14 Bolt and links on the truggy?

[CruisinFJ60]

So after breaking a short side poly axle on the truggy this weekend I am debating if I want to keep a yota axle under it or not... The front will stay toyota as the longs have a lifetime warranty but the poly only carries a 12 month warranty and they were purchased back in 07... If I can break a short side that means a long side can be broken as well... If I go to a 14 bolt I would do links out back for the hassle of swapping an axle i dont think it would be worth trying to stay spring over and just as easy to go to coils or a quarter elliptical setup out back.

they guy said he would cut me a break on the cost of the axle but I dont want snapping a semi float axle and being stranded a regular occurrence... I was flogging it and it did bounce a couple of times but even still I have a stock I6 still so i dont have a ton of power.

so what say yall?

swap to a 14 bolt rear and do something similar to that of freds40 and move the housings so i can keep my 60 case or what?

and if I do go links what should i do? I was thinking a triangulated 4 link cause i dont really like panhard bar setups for whatever reason but I am open to others ideas on this.

then should i do coils or quarter elliptical?

I just dont like breaking stuff.

 

[Huroneymoose]

Do it right the first time. Coil overs. ( I love spending other peoples money! )

 

[CruisinFJ60]

I guess I should say I dont have that kind of money to spend... I dont make a whole lot, so scratch for the truck is sparse (another reason for not wanting to break, I cant afford to fix it very fast usually) so coils or a Q.E. setup will have to be the affordable choice for me (if I go that way of course).

 

[Kurtis]

The biggest hassle of swapping that axle would be moving the housing which you would need to do either way. Putting a 14boltff under a SOA cruiser is cake. When we put a 14bolt full float on my buddies 60 with a 454th400np205 it took all of maybe 2 hours to cut out some new perches find the pinion angle weld it up bend up a couple new brake lines and bolt it up. I think he spent more time cleaning it up then we did installing it. I wanna say he got it done for under 200$ including the axle. He had to buy 8 lug rims and still needs the adapters up front from 6-8. Just the heim joints alone to link it will be around $500.

 

[LC_Hamma]

In order to run rear coils in the adequate location (under the frame), you'll need to hack the frame & refab an arch over the wheelwells, similar to a Jxxp TJ's frame. That'll let you run extended coils & you won't be stuck with stock sized coils like I am Or, you can inboard them, but be prepard for a lot of body roll & the need to run a sway bar. Coilovers would be a better choice there. I'm running a cut down 13 bolt, Moser short side shaft, linked, & a BTF modified truss. Don't know about your stock gas tank location, but I relocated mine at the rear so the link tower could clear.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

part of the issue im having is if i swap to a 14B FF I dont really want to keep the leaf springs. part of the reason (which isnt a big one) is the axle housing being bigger and it lifting the truck and making it sit uneven.

as for the gas tank it doesnt have one, it has been bobbed 14 inches out back and runs on full propane with tanks mounted in what is left of the "bed". I dont mind spending money on good heims if they will net me better articulation and capability on the trails, that is why i am considering a Q.E. setup or coils. i know I can make leafs continue to work i was just thinking to use the potential swap of non toyota parts to upgrade the suspension.

I like that it is all toyota (less the transmission) but i do not like how it snapped the only upgraded axle on the market. The 40's are hard on things tho and i understand this. thats why I want yalls thoughts.

and for reference of what we are working with and for those of you who dont know the truck here are a couple of shots.

1.) most recent picture from this weekend of the underside.
2.) side shot

 

[Kurtis]

I guess what I'm getting at is if you drop the 14 bolt underneath the springs your not out any money since either way you have to buy a 14 bolt, you need the brake lines and 8lug rims. You'll waste 15$ on steel and maybe another 25$ on u bolts and then you can actually drive it while you save up the money to link it and get good parts. The ride height is really negligible as the housing isn't that much bigger and that small increase in diameter is halved as far as height is concerned. On my buddies 60 we put the mount on pretty flat and it sat nearly identically no noticeable change.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

I guess what I'm getting at is if you drop the 14 bolt underneath the springs your not out any money since either way you have to buy a 14 bolt, you need the brake lines and 8lug rims. You'll waste 15$ on steel and maybe another 25$ on u bolts and then you can actually drive it while you save up the money to link it and get good parts. The ride height is really negligible as the housing isn't that much bigger and that small increase in diameter is halved as far as height is concerned. On my buddies 60 we put the mount on pretty flat and it sat nearly identically no noticeable change.

I was thinking about exactly that last night, putting it in and running it till I could afford the links... I found they came stock with 4.56 gear sets so if I found one of those (probably rare) I wouldnt even have to swap gears. I also found that Yukon Chromoly axles are like 170-190 a side, beats the hell out of the 220 and 230 a side for the poly land cruiser axles.

looks like for the price I cant go wrong at all...

 

[Mace]

no reason to run chromoly axles. Better to spend that money turning down the hubs to 6 lug

Shorten the long side to match the short side dimension and slap it in there.

4.11's are most common.

Detroits are cheap for a 14 bolt.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

no reason to run chromoly axles. Better to spend that money turning down the hubs to 6 lug

Shorten the long side to match the short side dimension and slap it in there.

4.11's are most common.

Detroits are cheap for a 14 bolt.

I remember Freds40 turned his down to 6 lug with just a little machine work and I would like to do the same just for simplicity down the road as I don't feel a need to change the front axle since the longs are doing just fine.

But you don't think there is a need to run chromoly in it? Or are you more saying wait on the axles and make it 6 lug first?

