WLEDED FRONT-am i in trouble?+quick birf beefup?

[XTREME4X4PARTS]

OK, i found a lost trail on the google satellite maps and had to try it out. it' s been unused for about 20 years and it's rough - broken main front leaf, fuct toy front diff, fuct toy kingpin bearings-again, fuct draglink. i built a new draglink at home and walked back out and installed it - managed to limp home with the help of my big old bastard warn 5687 winch.

Now, my last spare toy 4.10 is welded and i'm throwing it in. will i regret this? just how bad will my steering be? will my birfs hold out? My next question, has anyone ever tried beefing up a toy birf by welding a piece of pipe around the joint like it is done with sammy axles? is there enuf room?

--running 93' kick 2 door, 8v, tracker case married to dana 300, stock power steering, 36 TSL's.
--driving thru trees and mud, over log piles, rocks and ravines.

thnx for any input

[purevil71]

I've been doing a lot of reading over on the Toy boards and some "other" fourms I visit, and there seems to be a few guys running welded fronts on Toy axles. I'm planning on doing this myself, but I'm also swapping in Toy P/S as well. Unless I change my other mind and decide to run a spool up front.

I'm just too cheep to get a real locker!

[Rock-Wear]

we put a welded front in my brothers 4runner and it was IMPOSSIBLE to turn at all. So we put in hydro assist and now it steers like my ARB'd front

[Tusker]

If your birf's have been fine so far, I would think there would be less stress (and surely not more) on them with a welded front. I have never heard of anyone pressing a can over the birf's on Toyota axles (if that is what you menat). It probably isn't possible or at least isn't worth much, or someone would be doing it. And a welded front with 36's,

[mud-magnet]

i have a welded front in my kick with 33" tsls and sidekick p/s but the pump is drilled out and the spring stretched to give it more flow and pressure but i think i went too far, i can't keep ps fluid in it... i'm going to swap out the kick ps stuff for toyota with hydro assist, it steers pretty easy with the kick stuff and its not a problem at all, but just hte kick stuff can't handle the force being put on it.... theres metal shavings in my ps resivour too.... but steers fine, i don't see the need to buy a locker..... oh and i broke 2 stock birfs this season, and i drive it hard..... example, the first birf, wedged between two bolders, 1 front tire in the air, the other 3 tires on rock, and my foot laied into it and not letting off while slamming it from foward to reverse with the auto and dual cases both in low....you expect it to break something

[jones]

I had my stock front end welded for about 5 years with no p/s and I wouldn't of had it any other way. Who cares if it's hard to steer, you're zuke will go way more places. Just unlock one hub when you have to steer.

I now have my toyota axles welded front and rear, but I also have Celica p/s. I can turn most of the time like the front's not even welded. When the tires get wedged in something it gets hard to steer, but again I wouldn't have it any other way. Hard steering is way better than an open front end.

[Tintop]

Before I found my deal on my current 3rds I ran the 4.11 welded front and rear. For the rear I welded the spiders completely solid, full spool. But for the front I only filled the teeth on each individual spider gear with weld; so there was a little bit of "slop" in there. You could turn the wheel half a turn to get momentum going then it would lock up. Worked fine. I always "loaded" up the front spider gears 1st before going climbing anything. I ran an entire season on the setup with no issues.

[XTREME4X4PARTS]

thanks alot guys, i appreciate the responses. i'm going thru with it. i may add another shift stick to the 300 so i can unlock just the front wheels and still have my trail gear - 2.6:1 with the kick case in high. i may look into yota p/s and maybe even hydro assist. i'll let you know how things go.
thnx again.

[zukfreak56]

sorry for the hijack... tintop can you send me pics of the gears welded these different ways i would really appreciate it...i have searched and cant find what you are explaining...

[mud-magnet]

to suport the hijacking............ don't weld them tha way, if you ever lay into the fuel before there engaged consider the spiders and carrier to explode.... mine are welded solid and i ran the rockathon without p/s and it was ok.... do it once, do it right....

[purevil71]

Originally Posted by mud-magnet

to suport the hijacking............ don't weld them tha way, if you ever lay into the fuel before there engaged consider the spiders and carrier to explode.... mine are welded solid and i ran the rockathon without p/s and it was ok.... do it once, do it right....

So you all are saying it's better to Lincon Lock the front as opposed to Fozzy Locking it? I'm too damn cheep to buy a locker for the front as well, so I'm weighing my options.

Originally Posted by Tusker

And a welded front with 36's,

Yea, thats why I'm running IFS P/S and possably Hydro Assist if that dosen't work, but just the P/S will be a big jump from what I'm used to.