Toybox or Axles?

Where should the money go?

  • 4.7 Toybox

    Votes: 17 53.1%

  • Longfields, Six Shooters, Aussie locker, Poly Performance rear axles

    Votes: 15 46.9%
  • Total voters
    32

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Ducks

Ducks

Joined
Apr 5, 2006
Threads
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Location
Portland, Oregon
I’m trying to decide how to spend my money. With a 4.7 toybox, I would feel comfortable doing the Rubicon. I’m not sure if the Rubicon is exactly my cup of tea but it seems like a waste to be so close to it and not do it. I think I’m more interested in things like the Alaska Cruiser Trek. In the long run, the axles seem like a better investment. But the toybox would be awesome to have, so I’m split on what to do. I don’t think I can swing to do both.

I have a 1984 fj60 with a 5" Alcan lift, 35" tires, rear Aussie locker, and stock gearing. I have 4.11s from an fj62 that I am installing and thought that I might just take care of everything to do with the axles while I was at it. I also still need to get 4x4 labs steering.

:beer:
 
I don't think

I don't think you need the 6shooters (although I agree that they are cool)

are you already hysteer? I don't remember.

6shooter will require new knuckle housings as well won't it?

just get:

30 spline superset inners and birfs Longfield
Marlins Inner seals
Knuckle rebuild kit (Trunyon (sp?) and wheel bearings Toyo)
4:11's Yukon (not those coarse thread old OEM bastards)
The 4340 rear axles
Rear wheel bearings and seals (since you are in there)
some extra u-joints
and the Aussie

The toybox will give you great reduction
but it will be easier to break some old stock stuff
I think your first priority on the rubicon is to
not break.

One course of action pretty much insures that you won't break
The other course of action makes it more probable that you will.
 
FJ62 4.11s will be fine spline. So no need for new ones there. 4x4labs has 6 shooter adapters? so no need for new knuckles. Other than that, I agree with Trapper. Upgrade what you've already got instead opening a new can of worms.

BTW, how are those 3.73s working with the 35" tires? I'm about to go that route for a little bit.
 
If you're turning 35" tires, you will most likely want 4.56 gears. That's what I run and my speedo is right on. With 4.11s it read low and the rig was sluggish even with the 350. Just thought I'd share...
 
I said the toybox. I did the Rubicon this last year and crawled right through it. If I would of had a front locker, I might of not needed a tug the whole trail. The toybox makes a huge difference on the trails I did this year. Allowing you to go slower helps minimize body damage on the trail and lets you correct before doing something stupid sometimes. Just taking the trail in crazy low allows less impact on your cruiser instead of having just the normal low range. Then you have to take obstacles faster with the normal low. I am running 35's and have not broke anything (knock on wood) and still have all stock axles. I don't see the benefit of changing to the stronger axles until you get to the point where you are wheeling to require them. So many people go overboard it seems like and never wheel it hard to even get close to the breakage zone of their ploy axles. But then again they are nice if you know you are going to wheel hard and don't want to be changing out a axle on the trail. I came out with some nice body damage on the Rubicon but part of it was me being a newbie on the Con and the other is just nothing I could of done about it. There are some parts on the trail just make it hard for a wagon to squeeze through without a scraps on a big wagon. If I do the Rubicon again, then I will be putting more armor on the cruiser.

You are welcome to drive mine sometime and see how it feels. I got a video on the Rubicon of the 60 crawling. I need to find a site to host it.

Also I am running 35's and 4.11's but that is why I got the smallest 35's I could find. I think the gearing is perfect for me with the low gears in the toybox but it is what I planned.
 
Last edited:
I said toybox as well. You'll be happy with the 4.11's over the 3.73's and I don't think you'll be breaking too much in terms of drivetrain based on NorcalFJ60's experience.

Norcal, could you send me the video? I love watching 60's crawl.
 
toy box and 4x4 labs steering .....along with the 411's ... less chance of breaking something if you could just craw over it at an idle speed ........just my thoughts
 
The skinny pedal I use because I'm running 3.73's and 33"s has produced a significant amount of body damage on my rig. Reduction is essential in my opinion.
 
ToyBox!

and 4.56 or 4.88s

The ToyBox isn't just about rock crawling. It gives you control that is a huge help with a wagon. The control helps in any tight quarters such as trees or simply picking accurate technical lines. It's a huge benefit in a long wheel based wagon with lots of glass and body panels.

Plus, you will break less when you eliminate "momentum" and "gusto" from your wheeling.

The ToyBox is the best modification. You will love it every time you use it (and every time you don't use it). I wheeled the ToyBox with 35s, and stock birfs, axles, for several years with no breakage. It's easy and cheap to carry spares and check torque of your knuckle bolts daily when wheeling. It worked for me.

I have 4.56 diffs and my speedo was right on with 35/36s. However, on the trail it's an awkward size if you need a spare third member. 4.11's are common, 4.88 likely, but 4.56 good luck. I think you would appreciate the lower gearing mostly on the road.
 
One factory to consider is the toybox is twice the axle cost. You are already going in and switching out the diff so adding axles at $600 from BoBby Long and the rebuild kit with some more toys is less than a grand. Unless you have the ability to do it yourself the toybox is going to run you close to 3K so you are not talking about the same knock on you wallet.
 
You have to decide your true goal. If it's the Rubicon trail, then the gear reduction makes all the difference. The first time I did the Rubicon it was with a stock drivetrain in my FJ40 and it was really, really hard. The second time and all subsequent times have been with significant gear reduction via an SM420. It makes the rig much more capable, and it has the added benifit of being easier on your truck as well.

A 60, because it is so large, benefits even more from deeper gear reduction, and going slow helps to decrease the body roll that so often is what gets you into trouble on a technical trail.

If you plan to just do expedition type trips, then you are already set up adequately. Even for the ACT, i would think you'd be OK, but the high strength Birfields might not be a bad idea. Unfortunately, the expensive parts all seem to go together. Tougher terrain=lower gears=torque multiplication=broken parts.

My vote is the Toybox......(and then all the stronger parts to go with it:D )
 
My .02, I would do the the locker, axels and diff gears.
You can do the Rubicon fairly easily locked f/r, and the security of the longs makes it that much more enjoyable if for nothing else piece of mind. The first time I ran the Rubicon all I had was 4.88's and a rear locker. I needed a tug in 2 spots where the only reason it was required was because I couldnt get the traction in the front end. Deep gearing is IMPRESSIVE to say the least, and its now the next thing that Im working towards in my rig, but its not essential on the Rubicon. Not that Im the seasoned pro most others are or anything.
I agree TOTALLY that BOTH would be ideal, but IMO id get the traction in all 4 wheels first, beef the axels to handle the added traction and get the diff gears a little lower.

Not the popular opinion I know, but its my limited experience.

Chicago
 
chicago said:
My .02, I would do the the locker, axels and diff gears.
You can do the Rubicon fairly easily locked f/r, and the security of the longs makes it that much more enjoyable if for nothing else piece of mind. The first time I ran the Rubicon all I had was 4.88's and a rear locker. I needed a tug in 2 spots where the only reason it was required was because I couldnt get the traction in the front end. Deep gearing is IMPRESSIVE to say the least, and its now the next thing that Im working towards in my rig, but its not essential on the Rubicon. Not that Im the seasoned pro most others are or anything.
I agree TOTALLY that BOTH would be ideal, but IMO id get the traction in all 4 wheels first, beef the axels to handle the added traction and get the diff gears a little lower.

Not the popular opinion I know, but its my limited experience.

Chicago
Click to expand...

Duuuude---You have an automatic!
 
toy box ...I love mine gearing is great to have and shafts are easyer to get one axle at a time later and the big money item you should get when the gettin good :hillbilly:


oh and weld the rear put your lunch box locker in the front and DO IT
 
You know chicago, that's a condition that's easily remedied, especially since you're doing a vortec swap.....
 
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