Did I make a mistake in buying a LC? (1 Viewer)

[wh0f4rted]

So I recently purchased a 1996 LC with lockers for its “out of the box” off-road capabilities, but now I am reading some pretty alarming things about the axles. I want to run 35s so I have been reading about the front axle strength.

I didn’t realize it only has an 8” ring gear and despite the fact it is reverse cut, I have read that a Chevy 10-bolt is stronger? I would NEVER run 35s on a 10-bolt and expect any sort of reliability or longevity. A Dana 44 (8.75” RG) is even stronger yet, but a bone stock one will eat bearings with 35s.

If the front LC axle is just a step above the Dana 30 and it’s under a 6000lbs+ vehicle, how are you guys not snapping axles and grenading gears left and right? It just doesn’t make sense, but now I’m considering taking the for sale sign off my Jeep XJ with Dana 44’s and putting it on the LC…

 

[7schulz]

I'll take your LC.

 

[kidglove13]

There are guys including myself who run 35's and 37's all day long.
I wheel my rig pretty hard when I can and I DD it as well.
Others will chime in I am sure of it.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

You are worried way too much.

Many of us have run 35s for years without issues. PKP had run the Rubicon numerous times on 40s. Not that I'm recommending that, but he gets away with it.

They are better axles than D44s, and the rear is approaching 1 ton capabilities. It isn't a 14 bolt, but it isn't a bad axle.

The front is not as strong as a Dana 60, but it holds up well except with abusive drivers.

 

[PhrogsPhorever]

Absolutely not.

The landcruiser is/was the flagship vehicle from Toyota. Great vehicle, over built for everyday use, extremely capable and durable for offroad use. There is a reason you see so many 70 and 80 series LCs overseas in hard use areas and expedition trips.

As far as the axle/R&P strength, I run 35s with stock gears/lockers and haven't broken yet, some people here run 37s on the stock axles with good results. Besides, you'd be more likely to break a birfield before you'd break a front R&P anyway.

Do a good baseline of maintenance on the brakes, axles, bearings, seals, grease, oil, fluids, etc, etc, etc. This will keep the cruiser happy for years to come.

Welcome to Mud and oh yeah, post some pics.

 

[7schulz]

I broke my front ring and pinion on stock tires... on road. I would be worried if I was you and sell me your truck.

 

[Tyler93]

7SCHULZ, I like your style but question your ethics. You would let this poor soul drive a jeep so readily???

 

[7schulz]

If it got me another LC, you betch ya.
No but seriously check out my VC=Viscous coupler caused damage thread.

 

[Flank]

Another point that can be made to the OP is the fact that people driving other trucks are using 80 axles to do swaps - Rover guys, other toyota guys, other Japan brands, etc. The land cruiser axles were / are overbuilt for the application and if kept in good maintenance, very strong.

80 drivers and 4 wheelers don't generally look for alternatives to the stock axle - perhaps lockers or something, but not the axles. (i say generally, because some hard core guys are putting heavy truck axles when running huge tires). I'd say it is normal to run 37s and under with stock and do it successfully, and many are going bigger.

Plus, original poster, you said you wanted to buy "1996 LC with lockers for its “out of the box” off-road capabilities". That says to me that you wanted something you can wheel now and do it well. Did you not get this? What would have done better for you? Any rig can have money poured into it to make it better, but what is better stock than a locked 80? (if anyone says Jeep, then )

 

[racerdave]

If the front LC axle is just a step above the Dana 30 and it’s under a 6000lbs+ vehicle, how are you guys not snapping axles and grenading gears left and right? It just doesn’t make sense, but now I’m considering taking the for sale sign off my Jeep XJ with Dana 44’s and putting it on the LC…[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

Why are we not breaking thinks left and right? Because it is a Toyota axle not a dana 30. You are comparing ring gear size only and making incorrect assumptions. Have you researched axle diameter or the size of the birf? Have you compared your cruiser's FF rear axle to the 44 in the back of your XJ?

 

[akarilo]

So I recently purchased a 1996 LC with lockers for its “out of the box” off-road capabilities, but now I am reading some pretty alarming things about the axles. I want to run 35s so I have been reading about the front axle strength.

You're Web Wheeling man, similar to others panicking about stock birfs. Sure, you can break anything if you try hard enough, but if you wheel with any common sense at all you'll be fine. Been there (am now) done that.

