Topic: welded front and rear?

[Lil Bax]

im think about buying an 81 toyota that has 529s longfields and is welded front and rear. i have heard alot of crap about the fronts being welded this is going to be my daily driver and my trail rig. what all will i have to do to get it open in the front again? or do u think i should just leave and drive the piss out of it any answers will help THANKS

[Dr Phat]

You would have to get a new carrier to make it open again.

If its going to be a DD, your not going to enjoy a welded rear.

[wesley]

you will most likely hate a welded front. it makles driving a chore. even a welded rear kinda sucks. you will need a new carrier and a rebuild kit for the seals bearings and shims. assuming the gears are fine those can be reused.

[wakkjobb]

Steering with a welded front (with hubs locked) sucks; trust me. It's like the steering just stops working in the middle of a turn. Mine came with "Detroits" which turned out to mean "welded front and LSD rear". I don't know about a welded rear for DD use; there's some threads on it though... like "Welded vs spool vs locker for DD".

I have an open carrier if you end up getting the truck; no ring/pinion gears though...

>>Dan

[4x4yota]

i was spooled front and rear and could still steer no problem even tried on the street risking breaking a birf... I had power steering and TG high steer off road i didnt feel a difference but in rock it was like driving a non power steering truck

[junya92toy]

Street driving with the hubs unlocked you wont know its there for the front of course.

[laskt9]

i have a spool in the rear of mine. it sucks. you makes tight turns hard and actually its pretty embarassing because the tires chirp everytime people think your trucks got something seriously wrong with it

[GONZO97]

Thats not embaressing just smile at them while thinking to yourself that you could drive over their little cars lol

[boggerunner]

ive daily driven welded front and rear, its the cheapes easyiest way to lock up a yota, and it works great.
for street driving, the front doesnt matter when u unlock the hubs, and in the rear, it will wear down the tires quicker.  but to me, it was worth it when u get off road.  and for the chirpin tires around corners, it depends on what tires u are running.
my mtrs didnt chirp, but my 35" boggers did, and bfg m/t's did too.

[gabriul]

I really enjoy the chirpedy chirp chirp while turning.

Welding the front is pretty rough for normal wheeling, as it pushes really hard in the corners and can roll your tires over if theres enough traction.

I would get another carrier and put a lockrite or aussie locker or detroit in there.

Actually...if your nice with a plasma, you could pull the pins and blast out the gears. Being that the lunch box lockers don't use the side gears, you might get away with out needing a new carrier...Unless someone welded the side gears to the carrier?

So many options, so little time.

[potter85]

locked and ready to rock... dont be scared

[89sastoyo]

this kids right. welded diffs are where its at there is no room for failure unless whoever welded them cant weld a diff. I have rocked one for a couple years and never regret it my PS is toast has been since I bought my truck so I rocked manual steering with a welded front. Its really easy to turn if your wheeling like sometimes you'll have to rev it up and try to get the power steering to work better or just do small clutch dumps in situations. I mean yess its not ideal but then again like I said it doesnt have give which gets rid of shock load that lockers create. I mean an arb is a welded diff when its engaged so it would be like wheeling with an arb locked in all the time. When I go wheeling Ill just do a trail hit the gravel road with one hub locked and its golden.

[Lil Bax [OP]]

i was told that the truck also has longfields will i be able to reuse those also??

[BLACKDOG]

Unless they're broken, there's no reason why you wouldn't be able to. 

I'm with the above, A welded rear is no big deal, and for street driving, you'll never notice the welded front anyway.  Offroad it can be a PITA, but hydro assist solves that problem.


If you're set on changing it, keep an eye out for a 5.29 3rd, and just swap it in.  No resetting of gears, no work other than pulling the old one and tossing in the new one.  then you can either sell the welded third, or have yourself a spare.

[Lil Bax [OP]]

ok i appreciate it guys thanx

[Rocksurfer]

Since it comes that way, go for it. It wouldn't be what I'd do to the fronts but I have run welded rears on daily drivers in the past. Something to get used to but not anything to worry about. They only thing I'd advise is that when wheelin' be careful, be easy on the skinny pedal and don't ever start off with the steering locked to the left or right. Always try to start off with the wheels straight if possible, even with a good set of axles that is the easiest way to snap them since the load will be greatest with the wheels turned to full lock.

[jeff22r]

drive it!! it will dog track on the rear but shouldent break anything. the front is only bad without p/s when hubs locked. if hubs unlocked it makes no differnce.  lincoln locker all the way!!!!!!