installing gears

[lt1fire]

How hard is it to install gears in the fj80's.... never done this before but i've always been able to do everything on my vehicles... anyone have a good installation link???

 

[alkaline747trio]

First time, I vote have a professional do it, but one that will let you watch while he does it.

 

[lt1fire]

yeah but the cost is keeping me from doing this right now.... I can afford the gears... just not the installation that seem to cost more than the gears

 

[Romer]

Have you thought of pulling the diffs your self and then having the gears installed. Most of the labor would be taering down tha axle.

 

[Bikeman]

When I had my 4runner and Xterra, the quotes for setting up the third members brought in only was not all that less than driving the vehicle in and driving out. It is quick work to pull wheels and axleshafts.

What you are paying for is the knowledge and expertise to set up the gears correctly. It is almost an art, like building or truing a bicycle wheel in my business. You are not necessarily paying for the time it takes, but the quality of the labor.

There are lots of places I've seen online that you can send the Toyota thirds to and have it set up for a reasonable charge.

 

[Shipwreck]

Do it yourself if money is an issue but time is not.

Setting up gears on the 80 series is similar to other cruisers with the exception that shims are used for the carrier bearings rather than the screw adjuster design found on older cruisers. It is not as difficult as many people lead you to believe.
If you are setting up gears in your spare time in the evenings after work it can take a long time however. I just recently finished putting 4.88s in both my '40 and my '80 series. I finished three myself and then took the last diff from the 80 in to a professional installer. He turned it around in one day and charged $180 bucks because of the e-locker. I was happy to have someone else finish it for me, but the gear patterns on the three that I did were definitely better than the professional job.
Just like everything else on my cruiser; if I want it done right I do it my self.

 

[Beowulf]

When I had my 4runner and Xterra, [...] It is quick work to pull wheels and axleshafts.

The 80 rear maybe, but not the front.

-B-

 

[Tools R Us]

Do it yourself if money is an issue but time is not.

Setting up gears on the 80 series is similar to other cruisers with the exception that shims are used for the carrier bearings rather than the screw adjuster design found on older cruisers.

The rear e-locker is shim, the rest are screw adjuster type. Good Toyota gear install pix;

http://www.gearinstalls.com/

 

[KLF]

Setting up gears on the 80 series is similar to other cruisers with the exception that shims are used for the carrier bearings rather than the screw adjuster design found on older cruisers.

This is only true on the rear e-locker. The rest of them use the adjusters.

Regearing that rear e-locker is a PITA. Stupid shims.

To answer the original question: 3 years ago I wanted to re-gear my Cruiser, but I didn't want to pay someone else to do it. Invested in the tools, I've since done several, and the tools have more than paid for themselves. It's not so much of an art, it's more based on how much patience you have, and being careful and methodical.