Background: I bought a 98 4runner with 4cyl and 5spd last october. Unfortunately, it came without the locker. In my quest for more traction, I imagined that I could just buy an entire rear axle and bolt it to my truck.

The story: I already built the home-brew relay box, so I can control the locker, and it works the way it should. I looked in my door jamb to find my axle code, A05A, which is reported to be 3.7, or something totally rediculous. I jacked up the rear end and counted rotations to get 4.56. The 4cyl and the 265/75/r16 nittos seem to agree with my measurement of 4.56.

Yesterday at the junk yard: I call the guy in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and he says he's got one. I drive an hour and a half down to his yard. Sure enough, a nice-looking e-locked axle awaits me. Just before he throws it in my runner, I ask to check the ratio. I get 4.30. He checked all the axles he had, they're all 4.30s. He says they are 4.56s because of the axle code of A04A. I go home empty-handed, and bummed.

Today: I suspiciously call another yard who claims to have all 4.56 axles. I try to explain to him that I need verification before I'll drive down there. He procedes to tell me I'm counting the ratio on my truck wrong, and my axle ratio is 4.71 from the door-jamb code. I gather that all his trucks are axle code A04A, and came from v6 4runners.

My guess is that all v6 runners that are locked come with 4.30s. If there is such a thing as a 4.56 elocker, it probably came from the 4cyl 4runner, and is very very rare. Does anybody know for sure? Is there anyway to more specifically search for the right axle?

These complete axles sell for around $700 here, so the entire factory axle swap is relatively cheap. Regearing puts me at more expensive than an arb. I do not have the knowledge to modify my housing, and I have only set up gears one time before this.

Advice.. info... please help.

 

I've heard that the axle code on the later model runners tend to not be too accurate. Go to http://www.sonoransteel.com/Toyota_axle_codes.html and use that method. I've heard it's more accurate.

 

Toyota has a part number listed for an e-locked, 4.56 third, 41110-3D010, but if I remember an old discussion correctly they only came on the 4-bangers.

 

I think some (or all?) of the V6 auto's had 4.30s but the V6 manuals were only available with the 4.10s

 

I am in the deciding stages of how to selectably lock the rear of my 4runner (ARB/elocker). I'm not mechanically strong but I figure with a lot of thought and effort I MIGHT be able to pull it off. I would ideally like to get an elocker ($$$$) but don't know what ratio i've got. I got the model code of VZN185L - GKPGKA. On the link provided above its got three ratios of 3.909 4.100 4.300 Which one do I have. I've got a 3.4 auto sr5 with the 16 inch tires. So does that mean I've got the 4.100?

And If I can't do this myself, but I do find a locked rear, what is a rough estimate to get it installed?

This won't be done for quite a while I just wanna know what to save up for.

Thanks

 

iirc that is true.....

 

So 4.300 then.

That was quick

 

the ss site shows my code 3 times with 2 different gearings, now i want to find out if there's a rare chance i have 4.30s, oh damn...losing sleep again until this is found out

 

Hud you probably have 4.56 gears, i do too. If you really want to elock, buy the rear end and just regear the elocked axle. May end up being more than just doing an arb or something like that. I just did an ARB in my rear and it cost around 700 (used locker).

 

check this info out:

"As mentioned above, the Toyota locker is sold as a complete 3rd member. You can order it from Toyota in several different gear ratios: The ones that I am aware of are 4.10, 4.30, and 4.56. If you want different gearing, you’ll have to re-gear it. You may want to check out Inchworm http://www.inchwormgear.com for some other options, including a high pinion.

Used ones can also be found for about half to 2/3rds the cost of a new one.

Toyota sells these lockers as a replacement part for the vehicles that come with them. The part number I used was for a 1997 4Runner. Toyota calls it a "differential carrier". The list price is just shy of $1000! Fortunately, many dealers offer 25% discounts, so you are looking at around $750 for a new one. I purchased mine through Penn Toyota in New York http://www.off-road.com/vendor/4x4/penntoyota.htm (Ask for Rob). Shipping to CA was about $35. Another dealer who offers discounts is Jay Marks Toyota in Texas."

found all this at this site: http://67.122.16.97/carterman/4runne...PARTS_ORDERING

good info and some good links.

 

1997 - 2002 4Runner

Model Code Ratio

RZN180L-GKMSKA 3.727
RZN180L-GKMSKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN180L-GKPGKA 3.727
RZN180L-GKPGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN180L-GKPSKA 3.909
RZN180L-GKPSKA 4.300 With P265/70R16
RZN180L-GKPZKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKMGKA 3.909
RZN185L-GKMGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKMSKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKMSKA 4.556 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPGKA 3.909
RZN185L-GKPGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPGKA 4.300 Option With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPSKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKPSKA 4.556 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPZKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKPZKA 4.300 Option
VZN180L-GKPSKA 3.727
VZN180L-GKPSKA 4.100 With P265/70R 16
VZN180L-GKPGKA 3.727
VZN180L-GKPGKA 4.100 With P265/70R 16
VZN180L-GKPZKA 4.100
VZN185L-GKMGKA 3.909
VZN185L-GKMGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
VZN185L-GKPGKA 3.909
VZN185L-GKPGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
VZN185L-GKPGKA 4.300 Option
VZN185L-GKPSKA 4.100
VZN185L-GKPSKA 4.300 With P265/70R16
VZN185L-GKPZKA 4.100
VZN185L-GKPZKA 4.300 With P265/70R16
RZN180L-GKMSKA 3.727
RZN180L-GKMSKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN180L-GKPGKA 3.727
RZN180L-GKPGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN180L-GKPSKA 3.909
RZN180L-GKPSKA 4.300 With P265/70R16
RZN180L-GKPZKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKMGKA 3.909
RZN185L-GKMGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKMSKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKMSKA 4.556 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPGKA 3.909
RZN185L-GKPGKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPGKA 4.300 Option With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPSKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKPSKA 4.100 With P265/70R16
RZN185L-GKPZKA 4.100
RZN185L-GKPZKA 4.300 Option

 

v6 auto 4.30
v6 5speed 4.10
I4 4.56

This is only true for the 4runners with factory elockers. You can order a third member from trdparts4u.com for $800 and modify your housing, or keep searching for a junkyard with an axle out of an elocked 4cyl. I've been looking into finding the whole 4.56 rear end and front third member to replace my 4.10s. Much cheaper for me than locking it and regearing later down the road.

 

Just wanted to update this thread with what I found out. Because of the axle code inconsistencies, you have to actually go to a junk yard in person to identify a 4.56 elocked axle. The extremely limited availability of 4cly locked 4runners makes the odds of finding one very slim unless you visit many many yards. I tried this, but it just didn't work out for me.

so.. I got an ARB. Now I've got on-board air, and I couldn't be happier with how the locker performs. Installation was straight forward. Woohoo!

 

how much for the arb locker and installation?

 

The locker was right around $700. I also needed everything for on board air. The small parts really add up: dial indicator, synthetic gear oil, NPT tap, air chuck....

All said and done I was about $1050 for everything, and this was a low budget operation. I installed it myself, so no cost there, but I still have to wonder if I got it all right. Every time I second guess myself, I think, if a shop did it, I'd still have to wonder.

I pulled the diff after 5000 just to check, and everything was still within specification.

 

Wait a minute...Is this true? My truck is a V6 Auto and I could have sworn it came with 4.10s e-locked.

 

I think it all boils down to what ratio was ordered when the 4Runner was built/ordered.