However, they are ultimately no stronger. Everything that determines strength is the same size; the bigger R&P is the only noticeable change.
On light, 4 or 6 cyl. powered trucks with tires in the 37-39 inch range, toy axles perform fantastically “region. A Scout has higher engine power on top of being significantly heavier (my toy weighs 3600 pounds). D60/14B is preferred, although toy axles and a small, 35 “light and worn out.
In This Article...
What Toyota axles are the strongest?
Toyota Pickup and 4Runner RCV Ultimate 30 Spline Axle Set with 300M Inner Axle – STRONGEST – 300M INNER AXLE AND STAR These axles, which include 300M inners and a 300M star, are the strongest ones you can get. For your Toyota pickup or 4Runner, these Birfield axleshafts are the toughest you can find.
Is Dana 44 capable?
These days, it seems as though only Dana 60s and 70sand even 2 1/2-ton Rockwell axlesare mentioned. Yes, these axles are fantastic, and we would all naturally love to use them in our trail setups. But have you ever considered the price of a front Dana 60 manufactured to order? They’re not exactly cheap, are they? Even units from junkyards are becoming more expensive as they become harder to find.
Are you stuck with a Dana 44 if you currently have a rig and don’t have the money to upgrade to a Dana 60? The reply from Four Wheeler is “no, you’re not.”
The Dana 44 used to be thought of as a fairly durable axle. But when trails became more difficult and tires became bigger, the 44 was replaced with even more robust equipment. However, the Dana 44 is a fairly durable component, and numerous businesses sell parts to enhance your 44’s current strength. Consider the parts and advice below carefully before retiring your Dana 44 so that it can have a long and healthy life.
Why Build It To Fail? The weakest link is a phrase we’ve all heard. No, we’re not referring to a game show where competitors get scolded for not knowing the answer to a simple question by a dowdy woman with awful hair and a weird accent. A component that is designed to fail first is referred to as a weak link. This concept is used by Warn to create the hub fuse for the Dana 44. It is designed to fail before an axle or a U-joint and fits into your hub. The rationale behind this is that changing the fuse in the hub is much simpler than taking an entire axle out. Although an excellent idea, it cannot be applied to Detroit Lockers, which is a downside.
Realize Your Limits How big of a tire a Dana 44 can support is a frequently asked question. Answering that question is difficult. A number of variables are involved, including the terrain, vehicle weight, driving technique, and engine output. However, a Dana 44 can generally accommodate tires up to 36 inches in diameter.
Of course, we all know the man who drives a Dana 44 with 40-inch tires and never wrecks anything. Then there is the man with 33-inch tires who wrecks everything. We do not have a rigid 36-inch tire limit because of this. If you drive erratically in a big trail truck with 500 horsepower, you risk damaging components if the tires are smaller than 36 inches. You might be able to run a tire larger than 36 inches if you drive like your grandmother in a lightweight vehicle with a stock engine, though.
There is also a role for terrain. Due to the majority of crawlers’ ultra-low gearing and the fact that traction is frequently constant, rockcrawling is typically particularly difficult on axles. Axles typically handle slippery terrain, like dirt and sand, better. Mud, on the other hand, may add a lot of weight to a wheel-and-tire combination thus mudders typically run high horsepower engines. Together, they have the ability to snap an axle like a twig.
The Will To Survive You can do the following things to help your Dana 44 survive while you are out on the trail in addition to upgrading your axle:
Avoid shocking your axle. When the load on an axle suddenly increases, a lot of breaking happens. When a car begins to bounce on uneven terrain and the driver keeps their foot on the gas, this can happen. When a driver tries to throttle his way out of a difficulty, it can also happen from a halt. A vehicle transitioning from a surface with a lot of slippage (like mud or sand) to a surface with a lot of traction is another killer (such as rock). The axle will break when it transitions from having no traction to having all of it because it cannot support the load.
* Be kind. You must take care of your Dana 44 if you want it to live. Your axle may break when you shock it, as the aforementioned tip indicates. Get off the gas when your vehicle begins to hop rather than continuing to do so. Instead of quickly slamming the throttle to the floor, roll into it. Be wary of abruptly releasing the clutch when your engine is revving high if you drive a manual. Driving aggressively may look more macho, but it also results in more broken components and empty wallets.
* Be aware of turns. The U-joints are particularly susceptible when turning with full lock. This is because, in this circumstance, the axles exert the most leverage on them. Take extra care when turning the steering wheel all the way to the left or right on your vehicle.
* Steer clear of photojournalists. Be cautious if you see a magazine photographer on the route. They are vultures, these men. They frequently congregate in places where your rig is most vulnerable to harm. Exercise caution and disregard any orders they may bark, such as “Gas it!” Don’t feed them either. You’ll never get rid of them if you do that.
When was Toyota solid axle introduced?
Why then did we choose these years to concentrate on Toyota? Toyota pickups were initially made available with four-wheel drive in 1979. And from that time until 1985, toys had solid front axles. It wasn’t until 1986, however, that the debate over live axle versus IFS really started to heat up around the campfire.
