fjc axle gusset

[scrap iron]

does any one make a gusset for the rear axle housing fjc ..cause a lot of people are bending them and i dont want to change the rear yet

[GRMhick]

http://www.diamondaxle.com/index.htm

[scrap iron]

thats kool if i had the money and all but i like my old axle and just want it to last a little alonger im looking for a truss for it

[scrap iron]

never mine i see

[GRMhick]

Originally Posted by scrap iron

thats kool if i had the money and all but i like my old axle and just want it to last a little alonger im looking for a truss for it

I've never bent an FJ housing, or seen one bent, so I am assuming its a pre-runner thing.

In my experience with toyota axles, if your going to push them to the point of bending, a truss will not help very much. Do it right the first time and buy a new housing.

[Brian Ellinger]

I have seen very very few properly built/installed trusses. Almost 100% of what we've seen helped the axle to fail earlier, by concentrating stresses, or warped the housing on install.

[BellyDoc]

Sol apparently bent the housing on his rear end and he's not really a pre-runner kind of guy that I know of. He posted up about it after having already solid axle swapped the front end.

The FJC is a HEAVY beast. It doesn't take a lot for people to exceed the gross vehicle weight rating. I know of a LOT of poeple who are at that, or in excess of it, on their original rear end and IFS.

Although Sol is the only one I've heard of reporting this. I don't find it surprising to hear that there may be others.

An axle truss from flange to flange would be a good solution if it were installed properly. That's a lot of heat to lay down, though. I can see why it could lead to immediate shrinkage and bending.

[GRMhick]

Sol also bent the axle after he swapped to leaf springs, thus concentrating the stress in different parts of the housing than originally designed. Also, his springs were WAY too soft for the truck (I know very well... those deavers are on my truck now), which I am sure helped bend the axle.

[BellyDoc]

So... if the springs were too soft, are you saying he was smacking the bump stops too much?

[GRMhick]

Originally Posted by BellyDoc

So... if the springs were too soft, are you saying he was smacking the bump stops too much?

It would hit the bumpstops on any bump. When the springs were installed on my 'lighter' truck, the truck was .75" off the bumpstops, and would go to the bumpstops if I sat on the tailgate.

[Brian Ellinger]

Originally Posted by GRMhick

Sol also bent the axle after he swapped to leaf springs, thus concentrating the stress in different parts of the housing than originally designed. Also, his springs were WAY too soft for the truck (I know very well... those deavers are on my truck now), which I am sure helped bend the axle.

Sol's also had somewhat of a brace on it, which I believe warped it. (looking that how it was bent) The tubes were also dented significantly from the ubolts. I have gotten several other customers reporting bent housing however. Use/abuse/tires, etc I dont recall though. These housings are only 3/16" thick, so it doesnt take a ton to tweak them. Under stock trucks it is going to take a decent bit of abuse though.

[scrap iron]

well i guess its time to buy a new axle housing so should i have it made with a truss on it or what do u think doc.

[sbechtold]

I know of at least 2 people beside me that bent their rear housings. One is runnning a SFA with coils in the rear and the other person was running the stock setup under a heavy caged truck. There have been others that have posted that they think they have a bent housing, but no one has confirmed it.

Do yourself a favor and order a new housing from Brian @ Diamond Axle and fix the problem the right way. The Diamond housings do not need a truss with the thick wall tubes. I have beat my Diamonds and they still looks new.

[BellyDoc]

I don't know that you really NEED to do anything.

If you're not (significantly) exceeding the weight rating, then you probably don't need a ring and pinion upgrade, and if you're not denting the housing, you probably don't need a preventive upgrade to a thicker part.

If you're thinking about an upgrade, All-Pro has a bolt up rear end which I believe is based on the Currie Rock Jock D60. That gets you a thicker housing and a larger ring and pinion set. It's got all the link mounts ready to go. I don't know if it's full float, though. That would be cool.

Toyota rear ends are nothing to sneeze at. The FJ Cruiser axle is capable of meeting a lot of challenges. By the time you're exceeding it's capabilities, you're probably going to be thinking about the front end first.

[Digger422]

Here is a diff skid that also supports the axle housings. Available at TRDparts4u.com (Toyota of Dallas)...











The only clearance that is lost is the thickness of the material (1/4"). It is designed to work w/ All pro E-locker guards and with most skid plates (some skid plate trimming may be required) . It can be left on the FJ while servicing (i.e. changing diff fluid).

Give those guys a shout and see what they can do for ya...

Digger

[BellyDoc]

That's a nice skid plate but it adds exactly zero percent increase in strength or stiffness!

A gusset system for axle reinforcement adds vertical material that takes bending deflections of the housing as shear force.

Your skid adds no vertical height, it relates to the pumpkin and not the tubes, and it hangs from clamps. If the housing is going to flex, it'll flex right through that skid plate.