So I've had my 4" Superlift for a little over a year. I have had functional 4wd for about half that time. I've really only had problems with the front diff drop brackets. With a little 4cyl and 33's-35's I'd think they would be able to handle the torque from the diff. Definently not the case.

Now I don't beat the piss outa my truck. Sure, I will if I need to - some obstacles require tire spin. But I don't clutch it too bad trying to break something to show off like others I've seen who "beat on their trucks."

With what I'd call regularly aggressive offroad driving on a regular NH skidder trail, the first bracket to break was the one closest to the driveshaft. You can see where it broke:


I then braced each corner with some little pieces of 1/8":


That worked for a trail or two until the same bracket broke right around the bolt holes rendering that steel useless. So I rigged the following up. While this bracket has held up, you can see how the FACTORY bracket has tweaked, causing the whole diff to be slightly crooked:



The next to bend was the driver's side bracket. I took it out and sledge hammered it straight and welded on some angle iron bracing:



Next trail and the bracket bent right where my bracing ends. BUT in addition, the factory bracket smushed right up against the framerail. The whole side of that diff was raised a good 4". In the next pic, if you look closely, you can see I had to put a 3" long tube spacer between the smushed factory bracket on the framerail and the bushing bracket attached to the diff. This was to level it out as the cv shaft would not even touch the diff since it wasn't long enough.


Now, all the factory (and aftermarket) diff brackets are bent to hell. The whole diff is tilted backwards and upwards, and to the passenger side about an inch. This makes it so that a cv shaft will not reach from the diff to the locking hub - its not long enough. I can put one in but once I let out the clutch it'll pop out of the diff ripping the boot.

You can see how its slanted:


And how far back the axle tube sits in relation to the bumpstop:



Long story short: I ordered my 3" Trail Gear SAS kit last night <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

-Scerb
(yes I know about the oil leak...)

If it makes you feel any better they have changed and upgraded the diff bracket you've had so much trouble with. It's definitely re-enforced and the washers that you don't appear to have used in this pic aren't necesarry anymore...

http://www.bluebassdesign.com/boonin/diff_bracket_welds/rear_bracket.jpg

Btw, you do know there are supposed to be spacers on the lower towards the back of the truck and the upper towards the front to hold that level right?

yes.. I used them with the superlift bracket that broke twice. Then I made my own (in the pic) that didn't break and bent the factory bracket on the framerail instead <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

-Scerb

Looks like it's time to cut it all off <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />.

Just do it....you know of what I speak....


<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

Not to offend, but I gotta call ya out on this one just a bit. When driving forward, torque would actually push the pinion of the front diff down, not up. That damage appears to be from getting hit on something, not from normal wear/tear/wheeling.

No offense taken. If you look at the 3rd pic, you can see the factory bracket is tweaked downwards, meaning the area of the pinion was forcing down.

In the 5th pic, the factory bracket is twisted/pushed up. The way it bent is consistent with a torque on that axle tube "into the passenger wheel" which is the case if the diff was forced down at the pinion.

Trust me, I didn't land on the diff - in fact you would need a very thin pointy rock to get through the lower crossmember and actually hit the diff as the diff is very well protected. If this was all caused by hitting the diff then that would mean I would have landed hard on the diff each of the approximately 5 times I replaced brackets. All of this damage was surprising done by torque.

And yes, I will cut all that crap off with joy <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cyclops.gif" alt="" />

-Scerb

Now, if that's not an excuse for an SAS.....well, I dunno what is.

Glad I didn't go that route. I seriously considered doing a 4" IFS lift.

You must be "special." <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

I've never seen or had any problems with the factory brackets, but I've seen a bunch and repaired several of those first failed drop brackets. The one I built for my T100 I made out of 3/8" material and it seems to be holding up just fine to the mostly mild wheeling it sees with a 3.4 and 35's.

Anyway, like you say, good excuse to SAS. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

so what you are really telling us is to be prepared for "broken SAS part" threads in 6 months?? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />