FZJ80 front Axle Tech

88bronzetrooper

88bronzetrooper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Location
Fort Mill
Hey guys, So I'm in the planning stages of a new build on my Trooper and after talking with some buddies the idea of using an 80 front axle keeps coming up. I want a High pinion front axle and I need Passenger drop. I want something that is strong enough for 37s but that isn't too custom so if I break parts I can still get them relatively easily. The 80 axle seems to fit the bill but what are some pros and cons to them? Is there any reason more people don't run them? Any info I could gain would be much appreciated.
 
Cons:
- Hard to find (Compared to normal Yota axles)
- $$$
- Steering arms on the bottom of the knuckles
 
I looked into them briefly. Pretty much what Dr kelly said.
Hard to come by and expensive.
Also the only company that makes a high steer arm is hellfire fab and the steering arms and knuckel will set you back $900.

D44 looks like it would be a better option.
 
Yeah I was looking at doing a High Pinion 44 that I swap and Cut Tubes to make a pass Drop HP44 but then I still worry about shafts and such. I will be making around 220hp, so with that
will the 44 hold up to a 37.
 
Do you see yourself ever going bigger than 37's? If so, don't half step, and go for a D60.
 
88bronzetrooper said:
Yeah I was looking at doing a High Pinion 44 that I swap and Cut Tubes to make a pass Drop HP44 but then I still worry about shafts and such. I will be making around 220hp, so with that
will the 44 hold up to a 37.
Click to expand...

That would be cool to build. If you built it correctly, the inner shafts could just swap from LHS to RHS.
 
drkelly said:
Do you see yourself ever going bigger than 37's? If so, don't half step, and go for a D60.
Click to expand...
Haha yeah I have been toying with that idea too. But honestly no I think 37 is as big as I want for this truck. I want a little bit of challenge anywhere I go and I want to be able to drive this rig 5 hours on the street if I were to choose to.

It would be a cool build and I had been doing research on it but I'm just worried by length. I was hoping to stay shorter say 63wms and I think the 44 is more like 65 or 67wms. But I could always pick and chose shafts from other 44's to make the length I want. So That's where the 80 came in. I thought less fab work off the bat to fit my truck but the Low steering arms could raise an issue.
 
The steering is the biggest issue w the 80 fronts. The tie rod is behind the axle in stock form. You can run an 80 third in a regular toyota front axle if the HP is what you want.
Don't know about what kind of width you need, but you can run IFS hubs and stretch the width about 3"

80 fronts also have bigger birfields, but if you get a set of rcvs it will never matter anyway.

An Landcruiser FJ60 or 62 front axle is wider and has bigger internals, 9.5 ring gear. I have most of a FJ60 front if you decide to build an axle.

Any of these options will be fine to hold up to 37s unlocked. Once you lock/gear it some aftermarket shafts become mandatory if you are going to wheel it.
 
Maybe there is a home brew way around dropping $900 to solve the steering problem. I looked into the FJ80 axles briefly for my Samurai buggy that I have just started building. They are more axle than I really need though for what I am building so I decided to just go with Yota mini-truck stuff.

I am going to run a Yota mini-truck front with housing spacers to make it +6" wider to have a 61.5" WMS. I am pairing it with a Tacoma 8.4 rear which has a 60" WMS. Depending on your driving style, and rig weight you are probably somewhere between 'sort of close to' or 'past the limit' for a mini-truck axle though with 220hp and 37's.

Housing spacers:
Widening a front axle the right way. - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum
 
So how does a 60 0r 62 hold up with the smaller birfs. Of course I would eventually upgrade to longs or something of the sort.
 
Has anyone looked at running the Hellfire Fab Fj80 knuckles? Looks like just under a grand and it comes with New Knuckles and Highsteer arms?
 
Hahah Yeah Im going to be a cheap ass in many other areas of this build. So just considering one bling part ;)
 
88bronzetrooper said:
Has anyone looked at running the Hellfire Fab Fj80 knuckles? Looks like just under a grand and it comes with New Knuckles and Highsteer arms?
Click to expand...

Anyone who runs the fj80 axle and wants high steer eventually goes to the hellfire setup. I cant speak firsthand but price seems to be the only issue with them. The 60/62 basically use the same shafts as mini truck. @Buddy_Holly is building a wider mini-truck axle now, similar to what danny mentioned above.
 
Coming in from the outside here but I do not see why the trailing tie-rod is an issue. The arms are tilted up so that they do not sit below the axle. Yes, you *could* land on it and bend it, but that can be said of most anything. I have read that you can flip the knuckles and they still steer okay on the street to move the tie-rod position up front.
 
I been on the waiting list since December, knuckles supposed to be ready to ship in the next week or two. Expensive, yes. Worth it, definitely. I've looked at every way possible to get high steer on this axle setup and Hellfire is the only way to go. Could I have gone tons and been done already, yes but I like the FJ80 axles. Plus they look killer under the Zuk.
 
You could find a bent jk44, cut the tubes, outer sleeve it to your dimensions and put whatever outers you want on it. It would probably be expensive though

I decided on the toyota route because you essentially get similar strength of a 44 with rcvs but for alot cheaper. I got a trail gear housing. For <$800 you get the fab housing at whatever width you want and the custom length chromo inner shafts. Better clearance than a stock toy axle, too. The tacoma "true-width" housing is 61.5" wide, and 65" with ifs hubs. It uses all mini truck parts so if you have a donor axle it makes life easy
 
88bronzetrooper said:
So how does a 60 0r 62 hold up with the smaller birfs. Of course I would eventually upgrade to longs or something of the sort.
Click to expand...

I started breaking birfs on 36s w stock gears and lockers. Beating on original longs since with no issues. If I bought new today it would be RCVs.
 
Steering isn't really an issue with them if you want to run links. Leafs however are a completely different story. Personally unless you just want that cool or all Toyota factor go with a Dana flavor axle.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
All this talk about 80 axle anyone have a spindle for one I can find parts for my stock axle on my DD unless you go to the dealer it's not like a mini truck axle where you can find parts local

Sent from my Z963U using Tapatalk
 
Bhudgins said:
All this talk about 80 axle anyone have a spindle for one I can find parts for my stock axle on my DD unless you go to the dealer it's not like a mini truck axle where you can find parts local

Sent from my Z963U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Let me check, I have a spare or three I think. Out of town now, I'll PM you when I get a chance to check.
 
standalone

Anyone know if there's really any difference between the FJ80 and mini spindle. I've read that the FJ should be longer but the mini stuff I have is identical to the spares I thought were FJ80. To clarify, I have the knuckle out for spare parts so it really appears to be the same.
 
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