Diamond Axle 60 width on 40 No outboard

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64Rotorhead

64Rotorhead

10 Year
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Apr 30, 2014
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Montana
I haven't seen this topic anywhere, opinions please.

I'm considering a Diamond up front on my 40, but at a 60 width. The question is: would it be alright to leave spring perches original instead of outboarding? It doesn't seem to me to be that big of a factor when we are only talking about 1 ½" each side, 3" total.
 
As long as the pumpkin does not get in the way. I really think it might though.
 
Look at the center section width near the stud holes for the third.
dscn1626-jpg.299805




This is (about) the amount of cutting you have to do on a 60 series to get the leaf spring pads to line up on a 40.
random-123s-jpg.201247



That's a huge cut and reweld in the diamond housing.
 
Links are really not that tough as long as you can fab and have the cash for them ;)
 
I put a 60 housing in my 40 and did basically the same cut as shown by Mace in the picture above. It wasn't the most fun but everything worked.
 
Mace said:
Links are really not that tough as long as you can fab and have the cash for them ;)
Click to expand...

As far as $$, I was going for new leafs if SOA, trying to keep even new ones low. The leafs on it from 1973 I'd presume. Yes, I've read keeping the old ones for SOA, but...?? So links I could handle. Just not the know how. My fab skills have a ways to go. I was descent at stick welding years ago and I'm just getting in to the MIG. I'll have local help for that. I've read a lot on here about links. It seems to me that even after all these calculations, it really gets down to what will fit under the rig, as long as you can keep within certain parameters i.e. all the recommended angles, lengths for anti this and anti that:bang: I'm planning a centered rear too. Ideally, it'd be cool to have something like a 3 link, with panhard and anti sway bar up front, piece of cake!:p

Things I'd like about linked 1) WB extension 2) better articulation while still keeping CG low? 3) App & Dep angles 4) hopeful idea of being able to adjust coilovers for on and off road? Then throw in sway bar that could disconnect. I don't want much:D
 
All are perfectly good things to think about.

And fwiw I disagree that a 3" wider axle is not worth it. But if you are going diamond axle anyway, you can do custom inner axles and have the center section be where ever you want it to be.
 
Have you considered just using a fj80 front axle? You could even use the front suspension, its a simple link design that works ok that is within novice fab skills to weld up. It would be easy to keep it low that way. The stock fj80 birfs are pretty strong, and if you ever upgrade to chromoly then they are really strong. If you wanted you could do coilovers instead of the coils with the fj80 links. Then in the rear do a soa. Just an idea. If you go the diamond fj60 route, from what you have mentioned of your fab skills, it seems easier to fab outboarded hangers than to fab the housing to work in my mind. But in my opinion, if your going to go wide, really go wide. The more width the better stability you have. But keep in mind if you go too wide it will make tight trails difficult. I am 8 inches wider up front and 9 inches wider out back, I have a widened fj60 housing up front and a fj80 housing in the back with 2" offset wheels. I think it fits the look of the truck still without looking goofy,and I freak out much less on off camber stuff. The stock housings are pretty narrow.
64Rotorhead said:
As far as $$, I was going for new leafs if SOA, trying to keep even new ones low. The leafs on it from 1973 I'd presume. Yes, I've read keeping the old ones for SOA, but...?? So links I could handle. Just not the know how. My fab skills have a ways to go. I was descent at stick welding years ago and I'm just getting in to the MIG. I'll have local help for that. I've read a lot on here about links. It seems to me that even after all these calculations, it really gets down to what will fit under the rig, as long as you can keep within certain parameters i.e. all the recommended angles, lengths for anti this and anti that:bang: I'm planning a centered rear too. Ideally, it'd be cool to have something like a 3 link, with panhard and anti sway bar up front, piece of cake!:p

Things I'd like about linked 1) WB extension 2) better articulation while still keeping CG low? 3) App & Dep angles 4) hopeful idea of being able to adjust coilovers for on and off road? Then throw in sway bar that could disconnect. I don't want much:D
Click to expand...
 
White Stripe said:
Have you considered just using a fj80 front axle? You could even use the front suspension, its a simple link design that works ok that is within novice fab skills to weld up. It would be easy to keep it low that way. The stock fj80 birfs are pretty strong, and if you ever upgrade to chromoly then they are really strong. If you wanted you could do coilovers instead of the coils with the fj80 links. Then in the rear do a soa. Just an idea. If you go the diamond fj60 route, from what you have mentioned of your fab skills, it seems easier to fab outboarded hangers than to fab the housing to work in my mind. But in my opinion, if your going to go wide, really go wide. The more width the better stability you have. But keep in mind if you go too wide it will make tight trails difficult. I am 8 inches wider up front and 9 inches wider out back, I have a widened fj60 housing up front and a fj80 housing in the back with 2" offset wheels. I think it fits the look of the truck still without looking goofy,and I freak out much less on off camber stuff. The stock housings are pretty narrow.
Click to expand...
Hmmm...that's what's fun about all this, choices and options:) FJ80 width is?
 
64Rotorhead said:
Hmmm...that's what's fun about all this, choices and options:) FJ80 width is?
Click to expand...
63" wms to wms, full floater rear, comes with disc brakes out back, 4.10 diff gears. You should be able to score a set of front and rear non locking diff axles for less than 1000 bucks. Check car-part.com
You could also just look for a fj80 with a blown motor, or rolled, or something and take parts from it. Sell whats left. To swap the front suspension in should take you a weekend taking your time. You will have to figure out steering which shouldn't be too hard. Toughest part if you use the rear axle is the brackets on the axle take a while to cut and grind off to put leaf spring and shock mounts on.
 
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Why would you use an 80 front axle on purpose? That small pumpkin and crappy steering set up would make me think there are better choices.

A 60 front axle on a 40 is an easy swap, and it runs standard length inner axles and RCV Longfields can take care of the strength.

Regarding 3 inches not being worth it-I really disagree. That extra inch and a half does not sound like much, but since widening my 40, I don't think I've touched the body on anything since.

Having just put an 80 rear in my 60, I can see that as the way to go and stay Toyota. For matching the front width, I'm thinking a fabricated housing from RuffStuff, 80 knuckle balls and 80 birfs, and use HellFire knuckles that RuffStuff is putting back into production. You could build it any width you want. That would solve a lot of problems at once.
 
@Cruiserdrew whered ya hear ruffstuff is making Hellfire's again?
 
Cruiserdrew said:
Why would you use an 80 front axle on purpose? That small pumpkin and crappy steering set up would make me think there are better choices.

A 60 front axle on a 40 is an easy swap, and it runs standard length inner axles and RCV Longfields can take care of the strength.

Regarding 3 inches not being worth it-I really disagree. That extra inch and a half does not sound like much, but since widening my 40, I don't think I've touched the body on anything since.

Having just put an 80 rear in my 60, I can see that as the way to go and stay Toyota. For matching the front width, I'm thinking a fabricated housing from RuffStuff, 80 knuckle balls and 80 birfs, and use HellFire knuckles that RuffStuff is putting back into production. You could build it any width you want. That would solve a lot of problems at once.
Click to expand...
If he uses stock fj80 control arms the steering is a good way to go. Tie rod behind the axle above arms, then run the relay rod up to a Saginaw box. Guys with fj80s are running 39s with no front diff issues so should be fine on a fj40 that weighs thousands of lbs less.
 
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