SAS for expedition tacoma?

[viter]

talking about bearings - they are not serviceable in taco's and they usually last quite a long time so changing them is not something you'll do more than once or perhaps twice in your life probably (assuming you'll use the truck for ~150000 miles); however, if you do have to change them it is a pain to press them out and is not something you can do in the field unlike with some solid axles I guess. to be honest, pressing out the rear bearings out of the solid rear taco axle can be really hard too, so I guess it all depends on the axle. bearing failure is rather rare in taco's though (but it did happen to me once with the rear axle bearing, but I think it has something to do with me liking to drive thru deep water and mud a lot).

 

[detailbarn]

talking about bearings - they are not serviceable in taco's and they usually last quite a long time so changing them is not something you'll do more than once or perhaps twice in your life probably (assuming you'll use the truck for ~150000 miles); however, if you do have to change them it is a pain to press them out and is not something you can do in the field unlike with some solid axles I guess. to be honest, pressing out the rear bearings out of the solid rear taco axle can be really hard too, so I guess it all depends on the axle. bearing failure is rather rare in taco's though (but it did happen to me once with the rear axle bearing, but I think it has something to do with me liking to drive thru deep water and mud a lot).

true not a regular service item but when they go it's not easy , mine lasted until 175,000 and I got rid of the truck at 190,000 so I'm sure they would have lasted another 5 years had I kept the truck. I do about 25,000 miles a year so I really like serviceablity , and the dana 44 is just that. I'll have four of them between my two trucks so spare parts won't be an issue either.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I personally found that the IFS was not easy to work on and I couldn't do simple things like change wheel bearings , when they needed to be replaced it cost me just shy of $1000 plus parts and that was not at the dealer , dealers cost was closer to $2000. Yes just for front wheel bearings. So in the end it was ease of working on the solid axle and the availability of tougher components that drew me to the solid axle.

This isn't an IFS problem, but a late model truck problem. The IFS on older Toyotas has just about the identical configuration as the solid axle. In fact I had most of the spare parts left over from my FJ40 and I'd be hard pressed to tell a difference between the bearings, lock nuts and star washer. Dunno, I do just about everything on my trucks I like working on the IFS hubs, it's a lot less stinky and nasty, I've never had gear oil in the knuckles. The Taco and newer 4Runners have sealed bearings, replace the whole assembly every 10 years or whatever. It's painfully expensive, but it's a set and forget. No need to periodically repack bearings and check preload. It's a gotta be, gotta go world and we luddites are just getting run over, man. We have a '96 Civic for the DD and its got the same deal, cartridge hubs. They are expensive to replace, just like you found on your Taco. I'd think just about all manufacturers have gone this way, although I think the live axle hubs still use traditional bearings, so the Wrangler, Super Duty, etc. But that's probably about it.

 

[Dirty Harry]

I'd think just about all manufacturers have gone this way, although I think the live axle hubs still use traditional bearings, so the Wrangler, Super Duty, etc. But that's probably about it.

Super Dutys, Wranglers, Cherokees, etc use unit bearings that are not rebuildable and are expensive to replace, just like a Tacoma. Like you said Dave, it is a late model issue, not an IFS issue.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Super Dutys, Wranglers, Cherokees, etc use unit bearings that are not rebuildable and are expensive to replace, just like a Tacoma.

Wasn't aware of that. That's something I learned today.

 

[crawler#976]

talking about sas, in terms of advantage of extra travel of a sas, technically you could get ~14" out of IFS with one of the long travel kits made for taco by total chaos or camburg and still retain 4wd, but it will be costly ~$3000.

SAS'n a Taco will be more than that if done right...

I always here people say they've done a SAS for less than a grand. If they did, it's probably a hack job. A used axle needs to be rebuilt, regeared, and locked if it's gonna be used to it's potential, and that alone is well over a grand - even if the axle was free.

If you own a welder, thats great - if not, either you buy one or pay someone a lot to do it for you. My little 220V Mig was $850 out the door - in 2001.

You need a couple grinders and a dozen wheels.

I'm not trying to discourage you from doing what you want - I just don't want you to go into it without understanding all the financial ramifications. It's very, very costly to do it right the first time. It's a whole lot more to do it right the second time.

