I have double bubble at work, that might work.

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2006 Sport
6 speed man, 3.7 gas
Mopar skids and tow hooks
Sirius radio
arb bumper
rusty's 2 1/2" lift w/ clevis
245/75/16 MTR's

Didn't Jeepin Al do some fab work on his diff, how did that work out for him. He was running 33s at one point.

_________________
06 White KJ Sport 4x4
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2432458/1

This is way out there but as long as we are brainstorming . . . has anybody talked to a foundry about casting an iron housing? They could use and empty D30A as a mold. If they cast a bunch the cost would come way down, but then there's the machining to think of too . . . just thinking out loud here.

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'06 Stone White, CRD Limited
CRD Frankenlift II, Rock Lizard Rear Bumper, Mann Provent, GDE FT-ECO Tune, "Euro Torque Converter, Transgo 545RFE-H2 Shift Kit, 245/75 MT/R's on Moabs, Full Mopar Skids, Front Tow Hooks, CAT 2 Fuel filter and bleeder valve mod, Fumoto valve, Wahlbro Lift Pump, Custom 2 1/2" Exhaust

Got about $30,000 for the mold? Yep it's been looked into,would need about 10,000 orders to make it worth it at all,still would be about $1500-$2000 per housing after machining.

a while a go I looked into welding extra ribs extra into one but found the casting a bit of a pain to weld without distorting
the carrier bearing seats to much, but came up with another idea and would like to know if any one has either done this
or thought about it. - My plan is to get a laser cut front plate made from 1/4 or 3/8 to suit the opening where the front cover goes but also pick up the front mount holes as well. I don't think the problem is solely the pinion area but more of a
torsional twist thing and this could stiffen the whole diff up along with a collar.
any thought's would be appreciated before I go through expense of getting one made. But I do know the guy with the
laser cutter so if anyone think's it worth a try let me know also.

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2003 Limited, 2.5 inch lift, Pedders springs, Ironman Shocks and lots Fab work I have to do
but my other car is a Jeep

The Toyota IFS from the 1st generation Tacoma or 4runner is certainly better than the Liberty IFS. I can't speak to mounting it, but the parts are better. Gearing? 4.10, 4.56, 4.88, 5.29, all available from multiple mfg. Brakes are better too...

Bolt pattern is not a problem, because while you are at it, you will swap in the rear Toyota axle with or without the electric locker.

Parts availability? Very very good. 1997-2004 Tacoma and 4runners.

This is all theory or course, until someone does some serious measurements up front. If you couldn't re-use the control arms and rack and pinion, this could get real $ugly$ real fast. And ultimately, would it really be worth it?

_________________
2002 KJ Limited
Select Trac
3.7L V6
45RFE automatic
OME heavy springs
Bilstein HD strut and 5125 extended rear shock (not quite bolt in - just some spacers needed)
Yokohama Geolander AT-S 245 75r16

What about the 8" IFS out of a Dodge 1500 or Durrango?

_________________
2002 KJ Limited
Select Trac
3.7L V6
45RFE automatic
OME heavy springs
Bilstein HD strut and 5125 extended rear shock (not quite bolt in - just some spacers needed)
Yokohama Geolander AT-S 245 75r16

No gears or lockers.

I knew there was a good reason

The bottom line is you are most likely better buying spare Liberty parts. I'm hoping to get some soon at a local wrecker.

_________________
2002 KJ Limited
Select Trac
3.7L V6
45RFE automatic
OME heavy springs
Bilstein HD strut and 5125 extended rear shock (not quite bolt in - just some spacers needed)
Yokohama Geolander AT-S 245 75r16

It would be far cheaper for the right fabricator to make longer arms than it would be for anyone to try and get custom CV shafts. The desert guys are making longer arms all the time...

you would still need to:

- look find a diff replacement (44 from a 4.0L ranger?)
- custom cradle
- find a way to mate shafts to the knuckles
- custom longer tie rod ends

and you're back in SFA territory...

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Former CRD owner... now I just sit around and stare at the wall.

Those Toy axles are readily available because everyone & their brother is swapping them out. Wait...they are swapping them.... hmmmmm.

Sorry, but there is not nearly enough improvement to warrant the cost/effort. If you are concerned about gearing, learning to drive a stick opens a world of opportunities.

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LOST # 633
'05 KJ 3.7L/6spd/241 245/75/16 MT's
'88 MJ 4.0L/AW4/231 SWB HPD30 & trac-loc D44 w/3.73's
A dirty Jeep is a happy Jeep

I don't follow. What are you saying exactly? And the axles are readily available due to the huge VOLUME of vehicles produced and subsequent wrecking yard availability, not because a few hundred people decided to SAS their trucks.



