DIY 4.3 Re-Gear

[grinchy]

It says "48 ft-lbs or less"

if they seemed correctly torqued when you removed that seems reasonable to reuse. You can always replace when the new ones come in. Just my opinion of course.

 

[bloc]

My bet is the single-use designation is due to some kind of thread locker that is preapplied.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

The FSM calls for new bolts for the extension tube on the front carrier. Do you guys think this is really necessary? Of course Stevens Creek Toyota doesn't have them in stock and I don't feel like waiting three days for them to come in.

View attachment 2628659

No, we’ve cleaned, lock-tighted and retorqued on many including the Canguro race truck. Non-issue. We do stock the bolts @cruiser Outfitters if anyone gets in a bind and needs them.

 

[supercarrera]

No, we’ve cleaned, lock-tighted and retorqued on many including the Canguro race truck. Non-issue. We do stock the bolts @cruiser Outfitters if anyone gets in a bind and needs them.

Thanks for the input Kurt! Okay now I'm probably really over thinking this but red loctite or blue? Or does it matter?

 

[grinchy]

The one which is designated for 48ft lb

 

[supercarrera]

The one which is designated for 48ft lb

I ended up choosing the blue pill...

I got the front Tundra carrier reassembled and installed in the LX. Everything looks good except I did something to the wheel sensors and/or the wires because it's throwing codes.

I also pressed in the carrier bearings for the rear. I was all set to perform @TeCKis300 's solder wire hack but looked around the garage and found something else that worked. Yes, that's the head of an old maglite in the picture below. The diameter is the same as the inner bearing and worked pretty well to get the last couple millimeters past the ends of the case shafts.

 

[supercarrera]

Hey all how does this pattern look so far for my first attempt?

 

[TeCKis300]

I'd call that pretty darn good. Looks centered between heel and toe on both drive and coast size. Also reasonably centered on tooth. If the backlash was good when making that pattern, I'd say ship it.

 

[supercarrera]

I'd call that pretty darn good. Looks centered between heel and toe on both drive and coast size. Also reasonably centered on tooth. If the backlash was good when making that pattern, I'd say ship it.

Ah backlash was actually too loose. This is what it looked like after tightening it up to within spec. I think it still looks good?

EDIT: I'm going with this. The pattern is very similar to what ZUK was getting for another 200 series. Now to put it back together with the crush sleeve and hope I don't screw anything up.

 

[supercarrera]

I thought the hardest part of this project for me would be setting up the gears. But I was wrong. It turns out that the most difficult part of this project is getting these stupid wire leads seated into this connector. I've tried everything and I can't get them lock. So is there a trick to this? There's no instructions that I can find on how to properly insert them.

 

[TeCKis300]

I kinda remember that they took a good bit of pressure to seat. I don't recall having the really fight them or what tool I used unfortunately.

Looking at it, maybe a needle nosed plyer to push the pin squarely on the grommet?

Georg ( @orangefj45 ) might have a recommendation?

 

[bloc]

Those pins only go into the connector one way. Make sure the catch tab in the housing is lined up with the side of the pin that has the hole in it.. that's where the tab goes.

I've had good luck with weatherpack and other connectors by using 2 small flat screwdrivers to push on the face of the gasket that will remain exposed. If it needs much more force than this, something is wrong. It isn't lined up or something is obstructing things.

 

[bloc]

As for gears.. I'm in the middle of a dilemma.

I need tires, and with kings providing much more fun in the desert, will be moving on from my P285/70/17 to either LT 285/70/17 or LT285/75/17 if I can get a handle on just how much they will rub.

Thing is, with the lift I feel I am just barely on the verge of needing gears with the current tires. I'm getting TC unlock even here at low altitude in central texas between the head or crosswinds and the hills. Once I get into central NM at interstate speeds I spend a fair amount of time in 5th or 4th. This is with stock bumpers and lightly loaded for typical trips.

LT-flavor 285/70 would just make this marginally worse, due to the increased rolling resistance.

Proper gears for 285/70/17 are 4.10s.. at which point I start to ask.. why bother? 4.30s are correct for 285/75.. then I get into needing the right offset to keep them out of the KDSS arm. I do not want to run spacers. I don't like the look/weight of any of the good options, "good" being defined by offset. Part of me just wants to leave the 285/70 and be devoid of clearance issues, and knowing if that size is good enough for Dakar it's good enough for me. But I'm pretty sure the 3.90s just wont have enough oomph for my tastes.

Oh, and I kindof consider gears the point-of-no-return with regard to modding the truck. At that point if I decide to get something else, which I've had almost no thoughts of, other than maybe a 16+ cruiser which I don't see any time soon, putting it back to stock to sell is a whole different enchilada.

Not really looking for answers here.. just.. venting. I guess.

 

[grinchy]

As for gears.. I'm in the middle of a dilemma.

I need tires, and with kings providing much more fun in the desert, will be moving on from my P285/70/17 to either LT 285/70/17 or LT285/75/17 if I can get a handle on just how much they will rub.

Thing is, with the lift I feel I am just barely on the verge of needing gears with the current tires. I'm getting TC unlock even here at low altitude in central texas between the head or crosswinds and the hills. Once I get into central NM at interstate speeds I spend a fair amount of time in 5th or 4th. This is with stock bumpers and lightly loaded for typical trips.

LT-flavor 285/70 would just make this marginally worse, due to the increased rolling resistance.

