Solid Axle Swap

[BMX and CRUISERS]

As far as ATRAC outperforming lockers, absolutely not. I can't tell you how many times we've had to drag ATRAC equipped trucks because the front wasn't locked. Either that or they have to use momentum to make it over stuff I walked up.

Overall...absolutely agree. You HAVE to have triple locks to do the crazy stuff. There is no substitute.

At the same time you have to admit (if one has seen/experienced it) that THERE ARE places and conditions where ATRAC bests lockers.

On one trip with 5 rigs in AZ, we went up an insane grade...off camber with a HUGE rut on the inside side...uneven ledges. The first two 80's went up and struggled. Sliding...hopping. BIG drop off on one side. I was not of driving age and was freaking out and decided to walk up. The 100 did the same and began to slide toward the huge rut. My Dad unlocked instead and used TRAC to get up. It was NOT easy but he made it. And he made it with far more control than the first two 80's. No being pulled into the rut. No sliding. Lots of hopping though.

The last two 80's both wound up in the rut. It took an 80 stapped to my Dad's 100 strapped to the stuck 80 and to the next stuck 80. At one time the 100’s front left tire end was way in the air from being tippy. In the end we all made it up…one 80 blew a U-joint.

 

[bluecruiser]

Overall...absolutely agree. You HAVE to have triple locks to do the crazy stuff. There is no substitute.

At the same time you have to admit (if one has seen/experienced it) that THERE ARE places and conditions where ATRAC bests lockers.

On one trip with 5 rigs in AZ, we went up an insane grade...off camber with a HUGE rut on the inside side...uneven ledges. The first two 80's went up and struggled. Sliding...hopping. BIG drop off on one side. I was not of driving age and was freaking out and decided to walk up. The 100 did the same and began to slide toward the huge rut. My Dad unlocked instead and used TRAC to get up. It was NOT easy but he made it. And he made it with far more control than the first two 80's. No being pulled into the rut. No sliding. Lots of hopping though.

The last two 80's both wound up in the rut. It took an 80 stapped to my Dad's 100 strapped to the stuck 80 and to the next stuck 80. At one time the 100’s front left tire end was way in the air from being tippy. In the end we all made it up…one 80 blew a U-joint.

This story had been told before....if someone is wanting to SAS a 100, they are pushing their truck way behind what Atrac was designed to do. Please stop with the retells of the infamous Schottzz tales.

 

[BMX and CRUISERS]

Didn't realize that trip of his was "famous". Sorry for the repost. And to get back on track...agree, he's (OP) gonna need lockers.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Personally, I wheeled the wee-wee out of an 80-Series for 6 years. YOU WILL NEVER TURN A LAND CRUISER WAGON INTO A ROCK CRAWLER!!! Period. I love Cruiser wagons and I still think that an 80-Series is the best all-round 4x4 ever built BUT I love having two rigs that have the best of both worlds: a 100-series and a built mini-truck.

Long story short, don't waist your money trying to make a truck do something it was never designed to do. You will be happier with something else.

 

[BMX and CRUISERS]

Personally, I wheeled the wee-wee out of an 80-Series for 6 years. YOU WILL NEVER TURN A LAND CRUISER WAGON INTO A ROCK CRAWLER!!! Period. I love Cruiser wagons and I still think that an 80-Series is the best all-round 4x4 ever built BUT I love having two rigs that have the best of both worlds: a 100-series and a built mini-truck.

Long story short, don't waist your money trying to make a truck do something it was never designed to do. You will be happier with something else.

Where is the "Like" button so I can click on it?

 

[Yukon LX]

wait, are you really Shott's kid, i thought that was a joke?

 

[AimCOtaco]

I make no claims on ATRAC, never driven an ATRAC vehicle and so I reserve judgment there, my 100 is locked both ends and in the middle and I wouldn't have it any other way. I do think electronic controls have their place and will become more common place in competition as time goes on, that's the life of technology. Clearly that is not what the OP is interested in and that's cool.
Both (SA and IFS) have there place and I guess if I had to choose between a rock comp rig and a baja trophy truck I would rather have the chance at the trophy truck (100+ mph off-road, off-the-ground IFS monsters), sadly I don't have access to either so we can dream.

