finally able to take my spare tire off. i had a bridgestone desert dueler with about 90-95% tred left but unfortunately it is the stock tire height so it wont work for me.

then i remembered that i still had my previous trucks spare tire removed and i still had it at my parents garage so i went home to see it and it is a "BRAND NEW 100% tred" toyo z radial extra steel tire. but same size as the other tire (P225/75/15)

You guys think anyone would buy these spare tires on craigslist? wonder if a tire shop would mind trading both of these tires for one 31" spare to match my tire size. they have alot of tred but they're pretty old tires.

And while i was under my truck i noticed that my rear axle has a leak going on. What am i supposed to do when i see this?
I'm thinking that maybe i should just have both my axles rebuilt when i finally go ahead and put the gears/lockers in. what do you guys think. Or should i get this fixed like NOW? dont know how urgent an axle leak is.

 

Lemme see the whole axle tube, Richard.

1. If it's leaking from the diff housing, or drain bolt, or ...........FIX IT! lol... You're gonna be in there for gear swap... But that could be a ways off, right? Looking at how it's dry OVER the 'check fill bolt' and wet under it... could very well be that leaking as well. Pull the check fill bolt TOMORROW and see how low you are, ok? All that said, my guess is 'THE PINION SEAL'

2. You don't necessarily need to rebuild this axle... It's most likely either
.....a. Diff to housing seal
.....b. Check fill bolt
.....c. Drain bolt
.....d. Axle seal
.....e. All of the Above
......f. Pinion seal(MY GUESS #1)
.....g. If the axles, bearings are in good shape.... You might be fine just fixing the leak now, then slapping in your new gears later... And in the interim, maybe be sure that the brakes back there don't need a cylinder rebuild/new shoes/drum turning... Ya know? BRAKES IS BIG TIME IMPORTANT! haha...

 

My guess is the Check-fill bolt and maybe pinion seal/or diff to housing seal. But see if you have a 'streak' of fluid coming down from the breather onto the axle tube... Also see if you have fluid all over the back of the back wheel hub, etc.(THE LATTER is not likely to be the cause of fluid showing up all over the back of your rear end.... So even if you do find an axle seal leaking... could be still needing the pinion seal, etc., as well. Check to see if fluid is coming out from behind the u-joint on the pinion-to-ujoint flange.... if so, THAT'S THE SUCKER! Very common to need replacing if it's not been in a while.

STAY ON TOP OF IT and keep it full until you replace it, if needed. NOT difficult, any of it... k?

 

Everytime I have posted some 15 inch tires on Craigslist, they go fast. I posted some awhile back and hadnt even signed out and got a call on them in less then 3 minutes. Within 15 minutes I had two other calls. Then I had the old 31s that you can see on Mistys truck and it was going to cost me 5 bucks apiece to dispose of them, had less then 25% tread on them. Instead of costing me 20 dollars to get rid of them, I sold them for $25.

I got a few odd tires I will be posting soon, just to clean out the shed. I am sure they will go just as quick. 15 inch tires are hard to find.

If you can swing the $1100 for the kit, it will be new stuff and in the long run you will be much better off, but I too have had to pay more for piecing it together on other things so know what that is like. But even piecing it together like that, sometimes you will get the parts faster then buying the kit.

 

Hmmmm, gonna have to reconsider my 'PINION SEAL' declaration, Richard! hahaha... Reason I say that? I can see the pinion in the second pic.... don't see a DROP underneath the pinion... And if it's leaking, you'd see it running down the pinion shaft to the bottom, THEN dripping off the axle-diff bottom area. Back to thinking it's the Diff mounting seal itself or check-fill bolt or breather or axle seal or ... SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE PINION! I'd have to have more pics from front and back and sides/even showing the back of the wheel area, k?

 

Terry thanks for the advice. I might just got for the kit anyway. It'll be less headache looking for every sibgle piece. After all I did buy everything that day for 550 and that's what most people pay just for the axle itself. So ill still get my moneys worth. BTW how much have you sold your spare tires for? Both mine are pretty new.

Mark, ill take some more pictures today after work. Until then ill refrain myself from driving it.

 

I agree with Ed.... you can go either way, and need to decide 100% ON YOUR OWN which way that will be. Terry's sentiment as well, I believe? YOU WILL figure it out and find some good deals along the way... IF you do the kit, that's a BIG CHUNK of headache of 'searching' and such, out of the way... If you don't, well, get searching, right? All you can do, really.....

You know me, Richard... I use and restore used things all the time! lol... However; I also have LOTS of parts to trade people for, etc. What I can't do is fabricate.... That puts ME, personally, in the hole right off the bat in comparison to Ed.(I'M WILLING TO LEARN! hahaha... Just RIGHT NOW? I can't build a spring hanger with what I've got.... I'd have to have someone LIKE ED do it for me).... I'd be willing to bet I could get help with the 'prepping my rig for install' portion from a few people...Including INSTALLING hangers, eyelets, etc..... So that wouldn't likely cost me too much.... But the materials wouldn't be free.

