basically im planning on doing some basic upgrades to my 93 toy pickup. i plan on 35in goodyear mtr, 5.29 gears, and aussie locker. i wont be using any type of lift so the cv's wont be operating at a more stressful angle than stock. would this setup be reliable for the "weekend warrior" type of work it will see? i will be dding the truck and going on camping/4x4ing trips a few times a year. thanks for any input or advice! :D

I think you're going to be on the borderline for sure. I snapped a CV with 4.10's and an open front end spinning 34's. Of course there were circumstances involved. I was pulling a gal out of the ditch during an ice storm. As I was spinning the tires the ice was melting until a tire found pavement. Needless to say it took out the CV shaft and I decided to go SAS. You probably won't ever be in that situation. On the flip side to that...it was an open diff and it still snapped the CV shaft instead of just spinning the other side so I was on the edge too.

I know, I know...everyone says go SAS and I have to say the same just from the financial side of things. Of course there is also the work involved that needs to be factored in as well as that fine line between a good DD and a trail rig. I'd love to tell you to just run it and see, but it's a lot of money to spend if it's not going to work out so maybe some others can give their input with some anecdotal evidence.

thanks for the informative reply:) kinda makes me uneasy about sticking with the ifs. i want to be able to beat it a bit without worrying about breakage and was hoping my demands wouldnt be to much for it. i know i could SAS it myself, but that still raises my budget a bit:( 33s + ifs or 35s + SAS....maybe this is what i should narrow it down to? opinions?

Personally I would pay the extra money for a ARB locker if your going with 35's. I know ARB aren't cheap but a aussie locker is 400-500 dollars and that may last you 2-3 years till you break it or wear it down. Then you have to spend the money to have the driveline shop install the replacement locker you get from the company. But the ARB should be able to last for years.

Do you currently have a locker in the rear?

Personally I would pay the extra money for a ARB locker if your going with 35's. I know ARB aren't cheap but a aussie locker is 400-500 dollars and that may last you 2-3 years till you break it or wear it down. Then you have to spend the money to have the driveline shop install the replacement locker you get from the company. But the ARB should be able to last for years.

Do you currently have a locker in the rear?


last time i checked a aussie locker for my truck was $240. i do have one in the rear and have been very happy with it. i really dont wanna spend the money on a arb...especially on ifs :p

Ok I was a little off on price but I've seen a few have problems with lunchbox lockers and unless you can do diffs yourself it can get expensive. But I do understand why you dont wanna waste money on a ARB for ifs but they do sell really fast on here or ttora for 750 or more.

Your success will depend on your driving style. I ran IFS, 33's, and EZ locker for 2 years, then added dual cases and ran for 3 more years before I broke an axle. But then I broke twice that year. Both times it was in double low reverse. After that I finally decided to do the swap.

If you have a light right foot you should be okay for awhile. If you have a heavy foot than something will grenade.

A buddy of mine broke his '91 IFS a few times running little 31s and open diff (R&P gears twice, two tierods, an idlerarm, CV joints, etc).
I didn't think he was being particularly abusive to it either (at least the two times I witnessed it break anyway).

I would say 35s and locking it would be bringing the inevitable :nuke:

thanks guys! its pretty clear i shouldnt bother doing anything before a solid axle swap. i really dont want to be worrying about my truck breaking when im far from home in the woods:) plus i like to drive like an idiot sometimes and thats just asking for trouble it seems:D hopefully this will all come together this summer

Do the axle swap , the 35s , the ARB , and you will end up with a very nice
rig that you can wheel with for many years.... MOST OF ALL JUST HAVE FUN
WITH THE BUILD ...

Save some dough and go with the Aussie, the Aussie is bulletproof, you don't have to re-do your gears, it's cheap, and they have a no-questions-asked replacement warranty. I'd go SAS, but I think the IFS stuff will probably hold up better than a D30 on a Jeep...

i appreciate the comments. ive decided to go no bigger than my current 31s on the ifs. ill either get a front locker for the ifs....or start preparing for a sas. one question....what leaf spring options are there for a solid axle swap that will only result in 3 inches or less of lift in the front?

If you go that little lift, chances are your draglink will hit your framerail.

The original solid axle Toys had more arch in their framerails. A SAS'ed IFS Toy needs ~4" lift springs to get everything to clear easily.

If you go that little lift, chances are your draglink will hit your framerail.

The original solid axle Toys had more arch in their framerails. A SAS'ed IFS Toy needs ~4" lift springs to get everything to clear easily.


ahh shit:( thanks for the heads up:)