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TG vs Diamond vs ???

kschaper75

kschaper75

Weak and Powerless
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
67
Messages
132
Loc
Raleigh NC
I'm wanting to upgrade my front axle at a minimum. I have an ifs rear im putting in and have the parts to convert the front. I'd also like to hear options on just upgrading the front all together. I'd like to do tons and run 40's but it seems to be difficult to find passenger drop axles for a decent price. I know several here have run both or run custom axles and just looking for some advice on what potential route to take.
 
type of vehicle and use ?

Different solutions for Ultra4 at the top level vs a random 609 for your samurai.

Also, 609 will be more expensive than tons, no matter how you slice it.
 
Forgot to add that. 85 Toyota pickup. Currently just wheeling here in the southeast but want to go west
 
Been very happy with my Diamond rear. My front is either a Currie or Diamond 608, I guess (hi pinion 8” with f450 outers ). Neither has been willing to claim they built it. :laughing:
 
If I was just looking for a fabricated front housing to match your new rear IFS housing I would go TG's IFS width front housing. I think you'd be happy and your Toyota parts would stay happy and your wallet would stay happy. Moving your trunion bearings out further and getting rid of wheel spacers for a full bodied Toyota daily driver/trail rig is the way to go.

If you want to go wider, call up Diamond. Brian builds terrific axles and he will get you squared away before he takes your money and sends you a product. I have a 64" WMS Diamond front with Toyota SA outers because I fell into that middle range between Toyota width and tons. You'll need to run spacers on your rear IFS housing or find a newer rear Toyota axle to match it.

If you want tons and 40's, don't beat around the bush and do it.
 
I have TG housings and think they're great....buuut, I'd go Diamonds if I were to do it again. TG you get what you get and ready to assemble. Diamond you tweak it perfectly to your needs (width/caster/pinion angle), but more labor.
 
Running TG rock assaults ifs width front and rear, no complaints and no issues, no experience with any other brands, I would recommend without reservation.

EDIT

Truck in question is my sig, full body full weight 3rd gen, it's a pig.
 
First off, anything is far better than stock junk. If more people went to a wider housing right off the bat, they wouldn't need all the special 6 studs and whatever truninion upgrades after they space everything out.


i personally don't like that rock assaults limit angle even more than the shitty stock angle.

I have a diamond 9.5" front and took it apart the other day, man how nice it was to not have birf soup in the knuckles. Diamond uses a seal at the diff like dana and at the knuckle.


Also, don't just go IFS width, it's still to narrow. Last guy I knew who did that, ended up just putting wheel spacers on it :homer:

Go to a 60-64" wide if you want something streetable. You can either ad spacers to the rear or pick from a few different 8" rears to get close.

rockota said:
Been very happy with my Diamond rear. My front is either a Currie or Diamond 608, I guess (hi pinion 8” with f450 outers ). Neither has been willing to claim they built it. :laughing:
Click to expand...

All pro did those way back in the day, but used a stock housing :laughing:

My buddy has one he got cheap. I kinda want it for my samurai since it's still pretty light, the right width, but actually steers more than 33*

I wonder if yours was at the tail end of allpro doing them?
:smokin:
 
YotaAtieToo said:
First off, anything is far better than stock junk. If more people went to a wider housing right off the bat, they wouldn't need all the special 6 studs and whatever truninion upgrades after they space everything out.


i personally don't like that rock assaults limit angle even more than the shitty stock angle.

I have a diamond 9.5" front and took it apart the other day, man how nice it was to not have birf soup in the knuckles. Diamond uses a seal at the diff like dana and at the knuckle.


Also, don't just go IFS width, it's still to narrow. Last guy I knew who did that, ended up just putting wheel spacers on it :homer:

Go to a 60-64" wide if you want something streetable. You can either ad spacers to the rear or pick from a few different 8" rears to get close.



All pro did those way back in the day, but used a stock housing :laughing:

My buddy has one he got cheap. I kinda want it for my samurai since it's still pretty light, the right width, but actually steers more than 33*

I wonder if yours was at the tail end of allpro doing them?
:smokin:
Click to expand...