THEN, what I MIGHT do, from the point of getting started.... Is look at EVERYTHING in that kit, knowing that I need it or something like it... And start looking for purveyors that are REALLY struggling to stay afloat,.... OR JUST SO BIG THEY CAN AFFORD TO UNDER-RIDE ALL THE OTHERS, ..... and see what I could come up with on an "SAS COMPLETE PIECE TOGETHER KIT!". Best thing you can do there, Richard, is Make a list of all the parts in that kit... Then go all over the net and FIND THEM, through resellers of TG, etc... And see "what's the CHEAPEST I can piece this together for, new, all parts in the kit?"... ya feel me? You'll LIKELY come up with around 1400-1500$. BUTTTTTTT... SOME GUY has a set of BRAND NEW SHOCKS and a set of Leaf's for all 4 corners.... that he never could use,....never opened for $???? IT COULD HAPPEN! You have time, between now and 'THEN'(whenever that might be, who knows, right? I mean, stuff 'comes up' all the time, unexpectedly! ).... in that time you can HUNT! Nothing wrong with that.... BUTTTTTTTT..........

In the mean time...I would start, VERY FIRST, by tearing down whatever Straight Axle I possessed for the project... THAT IS KEY, because that needs to be PRISTINE when you slap it in... NEEDING NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTHING! (Problem here is you need to first decide if you'll be doing the IFS Eliminator kit or piecing together... EITHER WAY You go, I will do my best to help you hunt/as I'm sure others will... Or you'll just decide once and for all on the kit, ya know?)....... You want it all nice and ready/painted and all...; Brakes? DONE and NEW(or at least resurfaced rotors, V6 CALIPERS and Larger Booster and Master, PERIOD! I'd be adding weight and risky behavior to the equation that is my off road life, right? BRAKES MUST BE THE SHIZZLE!.... But the brake UPGRADE could come later! True enough)... Hubs and Knuckles? GONE THROUGH THOROUGHLY!(and I mean fine tooth comb with new bearings or races where needed, new gaskets for the hubs, etc.).... AXLE SEALS AND ALL! .... READY FOR LOCKED DIFF INSTALL!.....

Not sure I agree on the "Must have NEWWWWW 4.88's" portion.... But NOTHING is wrong with using new, don't get me wrong. Just that there are PLENTY of Factory 4.88's around that should work(Either way, maybe one new and one I find from a guy who bought em and broke em in, locked, and then said, "HOLY CRAP I HATE THIS ON 31'S!")... and it's not THAT difficult to KNOW or not if Gears are fubar. Still, JUST THE R&P alone are not that costy.... Remember, ..I got my COMPLETE 4.30 DIFF's, locked in rear, maybe 500 Miles on the Locker, .... 225$ for BOTH COMPLETE 3RDS!... So they ARE out there). My gears are around 250,000 miles on em, Richard... NOT A FLAT SPOT THROUGHOUT! Smooth as butter! (The locker on the other hand?... FHEWWW, new, out of the box... that thing can scare ya on occasion...... "POPPPPPPP---PINGGGGGGG"! hahaha.)

Hi-Steer..... DEFINITELY something you can find, as you're waiting, COMPLETE, ready to go, from some guy who's wrecked, etc. (This you'll need, anyhow....unless you like to punish yourself! hahaha). And, well, it doesn't come in 'that' kit... So with Ed and others to tell you EXACTLY what's involved... You're golden on that separate section, ya know?

BTW, don't any of your 'buddies' with SAS or SFA rigs have any extras laying around? I would THINK SO, ya know? Have you asked them? Might be a place to start, man

First thing to do, buddy? RIGHT HERE, asap, make a NICE LONG POST, CLEAN AND ORGANIZED, WITH A LIST! Section it out with the axle rebuild, "Things to do;" and then "Parts needed FOR SURE;" and then "Parts MIGHT need;".... Etc... Checking things off as you go, copy and pasting that list later on and re-editing as you find things. THAT PART IS ALSO crucial, my friend.... What's worse than having to do some tedious work, Terry, Ed? THE FREAKIN RESEARCH AND MISINFORMATION AND DISAGREEMENT ON WHAT'S BEST AND ..... most of all... 'NOT BEING ORGANIZED/GOOD LIST OF 'TO DO' AND 'HAVE' AND 'TO BUY'... Write that up and YOU MIGHT BE SHOCKED that people come out of the woodwork! PERSONALLY? I WOULD, no doubt, start another thread, SOLELY dedicated to "SAS"... then just copy and paste each post here.. But TRUST ME, MANY PEOPLE who DO SAS, but don't read build threads, EVER, might stop in and offer parts, service, or AT LEAST guidance, ya feel me? Just take your time one day on Word or something and make the 'perfect first post', very clean and organized... And edit as you go and 'obtain parts' or 'get things done' in "RED" ..

