Rear off center axle housing (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Dec 8, 2007
Threads
21
Messages
522
Hey guys.

Just wondering if anyone can explain why would the Toyota Land Cruiser 100 series have the rear axle a little off center.

What would be the purpose and point of this?


Thanks
page
 
Hey guys.

Just wondering if anyone can explain why would the Toyota Land Cruiser 100 series have the rear axle a little off center.

What would be the purpose and point of this?


Thanks
page


Lines up better with the T-case output. Ideally, both front and rear will be offset the same, as in an 80 Series, so you can pick a line over a boulder and not have to adjust direction when it goes under each axle. Also, it gives just a bit more clearance under the middle of the truck, though that is debatable.

Somewhat moot on the 100 due to the IFS.
 
As stated it's just the most direct line from the output on the t-case. It sucks tho since that means two different axle shafts.

Ok. So the 100 is off centre and the 200 series is centred and my Toyota is centre in the rear.

What would be the benefit of the lining up with a most direct line? Is the centred rears not in a direct line?


Thanks
PAge.
 
Ok. So the 100 is off centre and the 200 series is centred and my Toyota is centre in the rear.

What would be the benefit of the lining up with a most direct line? Is the centred rears not in a direct line?


Thanks
PAge.

Almost all Land Cruisers have had the offset diff housings. The FJ25 had a centered rear housing, but up until the 200 series, they were offset.
 
I think the real reason for the offset diff is due to the design of the transfer case. In vehicles with centered rear diffs, the rear output shaft exits the transfer case inline with the output shaft of the transmission (centered). In Land Cruisers (thru the 100) the rear output shaft is offset to the side (in line with the front output shaft of the transfer). This requires an offset diff since d-shafts don't work well with compound angles.
 
Maybe the centered rear axle on the 200 has to do w/ the torsion diff t-case? Don't know what the big hype about the torsion diff is. We managed to get a nearly new (rental) V6 4runner stuck in deep tiretracks through soft dirt in 4WD when the diff lock was off by intentionally stopping the vehicle when the front tires went into the depression (someone else was driving). In this case, the torsion diff was useless (terrain was sandy board-flat florida). Locking the center diff got us out, so the torsion diff when unlocked didn't help at all.
 
One thing that LC T-cases do very well is operate in 4WD with almost zero back lash between the front and rear drivelines since they are essentially locked together on a common output shaft. I had an NP241 behind an NV4500 in a built 60 series once. I loved the low-range ratio, but I didn't like all the back lash that came as a natural result of having two output shafts linked by a chain. It felt sloppy compared to an LC case. I think the LC design began with the Cruiser's original intended purpose of being used primarily in 4WD.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom