Welding rear end (and changing it out?) (1 Viewer)

[burnt03]

Was thinking of welding the rear end on my '78 FJ40, but it's currently my DD as well, so that would chew the tires up like no tomorow.

I was wondering if it might be an option to try to find a spare 3rd, weld it and use one for the trail and one for the road?

How difficult is it to change the 3rds out? Is this a viable solution or... ??

Thanks

 

[Man Jerk]

I've been considering this also for my 60 series. Seems to me that you would end up buying a lot of gear oil and diff gaskets and c clips. Other than that, it's pretty easy to swap them out. Pull the cover and c clips, pull the shafts and drop out the 3rd member. Then install the welded unit. It seems like a bit of work, but then you won't have to deal with driving around town with a welded rear.

I'd like to know what people thing of this as opposed to getting a lunchbox locker like the no-slip.

 

[cuiser73]

Heres my $.02 worth. If you are going to use your cruisers as DD then a lunchbox locker is a better bet. I ran a lockright in the rear for a year and it worked fine. If you drive it right there is little diffrence between open and a lockright. Yes it does have a funny ratchet noise when cornering but it wont burn up tires like a welded rear. I run a welded now since I went to the 529 gears and my rig is strictly trail. Besides people really look at you funny when you are turning and the rear is making that clicking noise.

 

[Mavric1298]

Or go arb, later third member w/ elocker or other lock-unlock type locker.

 

[woody]

Swapping a rear 3rd is a pain....and moreso if you run rear discs. drop the shaft, drop the calipers/rotors, pull the rear cover, sheak out the c-clips, pull the shafts, drop the chunk, and then redo it in reverse. My guess is 60-90 minutes..and then add in $30 or more in gaskets/fluid every time.

The first time will be fun...the second time not so much, the third time you saw fawk it and leave the welded diff in cause you got back late from that wheeling trip and it was Sunday night and the missus wanted some quality time so you drove it to work on Monday and it wasn't that bad and then you had plans on Monday night and Tuesday night and pretty soon it's been 3 weeks and the diff is still in there and you think, "gee, change it out or just leave it in since I'm wheeling next weekend" and so you leave it and it becomes permanent.

(excerpts of the above shamelessly stolen from people I know who run wheelin' tires and street tires and somehow never have time to change them back to street after a weekend out...)