 

PS> Thought I'd start you out with this one that I've read and REALLY liked reading>>>>

http://www.brian894x4.com/Solidaxleswappt1.html

Here's another;

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techartic...runner_pickup/

And another;

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f152...h-more-250022/

Yet another;

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f88/...ost-you-98326/


I have around 10 more, at least, bookmarked if you want em for research/fun reading/realistic factoring of costs and work involved - PURPOSES?

 

Thanks chef. Lol its like you read my mind. I was also thinking if making a list a few weeks back. Only thing is that I don't know everything that is involved with a SAS quite yet. So i never got around to it.

I found that first link a while back ago. that's what i was gonna base my sas build on was that website he has lots of good information on it and is very clear in explanations.

I'll check those other links out when I get home today. Thanks for all your guys's help and opinions. I got a good 3 months or so before I finally have the money to spend again on the parts that i need. So I have plenty of research time ahead of me. lol

 

I just texted my off road buddy. He told me he had to piece his together due to his wider axles and a few other things. But he said if I contact allpro that they can make me a custom sas kit and just exclude what I already have so I only buy what is needed. And allpro also sells the shocks I want too. I think i might call. Just to get myself a quote ya know.

 

Sweet... See? THAT WAS QUICK! lol... KEEP THEM ON SPEED DIAL, your SAS buddies!

 

I called AllProOffroad.com today. They gave me a quote for everything I am missing in the SAS kit, front & rear 4" lifts and all 4 shocks. Everything to complete all those kits is gonna come out to $1763.27. Roughly. Shipping varies. But its around that price.

The guy also told me as far as the axle rebuild kit goes he recommends for me to go Marlincrawler because they sell a comeplete axle rebuild kit and also include Japanese bearings. He said its the best kit and the only one as far as he knows that sells it complete 100%

That's not bad for
- SAS kit(missing parts)
- Hy-Steer kit(minus the arms)
- front and rear walker Evan shocks (12" for front and 10"for the rear)
- and front and rear missing 4" lift pieces.

I went ahead and called Marlin crawler a few minutes after calling all pro.
MarlinCrawler just quoted me a total of $1053.29 for
- 5.29 Yukon gears(x1)
- Spartan Locker(x2)
- Axle Service kit

At least now I know more or less what I'm spending for everything I need.

Approximately $2816 for everything I need to get.
Little by little ill get everything I need. Starting with the axle rebuild kit from marlincrawler and the Spartan locker for the front. It's there that ill find out if I really do have 5.29's in the front.
If the 5.29's are in good shape then ill just do what Zuk recommend and keep them. If not ill go 4.88's all around.

BTW my Off-Road buddy told me AllPro has a store out in Hemet CA. Said he picks his stuff up all the time from there. It's going out toward riverside so its a long drive. But worth not paying shipping for ya know. Not bad.

Mark if u don't mind, is it possible for u to find out which local store u said u bought your Spartan locker at? I'd like to have the info handy for when the time comes I can just make the trip out there so I don't pay for shipping on that one with Marlincrawler.

 

I was texting my friend and he told me that he still has his old Toyota rear axle at his dads house(aka my moms neighbor) . The gears are broken but he has an "AuburnGear" locker in it. and says he thinks its still good good. I offered to buy it or take it off his hands if he doesn't have any need for it. He didn't say yes but he didn't say no either lol he just said that I would have to take a look at it before. So let's just hope it is in good condition and hope he's willing to part with then if he sells them or gives them to me. Either way ill still save some money.

 

I will try to find it, Richard... I think what I did was go to the Yukon site... Then I went to 'authorized sales' locations... I believe the one that popped up was in Torrance? I'll find out.

I'm not positive, Richard... but I think even the Addicted kit is the same one that Marlin and Wabbit sell? Different prices but same stuff's? Call Scotty and find out, would be my recommendation. If you could do the eliminator and sell the shocks, buy the shocks you want and the rear lift... maybe you'd save money? I don't know... Find out how much the hi steer is alone?

Anyway, I'm sure you're gonna do that and take the best priced route. WOW, 2900$ and counting, eh? That'll make anyone flinch!! hahaha.

 

Yea i did plan to call the competition and see what the difference in prices were. scotty's is still probably gonna be the cheapest but i gotta find out at the source first rather then taking peoples word like the guy i spoke to on the phone lol

and Yea, i cringed bad when i seen that price. but then when i seen what i was saving on what i already do have then i smiled.(barely) lol