Tacoma SAS with Toyota axle?

[Patrolman]

Has anyone seen this done? I know the Taco is a driver side drop. I also believe there are companies making passenger drop t-cases for it now. What I really wanted to know is can the actual axle parts weld/bolt in as easy as on the pre-95 models? I know the pre-95 was basically a leaf spring frame with IFS added onto it. Is the Taco the same, or much more complex?

[Haku]

Marlin makes gear drive t-cases that will drop either side. I've definitely seen some builds of Tacomas on Pirate for sure, though I have noticed a lot of them use Dana axles. I think the easiest way to do it is also use a gear drive case that drops to the other side, but I'm not completely sure. I'll have to look around and see if I can find this info for ya. Wyota has a post-95 Tacoma, so he might have a better idea of what it might take.

JH

[Patrolman]

I did notice that Marlin sells a driver side drop gear driven case (factory is chain) for $2,000. The axle of choice is certainly the Dana. Big bucks for my wallet. I would rather drop in a traditional passenger drop top-shift and a Toyota axle.

[Haku]

Had a quick look around on Pirate for ya, and unless you want to do some serious refabing of the axle, just getting a gear drive case out of a earlier truck is definitely the easiest and simplest way to go. Not sure what engine you have in yours, but you might have to invest in a V6 adapter depending on what you have.

As far as fabricating goes, the traditional SAS swap kits should pretty much install the same way. The cross-member on the front is a bit different, but the same idea. The frames aren't different enough to really need to change the techniques very much with a leaf sprung setup, so you should be good to go. Did you score an new Tacoma or are you just researching for the future? I ask this because a lot of the guys on Pirate start out with a 2wd truck, since they are cheaper and you are going to be replacing stuff anyways. I know that is how I would do it if I was starting from scratch. I've seen some of the cheapy small wheeled 2wd economy Tacomas get turned into some pretty hardcore wheelers.

JH

[Patrolman]

I have been looking at Tacomas. Nothing purchased yet. Just browsing. I really prefer the passenger side drop, so before I decide to purchase, want to have all my ducks in a row to SAS. I would certainly consider a 2wd to start the project with. You are dead on. Doesn't matter what it was to start with and basically all the 4wd parts would get scrapped anyways.

[Haku]

Cool. There are defintely days where I kind of think about buying a cheap 2wd Tacoma with the engine I want in it already, and swap everything over from my current truck. I'm sure you'll find something that will work out for ya being the King of Craigslist and all.

JH

[Volcom]

The mini truck axle just isn't wide enough for a Tacoma. It's only 55" WMS to WMS and the rear Tacoma axle is 60.75" WMS to WMS. Most run a Waggy front (diff is on the correct side & for the width). My buddy Jeff did an SAS on his 96 4Runner. He used a Waggy. It's nice if you want to stay 6 lug as well.

[scout man]

totally out of curiousity, why do you prefer a passenger side drop??? DOnt know much about toyotas, just wondering.

[Volcom]

totally out of curiousity, why do you prefer a passenger side drop??? DOnt know much about toyotas, just wondering.

Most early Toyota's had a passenger side front output from the t-case. Here's a pic of my 84 4Runner (on the right) next to my buddies 96 4Runner with a Waggy front driver side drop axle. He went with a driver side drop because his t-case has a driver side front output. He didn't want to covert his t-cases over to passenger side front output.
http://www.volcom.rockfrogs.org/40-Iroks/007.JPG

[scout man]

yea, I was just wondering why Jeff was prefering to convert to a passenger drop, if there was a reason other than axle selection.

[Brody]

More to the mix:

All Pro Off Road's Taco SAS:

http://www.allprooffroad.com/9504tacomasas


Waggy axle swap into Taco:

http://www.atarmor.com/writeups/SASwriteup.htm

Taco SAS FAQs:

http://128.83.80.200/TACO/sasfaq.html

Front Range Off Road Fabrication Taco SAS kit:

http://frontrangeoffroadfab.com/nfoscomm/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=39&osCsid=30dd44332776186e04ca16e9aac93217

2000 Taco SAS article:

http://frontrangeoffroadfab.com/nfoscomm/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=39&osCsid=30dd44332776186e04ca16e9aac93217

Oil Pan Conversion:

You are also probably going to have to do the T 100 2WD oil pan and pick up tube conversion, much like you do on the 3.4L swap for clearance.

Hope that these help.

[JeffX]

I'd recommend keep the driver's drop and use a waggy 44. They are much easier to find and junkyard spares are abundant. Converting to passenger drop and building a Yota axle starts you at a few grand disadvantage. The Waggy 44 is also the right width for a Taco (the old Yota axle is narrower).

[Patrolman]

The 2 reasons I was interested in going with a passenger drop is to run a gear driven Toyota t-case. Also much easier to run a doubler. 2ndly, that would utilize a Toyota axle, which has a removable 3rd and can be stuffed with e-locker and hi-pinion. Only advantage to the driver drop that I could think of would be the wider axle.

[JeffX]

........use a waggy 44. They are much easier to find and junkyard spares are abundant. Converting to passenger drop and building a Yota axle starts you at a few grand disadvantage. The Waggy 44 is also the right width for a Taco (the old Yota axle is narrower).


.... Only advantage to the driver drop that I could think of would be the wider axle.


If money is no object, I agree.

[scout man]

The 2 reasons I was interested in going with a passenger drop is to run a gear driven Toyota t-case. Also much easier to run a doubler. 2ndly, that would utilize a Toyota axle, which has a removable 3rd and can be stuffed with e-locker and hi-pinion. Only advantage to the driver drop that I could think of would be the wider axle.

cool, makes sense. Thats exactly what I was wondering.