89silverpu

Yes, if you use one of the many kits available for swapping, it will be more expensive, but a swap for $1500 is totally doable if you can do the work yourself...anyways enough about that, this isn't what the thread is about....

Not trying to bash the product, just putting some things out there...I'm very interested in the idea and would probably get some upgraded axles, but not for how expensive they would be...

What will you recommend for the hub gear, this will then be the next weak link next to the 7.5" diff? You should offer a cryoed hub set up or something as well.

Will they be offering a lifetime warranty on these? If I were to pay that much for an axle, I would want a lifetime warranty on it.

You say these are for a long travel truck, are you going to be offering these for a stock IFS set up as well?

yotamonsta-

wow you must be a mind reader because i weld for a living , work on my truck in my driveway because i dont have a full fab shop like you, and i am thinking of the market, the only person who would pay that much for cv axle is into some serious wheelin and has to much money!! GOOD call my friend

Been running 37s on my stock cv for a year now wheel the snot out of it and havent had any problem, well atleast out of my cv haha

Tech Tim

Just wait awhile, knowing the Toyota market someone will send a set of these overseas and have them knocked off for a few hun $$$ less, but you get what you pay for.

The next step is some cromo hub gears.

These are built by RCV, their warranty is pretty damn legendary, but it will also be realistic. If you are trying to run these above what the recommended tire size and power output, they will tell you to step up to something bigger. We don't have a tire size or engine size maximum yet, that's what testing is for. It will also probably require you to run cromo hub gears (like Bobby does). Maybe calling it a common sense warranty would be better.

The pic shown is with stock length center bars. They are cutting up a set of LT center bars for me this next week for the test set.

AND a huge thanks goes out to Sean and the guys out at RCV for helping out on this project.

Hard Core IFS is coming, this is just a start.

aviator

Sounds like a great product Tim. I like the "dual-sport" idea... look at the Dakar race trucks they're mostly all IFS these days.

BigBluePile

iTrader: (3)

Me likey. Awesome idea!

874runnersr5

wow, those are sick.

89silverpu

See highlighted response

Tech Tim

I added my responses in yellow after yours in red.

874runnersr5

Yeah, t-100 version would be killer for people running longtravel..

Tech Tim

To be a little more specific.

We have not received the CV assemblies yet, so the only testing we have is on OE Toyota CV assems and the offshore OE replacement assemblies.

Sometime in the next week or two, the men in the little brown shorts will drop off the prototypes for us to beat the heck out of.

YotaTech will get full disclosure on the testing including some vids.

We expect to break these, only because we fully intend to, for research purposes of course. How can RCV or us know where the breaking point is if we don't reach it.

We expect the hub gears to go first, then the 4340 outer stubs and finally the 300m inner stubs, in that order. I highly doubt the CVs could be hurt anytime soon.

For future development you'll see everything upgraded to 30 spline, inners, outers, CVs etc. But to utilize them you'll need to go 8" center housing and upgraded spindle assembly.

BlazeN8

The RCV axles look great. Much stronger materials and design. They look like they will hold some serious angle increases too. Cut off those bump and droop stops and go for more travel. Next on the list should be High Angle Tie Rod Ends and Mega Travel Upper and Lower Ball Joints. I heard rumours that Napa Auto Parts is offering such products. Anyone out there privy to this?

JamesD

The price of these axle shafts is going to push people away from any IFS and go to SAS. Heck I would only pay as much for these as I would pay for Longfields in a SAS. Maybe we should just have Bobby Longfield to make a heavy duty set for the IFS since it would most likely be price competitive. Oh and yes you can do a SAS for $1500 if you know how to.

James

Chewbakka

You have obvously never driven a LT IFS rig.

I would gladly pay a little extra to make IFS just as, or more reliable as a solid axle.


Tim, I need to change my shorts everytime I see the pics of those CV's.

Tech Tim

James,

Longfield couldn't make those any less $$$ as RCV is the company that builds the Longfields for Bobby.