Mine isn’t a stock housing… it’s all fabb’d.

Marlin did the stock housing with d60 outers for a bit. I don’t recall all pro doing them.
 
rockota said:
Mine isn’t a stock housing… it’s all fabb’d.

Marlin did the stock housing with d60 outers for a bit. I don’t recall all pro doing them.
Click to expand...

All pro did them and D44 :barf: outters before marlin. Like 2000 era?

Marlin adapted the toyota spindles back on to the D60 knuckle to keep the precious aisin hubs :laughing:

I'll admit I almost ordered a 9" center with FJ80 outters. I already had the hellfire knuckles, RCVs, and a 62" wms D60 rear and wanted to run 6.17 or 7.17s.

It's retarded, and I wouldn't do it from scratch, but probably would have worked great on that rig with 38-39s
 
YotaAtieToo said:
All pro did them and D44 :barf: outters before marlin. Like 2000 era?

Marlin adapted the toyota spindles back on to the D60 knuckle to keep the precious aisin hubs :laughing:

I'll admit I almost ordered a 9" center with FJ80 outters. I already had the hellfire knuckles, RCVs, and a 62" wms D60 rear and wanted to run 6.17 or 7.17s.

It's retarded, and I wouldn't do it from scratch, but probably would have worked great on that rig with 38-39s
Click to expand...

I don’t recall the Marlin stuff you mention. Scott Wilson has one of marlin’s early axles, iirc, in his fj40.

AP may have done 44 outers for a bit, back when Bobby Long was still figuring out a solution to stock birfields? I almost put a d44 in my 86 xcab in 01. Wish I still had that truck.
 
kschaper75 said:
Nothing yet. I tend to not beat on it so it doesn't break and I'd rather not have to worry about it.
Click to expand...
if you are keeping the toyota running gear, a fab’d housing does two things over a stock one.
  • increased mounting face rigidity, which increases third rigidity, makes for happier gears
  • more resistant to bending without a truss

beyond those two things everything else youd want to do can be done to a stock housing.

i will never recommend trailgear, so that leaves diamond and im unsure if ruffstuff still does a housing but theyre center sections aee big and tough to package.

personally diamond is the way to go, but theyre made to order and lead times reflect that.

if you are considering non toyota stuff thats a whole different animal.
 
If you want to be a cheap ass, get an fj62 front axle. I love mine in my taco. You get the 9.5" third and can use all your mini truck outers. I have like triple HP you do and I'm not worried at all about breaking 3rd members.

If you seriously plan to go over 37s, just swap a 1ton axle in it now. I realistically should have just went that route, but I also got a pair of fj62 axles for $150 so that kind of made the decision for me:laughing:
 
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rockota said:
I don’t recall the Marlin stuff you mention. Scott Wilson has one of marlin’s early axles, iirc, in his fj40.

AP may have done 44 outers for a bit, back when Bobby Long was still figuring out a solution to stock birfields? I almost put a d44 in my 86 xcab in 01. Wish I still had that truck.
Click to expand...

Ap did d44 and 99-04 D60 outters, this was quite a bit before Bobby long gained popularity. Way before 30 splines.
 
I've briefly looked into tons. What would be the most cost effective? I know they aren't cheap but I know I don't need high dollar custom axles either.
 
kschaper75 said:
I've briefly looked into tons. What would be the most cost effective? I know they aren't cheap but I know I don't need high dollar custom axles either.
Click to expand...

It's a snow ball effect with tons. Then you need bigger tires, with the extra wieght and big tires, it's even more gutless then before and you want a new engine, ect.

Adding a new housing can be done in a weekend. Adds minimal wieght and you don't have to mess with anything else like brake lines, dribeshafts, suspension, wheels, rear axle, ect.
 
I keep coming back to that conclusion. Probably better to start off with a different rig at that point.

