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New Rear Axles for '97 V6 tacoma w/o ABS: Longfield/Nitro/Yukon/?
Howdy guys,
The trans/diff shop that changed the axle bearings some 18 years back used a cutting torch to remove the axle bearing locking ring (below). They made (2) cuts into each axle; the one pictured is the worst. Hard to believe that these cut axles have been on the Tacoma for almost 18 years and still spin straight. Summit carries the Longfield Super Axles for this '97 V6 Tacoma w/o ABS but want to check with people who have used these or other replacement axles. Thoughts?
TIA!
Here is a better picture of the serious damage done to the axle by an amateur with a cutting torch: You can split the locking collar off that axle in 10 minutes or less with nothing more than a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel, a sharp coal chisel, & a 3-4 lb. hammer with a short handle. I did just that to split the locking collar off the axle & expose the damage under it.
Is the shop buying you an axle? That’s pretty piss poor shoddy work to torn off parts to the point you compromise what’s underneath. You only apply heat until it’s loose, not melt the whole thing.
Is the shop buying you an axle? That’s pretty piss poor shoddy work to torn off parts to the point you compromise what’s underneath. You only apply heat until it’s loose, not melt the whole thing.
Yeah, I hear 'ya. I was a welder for many years & could wash those bearing collars off with no damage to the axle at all if I had to do it in an emergency. But it is just too easy to press or split them off. The shop even cut into each axle on (2) sides so the collars would literally fall off the axle. This is the shoddiest work done by a full-time trans/diff shop I have ever seen. Work was performed some 18 years back in Pearl, MS & the damage was hidden under the locking ring all this time. Receipt is long gone so collecting from them is not an option. At this point, I am just VERY glad the axles did not break/fail off-road and leave me stranded.
I'm not sure of aftermarket replacements, but the gouge doesn't look too deep. Have you shopped around to local machine shops and see if they can fill and polish that? I would think for $100 a QUALITY welder can repair that.
Unfortunately, I am about 400 miles away from the welding machine & lathe. But I will repair both OEM axles myself at a later date & keep them for spares. Except for those (4) damn torch cuts, all they really need is a couple 0.001s turned off in the outer seal area. The hurricane season is fast approaching. God forbid that Kingwood, TX floods again like we did at the end of last August. Several aftermarket companies make axles for the Tacoma but the Longfield axles appear to be a good choice. Zuk is bringing the rear diff up to speed now & will have it back to me post-haste. So unless I hear about a better axle brand, these Longfield axles will get ordered on Monday. This Tacoma needs to be made ready for whatever comes our way this year. Hopefully, mother nature will give us a pass this season. Many here in the Kingwood/Houston area are still dealing with the severe damage from last year's flooding. Appreciate the good input!
Just measured my OEM axles to be 29.25" so had to eliminate the Longfield axles as they are too short at 25.875". Seems my '97 V6 Tacoma 4x4 rear axle tube is not set up for ABS but uses the same length axles as the ABS axle tube. Both Yukon & Nitro look to manufacture 29.25" axles.
OK. I have actionable intel to share. A buddy of mine is a retired second generation master welder/master machinist. His advice is to ABSOLUTELY forget weld-repairing these torch-cut OEM axles. Since I would be a fool to discount his expert opinion, I will not go there. We both have welded up smaller axles in the past by preheating them with a torch, then making a single pass with a 7018 rod, followed by a long cooling period at ambient temperature, then repeat as necessary followed by a spin on the lathe to bring everything into specs. But the possibility of a weld-repaired Tacoma axle failing at highway speed or far into the back country is just not an acceptable risk especially since new, high quality replacement axles are available at a reasonable price. Would a well executed repair work? Probably, especially since the affected area is under the bearing locking collar VS under the load bearing, bearing area. But his 36 year career was spent in aerospace and my 33 year career was spent in aviation, both fields VERY unforgiving of failure. We both agree to err on the side of caution now just as we did during our respective careers. The 29.25" Yukon axles look to be very good and are made of better steel (1541H) than the OEM Tacoma axles (1050). But the 29.25" Nitro axles are made of even better steel (4340) than the Yukons with just a small increase in price delivered. It looks like we have a leader, possibly even a winner in this race.
EDIT: Nitro AXT34060 axles cut to 29.25" have been ordered.
I ordered Nitro axles cut to 29.25" but received full length Nitro axles drop-shipped from the factory in GA which were appox. 3" too long. Cutting them to the proper length of 29.25" was not an easy task but I got it done. The Nitro chrome-moly axles themselves are absolutely beautiful pieces of machine work. But they are as hard as woodpecker lips, literally as hard as an oversized grade 8 bolt! The oil-cooled band-saw blade we tried cutting them with was quickly trashed so don't go there. If you choose to use Nitro axles, do your best to have them delivered professionally cut to proper length. But if you must have them cut to proper over all length yourself, best ensure they are cut in an oil-cooled lathe for best results. .02
If I ever decide to upgrade my rear axles then it sounds like the Nitro brand is the way to go. I mean I do use the Nitro gears all the time and those are quality right there......
and it does not surprise me too much that they sell good axles for the Taco too. So the Georgia plant did not notice that your order specified 29.25.....I wonder how often that happens.
I wonder how a 14" chop saw would work for cutting the axles down without affecting the temper.
Ken
Ken,
These NITRO axles are so damned hard, I would not attempt to cut them off without oil cooling the axle while being cut. I kid you not when I say they are an oversized grade 8 bolt. The NITRO axles completely killed the oil cooled band saw blade approx. 1/4" into the axle. And not the NITRO plant's fault on the length. Nitro shipped what the dealer told them to ship. The dealer screwed up on several issues & has lost my future business. All is well though. Rear end is assembled/painted & the Taco is off the jack stands. Will road test it tomorrow & fully expect it all to be top shelf. Hurricane Harvey with all the flooding hit us Aug 29th last year. The Taco is now ready for whatever comes our way this hurricane season. Appreciate your fine work!
The things I am reading say that the Nitro chrome axles for the Taco are "cut to fit".....and now I found out from one of the customer reviews that it takes a downsized axle bearing on 01-04 Tacos.
Your 97 Taco does not have that bearing concern it seems.
I read the same thing about the bearing issue on the later Taco but it did not apply to my '97 V6 Taco. The OEM Toyota axle bearings (KOYO)/seals fit fine on the NITRO axles. Just road tested the Taco & it is very smooth/very quiet. Accelerate-Coast "clunk" with the auto locker is greatly reduced, almost non-existent. You definitely nailed it on the rear diff!
08-04-2018, 08:16 AM
