Anyone run toyota Axles under their XJ?

Guys, Im wanting to go to a 4.10 ratio and weld new perches on my 2.5-3" lifted XJ to get the drive line trued up. So pricing parts, looking for stock 4.10 jeep axles seems to be costly and hard to find.

So my thought is toyota axles are easy to get, most have 4.10 gears, and would allow me to weld on perches to get my angle right but im not sure on brake cables, drive shaft connection, or anything else I might be over looking so asking to see if anyone has done this.

I did some research on this a while back for my YJ. Most Toyota axles are too narrow, about 58" WMS to WMS. You will have to find something out of a newer Toyota to match our 60" WMS to WMS. But then that's only the rear axke, what are you going to do for the front? Toyota only had solid axle trucks Pre-85. And those are rare and have a pass. Side drop I believe. Also, they are 6 lug.... My thinking was a Waggy 44 front and Toyota rear for my YJ, ended up with D44's front and rear. It was cheaper in the long run and less hassle.

my point as I never thought about the front. So looks like either the explorer 8.8 rear or a factory D35/8.25 with 4.10 for the rear then to find the front d30 I guess.

The explorer axles is also too narrow, most run spacers to even it out with the front. Adapter spacer on a Toyota axle would be about the same cost. Just factor in the extra $100 in spacers when figuring which axle is most cost effective.

You can get rears with factory air lockers and 4.56s or 4.90s (close enough to 4.88s) and around the right width + 6 lug pattern out of some japanese SUV, I forget exactly what. Isuzus and possibly Mitsu Monteros?

Fronts, you're on your own. I guess a Toy front would work if you don't mind birfs, closed knuckles, and goopy felt scraper seals.

Ok, so it looks like I need to find a set from a 4cyl jeep or a YJ.

Back in my samurai days it was easy to toss in some 4.10 from a yota.


Thanks for the help and ideas I never thought of.

Don't get a factory 4.10 YJ frontend unless you intend to pull the gears out and reset them in your XJ housing, the YJ is leaf sprung front and will require substantial fab work before it'll bolt into an XJ with the control arms and coil perches.

You can run a toyota rear and use the 2wd shafts. the 2wd shafts are 5 on 4.5 just like an XJ. Rob707 on here did that and ran 39s on that rear end, with a v6 third and 4.56s and a lock right . I think he was running 1" spacers, but im not 100% on the spacers. I think the newer like a 3rd gen 4runner housing are wider too, but im not sure if the 2wd truck shafts will fit or not. As for the front you would have to flip the diff to driver side and that means you better be good at welding and cutting knuckles etc and keeping it all straight, along with fabbing up brackets, new steering, and use the newer tacoma 4 piston calipers and rotors and that will give you a few inches of width up front.

the problem with yota axles is... you will most definately have to inboard the rear springs. the 8.8 (explorer axle) is kinda pushing it with what 3 inches to the spring from the backing plate

great info guys, and the exact reason I asked because you all brought up things I never thought about.

blondejoncherokee said:

You can run a toyota rear and use the 2wd shafts. the 2wd shafts are 5 on 4.5 just like an XJ.

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This is not quite accurate...

MOST 2wd Toyota rear axles you will find that are 5 on 4.5 are 27 spline 7.5" ring gear models. The 4wd 6 lug rear axles are 30 spline 8" ring gear models, which is why they are popular and strong.

There are SOME 4.5" rear Toyota axles that are 30 spline and use an 8" third member, but they came only under 2wd V6 Tacoma trucks, so they are harder to find than your run of the mill 2wd axle or 4wd 6 lug axle.

So, unless you find the RIGHT 2wd Toyota axle, skip it... you won't be upgrading anything by putting a regular 2wd axle in.

The 8" third member does NOT swap into the 7.5" model housing. The standard 2wd 5 on 4.5 axle shafts don't swap into 8" housings/third members for obvious reasons (27 spline vs 30 spline, and if you swapped side gears for the smaller spline axles you'd be defeating the purpose).

Do a google search for Toyota 8" vs 7.5" and you'll find some identification pictures so you know what axle housing and third member you're looking at if you're staring at a 5 on 4.5 pattern Toyota axle.

Also, the 86 and newer rear 4wd axles would be a good candidate because they are wider than 85 and earlier. You'll have to run brakeline fitting adapters or do some funky stuff with the fittings, cause Toyotas use metric fittings for the brake lines. Driveline is of course going to need to be modified. You'll be 6 lug instead of 5 on 4.5, and good luck hooking an e-brake up if you wanted one...

ya its not as easy as grabbing the first 5 on 4.5 shaft. My buddy that runs it litterally just happened to have the right shafts lying around the shop for some reason. I was totally amazed he could even run that setup.

Id say go with an 8.8 or do a 9" swap and get some 5 on 4.5 shafts made for it and use the 8.8 discs.

Re: Re: Anyone run toyota Axles under their XJ?

zachandandy said:

The explorer axles is also too narrow, most run spacers to even it out with the front.

Click to expand...

The spacers are an option, the better option is the C-clip eliminator kit, which gives you almost the same additional width.

OR ... You just run a slightly narrower rear axle ... like I do. it doesn't handle different and no one has ever noticed.