Thanks for all the advice and info. Probably be going with a diamond. I know it's a little extra but seems to be worth it
 
kschaper75 said:
I keep coming back to that conclusion. Probably better to start off with a different rig at that point.

Thanks for all the advice and info. Probably be going with a diamond. I know it's a little extra but seems to be worth it
Click to expand...

Have you decided on width?

Like I mentioned, go wider than you think when spending the money.

I can give you over all width on mine if it helps.

It's 67" with ifs hubs, I've ran a 63.5" FJ80 front with and ifs rear before. I think that was the perfect width for 35-38s. You can run 5" bs if you want to stay narrow or 3.5-4" if you need a little extra clearance.
 
^^^ That.
Against my wishes (team members bought it) I ran a TG RA for the first Stock Class EMC... It did not last. Next year I went with Diamonds; They're still under the truck.
Granted you may not be racing, (I don't either anymore) but Brian's knowledge and product are high on my go to list. I have built two rigs using his axles and parts, and If I build another one I'll probably go through him again.

Lead times are long. Deal with it.

Edit: I believe Justyn is running Diamonds, and he beat everyone in his Class last year IIRC...
 
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Where is the best place to order a diamond axle?

I need in for a 1st Tacoma and E locker. I need someone to sell me everything I need. I am only finding separate parts and I am sure I will forget things.
 
Just to throw another option out there. Anyone ran the TG Fab housings? I believe that's what a lot of the jhf portal guys are using.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Just to throw another option out there. Anyone ran the TG Fab housings? I believe that's what a lot of the jhf portal guys are using.
Click to expand...
My friend built several TG 9 housing so far and says they are pretty good.



IMHO if your building from scratch do a 609 up front if you're planning 37s+. Room to grow, easy to find most parts, price isn't much different in the end.

I ran a 64" front 60 for many years under my mini truck and run 65.5" now under my buggy with 4.5bs'ed wheels. It was near perfect width under my 3rd gen and with 40's at full lock and Toyota spaced leafs the tires just touched the leafs at full lock. Which is way more than my Toyota axles ever steered.


My personal experience with Toyota mini truck axles sucked once I got to 37's+. Knuckles, birfs (even your well loved 30splines), gear sets, lockers, hubs all broken. I felt like I had fairly built axles for that time too. I moved to a narrowed 60 and hardly broke after on 40's. Like once a year I'd break a u-joint and as long as I caught it it was a 30 minute $50 joint. I wore through both housings at some point, plated the bottoms and kept rolling. In 2019 I swapped a lot of those parts into my new housings for my buggy.
 
94toytruck said:
My friend built several TG 9 housing so far and says they are pretty good.



IMHO if your building from scratch do a 609 up front if you're planning 37s+. Room to grow, easy to find most parts, price isn't much different in the end.

I ran a 64" front 60 for many years under my mini truck and run 65.5" now under my buggy with 4.5bs'ed wheels. It was near perfect width under my 3rd gen and with 40's at full lock and Toyota spaced leafs the tires just touched the leafs at full lock. Which is way more than my Toyota axles ever steered.


My personal experience with Toyota mini truck axles sucked once I got to 37's+. Knuckles, birfs (even your well loved 30splines), gear sets, lockers, hubs all broken. I felt like I had fairly built axles for that time too. I moved to a narrowed 60 and hardly broke after on 40's. Like once a year I'd break a u-joint and as long as I caught it it was a 30 minute $50 joint. I wore through both housings at some point, plated the bottoms and kept rolling. In 2019 I swapped a lot of those parts into my new housings for my buggy.
Click to expand...

I think the aftermarket housing does help solve a lot of issues.

Obviously helps with bending the actual housing.

Less gear deflection.

The one I think people overlook is increased width which helps with scrub radius. Should take stress off steering components big time.

Obviously won't help with birfs, but I think the rcvs are pretty tough if you're not trying to push the rig as hard as you can.

If a guys looking to have a street diving rig that can still tackle decent trails. Built Toyota axles and 37s are a solid combo.

If you want a rig to hit all the hard lines and beat on, just skip Toyota axles all together.
 
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