I like the all around nature of the 100 and respect the OP's choice to SAS correctly or not at all.

You can't go wrong with any cruiser as long as you realise what it's good for and what it ain't!
Happy Friday to all.

 

[jonheld]

Personally, I wheeled the wee-wee out of an 80-Series for 6 years. YOU WILL NEVER TURN A LAND CRUISER WAGON INTO A ROCK CRAWLER!!! Period. I love Cruiser wagons and I still think that an 80-Series is the best all-round 4x4 ever built BUT I love having two rigs that have the best of both worlds: a 100-series and a built mini-truck.

Long story short, don't waist your money trying to make a truck do something it was never designed to do. You will be happier with something else.

I do pretty well keeping up with the mini trucks in our group. Both are total custom trailer queens with ridiculous articulation, double low transfer cases 36" Swampers, hydro steering, yadda yadda yadda. I don't fear the body damage any more and can do 98% of the lines they take. They make it look easy and I struggle and bang my way through. But at the end of the day, I swap on street tires and drive my junk home. I absolutely love that about my truck. It's equally at home picking up lumber at Home Depot and wheeling the piss out of it in Pritchett Canyon or Upper and Lower 2 in Tellico or any of the number of the more challenging trails I've done over the last 20 years.

 

[BamaHeel]

I've seen TRAC blow away lockers many times. I didn't have TRAC on my 80 and you don't have to have it to wheel. But saying it doesn't kick lockers booty here and there is just not true! Been well documented by others too!

I find it odd that up until this point your posts have been third person as to wheeling (with you being 16 and all) but here there is an obvious switch to first person. And even more interesting is that having just turned 16 you already owned and wheeled an 80 before getting the keys to your "dads" 100 turned over to you. Also the use and placement of exclamation points must be hereditary. A lot of coincidences here.

Oh and spring over axle setups rock to stay on topic.

 

[hks3sgte]

I want a plastidipped 100 with a SAS and 38" boggers so I can crawl with the local jeeps. Can I do that under 1000 bucks?

 

[Taylor O]

I want a plastidipped 100 with a SAS and 38" boggers so I can crawl with the local jeeps. Can I do that under 1000 bucks?

That thing would be badassssssss and fun I'm sure. Doing serious wheeling in comfort and style is the only thing that would make me consider trying a sas if I had the cash....

 

[wildsmith]

Washboard though? No contest: A 100 smacks an 80.

I've been surprised how close (washboard excepted) my 'new' 80 is to my old 100 in ride comfort and have to wonder if a lot of the perceived poor ride in an 80 isn't down to a) generally running a much bigger lift and tyres b) less attention to detail in specification of the suspension components because expectations are lower plus a) negates big expenditure? But unquestionably, Yes, the 100 is better at that

At the other end of the truck to the focus of this thread, for me one of the deciding factors in choosing an 80 again was the lack of full floater rear axle option on a 100. I really hated that I couldn't do a reliable pre-trip inspection of the rear bearings on my 100, or the knowledge that a mid trip bearing issue would be a big deal unless you happen to be passing a suitably equipped shop. This was more of a concern to me than SFA vs IFS, however irrational that might be

 

[spressomon]

^ Agreed! I've had my fair share of rear axle bearing/seal issues and the design sucks for infield/DIY work as you stated.

We've talked about dropping a 100 body onto an 80-chassis for a couple years now...with a V8 conversion of course...that'd be how I'd do it. Not sure, at the end of the day when factoring in the rear axle assembly, if it would really be any more $ than SAS'n a 100. But for my uses the narrower track of the 80 chassis would be better...and better front flex than an SAS'd 100.

