Now, before you say that I should get a locker before I get a SAS. My friends can help me for no money, plus one of them will sell me an axle for about $50!!! It's an oportunity that I won't ever have again. I can get a locker anytime I want, plus I have graduation money coming in. So, what do you guy's think?

 

There is no such thing as a cheap SAS. The $50 axle is only the beginning. You'll need shocks and custom shock mounts, steering, springs, installation kits, etc,

 

Trust me, I know it's not even the beginning. I've priced it out, and it still won't be cheap, but it will be around the same price as the locker. It will be CHEAPER than what it'd cost if I had someone do the install, also the axle will be cheaper than a junkyard, not much but at least it's something.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I would think that the locker would cost less. I don't know a whole lot about the SAS, but I bet the locker would cost less than $500 including labor if you had someone else do it. I think you can get a locker for like $200 - $250, right? It sounds like you may be able to do the install yourself. I don't see how an SAS could ever be that cheap. Here's what I would do, buy the axle for $50 and then buy the locker. That way you can use the axle later.

You may want to have some members who have done a SAS to post how much money it costed them. It would really suck to dive into that project and then run out of money.

Just my $.02

 

By the time you're DONE with an SAS, plan on $2000.

 

If I go for a locker I'm going for an ARB air locker which is about $700 and the compressor which is $200. That's $900 right there. Install will be about 300-400, which puts me at 1200-1300. Next the seals that are leaky, along with the berings. around $200. Now I'm at $1,500.

Solid axle $50, fix up the axle along with gears around $400, SAS swap kit $300 from AOR, new steering from AOR $675, already have springs and drive shaft. Already have help for free because my friends want me to do a SAS very bad. That's about $1425, then sell the lift I have for about $300, along with the differential and misc. ifs parts ???

Edit: can't forget shocks and the mounts, around $250-300 for good shocks and the mounts.

Also, this is still COMPLETLY up in the air, I'm just getting ideas right now. The way I look at it, my friend won't hold on to the axle forever. I'm going to Montana for college so, I wouldn't be back untill next summer.

 

You should rebuild your solid axle, let's face it, the newest solid axle from a Toy is about 20 years old. You may need to regear the diff unless you're running 410s in the rear. You'll need shocks and shock mounts.

You may want to do the solid axle swap then put the lockers in when you regear for bigger tires.

 

I voted locker

just seems like there will be more times when you'll be saying "damn i wish i had a locker" than "damn i wish i had done an SAS"

 

one way to save a couple of bucks is using ford f-250 front shock mounts.I got mine for 20 bucks at wrecking yard. Could even make your own crossover and save more. just my .02

 

I used the F250 style as well but if you want these to accomdate high travel you'll need to mount them on top of the frame not on the side and they'll require gussetting. If you don't they'll fail over time. A cross-over like AOR uses (in my opinion) is overkill.

AOR doesn't make a setup like this for the V6 (I can't recall what motor is in the rig we've talking about.

 

I'll vote for the SAS and WELD THE REAR CARRIER until you can afford a real locker! I had a Detroit in my truck prior to SAS'n it, and I routinely take my rig places now in 2x4 that required 4x4 w/ the IFS. Now the Detroit is in the front axle, and a full spool spins'm both out back.

I've been wheelin' pretty hard for 3 years now on my All Pro Hi-Steer system, and so far, I have had no, nada, zip, 0 (ZERO) damage done to tie rods. It also made a huge difference in bump steer compared to the original steering w/ 35" tires. During the years I've spent several hours at a time on trails repairing other guys bent up junk- Hi-Steer is a expensive but great modification.

later

 

Mark, I think he meant the "crossover" shock mounts? (with a tube that goes over the engine and ties both towers together)...

 

That is correct. I run the AP cross over steering arms, although the drag link and tie rod are homemade and enormous! The drag link is 1.25"OD and the tie rod is 2" OD. I forget the wall thickness, but I'm not worried about bending these :o)

AOR uses a tubing crossover on thier shock towers - that's the part that I think is over kill except for desert runners that pound shocks hard. Typically on the trail as slow speeds, shocks don't really work that hard that I'd be worried about tearing the mounts off the frame or bending the mounts.

I do know one guy that this happened to but he drives competitively and breaks even more stuff than I do!

 

my bad I got stuck on steering stuff-

yeah, the over engine mount for a trail rig is definately over kill. I'm using the All Pro hoops and 12.5' travel shocks and have had no problems. I've whomped on it pretty hard too- it's been airborn a few times at high and slow speeds.

later

 

I thought about the hoops from AP but I wanted to go with a full 14" travel shock from Skyjacker. I was able to get the mount up just high enough that at full stuff I have 1/2 of shaft out. I did have to make some bump stops on the frame to bring it down about 2". I think I'm getting the full droop on extension but I haven't had a chance to try it on a ramp style situation to see if I'd have any play left after removing the shock. It's kind a hard to do that on the trail since that means you're already in some kind of a stress situation :o)

I liked the look and style of the AP hoop, it just wasn't going to quite fit my needs and they didn't offer anything to go up through the fender. In fact, Chris told me to find the F250 style mount instead :o)

 

So, it's a tie. That helps, but really I go back and forth day to day. I really don't know what I'm going to do. Heck, I might even take the money and put it into some engine mods, along with some nice accesories.

 

OK, here's my advice if you need a tie-breaker...

If you plan to wheel the wee-wee out of the truck, I vote for the SAS. You can always add the locker and gears at a later date and probably find someone to stuff them in your diffs fairly easily. But it's not every day that you come across the means and the opportunity to do an SAS. With friends helping you - all the more better.

BUT, and this is a big BUT you had better evaluate all of the parts and what they will cost you, down to the last nut. All of the little things add up fast. I think you will be hard pressed to do it for $1500 or there-abouts. If you do, there will be alot of things you will feel you need to add, and you will start missing them early on... (like tires, and gears)

 

I would rather have a locked IFS than an open solid axle assuming identical gears and tire size.

Going from an open IFS rig to an open solid axle rig is only a moderate difference.

 

That all depends on how you're wheeling and where you're wheeling. The logistical problem is that the diff for an IFS will not fit a solid axle housing. So if you pay the money to gear and/or lock an IFS rig, you throw that away if you decide to go do the SAS.

 

I don't think of it as throwing away because I will likely get a couple of years out of my IFS ARB and gears if I swap and then recoup some money in the sale.

If everyone who wheeled an open diff rig knew that they were going to swap eventually, then there would be no reason to have intermediate rigs.

I like the truck to grow and get better slowly so that I can learn about myself and the truck.

Going from a stock, open IFS rig on street tires to a doudle locked solid axle on 35's with a crawler is a huge jump. I know that I could not handle all the new found potential in the rig.