 

[BOUNDER]

Not only that, but THERE'S NO DECENT CUPHOLDER Forget the 4sale sign, PM me, I pay cash

 

[AussieRedneck]

I just came over from XJ's myself (I will post up my intro. when I can get some pics). Over at NAXJA there's a sticky about axle strengths under the commonly asked questions section. The guy who posted this sticky compares 30's to 44's to 60's to Ford 9 inch to toyota axles. In his comparison he puts the toyota axle strength somewhere above the 44 and less than the Ford 9 inch. I think he compares toyota axles to the Ford 8.8 actually, which most guys are saying that it is stronger than the 44.
Besides axle strength, I am sold on my 80 because of 7 seating (have 4 kids), 4 wheel discs, 24 valve 4.5, ability to run larger tires with less bump steer and superior suspension, just to start a list.
So, xj with 44's, ok, but LC out of the box kicks xj's ***.
I sold mine and am not looking back. Good luck making up your mind.
AussieRedneck

 

[rspeters]

I have absolutely no data to back this up, but I heard one time that the Toyota's are somewhere between the Dana 44 and the Dana 60 in strength.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I have absolutely no data to back this up, but I heard one time that the Toyota's are somewhere between the Dana 44 and the Dana 60 in strength.

I imagine it depends what Dana44 and what Dana 60. I don't think there is a FF Dana44 rear but I could be wrong.

Many stock Dana60s are not that strong without upgrades. Some Dana44s are weak and others are significantly beefed up.

But in built axles, a Dana 60 can be built way stronger than even a built Cruiser axle. 14 bolts are stronger yet, but rear only.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. Very few people break 80 axles. The ones that do, need to upgrade.

 

[Old#7]

If the front LC axle is just a step above the Dana 30 and it’s under a 6000lbs+ vehicle, how are you guys not snapping axles and grenading gears left and right?

The truth is, it's a far superior axle to the D30 and it is arguably better than the D44. A Toyota mini truck front axle is usually where the comparison is made, and where most of the arguments are found. The Landcruiser axle is a beast compared to the mini truck axle. Yes they use the same size 8" drop out but, as you have noted the front third in the Landcruiser is a high pinion reverse cut, much better/stronger for front applications. The Birfields are Huge compared to the toy mini truck birfs. The axle housing is trussed and beefier. If all these things make the Landcruiser axle better than the mini truck axle, which is where the controversy is found (D44 vs Toy 8" usually in mini truck and Jeep forums) Then the Landcruiser axle is far better than the D44. Sure the D44 ring gear is bigger and the turning radius is better (open knuckles vs birfs) but Bigger is not always better. Design, quality of construction and the hard proof of what is working great under a 6,000 lb rig is what matters. Just my $.02

 

[Brian894X4]

Back in my SAS mini-truck days, gear people have theorized that the gear failures that do occure in the Toyota 8" axles may be attributed to poor gear set up as there seems to be the least problems from factory set up diffs.

Problem is...almost nobody wants to run factory gears with larger tires, especially with a weak engine, so most have been changed and set up by some local yokal 4x4 shop, who may or may not have done it right.

So if you hear about the 8" diffs failing its hard to say whether it was because they were actually too weak for the application or they were improperly set up.

As often as factory birfs fail, especially in the mini-truck axles, that should be the weak point, so if a diff were to fail and the factory birf held together, I'd guess it was a poorly set up diff.

As for the FZJ80 rear axle, not only is it even bigger than the 8" diff, but it has the added benefit of being a full floating axle, which you almost never see in most other applications. The FZJ80 rear axle is made for serious load bearing, but I think that translates into overall axle strength. I'm sure people occasionally manage to break these things, but the only ones I can recall as far as the rear axle goes are the earlier 1991-1992 semi-floaters.

By the way, the Brazilian FJ40 Bandeirante (made through 2001) used a Dana 60 style rear axle and the owners hated them. Apparently they broke all the time and those guys really wish they had used the Toyota axle instead, which uses a similiar diff to our FZJ80. To me that speaks volumes.

 

[slow91fj90]

I believe the 91-92 semi-floaters actually have a larger axle diameter than the full floaters.

 

[Darwalk]

Just like everyone else has stated.......I have been running 35's with stock birfs for 3 years now. I blew up the passenger side birf while locked in the front, driving backwards, fully turned. My fault for not knowing NOT to do that. I replaced everything after that during the front rebuild, replacing the stock birfs.....with stock birfs. The only thing that I did differently was I changed the inner axles to Poly Performance chromolies. I wheel my truck VERY hard, and I am running stock gears.

All in all, I am overly impressed with the strength of the axles.

 

[Romer]

I have been running 35's for years with no problems. Been to the Rubicon, Flat Nasty, Black Hills, yearly to Moab and trails in Colorado. I have had no issues and I regeared to 4.88's which some would say are weaker than 4.11's (by a small amount)

You have no reason to worry

Did a guy selling backwoods goop tell you that?