1st gen solid axle swap information

I'm just finishing rebuilding a wrecked 01 tacoma. Now I'm ready to start looking into a solid axle swap. I want some good crawling abilities but needs to be decent on the road traveling to and from. I'm a bodyman and fabricator so I'll do the work myself. What axles and swap kits are most commonly used. I'm looking to get more information on what does and doesn't work and why. I'm also wanting to learn more about the double case setup as well. Any info will be greatly appreciated

 

How wild are you trying to get? 1 tons and 42s? Toyota axle or D44 and 35s? Do you want to spend 10k or 30k? Do you have any examples of builds others have done that you would like to copy or use for inspiration?

For duel cases there's a few options. There's the Toyota route: Marlin Crawler, Trail Gear. Or there's the North West Fab route that sells a planetary doubler that New Process, Dana, and Atlas cases bolt to. There's no way to do duels for less than $2500.

 

Spend some time reading through this subforum https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/sas-quick-guide-cost.138316/
And this one for crawlbox/dualcases https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/official-crawlbox-bs-thread.422186/

You need to start at the basics, What motor, tires size, and suspension setup (leaf/link) and then build based off those requirements.

 

I'm looking to go with 35-40 havent decided exactly. I want to build a nice crawler that can be driven to and from adventures. Moderate wheeling on the usual but I'm only a few hours from moab so I want to have alot of flex for when we go there a few times a year. I havent decided on dana 44 or 60 yet. I will be running the stock motor for a few years until I can ls swap it. I'm doing alot of research between springs and links. I'm debating a 4 link in the rear with a panhard bar and a 3 link up front. I've built several 4 links for hotrods and bagged trucks over the years but havent done a link setup on a 4x4 but from what I'm seeing in my research you can get alot more travel with links. I'm not looking to spend 30k I can do all the fab work myself so that will help alot im just looking to get some knowledge from those who have already been there and done it. I appreciate all the replies and info

 

DIY for toyota case, it'll be cheaper than $2500
MC 4.7xd 23s ~$600 or $0 for turbo 23s 2.28 (hard to come by, but they're out there)
TG taco adapters ~$800
Used rf1a housing ~$250
FR/RR driveline modification ~$350
FROR tcase crossmember ~$300

Or wait until black Friday/Xmas sale and save an extra 10-15% with possibly free shipping.

There's way to making it cheap. You just need to find the loop hole.

 

OP, as @ToyRyd04 mention: lots of reading and research. Read and research until your eyes bleed, lol.

The most common swap is trailgear. Cheap and almost a complete kit. I would say d44 is not to far behind, followed by d60 and custom housing.

$$$ will be the judge imo on how it's built. Leaf will be 4x cheaper vs link with good components and coilovers.

 

My bad. Adding everything you listed was $2300. I was way off...

 

Definitely $600 buck cheaper to go 2.28 dual and not run FROR crossmember for an additional $300 difference. There's ways to make it cheaper.

Not disagreeing with @Broke Okie Ty but if you're able to built it yourself, you'll get more out of it compared to buying a built unit for near $2500.

23s 2.28 turbo rf1a ~$350
Tg adapters ~$800
Driveline modification ~$350

Can't get it any cheaper than that

 

Leafs would be the cheapest and still flex real nice and drive fine on road. Links if you want to go fast offroad and want a nice ride. I would just build your own "kit", there's so many options for mounts out there you can piece your own together for a good price.

Don't discount fj60/62 toyota axles, a bit wider and they use the 9.5" diff and mini truck outers. My shit pile, drives great at 70, works good enough for me and won't win any beauty contests which I don't care about anyway. Example these are fj62 rear leafs that I got for free, and they work fine. So don't just look at typical toyota parts, leafs off jeeps will work or other toyota models etc....