Mark

 

[BajaTaco]

It's very, very costly to do it right the first time. It's a whole lot more to do it right the second time.

HERE is a good example of a parts lists from a swap done many years ago on a Tacoma. This doesn't include anything for labor. Thanks to Rob for keeping this info on his site.

HERE is another parts list (without prices)

 

[detailbarn]

Super Dutys, Wranglers, Cherokees, etc use unit bearings that are not rebuildable and are expensive to replace, just like a Tacoma. Like you said Dave, it is a late model issue, not an IFS issue.

the parts where not the problem , they only cost me $80 for the tacoma both sides. The labor was the killer they had to pressed out and in with a 20 ton press which of course the dealer had but very shops did. With the Jeep I can just pull the entire assembly off and slide a new one on.

 

[DaveInDenver]

the parts where not the problem , they only cost me $80 for the tacoma both sides. The labor was the killer they had to pressed out and in with a 20 ton press which of course the dealer had but very shops did. With the Jeep I can just pull the entire assembly off and slide a new one on.

Wow, a 20 ton press. That would be a huge PITA. Stuff like that just reassures me I made the right choice to rebuild the engine in my truck and keep it!

 

[Winky]

SAS'n a Taco will be more than that if done right...

I always here people say they've done a SAS for less than a grand. If they did, it's probably a hack job. A used axle needs to be rebuilt, regeared, and locked if it's gonna be used to it's potential, and that alone is well over a grand - even if the axle was free.

If you own a welder, thats great - if not, either you buy one or pay someone a lot to do it for you. My little 220V Mig was $850 out the door - in 2001.

You need a couple grinders and a dozen wheels.

I'm not trying to discourage you from doing what you want - I just don't want you to go into it without understanding all the financial ramifications. It's very, very costly to do it right the first time. It's a whole lot more to do it right the second time.

Mark

I appreciate the reality... I'm only going to live once.. I don't plan on leaving anything for my kids. I am leaning towards this build more and more just to make it work... ordinary is boring.

Cheers
Josh

 

[DaveInDenver]

I appreciate the reality... I'm only going to live once.. I don't plan on leaving anything for my kids. I am leaning towards this build more and more just to make it work... ordinary is boring.

It's so funny, there's a thread over at Yotatech started by tc here in Colorado. He wants to do a long travel IFS on his second gen 4Runner and people are riding him for being different and not doing a SAS. LOL!

 

[ntsqd]

Wow, a 20 ton press. That would be a huge PITA. Stuff like that just reassures me I made the right choice to rebuild the engine in my truck and keep it!

That doesn't strike me as all that odd. Granted it's not common, but I have a 20t press in my garage. Bought it & several other large tools when the vintage race car shop I used to work for decided to close it's doors. The racing engine machine shop I used to do fab work for has a 40t press. It's really cool when need to BEND something......

It's so funny, there's a thread over at Yotatech started by tc here in Colorado. He wants to do a long travel IFS on his second gen 4Runner and people are riding him for being different and not doing a SAS. LOL!

Link plz. Irks me when people think SAS is the end-all, be-all answer to every application.

 

[DaveInDenver]

That doesn't strike me as all that odd. Granted it's not common, but I have a 20t press in my garage. Bought it & several other large tools when the vintage race car shop I used to work for decided to close it's doors. The racing engine machine shop I used to do fab work for has a 40t press. It's really cool when need to BEND something......

Hmm, I don't have a press. Needed one when I rebuilt the transmission in my FJ40, but $20 at the machine shop took care of that. Still, it strikes me as a pain if I need a press to just work on wheel bearings. Definitely makes doing a field repair out of the question, eh?

Link plz. Irks me when people think SAS is the end-all, be-all answer to every application.

http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=117733

 

[Winky]

It's so funny, there's a thread over at Yotatech started by tc here in Colorado. He wants to do a long travel IFS on his second gen 4Runner and people are riding him for being different and not doing a SAS. LOL!

That's because their primary interest is rock crawling... since mine is expedition travel a SAS is different.. it's all subjective.
Josh

 

[ntsqd]

http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=117733

Grazia!