Because many drivetrain components on these Toyotas were recycled from the ‘Cruiser, they were dubbed the Son of Land Cruiser. And since components are easily accessible for these model years, that’s a major plus. We consulted the Toyota experts, Jim Sickles of Downey Off-Road Manufacturing, Marlin Czajkowski of Marlin Crawler, and John Hendricks of Northwest Off-Road Specialties, though, for some actual purchasing tips. They claim that Toyotas from 1979 to 1985 are affordable to buy, simple to acquire parts for in salvage yards and the aftermarket, affordable to fix, dependable, and tough.
Toyota has an advantage over competing manufacturers in that it keeps everything straightforward, from car design to settings. There were no upgrades that changed the engine or performance prior to the 1981 arrival of the SR5 package, which was an interior/exterior update. The pickups from 1979 to 1995 and a half were known as Hi-Lux, although the name was rarely used after the early 1980s and was renamed to Tacoma in mid-1995. While there were no significant sheetmetal modifications between 1979 and 1983 for the pickups’ regular bed and longbed models, 1984 saw the introduction of the Xtracab, which features a shortbed mounted on a longbed chassis for an additional 2 feet of internal space.
For those of you who love the Spotter’s Guide, Toyotas from 1979 to 1982 have round headlights, whereas those from 1983 to 1985 have square ones. Due to their square-cut fenderwells as opposed to the round ones on the ’79-’83s, the ’84-’85s appear taller. The grilles somewhat modified between the model years 1981 and 1983.
Between 1979 and 1985, three Toyota pickup four-cylinder engines were employed: 20R, 22R, and 22R-E. A 21R existed, although it was only used in Japan. The 20R carbureted 2.2L engine was installed in the 19791980 models. The 22R carbureted 2.4L engine was installed in the 19811983 models. The 19841985 models were available with either the 22R carbureted or the 22RE electronic fuel injection.
Just read the lettering on the wall to distinguish between the engines. The engine designation is located in a flat, machined spot on the driver’s side of the engine, behind the alternator. In case you’re lucky, a decal indicating the original engine size will be located on the valve cover’s nose. Search for the 20R’s round intake ports; the 22R’s intake ports are square for a greater challenge. There is no direct replacement for the intake manifolds.
The performance of each of the four-cylinder engines can be easily improved. The lack of a V-6 option for the solid-axle Toys is one disadvantage.
All vehicles from 1979 to 1985 had solid axles that measured 8.0 inches (the same as 7.8 inches). When it comes to extreme rock crawling, the specialists we spoke with all agreed that a solid-axle arrangement is unbeatable, and Jim Sickles of Downey points out that these trucks can be lifted more affordably than an IFS truck.
The cool aspect, though, is that the dropout pumpkins on the front and rear axles are both interchangeable from front to rear. The ’84 and subsequent models feature a different back pinion bearing, which is the sole difference between the pumpkins.
Only 10% of Toyota 4x4s in America had automatic transmissions, which were first introduced in the ’85s. Czajkowski, Hendricks, and Sickles claim that Toyota had certain issues with transmissions. The 19811983 versions simply lacked sufficient power. The trannies, however, improved and became considerably less problematic in the ’84s. Models from 1981 introduced the first five-speed overdrive transmissions.
Regardless of whether they are in regular beds, longbeds, or Xtracabs, Toyota manufacturers refer to the T-cases as four-cylinder or six-cylinder kinds rather than transfer-case model designations like NP205. All of the four-cylinder models from 1979 to 1985 had larger driveline flanges and a 1/4-inch higher case in the models from 1984 and beyond.
The shift lever is bolted to the top of the T-case with ’79-’83 carbureted engines and ’84-’87 EFI engines, however it is bolted to the tranny on ’84-’87 carbureted Toys.
The shift lever bolts to the top of the transfer case, which is the same for all Toyotas with fuel-injected engines from 1979 to 1983 and from 1984 to 1987. The lever on the one on the right bolts directly to the tranny and is for carbureted engines from 1984 to 1987.
Do Toyotas ever experience problems? “Nonearmy tanks and significantly superior vehicles.” According to Sickles of Downey. He notes that the 19791984 transnies are inadequate for large tires and powerful motors, but that by 1985, they had improved. Hendricks of Northwest claims that Toyotas are well-designed trucks, but points out that the 19841985 models had issues with rust in the bed and doors (often caused by the owner, he claims), but with the introduction of IFS in 1986, the rust issue was resolved. Marlin Crawler’s Czajkowski observes that the rust got worse with older cars. Hendricks of Northwest has observed upper shock-mount fracture as well, although he questions whether the owner is more to blame than Toyota.
If you install a front locker, Czajkowski claims the front drive axle joints, also known as Birfield joints, are the most likely parts to break; he never leaves the house without extra Birfield joints. The left horseshoe steering arm, which wears out and cracksanother extra item he won’t wheel withoutis another significant malfunction. The exhaust manifolds, according to him, can warp. The 1985 models are said to have the weakest engines.