Yes, these are more expensive than Longfields. A set of Longfields comes with two CV joints (or Birfields if you will) and two axle shafts. These come with four CVs and four axle shafts; these assemblies are using all the same blinging high-strength stuff that the Longfields are made from, probably on the same machines that Bobby's are made on, by the same company that buiilds them for Bobby.... do the math.

Yes you can do an SAS for $1500.00, if you know how and can do the work yourself and you could end up with a rig that works decent with stock Birfields. You still need to throw another $800.00 onto that $1500.00 to add in a set of Longfields and then you have a live axle'd rig.

This stuff is still in it's infancy and IFS with more moving parts will always be more expensive than an SAS'd rig, but they are waaaay more fun to drive.

Exactly, those that don't know, don't know....

JamesD

I owned a Fabtech "Ivan Dan" 6" kit on my 87 Toy. It was 2wd but it was a long travel kit so I do know Spending this much money on the suspension of a bracket lift is preposterous or even a stock IFS truck. I would put my money in gears and lockers before I would spend $800-$1500 for cv shafts! I owned and wheeled many Toyota IFS rigs and I NEVER broke a CV joint nor did I crank my torsion bars so the CV axles are at a high angle. People need to know how to wheel, if your going balls to the wall every time then maybe you need better axles if you keep breaking CV joints. It is cool someone is making something for the IFS rigs but the price is not even reasonable IF the prices mentioned are correct.

I did not know RCV made the birfs for Bobby. Still a solid axle is just as reliable as a IFS truck so I do not know where you got your information from. Also Longfields are $595-$630 not $800. Well I hope they do make them and people can afford them other than that I do not think people will spend that much.

James

BlazeN8

I broke an aftermarket made in China T-100 CV assembly ($69) on a very steep and long hillclimb a few years back. It happened in my 1986 Toyota xtra cab with the V8 motor swap. I was under full throttle in 4 low and 2nd gear just going balls out all the way up when the axle shaft inside the hub popped. I was only about 40 feet from the top. It was the worst backing down a hill experience I have ever had. A bullet proof CV would have been nice!

yotamonsta-

Yea but 69 bucks and a crick in your neck is still not close to $1500!!!!

BlazeN8

I almost rolled a few times backing down! It was scarry! If I had rolled the truck it would have been destroyed and I would have been seriously injured or killed. The solution for me has been to be more cautious.

As a side note, the CV I broke was returned under warranty and replaced free of charge. It didn't cover my labor, which I estimate took less than an hour, but I enjoy wrenching on my ride so no big deal. Now I carry a spare CV on the trail runs, the $69 variety! So far that spare has not been needed.

I can see someone who is hardcore wanting the bullet proof CV, despite the price! Its awesome to know the option exist! More cool stuff, keep it comming!

Tech Tim

But let's take this a little farther. You and your buddies drive out to some 4wd mecca, like Moab or the Rubicon, you've planned this trip for a couple months, you've taken a week off work, traveled 1,100 miles to get there and you even have a $69.00 spare with you.

And on the 3rd obstacle in, you blow your $69.00 CV. Any failure is a bitch, swapping anything more complicated than an electrical fuse out on the trail is a pain, slows the group down and then what happens if and when you blow the next one? You get back to town at the end of the tow strap, ending or at least putting a big crimp in the trail ride for your buddies. In town you need to find the nearest auto parts store and order up a replacement. With luck they have one in stock, maybe it might even be the same chain of stores that you had originally purchased one at and they just might cover your warranty.... It's all a pain and well worth that kind of money to me.

And that is just talking CVs, what about an inner stub; strip the flange off and that is not an easy trail fix (well OK do the drill and tap before hand and it's not bad, but still).

These CVs definitely aren't for everyone:

These are for those who want to keep IFS and not have problems with it.

For those who want to push their IFS and not have problems with it.

And for those who think swapping out cheap spares just because they are cheap is pretty lame.



For those of you who can't stomach the price, think that it is too much money for a pile of 300m and 4340 cromo parts.... move along, this thread obviously isn't for you.

Tofer