Just was wondering when going to buy a 84 or 85 toy pickup solid front axle is there anything specific I should look for to make sure its still good? Aside from the obivous such as being dented up from an accident is there anything else?

The axle that I might be getting is from an 85 Pick Up which was 5spd. It is complete hub to hub. I just want to start getting the SAS stuff together to do it all right the first time.

Thanks

P.S. Mods if this is not the proper section to post this question please feel free to move to proper section.

 

To do it right, you don't need much.

The hubs working, and not being broken at all, and the axle housing itself not being bent.

Then you can replace everything else with new junk, new seals, bearings, the whole bit, put in a high pinon, put in new gears, an ARB, and longfields, upgraded knuckles and steering, and have a good start towards a strong truck.

 

Make sure the housing isn't bent. Unfortunately, the easiest way to tell if it's straight is to disassemble it and see how easy the birfields come out and go in.

 

if it was out of a stock truck then its probably not bent, your going to be replacing most to all of the wear items in it, so dont worry if the knuckles are leaking or things like that....

 

While we're on the subject of front axles.

Can the pumpkin be removed, and will it fit back into the housing, rotated 180*, upside down?

Thanks
Ringer

 

Unless it's been in an accident like I think mine was. I got mine second hand from a junkyard and didn't know it was in an accident.

 

Thanks guys! I am going to have a friend take a look at it for me and hopefully everything is good. I am just going to start accumulating the parts over time. I am no rush but I feel this could be a really good deal if its all what the seller said it is.

Thanks again

 

if you figure out how to get it to spin the other way, then i suppose you could do this...if not, your front will wish to go backwards whilst in 1st gear, i believe. Someone else will probably know better than I.

 

What I meant was flip flop the axle over to make it drivers side drive, then install the pumpkin normally.

I also know the Birfield knuckles would have to be rotated to the proper degree of castor, unless I installed Dana 44 inner knuckles. And used 44 outer spindles/hardware/ all that crapola.

 

you can make it driver side drop. take out all the studs but the top two and the bottom two, weld up the remaining holes, install the 3rd upside down and drill and tap the rest of the holes. rotate the knuckles 180*, rotate the "diff cover" 180*, weld up the vent hole (now on the bottom), put a perch on the long side (the short side already has one).

 

And all that crapola would not seal, or mount true, etc.

If you want a Toyota axle on a late model, get a Diamond. Recycling all this old crap really is a waste most of the time.

85-84 have the big gusset. It is all 20 years old so get the best you can find and then hope it is still true.

 

One or two people on pirate have done the axle flip. They both said its not worth the effort but it is possible.

Best way to convert to a drivers side drop:
Take the third member out of the 85 axle, Take 600 out of your wallet. Give 600 to diamond axles, sell the 85 housing.

 

you mean $900 right, diamond toy fronts are 900

 

cheese, do diamonds come with the knuckles, hubs, spindles etc?

if not, then you will need an axle anyway for donor parts.

 

Thanks for the replys.
Maybe I'll dig up a complete Dana 60 from under a Ford F-250/ F-350, and just shorten the pass. side tube and axle shaft, much simpler.

 

Retail is 900 on a bare housing.

I bought an 83 axle complete, sold the birfs, inners and third to recover my money, will give the housing to someone and got all the other parts I need.

You can flip all that stuff, but why? Then you have an expensive, highly modified narrow housing.