 

I appreciate all the input from everyone and I am and have been doing alot of research on this topic and that what's lead me to this super informative forum. I have no problem build brackets braces etc. I've been fabricating for years. And that why I'm considering the links vs leafs. Thanks for all the links and info I'm still doing my research right now and am looking for the best quality build I can do without breaking the bank or taking years. I have a set of low pinion gm dana 44 axles readily available for dirt cheap. The leaves come with them as well but I'm looking to be able to cruise comfortably down the freeway and then be able to turn off road and go most anywhere I choose. I'm not rushing this at all i want quality. I'm a local builder where I am and it needs to be right. I'm a professional not a scab. That's why I'm looking at all the info right now my biggest decision is axles and links or leafs. I'm undecided because I know how well links perform in hot rods and they also look beautiful and perform awesomely when done right. The 4x4 link setups are newish to me but done several others so I'm confident but looking to learn more from those who have the pros and cons of each. Thanks again everyone

 

Where would you guys suggest looking at to piece my own kit together other than trail gear I've been looking there a bit and have a good idea of what I can do from them

 

If tuned right, CO is top notch. Nothing comes close. If not built correctly, it's garbage and leaf spring will be better. Link will cost more, a lot more. Good 2.5 CO will run you +2k.

Personally, I wouldn't piece a kit from TG. There's RS, barnes, ballastic, 4wu and many more. Keep in mind, there's no such thing as a universal link kit. Every setup is different.

 

Every setup has it's pros and cons. If you want a 3-link front and a 4-link rear, you'll need to move the factory gas tank, otherwise stick with a 3-link rear or go leafs in the rear. Links are much more involved, so if you want to go this route I suggest reading up on link geometry and figure out how you want your vehicle to ride. Start with this article >> https://www.barnes4wd.com/Installation-Tips-for-Adding-a-Three-Link-Suspension_b_8.html, and then this article >> https://crawlpedia.com/4_link_suspension.htm (the crawlpedia article is about a 4-link suspension, but most of the tech can be applied to a 3-link). Also look through the forums and figure out which builds you like and want to mimic. SAS's have been well documented on here so you should find everything you need.

 

If you decide to go the dual-case route, please give serious consideration to the 4spd atlas transfer case option first. Big negative is that it costs around 4 grand based on configuration....plus another $150-200 for shipping easily (give or take based on location). It's certainly a lot of money. But there are no adapter plates to mess with. Everything is contained in one unit, triple stick design, multiple gear options to choose from, very solid customer service, etc.

You will be hard pressed to find owners with negative things say about those 4spd atlas units (though I am sure there must be some out there).

 

I agree with 1999RegCab in regards to the Atlas.
I currently run a single case Inch Worm unit with the 4.7 gear set. Works great yet I'd like the options an Atlas provides.

Good luck with your build.

Oh yeah... I like my 4WU links in the front.

 

I used barnes for my parts, but they are also semi local to me and I don't have to wait a week for parts like using ruffstuff. Nothing against ruffstuff it's just a shipping across country thing.

 

I’ll agree with this. I’ve used rough stuff, artec and ballistic because they are close to me and I don’t have to wait the cross country deal

 

There are multiple vendors (mentioned above) that sell pretty much the same brackets, mounts, etc. Some of the parts might have slight design variations from vendor to vendor, but for the most the parts are quite similar. You cannot go wrong with either one of them.

4WU is the only one, that I am aware of, that has "toyota-specific" parts for link suspensions. Meaning, the brackets are designed around a specific link geometry for these trucks. The other companies sell generic brackets, so with those you need to figure out the geometry yourself.

The interesting thing is that most people I've talked to who run dual cases say that most of the time they only use the 4.7 case anyway.

Others, on the other hand, seem to use double-low all the time in most wheeling situations. So I guess it all depends on what people really need. Maybe it is one of those "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it" types of things.

 

A buddy of mine had a single 4.7 and he'd always get stuck on muddy hill climbs. He couldn't get the right wheel speed to clean out the tires, without shifting through to 5th. I personally would do duel 2.28 cases over a single 4.7.

 

Very good point if you wheel in situations where tons of wheel speed are needed. Local guy runs 2.28s in both cases and it works really well for him (with an automatic transmission).

Another thing is that LS swaps are becoming more and more common. I rarely see anybody with a torquey V8s running mega low transfer case gears at all. They are not really needed at that point.