What is the wms to wms of a rear 60 axle? And looks like gears are gonna be on the list as well as a Detroit or a spool, I could also weld it like my.rear is now but that's one more failure point that I don't want to deal with later. I want to get it together and not worry about it! Also will my 15's fit over the drums? It doesn't look like they will... what about if I go disk? Will they then?

 

[Mace]

I do not think there is a need for chromoly axles. 14 bolt stock shafts are very strong.

You should not have it fail if you weld it. The 14 bolt carrier is stupid strong.

Disk conversions are cheap. The 14 bolt drums are stupid heavy. Ditch them.

 

[bustanutley]

I think you are overreacting a bit, I would stick a stock shaft back in it and drive it and not worry too much about immediate modification. Could you post a pic of the broken shaft? As I recall that truck is running spacers, I believe the poly shafts really don't like the extra moment put on them and you may be better off with a stock shaft.

Trying to lighten the truck some would also help, or, you could put a uber heavy uber strong axle in it

 

[CruisinFJ60]

I do not think there is a need for chromoly axles. 14 bolt stock shafts are very strong.

You should not have it fail if you weld it. The 14 bolt carrier is stupid strong.

Disk conversions are cheap. The 14 bolt drums are stupid heavy. Ditch them.

Well only reason I brought up the moly shafts was cause i saw a jeep a little lighter (probably a lot) than mine on some 42" TSL's bust a rear 14B shaft, my tires are wider and heavier than his too. and he still had his stock I6 that his YJ came with.

good to know on the welding, likely what Ill do since it doesnt see the street unless I go around the block for some reason.

so then with the disk swap I can fit some 15's? I would really like to not have to buy new wheels.

I think you are overreacting a bit, I would stick a stock shaft back in it and drive it and not worry too much about immediate modification. Could you post a pic of the broken shaft? As I recall that truck is running spacers, I believe the poly shafts really don't like the extra moment put on them and you may be better off with a stock shaft.

Trying to lighten the truck some would also help, or, you could put a uber heavy uber strong axle in it

I may be over reacting a little bit but in my other 60 i have snapped two long side axle shafts one with 35's and one with 33's and neither of which was i beating on it as hard as i was here, and little to no bouncing when those two broke. so that is why I am a little cautious about these shafts now that i broke the side that i would think would be the harder side to break. and yes it has 1" spacers out back but without them the tires wont clear the inner wheel well if i hit anything.

I plan on putting an axle back in it and seeing what happens but after it breaks again im done with the cruiser axle out back. being stuck on a trail isnt fun and when you break your last spare your done till you get it home and get another.

as for making it lighter i cant really remove anything else... I like my wagons so the back seat must stay, it looks crappy with no doors and they dont have any glass or panels in / on them anyhow and the roof and all the glass is also gone and that is alot of weight there too, not to mention taking 16" out of the back. but those tires alone are 113 lbs a piece plus the weight of the wheels and the cage i am sure adds some weight but i am still a lot lighter than stock.

Hard to see but it was a clean break, nearly looked like someone took a knife to it and sliced it in two.

I think I will go ahead and purchase a 14B to prep and get ready and if i change my mind I can always sell it later down the road. I dont have enough $ to do or get everything needed to put it in after i buy it anyhow.

 

[Kurtis]

I'll ask on the back spacking but the 8 lugs 15" pro comp black steel rims fit over the drum just fine. Look in the "14 bolt info" thread a few threads down there is a guy that offered a killer price to setup and turn the hubs on the 14b ff. post #25

 

[Mace]

I have beaten the tar out of my rear 14 bolt with no axle failures on 39.5's, Souped up 2F/SM420/dual tcases. That includes a lot of bouncing.

IMHO, upgrade the axle shafts whewn you need to. It's a full floater, so you won't be a trail tampon as badly as you would be if it was a Semi floater.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

I'll ask on the back spacking but the 8 lugs 15" pro comp black steel rims fit over the drum just fine. Look in the "14 bolt info" thread a few threads down there is a guy that offered a killer price to setup and turn the hubs on the 14b ff. post #25

I think I saw that last night, it is indeed a great deal!

I have beaten the tar out of my rear 14 bolt with no axle failures on 39.5's, Souped up 2F/SM420/dual tcases. That includes a lot of bouncing.

IMHO, upgrade the axle shafts whewn you need to. It's a full floater, so you won't be a trail tampon as badly as you would be if it was a Semi floater.

I didnt realize you were running a 14B. but fair enough run it till it breaks and carry an extra just in case.

 

[Mace]

my 40 has a 14 bolt in it.

It has withstood some pretty nasty full throttle attempts at Backdoor (hammers)

 

[mookie]

it truly is a rare thing for someone to break a stock 14b shaft

how about a drivers side drop front dana 60?......then it would line up with your t-case and you would have rear-steer

as far as shocks....check the prices on foa coilover's or maybe some 2.5" air shocks? might not be as expensive as you think

 

[mookie]

I'm running a cut down 13 bolt.

13 bolt?

 

[CruisinFJ60]

my 40 has a 14 bolt in it.

It has withstood some pretty nasty full throttle attempts at Backdoor (hammers)

Cool thanks Jason.

it truly is a rare thing for someone to break a stock 14b shaft

how about a drivers side drop front dana 60?......then it would line up with your t-case and you would have rear-steer

as far as shocks....check the prices on foa coilover's or maybe some 2.5" air shocks? might not be as expensive as you think

I have considered rear steer... but wouldn't making the 14b a steer axle be stronger than running a 60 upside down?

And ill look into the coil overs and some air shocks.