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- #21
Going today to pick up some 4Runner shafts. I’ll post the lengths tomorrow
E-locker swap. Longer shafts needed??? (1 Viewer)
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On the Tacoma E-locker the locking-unlocking collar doesn't move on the axle spline. The locking collar moves in and out independently of the shaft.
@Toast Stick the tape measure through the brake adjuster in the backing plate and pull it against the wheel flange and measure to the end of the shaft and compare to my measurements.
2nd gen IFS Truck and 4runner have the longer shafts.
Measure the depth of the splines on the spiders. Then subtract your 1 1/4" from it. That's how much short your shaft is from fully using the spider splines.
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I don't know if it's a problem or an engineering oversight of not having 100% of the spider spline used to begin with. Now it's under the microscope because some people busted the spider. Does the non-locker spider ever break? Maybe sh*t happens and people are inclinded to post about it 'cause lockers aren't dime a doz.
Maybe when I reseal my diff I'll entertain the idea of dropping an open diff in for a direct measurement comparison.
I haven't ever taken a virgin flange to flange locker axle apart... If someone had one, they could easily CSI the OE running condition of the locker spiders. The spiders in my E-locker both looked like they've never had a shaft running in the last 1/4" of spider spline. There's still a healthy amount of spline engagement... just not 100%.
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- #24
Ok, I’ll do this later tonight. Appreciate it. So can I get away with just swapping out the drivers side? The passenger side is identical to reg diffs from comparing measurements.
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- #25
Ok, so I measured my spare shafts the way Toyotaboy80 did and got 28 1/16 just as you said. Looking at my shaft, you can clearly see how much spline contact is normally used (1 1/4”)
So are we only talking 1/4” less spline contact??? I’m over here sweating thinking that they are only in the carrier 1/2” or something crazy like that. I’m fine with an inch of spline contact vs 1 1/4” if that’s the case... only rockin 33s... might put this on the back burner though in case I come across a set...
So are we only talking 1/4” less spline contact??? I’m over here sweating thinking that they are only in the carrier 1/2” or something crazy like that. I’m fine with an inch of spline contact vs 1 1/4” if that’s the case... only rockin 33s... might put this on the back burner though in case I come across a set...
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- #26
Also, just to beat a dead horse, you only need to upgrade the locker (drivers) side) to longer which will put you back at 1 1/4” spline contact vs the reduced 1”???
You have 1 1/4"of spline contact now(as per your picture). If you got the longer shaft, you would have ~1 1/2" of spline contact. 100% engagement is pretty dang close to 1 1/2". 100% is a smidge deeper...like an 1/8" max deeper. Measurements eyeballed off a tape with the spiders still installed.
There's no reduction as far as I know. Can take that with a grain of salt... I wouldn't bet the farm on that information, but I have good reason so far to think theres no reduction. I have installed longer shafts into the 1st gen IFS housing with an E-locker. On both sides. No fitment issues...and that is contrary to what the internet says I can do, lol. You can pick up an extra 1/4" in the spider if you want. On both sides.
I do not know for certain what the v6 spider spline depths are, but I have a hunch they're the same roughly 1 5/8" also and are only using 1 1/4" of it.
Install your shaft on the non locking side and measure the spline engagement via. grease (or tape works too). What is it?
Measure the spider. What does the spider on that side actually have for spline depth?
Also do that with your regular v6 diff. (Spider spline depth, and how much is being used)
Once you figure all that out, you can go to sleep at night knowing EXACTLY what is going on in your drive train(compared to the OE function after you've modded the F out of it with a E-locker and someone tries to tell you your sh*t is going to grenade). Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling when you're pushing it in the back woods 50 miles from the nearest whatever that your drive train is at least no weaker than OE.
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- #28
Ahhhhh! This whole time I’m thinking that you’re loosing spline contact on the locker side but what I’m understanding now is that since you are adding a locker, the OE 1 1/4” spline contact on these years “might not” be up to par with handling the added stress of a locker. Not sure if it was just me but that was definitely not made clear this entire time. The longer shafts is just an added bonus to ensure no issues which may or may not have been caused by lack of full spline contact. This is all making incredibly good sense now. Thanks for talking me off the ledge lol
This is absolutely true. I wish people would stop mixing the TRD Tacoma/4Runner e-locker (and the FZJ-80 front locker) with the Land Cruiser rear and cable lockers. VERY different. No longer splines needed on the axle shaft.
The TRD locker is really not that complicated. It's basically a V6 diff, with a sliding cog on one side that locks the side carriers together.
Yes, the locker side is what i'm talking about. If you look at the picture i posted above it is the locker side. you can see the axle splines did not go into the meat of the carrier. 1/4" more splines would have transferred force into the center of the carrier and maybe not have broken the necked down part off. The axles will hold up to the locker but you want as much spline engagement into the meat of the carrier
