Hi-9 LC80 front axle? Diamond?

[alkaline747trio]

Been thinking up axle combinations that would work well in an 80 and work well to get me towards 42" tires. It seems that the SF 9.5 rear is pretty damn beef in stock form, and Poly Perf. said they could make new shafts too....so why change out the rear if it can handle it fine? For the front it seems that Bobby Long got it right with the Longfields and chromo shafts for the 80, but there doesn't seem to be much hope for the center chunk.

First off, is there even a Hi-9 diff that works for a front axle? If there does exist this 3rd chunk, is it unreasonable to think that Diamond could make a housing that would fit the Hi-9 chunk yet have FJ80 birfs? I'm either gonna do something crazy like this, or I'm gonna go D60/D70 w/Bobby Long goodies in the front of course, gotta have birfs if you're driving a Cruiser. But figured I'd ask the pros on their thoughts before I got too excited.

 

[Mace]

If you were going to do a hybrid that was that exotic why would you bother with cruiser knuckles at all??

Make it as strong as the monies you are throwing at it can be..

 

[alkaline747trio]

Exotic hybrid is kinda what I want....but I do understand that this may be a little too exotic to be affordable. I'm thinking this is a good idea though, IF it can be done for a reasonable price. Assuming I spend $3.5k on this front axle, how much weaker will it be than a $3.5k D60? Custom shafts are the only way to make this work, correct? So then I could even add 2" to either side of the center chunk and get the width I'm looking for. Is $3.5k a dream?

 

[sleeoffroad]

Waste of time. Go 35 spline. If you want a Toyota center section, you can do a rear 80 series diff/ARB with 35 spline side gears from Wild West and then go Dana 60 outers. $3.5k is not going to get you far if you are also taking steering into account.

 

[Mace]

3.5k for a Diamond housing, tru high 9's and 80 series birfs??

Yeppers.

Go look at a set of D60 inner and outer C's. Comapre them to the stock 80 series stuff. There really is no contest....

Do you need a high pinion?

 

[lowtideride]

80 series rear axle wont hold up. Even with polys.

 

[alkaline747trio]

Really? I've yet (I know that doesn't mean it doesn't happen) to see or hear about a broken SF rear shaft, much less a PP rear shaft.

Now back to the front. I really want to stick with HP, one less thing to be digging into the rocks. I'd like to stick with as much Toy stuff as possible, and with the Bobby Long stuff the only weak point left is the center chunk, correct? Custom is cool, exotic is cool, Toyota is cool....that's the drive behind this. If I go with a 60 it won't get too much attention other than the Longfields that look pimp as hell!

 

[Mace]

Then do it but save up your pennies for when you get tired of breaking knuckles, hubs etc....

 

[alkaline747trio]

There's what I was looking for.....so the hubs and knuckles are the weak point?

 

[Dusty]

I have already sunk into my dana $1000 d60:
35 spline drive flanges (no hubs) $135
35 sp superior chromies $800
rebuild bearings, kingp, $120
high steer arm for crossover $135
dom tierods, new tres, tube adaptors $150
arb $800
gears/instl $400

hours of my time (sandblasting, paint, pressing out old hub lugs, online buying parts, at part store, dealing with returns, etc) and hopeing nothing is bent.....cause I havn't even set the gears yet....
If I would have worked an extra hard day at what I do best I could make up the diff of building the junkyard axle.

Slee told me all this when I started and I wish I had listened.

 

[lowtideride]

Really? I've yet (I know that doesn't mean it doesn't happen) to see or hear about a broken SF rear shaft, much less a PP rear shaft.

Your rear axle is no different than every 60-2/40 series rear axle (but slightly wider)... There has been a buttload of cases of broken rear SF shafts.

Most 80 series guys don't wheel hard enough.

Even if you get polys made for your rear they are not going to last with 42s and a fat ass like an 80. I have seen polys go on Much lighter rig. Albeit he was running stickies he wasnt on the throttle or that bound.

Also, Met up with a guy last weekend that I was selling cruiser axles too. I pulled up in the 3fe'd 80 and he was telling me about a guy that broke a SF shaft on his with 35/37s...

Why 42s anyway... you'll be too damn tall.

 

[Dusty]

Why 42s anyway... you'll be too damn tall.[/QUOTE]

only if you have an attachment to your sheetmetal

 

[alkaline747trio]

I like tall...but plan to drop down and widen out. Gonna cut a little sheet metal and see how far a 42 can be stuffed. Just gotta figure out which axle is gonna make me the happiest. I want to keep it mostly Toy if possible, if not then I foresee a full drivetrain swap with a F-350 (460/E4OD-D60/10.25) and something bigger than 42s.

 

[Mace]

Drivetrain swap then

 

[Tapage]

I wanna place a crazy idea .. should be not as strought as you need my diferent way sure ..

60 series housing with 9.5" 3rd member ( ya know low pinion .. ) and swap the 80 series knuckles on it, now you have the best of both series .. the 9.5" ring and the heavy knuckles of the 80 series .. go Boby and olys with cryo R&P and you are done ..

How it sounds .. ?

 

[bustanutley]

Not a crazy idea at all Christo has that axle under the blue-berry but with a diamond housing way wider than a 58"... prolly more like 63", He has broken the ring gear twice, 4.88s I believe, it hasn't been wheeled that much...

edit: I was wrong 5.29s and 69" wide

 

[sleeoffroad]

Really? I've yet (I know that doesn't mean it doesn't happen) to see or hear about a broken SF rear shaft, much less a PP rear shaft.

I broke a rear 100 SF shaft and the front diff of the Blueberry in one go. The front diff is a rear 80 and the 100 is a 32 spline rear. So it can be done

 

[sleeoffroad]

Staying Toyota makes sense for us in terms of what our shop is and what we do. Trying to run 42's on a 80 is not going to sit well with those axles. I could have bought the most expensive ProRock 60 with best parts for what I have spent on Toyota axle parts.