In your opinion, there is not enough improvement to warrant the cost/effort. How exactly does driving a "stick" change the fact that people want lower gears?

_________________
2002 KJ Limited
Select Trac
3.7L V6
45RFE automatic
OME heavy springs
Bilstein HD strut and 5125 extended rear shock (not quite bolt in - just some spacers needed)
Yokohama Geolander AT-S 245 75r16

What he means is to get passed lower gears in the diffs adding a manual will lower your crawl ratio since there 1st gear is always lower then a auto's 1st gear.

The one and only reason I am doing a SFA swap is to gear correctly,but while I'm going to spend the money to SFA might as well do it big.Going from a current crawl ratio of about 39:1 to a crawl ratio of 66:1,more then low enough for 35" tires and a auto trans.

#1. Toy's swap these axles, so they have to do something with the stockers that they did not feel were worth keeping. I would imagine they sell them, if they can find a buyer. I am not a fan of the Toy IFS, especially first gen, and far more than "hundreds" have swapped these system for SFA. I personaly know at least a dozen who have done it, and the SFA swaps nationwide are probably in the 10,000's.

#2. A key here is undertsanding how gearing works. A stick with a 5:1 first gear and 3.55 gears gives you better gearing than an automatic with higher (numerically) gears. You do not need as deep an axle gear if you run a better transmission/x-fer set-up. Axle gear ratio is only on part of a multi-part equation.

Not having an engine that only puts about 65 hp to the ground also negates the need for 7.13 gears unless you are running really tall tire. (See, tire height is another part of the gear ratio equation, and seriously tall ones change the overall and crawl ratios. )

EDIT: TJKJ beat me to it on the manual

_________________
LOST # 633
'05 KJ 3.7L/6spd/241 245/75/16 MT's
'88 MJ 4.0L/AW4/231 SWB HPD30 & trac-loc D44 w/3.73's
A dirty Jeep is a happy Jeep

I get what he's trying to say. Most of the 4wd I've owned were manuals, but there are also benefits to an automatic. Is the first gear ratio lower in the manual? Sure it is, but this doesn't take into account the torque converter in the automatic, which allows for an effectively lower first gear. Not to mention the smooth operation and ease of use. It's just easier to drive the automatic in most situations.

_________________
2002 KJ Limited
Select Trac
3.7L V6
45RFE automatic
OME heavy springs
Bilstein HD strut and 5125 extended rear shock (not quite bolt in - just some spacers needed)
Yokohama Geolander AT-S 245 75r16

Very true,the auto's torque converter can give much better torque multiplication then a manual trans 1st gear.Unless you get above about 75:1 crawl ratio a manual trans will put shock loads on the driveline that breaks more parts that the auto's torque converter will absorb without tranfering it to the driveline.That's why most of the harder core wheelers with manual trans are running dual cases that give them over 100:1 crawl ratio's.

I never said anything about 1st generation Toyota IFS. The IFS under the Tacoma, 4runner, Tundra, 2nd Gen of all the above, and the IFS Land Cruiser is superior in every way to the Liberty however. Yes of course, people who swap do sell them. I know, since I once owned them for extra parts when I had a Tacoma. Talk about a deal, I got a whole front diff and cvs for less than the cost of a cv. This does not account for the fact that the vast supply of used auto parts come from used autos, not garage projects.

The arguement for using marginally better IFS stuff is mostly academic anyways. As several people (who are smarter than me) have pointed out, there are serious potential fabrication issues with all this conjecture.

Just having a little fun discussing it all, however.

_________________
2002 KJ Limited
Select Trac
3.7L V6
45RFE automatic
OME heavy springs
Bilstein HD strut and 5125 extended rear shock (not quite bolt in - just some spacers needed)
Yokohama Geolander AT-S 245 75r16

Sorry but anybody offering opinion's on this idea. Realistically with biggest tyre with the IFS is a 32in, and with a
selectable locker and bracing i think the twisting action can be taken out, it should be strong enough not have anymore
trouble. Any opinion's welcome just trying to come up with cheaper option for the people who still want keep their IFS

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2003 Limited, 2.5 inch lift, Pedders springs, Ironman Shocks and lots Fab work I have to do
but my other car is a Jeep

A bullet proof IFS with 32's would be perfect for alot of people, myself included.

What is the Commander running up front?

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06 White KJ Sport 4x4
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2432458/1