i have been changing my mind lately. not sure if i want to go with D44's anymore for my SAS on my Kia Sportage. i'm wondering if i can make Toy axles work, but i want to use some Bronco arms someone recently gave me. will the toy axle housing stand up to the twisting action, during articulation, of a set of stock EB arms? or will it bend/twist permanently?

thanks for any info, and, yes, did a search, but all i got was strength issues for internal components, not the housing.

:smokin:

I think my computer is fucked up but am I seeing rite that your doing this on a Kia Sportage??? :eek:

....am I seeing rite that your doing this on a Kia Sportage??? :eek:
Why not? It has a peppy little engine, decent power-to-weight ratio, and a body-on-frame design.... and you won't have to pass twelve vehicles on the trail each weekend that look exactly like yours. :p

Randii (wondering how drunk Jeepers *ever* find their rigs with so many similar-looking rigs in a dark campgroud)

Originally posted by FLEXYSAMMY
I think my computer is fucked up but am I seeing rite that your doing this on a Kia Sportage??? :eek:

Odd... I remember when people made fun of Sammi's for being built for trail use ;)

Originally posted by randii
[B]Randii (wondering how drunk Jeepers *ever* find their rigs with so many similar-looking rigs in a dark campgroud)

We have special light patterns on our trailers. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by fledgling666
i have been changing my mind lately. not sure if i want to go with D44's anymore for my SAS on my Kia Sportage. i'm wondering if i can make Toy axles work, but i want to use some Bronco arms someone recently gave me. will the toy axle housing stand up to the twisting action, during articulation, of a set of stock EB arms? or will it bend/twist permanently?

thanks for any info, and, yes, did a search, but all i got was strength issues for internal components, not the housing.

:smokin:


Well if you look around the Toy Section and see what people have/are doing I would think that would answer your question.

Especially since the debate of D44 and Toy axles is always on. They are very compareable in strength and should not cause you any grief.

Whoa....Whoa....Whoa.... Here guy's I am not making fun of the dude just saying that is the first time I have ever heard of that!


Ok now we want the swap and picks!! :flipoff2:

Originally posted by randii
[B](wondering how drunk Jeepers *ever* find their rigs with so many similar-looking rigs in a dark campgroud)

i'm at work and people were wondering why i burst out with laughter............ the response was just as good.

anyway, thanks for the input, guys, posted the link over there in hopes that someone has done this before and can tell me for sure one way or the other. i didn't consider Toy axles before because i thought they were too narrow, Kia rear measures about 61" wms-wms.

Originally posted by DRM


Odd... I remember when people made fun of Sammi's for being built for trail use ;) Or Randi's Isuzu on Toyota axles and Toyota Tranny with the Marlin Dual set up!!!!:D

Originally posted by FLEXYSAMMY
Whoa....Whoa....Whoa.... Here guy's I am not making fun of the dude just saying that is the first time I have ever heard of that!


Ok now we want the swap and picks!! :flipoff2:


that's not going to be until around nov/dec, but i'll be sure and get you guys some shots of the work and play.

;)

The good news is that the sheetmetal housing will be easier to weld brackets on to, the bad news is that the housing is not as strong as a Dana 44 housing. That is not to say that they are not strong, and you can always add a truss (http://www.allprooffroad.com/axlegusset.html) to resist bending. There are a fair number of buggies out there running Toyota axles and 3 or 4 links.

Since you are considering the Toyota axle I assume that you need a passenger side drop (I don't know anything about Kias) so that rules out the easy choice of an early Bronco Dana 44 that would match up to the radius arms that you have.

It is not unheard of to bend a toy housing into a smiley face. One of the AZ guys on the board, zags, has bent one. I'm sure there are others that I'm not thinking of. Maybe he can tell you more. I believe he also has the means to build a heavier duty housing and change the drop if needs be.

given that you'll want your front axle a bit wider than your
rear axle I'd say go D44 since you have a 61" rear axle now.

- jack

Originally posted by randii

Why not? It has a peppy little engine, decent power-to-weight ratio, and a body-on-frame design....

It's funny...many many MANY moons ago, I brought up that the new Sportage would be an interesting build, because it has a ladder frame, true 4WD, true transfer case, and decent stock clearance. Everyone laughed at me. I think that Roger Brown makes a custom 1 3/8" body lift for them, allows the highest lift without adjusting anything underneath.

The Toy housings are pretty strong. The front will start to smile at you if you jump/hit the whoops too fast. The rear axles start to tear at the spring pearches after alot of abuse. This is under stupid amounts of abuse though.:D

well, i'm usually pretty careful when i 'wheel, kinda have to be with IFS and only about 14" of clearance with a 104" wheelbase. not only that, the 130 horses won't ever destroy anything even in my lowest gears. thanks for the input guys, but the main concern i had was with the EB arms possibly twisting the housing, anyone got anything on that?

:)

Have you considered a wristed radius arm? wouldnt have to worry about the housing twisting...

Ben

considered it, but didn't want to mess with it yet, or at all, if i didn't have to.

:smokin:

There's a SAS Kia Sportage in Phoenix already. Uses Toy axles. Guy used to work at a local Fly-N-Hi, his name was Lewis something........... I haven't seen it for a while now, though.

Originally posted by JackA
The rear axles start to tear at the spring pearches after alot of abuse. This is under stupid amounts of abuse though.:D I guess I'm officially stupid now :D :D :D .

Originally posted by Bad Karma
There's a SAS Kia Sportage in Phoenix already. Uses Toy axles. Guy used to work at a local Fly-N-Hi, his name was Lewis something........... I haven't seen it for a while now, though.


that has long been a legend with the rest of us Kia owners, but we never knew how true it was. we'd heard someone who worked at a dodge shop used a 44 from a pick-up and front 5-link with coils, but no one knew for sure. would love any more info you might have on the matter, have been trying to find at least one photo of it somewhere for years with no luck. thanks for at least confirming the legend.

:smokin:

I am not sure this is true. If you wrist one arm the other stays stock and controls the twist, so it should make the housing see more stres on the non wristed side. With that said don't put the arms in without wristing one or you will be mad that you did.Originally posted by fivetenben
Have you considered a wristed radius arm? wouldnt have to worry about the housing twisting...

Ben
As for the Toyota housing I am not sure about the strength but if you slap a truss on it why not. Look at a 9" and how thin the housings are there and then look at the aplications they are being used in from pro street drag cars to offroad