I have a 99 with 280K miles. I worry about the strength of my front differential but I don't need lockers for the off roading I do. What other options do I have to ensure that I am not stranded in the future by a broken differential?
How do I strengthen my 2 pinion front differential if I don't need lockers.
- Thread starter Bradlinc
- Start date
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To a certain extent, the weakness of a 2 pinion has been overblown, but only because our expectations of the durability of Land Cruisers is so rightfully high. A ton can be done and endured safely with our 2 pinion front ends. What it doesn't like is sudden traction coming on right after zero traction...so picture a partially icy driveway where wheel spin occurs on an icy patch but then, suddenly, gaining traction on a dry cement patch for one of the front tires. Or when rock crawling a front tire is in the air while your on the gas to "bump" up an obstacle and that tire in the air comes down to make contact with sandstone...
There are plenty of folks that have introduced these circumstances to their 1998-99 Land Cruisers and nothing negative has happened.
What we can do is be cognizant of those situations and be cautious.
The other thing that can be done is installing a 2000-2002 front diff from a parted out 100 series. All the 4spd UZJ100's have 4.30 gears. Trucks
with the 5spd (2003+) have 4.10's. (The month of production is important to identify if it's the correct one for a swap)
Or you can install a front locker and not use it
I believe @cruiserpatch has a 4pinion/4.30 geared front diff for sale if he hasn't already sold it.
The other thing I personally think of is not putting too big of a tire on the truck because bigger tires are heavier and apply more
torque on both CV's and the diff.
There are plenty of folks that have introduced these circumstances to their 1998-99 Land Cruisers and nothing negative has happened.
What we can do is be cognizant of those situations and be cautious.
The other thing that can be done is installing a 2000-2002 front diff from a parted out 100 series. All the 4spd UZJ100's have 4.30 gears. Trucks
with the 5spd (2003+) have 4.10's. (The month of production is important to identify if it's the correct one for a swap)
Or you can install a front locker and not use it
I believe @cruiserpatch has a 4pinion/4.30 geared front diff for sale if he hasn't already sold it.
The other thing I personally think of is not putting too big of a tire on the truck because bigger tires are heavier and apply more
torque on both CV's and the diff.
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hoser
SILVER Star
Install selectable hubs and bring tools to disconnect front driveshaft.
Use a lighter shoe on your right foot..?
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One Mud member blew up his 2 pinion front end while pulling a stump in reverse. AFAIK, it's best to apply stress in the forward direction to diffs.