 

[Bighead]

I find it odd that up until this point your posts have been third person as to wheeling (with you being 16 and all) but here there is an obvious switch to first person. And even more interesting is that having just turned 16 you already owned and wheeled an 80 before getting the keys to your "dads" 100 turned over to you. Also the use and placement of exclamation points must be hereditary. A lot of coincidences here.

Oh and spring over axle setups rock to stay on topic.

^ Agreed! I've had my fair share of rear axle bearing/seal issues and the design sucks for infield/DIY work as you stated.

We've talked about dropping a 100 body onto an 80-chassis for a couple years now...with a V8 conversion of course...that'd be how I'd do it. Not sure, at the end of the day when factoring in the rear axle assembly, if it would really be any more $ than SAS'n a 100. But for my uses the narrower track of the 80 chassis would be better...and better front flex than an SAS'd 100.

That would be interesting.

 

[jonheld]

The SF rear has never been a concern for me in 244K miles. I had a rear axle seal start to weep around the same time I was doing a front end rebuild and gear swap, so I just replaced the bearings and seals while I was in there. That was 2 years ago. The bearings run in gear oil so there isn't a way to inspect them and really no need either. The ones removed looked new after 20 years and I probably didn't need to replace them. But the rear axles were already out and the seals were getting replaced, so I figured it's just 1 more layer.
The bearings themselves are freaking huge as is the thickness of the rear axle shafts. I have to assume the same can be said for a 100 Series, but I have no first hand experience here.
I really don't see the SF rear as detriment as I only know of 1 rear axle failure on a SF 80 Series. You do need to make sure that the rear axle housing has gear oil, but that's pretty much the only maintenance it requires. It's also a generally good practice to check fluid levels now and again.

 

[spressomon]

^ The 100-Series SF rear axle bearings do not get bathed in gear oil. Its when the axle seal fails and it allows gear oil to get to the wheel/hub bearings you get failure. In this scenario, one I've got plenty of first hand experience with, the gear oil purges the grease from the cartridge bearing and outer roller bearing...

Due to the design there is no way to inspect the bearings (without full press out of the bearings)...our version of Russian Roulette. I had one fail...good thing I was only 10-miles out from Albuquerque at the time...and had a wallet full of cash ...because that was the only way it was getting R&R'd on that trip.

I'd much prefer to be able to work on the rear axle bearing assembly myself even considering it needs to be done, from a PM perspective, much more often than the sealed & pressed on version of the 100.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Jon-The SF rear axle assembly in a 100 is nothing like the SF rear axle assembly in your 80. The seal is inboard of the cartridge bearing. The cartridge bearing has to be pressed onto the shaft before assembly, and the ABS ring is sacrificed when the old bearing is removed. Not an easy self service design.

I only know this from seeing the hassle Spresso went through prior to a trip in 2010.

 

[jonheld]

OMG. What a poor design for a Land Cruiser. That sounds insane to me. Are all 100 Series this way or was there a change in later years?

 

[wildsmith]

all the same, needs an SST and even with correct tooling I believe there can be problems with seating the seal correctly.

 

[spressomon]

OMG. What a poor design for a Land Cruiser. That sounds insane to me. Are all 100 Series this way or was there a change in later years?

Its a great design for Toyota's intended audience However, for those that push their rigs a little harder, notably all things off-road, it leaves a bit to be desired.


One way or another you need, as wildsmith stated above, tooling, know-how/experience with this particular axle and also a hydraulic press (in addition to bearings, press on bearing collar/retainer, seals of course and more than likely a new ABS sensor ring that probably got destroyed in the take apart process of this job) .

If your rig is from a non-rust state you can probably make due with a 20T floor/shop hydraulic press. OTOH if your rig, like mine, spent even a few years in a rust prone area you're likely going to need 40T+ to get the thing apart. IIRC and I don't know what tonnage press American Toyota in ABQ had back in '09...they had to send it out to a shop with a bigger press to get it apart.

Definitely something that's not going to happen in the field and probably not by 99% of home mechanics.