The greatest years for lifting, according to Czajkowski, are the ’79 to ’83 models since they have the biggest wheel apertures. You can easily fit 35-inch wheels and a 5-inch lift into these models. The ’84-’85s had greater creature comforts in the premium category, like a larger cab and buckets. Since it has good mileage, torque, and powerand was the final year for the rockcrawler’s favorite, the live axlehe would lean toward a fuel-injected 1985 shortbed.
The bodies and construction of the ’79’83s, according to Hendricks, are the strongest. Since 1983 was the final year for that body type before improvements came around, he would choose that model. It’s a well-liked option because to its traditional design and sizable, rounded wheelwells. And Sickles supports the Xtracab since it has a fresh body design and more cab room.
Which backbone is the strongest?
Strange Engineering had the concept to actually enhance the original Dana 60. Their version (the “S60”) is offered in a variety of configurations, ranging from a bare housing devoid of ends and brackets to a housing that is bolted in (as shown below) all the way up to a full rear axle assembly. (Photo by Wayne Scraba)
You need look no further than a Dana 60 if you want a large beast of a rear end under your automobile.
Dana 60 rear differentials were well-known for their strength and rarity, even in the era of muscle cars.
They are actually very simple to locate today. A wide variety of heavy strength, bolt-in rear end assemblies are available from Strange Engineering and other manufacturers for many common applications.
The truth is that a better rear than a Dana can now be built for racing, but it’s still a fine option for street vehicles. This is why:
The Dana 60 rear ends include a massive 93/4-inch diameter ring gear, and when one of the several modern limited-slip systemsincluding Detroit Lockersis installed, the axle splines rise to a substantial 35.
Large 1-5/8-inch diameter (29-spline) pinion that may be configured to accept enormous Spicer 1350-Series universal joints. There are several different gear ratio possibilities available, ranging from 3.31:1 to 7.17:1.
How come Dana axles are so great?
There are a few different types of axles that are frequently used in heavy-duty trucks. Some of the most often used axles ever are the Dana 44 and Dana 60, which are used in the majority of full-size trucks.
We’ll be focusing on full-size Dana 44 for the duration of this essay. The Dana 60 is more powerful than the Dana 44, as you would have guessed. We already knew that, but we want to investigate further to determine why.
Knowing what axles are underneath a vehicle is generally a good idea if you intend to purchase one. Jeep axles may be distinguished from other axles thanks to the distinctive shapes of their differential covers. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple with the Dana 44 and Dana 60.
Examining the size of the middle section is the simplest method for differentiating them. The central section of the Dana 60 is obviously larger due to the larger ring gear.
Usually, the Dana 60 axle will also have bigger brakes. There ought to be a model number on the middle section if everything else fails. Near general, it’s in the bottom right corner of the central area. You can determine whether it is a Dana 44 or a Dana 60 using this. Bring a little brush to clear off the model number since it can be difficult to read.
The stronger axle is the Dana 60, as we already mentioned. A Dana 60 axle is required if you want to run large tires or have a lot of power. The Dana 44 is a terrific axle if you don’t require huge tires or a lot of power, though. Most people are unaware of how much unsprung weight affects handling and how heavy a Dana 60 is. Although the Dana 44 is a heavy axle as well, the Dana 60 is much heavier.
Depending on the truck, the Dana 44’s ring gear can range in size from 8.5 to 8.8 inches. However, the Dana 60 has a large 9.75-inch ring gear regardless of the truck it was removed from.
That is significantly larger, which is essential for withstanding high drivetrain stress. The ratio of the Dana 44 gears varies from 2.72:1 to 5.89:1. The Dana 60 has a ratio range of 3.31:1 to 7.17:1.
Axle tubes for the Dana 44 ranged in diameter from 2.5 to 3 inches. Only one large axle, measuring 3.125 inches in diameter, was included with the Dana 60. These bigger axle tubes not only allow for bigger axle shafts but also strengthen the housing.
The S-Trac differential from Strange Engineering is a Dana 60 35-spline torsion type differential.
A number of different axle diameters were available for the Dana 44 axle. D44s with 29, 39, 32, 33, and 35 splines are the most common. Additionally, there were numerous sizes available for the Dana 60 axle. The 30, 32, 33, and 35-spline D60 axles are the most widely used. The axle shafts’ ears have various sizes as well. U-joints for the Dana 44 axles have a snap ring to snap ring length of 2.18 inches. The u-joints used on the Dana 60 axle have a snap ring to snap ring length of three inches.
The Dana 60 is significantly stronger overall and features a larger ring gear, axle tubes, and axle shafts. But all that added strength adds a lot of weight. Your vehicle’s handling will be worse both on and off the road if you add additional unsprung weight to it. If you don’t care about that, the Dana 60 is an obvious pick.
The Dana 44 might be a better choice for those of us who are concerned about on-road handling. particularly if you don’t require all that extra strength. Please share your opinions in the section below.