Proper gears for 285/70/17 are 4.10s.. at which point I start to ask.. why bother? 4.30s are correct for 285/75.. then I get into needing the right offset to keep them out of the KDSS arm. I do not want to run spacers. I don't like the look/weight of any of the good options, "good" being defined by offset. Part of me just wants to leave the 285/70 and be devoid of clearance issues, and knowing if that size is good enough for Dakar it's good enough for me. But I'm pretty sure the 3.90s just wont have enough oomph for my tastes.

Oh, and I kindof consider gears the point-of-no-return with regard to modding the truck. At that point if I decide to get something else, which I've had almost no thoughts of, other than maybe a 16+ cruiser which I don't see any time soon, putting it back to stock to sell is a whole different enchilada.

Not really looking for answers here.. just.. venting. I guess.

No one ever posts that they regret getting gears. I enjoy them literally ever time I use the skinny pedal, go up a hill, go down a hill, or decide to channel my inner teenager on an on-ramp or passing.

 

[1world1love]

I have to say that I don’t really notice that much loss of oomph on 285/75/17s. It takes off a little different from a dead stop, but it is actually still pretty touchy. Granted, I don’t tow a heavy trailer, but I go up and down steep hills all the time. It just doesn’t seem that different to me, but maybe I’m not that sensitive to it.

 

[grinchy]

I have to say that I don’t really notice that much loss of oomph on 285/75/17s. It takes off a little different from a dead stop, but it is actually still pretty touchy. Granted, I don’t tow a heavy trailer, but I go up and down steep hills all the time. It just doesn’t seem that different to me, but maybe I’m not that sensitive to it.

Yeah, the hill thing I wasn’t anticipating. The higher gear ratio allows more use of engine braking, and seems to match much more with the speeds I want to descend a steep bumpy hill in 2nd low, for example. Rather than ‘speed up’ the rig will stay constant speed or even slow some requiring a bit of gas to keep the target speed rather than repeated braking.
It’s not the biggest benefit. The biggest benefit is being set up for any situation- run a large tire, add a bunch of weight, tow a big trailer, screw up the aero- do all these -already prepped! My thought was do them first and capture the benefit for the life of the build, and not miss little bits of performance loss for all the small things we do which add up.

 

[bloc]

No one ever posts that they regret getting gears. I enjoy them literally ever time I use the skinny pedal, go up a hill, go down a hill, or decide to channel my inner teenager on an on-ramp or passing.

I get that, but I can't decide which way to go. I absolutely don't need the 4.88s or similar that you and many here are running, I have no plans to do the mods that lead to the increased aero drag or weight to necessitate that. Not to mention not being able to get OEM toyota gears, for which I believe there is no suitable substitute.

Keeping that in mind, if I stick with 285/70 a simple step to 4.10s seems not worth the work, from 3.9, but 4.30s too much gear for that tire diameter.

I have to say that I don’t really notice that much loss of oomph on 285/75/17s. It takes off a little different from a dead stop, but it is actually still pretty touchy. Granted, I don’t tow a heavy trailer, but I go up and down steep hills all the time. It just doesn’t seem that different to me, but maybe I’m not that sensitive to it.

I spend a significant portion of my time in this rig in new mexico and colorado, unfortunately much of which is on the interstate where I've definitely felt a difference in power available for acceleration. I attribute this to the altitude..

Maybe I should just do 4.30s and accept the extra cruising RPM's on 285/70 as a good thing.. and if I end up doing 285/75 I'm already set up for it.

 

[1world1love]

I get that, but I can't decide which way to go. I absolutely don't need the 4.88s or similar that you and many here are running, I have no plans to do the mods that lead to the increased aero drag or weight to necessitate that. Not to mention not being able to get OEM toyota gears, for which I believe there is no suitable substitute.

Keeping that in mind, if I stick with 285/70 a simple step to 4.10s seems not worth the work, from 3.9, but 4.30s too much gear for that tire diameter.



I spend a significant portion of my time in this rig in new mexico and colorado, unfortunately much of which is on the interstate where I've definitely felt a difference in power available for acceleration. I attribute this to the altitude..

Maybe I should just do 4.30s and accept the extra cruising RPM's on 285/70 as a good thing.. and if I end up doing 285/75 I'm already set up for it.

There is definitely a point where the altitude becomes noticeable. 12k and fully loaded is not a recipe for using the passing lane going uphill.

 

[grinchy]

I agree 4.3 would be the minimum juice worth the squeeze.
I also think the stock first gear ratio isn’t steep enough, see the ratio chosen for the 8 speed as where it should be. . . So getting back to stock isn’t far enough. <obviously my opinion here, and obviously I’m also on 35s so a bit more gear was necessary. My weight and aero are pretty stock like though >

 

[supercarrera]

I kinda remember that they took a good bit of pressure to seat. I don't recall having the really fight them or what tool I used unfortunately.

Looking at it, maybe a needle nosed plyer to push the pin squarely on the grommet?

Georg ( @orangefj45 ) might have a recommendation?

Those pins only go into the connector one way. Make sure the catch tab in the housing is lined up with the side of the pin that has the hole in it.. that's where the tab goes.

I've had good luck with weatherpack and other connectors by using 2 small flat screwdrivers to push on the face of the gasket that will remain exposed. If it needs much more force than this, something is wrong. It isn't lined up or something is obstructing things.

I finally got it. I used some lube and some needle nose pliers to pull the leads once there started poking through the plastic connector.