We provide full insights and details in real time conversations either here at the shop or via phone at 859 635 3058. Installation is only part of any properly executed and comprehensive upgrade. Removal of existing parts, addressing wear and tear, and/or existing or newly created deficiencies, and tuning are all part of the process required to insure positive long term results.
POR offers free initial inspections in order to provide a deeper level of information about your vehicle and project prior to any commitment by either party. Our clients tell us that they come away with a better understanding of their Jeep and all the factors relative to the project. This allows them to make better, more informed decisions about their project before any financial commitments.
Customer Inquiry:
I would like to know if you guys do straight axel conversions and what does that usually cost. I have an 87 Toyota 4Runner and I also have the axel’s to be used. I would like to run 40’s.
Response:
Hello and thanks for your inquiry. POR has executed many straight axle conversions on numerous types of vehicles over the last 40 years. The actual work is easy once all of the requirements and issues are planned. The difficulties lie in the fact that there is no “usual cost”. Your vague inquiry is similar to asking a carpenter “How much does a room addition cost?”
EVERY detail will affect the time and cost to complete such a project. I will introduce a few of them to our conversation in no particular order….
“I would like to run 40’s”…..Anything smaller than Dana 60s will be completely over matched and unable to provide any durability. We just mounted a set of 20×9 aluminum beadlock wheels with 37-inch Nitto Mud Grapplers……each tire and wheels combo weighs in at 146 pounds. That much load will eat most diffs, be too big for “stock” brake and steering systems. And too tall for any gear ratio less than 4.10, maybe even deeper depending on motor, drive line gearing and vehicle weight.
Then the issues of axle width, bolt pattern, brake system integration(most for hydraulic requirements), etc. will need to be considered.
Existing vehicle condition. How this will impact the project is fairly obvious, but I have never seen or inspected the particular truck in question, so difficult for a projection. Safe to say its difficult to modify and weld on tired rusty old steel.
Current condition and configuration of the axle set intended for the swap. Big enough brakes for 40s? Deep enough gearing for 40s?
Desired type of suspension……leaf springs, coils,coil-overs, airbags, 3-link, 4-link or something else? Huge variation in parts costs and installation labor. Your choice here will also impact all of the following:
Desired type of steering. 40-inch tires will place enormous amounts of load and wear( that turns into overheated and broken steering) if not accounted for. Type of suspension will impact the steering system too. Leaf sprung front diff does not provide nearly as much travel as a 3 or 4-link setup on coil-overs. Higher amounts of suspension travel require a deeper level of execution for steering, driveshafts angles and travels, clearances for tires, and other less obvious items.
Driveline angles and driveshaft revisions and requirements will vary for the same reasons.
So will brake plumbing, secondary mechanical emergency/park brake, exhaust clearances, oil pan clearances etc.
Failure to address and each and every element discussed here will result in chronic issues like poor performance, low durability, and result in an unsafe dangerous end result. If it is a licensed, insured street driven vehicle it will be non-compliant and a civil legal issue if any of the legally required equipment and systems for that particular vehicle and model year are not met. The good news here is that the standards for older vehicles are not as strict and stringent as newer ones. If the intended use is off-road only there may not be as many issues to consider. Again, not defined in your original inquiry.
Most people want to achieve as much performance and durability as possible, while improving safety factors at an affordable price. The very reasons why we offer free inspections and vehicle/project specific consultations. These allow us to provide realistic price estimations and timelines and also fully inform the vehicle owner so that they can make educated, informed, cost-effective decisions regarding their project. There are usually a number of similar projects going on here at the shop at any given time. Right now there is an 88 Toyota pickup straight axle conversion on a radius-arm 3-link with coil-over suspension. You are more than welcome anytime to check our projects out and talk about yours.
THANKS
Leveling Kit?
“Leveling kit” is a figurative, generic term, not a literal one. I have seen F150s like yours that sit anywhere from 1.5 to 4.5 inches higher in the rear. So, nor sure what it would take to “even” out yours. Secondly, these leveling kits are offered in a range from 40 bucks to several thousand dollars. The low end is nothing more than a chunk of polyurethane or a metal spacer of some kind that goes on top of the strut assembly. This method of lifting an F150 is mostly regressive, especially on struts that have mileage and wear. Then there are lift struts. A better solution with higher levels of performance and durability, but also increased costs compared to spacers. Many times more cost-effective because they replace tired and worn struts. The ultimate upgrade would be conversing to adjustable rebuildable coil-over assemblies. Of course, the best options always have higher levels of performance and durability, but also have the highest price.
Then there are the engineering requirements, the higher you lift the front(2 to 2.5 inches is about the max on F150 before additional parts are required), the more you affect the geometry of the CV axles, steering components and front end alignment geometry. Therefore, more parts are required to correct and capture/maintain proper alignment geometry. Failure to do so can create adverse and inconsistent handling and increased wear. That is why the higher end performance leveling kits include more parts like upper control arms or adjustable ball joint seats. There are numerous ways to lift or lift and improve the front end geometry. These are intended to be corrective, but they can have different approaches and intended results. Just a few more reasons why POR performs free vehicle inspections and evaluations to help owners make informed cost-effective decisions. Specific details are much easier to discuss in real time conversations.
Performance Off Road 