You could always have RuffStuff build you a housing.... If you want the overkill option. they have 8" centers, custom length tubes, and 80 series knuckle balls.
Might be time for a new axle housing
- Thread starter alia176
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slippery slope, at that point most want to go to a bigger Diff
Almost any driveline shop should have a hot parts tank that'll cook it clean no sweat.
Some engine builders might have a big enough cabinet too.
Ag or heavy equipment repair places might have something.
When I rebuilt my front axle last year, I almost did that instead of rags and a case of brake clean to get the moly soup and bits of metal out of the housing.
Or. Rent a hot water pressure washer and shove gnarly degreaser through it.
Same same. Hot AF, and filled with chemicals known to the state of cancer to cause California
Comes out squeaky clean with no residue.
Might be easier just to grind the crack until you're almost all the way through or even through. Clean with brake clean, and fill it back in with the pretty blue light.
If you do go the reinforcing route, I'd suggest looking at common mods done down here in Australia for inspiration. These guys are worth a look:
www.ramptcustoms.com.au
In particular, check out this kit:
www.ramptcustoms.com.au
You probably won't find ready-made plates for half these mods state-side, but someone who knows their way around a welder and a plasma cutter could have a fair go at replicating them.
LANDCRUISER | Rampt Customs
In particular, check out this kit:
80/105 LandCruiser - Front Axle Brace Kit | Rampt Customs
This bundle includes all our bracing parts for the front diff for a discounted price.Please see each product listing for specific details.Only brace kit on the market that has clearance as a priority!BASE KIT INCLUDES:-Front Top-Mounted Axle Truss (standard or full width variation)-Knuckle...
You probably won't find ready-made plates for half these mods state-side, but someone who knows their way around a welder and a plasma cutter could have a fair go at replicating them.
NiceIf you do go the reinforcing route, I'd suggest looking at common mods done down here in Australia for inspiration. These guys are worth a look:
LANDCRUISER | Rampt Customs
In particular, check out this kit:
80/105 LandCruiser - Front Axle Brace Kit | Rampt Customs
This bundle includes all our bracing parts for the front diff for a discounted price.Please see each product listing for specific details.Only brace kit on the market that has clearance as a priority!BASE KIT INCLUDES:-Front Top-Mounted Axle Truss (standard or full width variation)-Knuckle...
You probably won't find ready-made plates for half these mods state-side, but someone who knows their way around a welder and a plasma cutter could have a fair go at replicating them.
That the best looking knuckle brace that I have seen !
alia176
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #29
If you do go the reinforcing route, I'd suggest looking at common mods done down here in Australia for inspiration. These guys are worth a look:
LANDCRUISER | Rampt Customs
In particular, check out this kit:
80/105 LandCruiser - Front Axle Brace Kit | Rampt Customs
This bundle includes all our bracing parts for the front diff for a discounted price.Please see each product listing for specific details.Only brace kit on the market that has clearance as a priority!BASE KIT INCLUDES:-Front Top-Mounted Axle Truss (standard or full width variation)-Knuckle...
You probably won't find ready-made plates for half these mods state-side, but someone who knows their way around a welder and a plasma cutter could have a fair go at replicating them.
Thanks for that, very helpful. I have a plasma cutter and all sorts of metal fab crap that I can use for this project. As mentioned already, you're introducing a TON of heat into this housing so keeping it unwarped would be a huge challenge.
Here's the set up I used
alia176
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- Thread starter
- #31
that's a great visual, thanks for that. I'm not seeing the balls being gusseted, did that come after this pic was taken? Love the round straight bar through the whole enchilada. Thanks again.
Some entrepreneur types on Etsy can sell the DXF files of all the bracing plates for the 80, which would help us out
I noticed Rampart is also bracing the rear part of the chassis as well, which also has me thinking 
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The knuckle gussets are there, they are modified Marlon Crawler mini truck gussets.
The bar passes through a gutted diff with spacer instead of bearings, the spacers are the same size of the rings at both ends of the diff.
The idea is weld and then spin the bar if the bar starts to drag you know the housing is getting to hot and starting to warp.
awesome
Tank5
SILVER Star
I do.
Tank5
SILVER Star
@alia176 I just read through the comments. I would be concerned about other areas of this housing having similar stress that has not shown yet. Eventually everything has an endlife relative to how it is used.
If your considering a cheaper option than a new housing I would consider buying good used housing and reinforcing that if reinforcing is what you want to do.
If your considering a cheaper option than a new housing I would consider buying good used housing and reinforcing that if reinforcing is what you want to do.
I second this, and what I was thinking !
Every broken 80 series front axle housing i've seen that wasn't bent in an accident was cracked in the area of the radius arm mounts. So after rewelding/reinforcing both of them there should be plenty of life left in it.
Wow 
Did just the bracket tear off, or did it tear through the skin of the housing?
Did just the bracket tear off, or did it tear through the skin of the housing?
