replacement vitara front axle

[plugspanner]

just been wondering over the last week or so after breaking both drive shaft and axle housing.
could you not make a front one from a rear axle?
yes it would need cutting about and modding but surly not beyond a competent engineers skills.
that should be unbreakable in normal off road use.
I may well get a spare rear one and see what needs doing, any thoughts?

[twiss]

Problem would be sorting out all the mounts for the rear axle to connect up to the IFS
I think its lots of work as you'd probably have to dump the wishbones and fit some kind of 3/4 link setup

Not too sure though tbh

[twiss]

.... and as if the diff is offset it would be on the wrong side... unless you turned the axle upside down and im not sure how well that would work!!!

[ScottieJ]

You can get steel diff housings out of derv vits etc.I've also heard about people making hybrid shafts out of shafts from other ifs jap 4x4s...shogun rings a bell???

[andyrew]

Could one not be made from an sj front axle housing?

I know people do sami axles onto vit.

[plugspanner]

I have just read this post about a conversion of a sj axle:-
http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content?topic=100689.20
surly this is very similar to doing a vitara one?
also some useful other 'how to' mods on making the ally front diff housing a lot stronger.

[ROBBIE]

Found this on Dave's site http://www.bits4vits.co.uk/store/hybrid ... g_183.html

[plugspanner]

I now have a steel front axle case and the chap who is fitting in the diff took it away last night so hopefully when the one now fitted breaks I can just swop over the whole assy and not have to worry about it again!
just the cv's.

[Pico42]

You can fit off-the-shelf IFS Hilux CVS shafts with the right adapters...
Like this:


Into a Toyota free-wheel hub.


Using this kit


... And dry assembled


It is wider than standard - needs Hagen widening mod or extended a-arms (which more people seem to be doing to get the spring mount right on bigger lifts).

The guy in the US who first did this is running something like 37's on his IFS tracker.

[plugspanner]

looks expensive though, I have already been 2 x the budget already!!!!!!!!!!!!!