Front vs rear axle width

[AK_F250]

I’m building an fj80 width front housing, 63.3” wide. I have a 1st gen Tacoma 8.4 at 60.75” wide and a 1st gen tundra 8.4 at 66” (according to the internet). So I’m roughly 2.5” narrower or wider depending on which axle I use.

The upside to the wider axle is that I might have room to mount the shocks outside of the frame, which would be nice. Right now I’ve got 2.5x12s angled back about 15 degrees, up tight to the body, and the axle side hanging lower than I’d like and they still limit uptravel a bit. I have some 12” triple bypasses that could go in the rear but i’d need more uptravel to make them worth it. That being said, the rear suspension works fine as is and doesn’t NEED to change. The tires just barely kiss the frame with an ifs rear so I don’t need the width for anything other than shock placement.

The downside to going even wider is i’ll have to cut the body even more. Ifs rear and 37” treps tuck into the wheel well nicely so I haven’t had to do much trimming. Either way I’ll have to cut the wheel well, just more with the wider axle. I’ll probably step up to 4d’s though so it might be a moot point.

Which is the better choice overall?

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Typically, you want your front to be wider than the rear. This helps with turning radius and on-road stability. I would probably run the Taco axle with 1" spacers.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Toyotas are the only vehicles people talk about running a wider rear.

Almost every full size truck has a fairly off set track width.

My 97 F350 is 69.5" front 65" rear

Half ton square body Chevy trucks were like 67"/60"

I like them a little closer on a crawler. My last 2 rigs were fj80 front, and ifs rear with 2" spacers (62") I'd either run the taco rear as is, or as mentioned 1" spacers. No way I'd consider running a wider rear.

 

[Dirtyjed]

When I ran yota axles I had a 2" wider rear to help with steering. It seemed to help.

 

[Arickvan]

yep ive heard the same, wider front- narrow rear

im going taco width front 61.75 and then ifs width rear 58.5

im planning on no spacers, but if it looks funny ill put spacers on the rear and report back here

 

[94toytruck]

I have a 65 wide ft and 63.5 wide rear, we always run a narrower rear axle. I don't think they have produced a truck with equal width axles. Surely I wouldn't run a wider axle in the rear.

 

[AK_F250]

Thanks guys, Tacoma axle it is. I'll save the tundra axle for the tundra powered 3rd gen 4runner that I'll never finish.

I have a 65 wide ft and 63.5 wide rear, we always run a narrower rear axle. I don't think they have produced a truck with equal width axles. Surely I wouldn't run a wider axle in the rear.

FJ40 and 80 are within 1/8" of equal but that's about it. T100 is actually a couple inches wider in the back, probably why it was only around for a few years...