Yukon blog
Upgrade Your Toyota’s Drivetrain With Top-Quality Yukon Parts
Toyota’s have earned a long-running cult-like reputation for off-road tenacity for absorbing abuse and overcoming obstacles on the trail. We get it. And we’ve developed hundreds of part numbers dedicated to the illustrious sombrero badge. If you own a Toyota and want to run with the bear we have Grizzly Lockers, Spartan Lockers, Dura Grip limited slip units, Master Overhaul Gear Kits, complete ring and pinion sets, and more. Going Big-Tire On Your Toyota? Upgrading to bigger wheels and tires is a rite of passage in many off-road circles. Whether you like the look or plan to step up your wheeling game, it’s wise to recognize your 35-, 37-, or 40-inch tires need to do more than merely fit. Getting the larger rolling stock under your rig is the beginning of the process, not the end. The larger-than-stock circumference of big tires change your truck’s final drive ratio and can negatively alter its performance. This change can impact acceleration, freeway cruising, and many aspects of off-road performance. It can also put undo load and wear on your driveline. Changing the gear ratio in your Toyota’s front and rear diffs can turn back the clock and recapture your vehicle’s driving characteristics. Yukon’s Toyota re-gear offerings cover 1996-and-up 4Runners, ’95-and-up Tacomas, and 2000-and-up Tundras. Yukon’s re-gear ring and pinion gear set kits encompass many popular Toyota differentials like the 8.75” rear, 8” clamshell front, and the venerable 8” rear that is featured on countless V6-powered Toyota 4x4s. Jump-start your re-gear kit product search here by listing your Toyota’s specs in the part finder here. In The Mood For More Traction? We can steer you to three great traction options: the Yukon Dura Grip positraction LSD, the Yukon Grizzly Locker and the Spartan Locker. Where an open diff will freewheel the tire that lacks traction, the Dura Grip limited slip differential uses clutch packs to funnel traction to the tire that has the best grip. In its static state the unit is pre-loaded and provides traction to both wheels. When it’s further loaded… under acceleration, in a fast corner, or when wheel slippage occurs off-road… the clutch packs will apply more torque to the wheel that has the best traction and reduce the transfer of power to the wheel that’s slipping, giving you the balanced traction you need when you need it. All Toyota Dura Grips are heavy duty four-pinion-gear designs built with a high-strength nodular iron case, forged 4320 chromoly spider gears, and top-quality composite clutches. It should be noted that the clutch packs can be rebuilt to bring the unit back to its original performance level or different clutches can be used to fine tune the Dura Grip’s performance to better match your style of driving. Lockers are the big hitter in the off-roader’s arsenal, providing game changing traction on the trail while retaining near-stock drivability on the road. The Yukon Grizzly Locker is a mechanical locker or automatic locker that requires no pneumatic or electronic activation. It replaces the entire carrier assembly and provides incredible clamping force, forged internals, and a forged 8620 low-nickel alloy steel case that is much more robust than the OE carrier it replaces. During on-throttle driving conditions, load is applied to the differential which induces locking, sending 100 percent of the power to both drive tires equally. The Spartan Locker generates reliable, full-lock-up traction at a low cost. The Spartan Locker is not a singular component you swap in but a collection of parts that converts an open differential carrier (and only an open differential carrier) into a mechanical locker. A typical Spartan Locker consist of a pair of drivers, two side couplers, four alignment pins, four pre-load springs, a hardened cross-pin shaft, a roll pin, and installation wires. These lockers feature heat-treated 9310 steel drivers and couplers for enhanced durability. The advantages of utilizing a Spartan Locker are its 100% lock up and its value. They cost less than half the price of an air-operated locker, and remember this is before factoring in the cost of a pneumatic operating system. Further, Spartan Lockers are about a third the price of a large-frame mechanical locker. Going with a Spartan Locker also pays off when it comes to installation. Since it’s less labor intensive than a large-frame locker, installing a Spartan Locker costs less. The savings can be even more substantial if you handle the install yourself. Got A Tired Drivetrain? When it comes to differential maintenance, Yukon Master Overhaul kits deliver all the high-quality small parts you need to do the job right. Each kit consists of carrier bearings and races, pinion bearings and races, a pinion seal, complete shim kit, ring gear bolts, pinion nut, crush sleeve (if applicable), oil baffles and slingers (if applicable), thread locking compound, marking compound with brush, and a gasket. Yukon Master Overhaul kits are the most comprehensive and complete kits on the market because we do all the research to ensure that every kit is specially tailored to the proper Toyota application. Pre-built Toyota Dropouts Make re-gearing your Toyota easy by ordering a complete assembled dropout. Taking this route delivers a pre-built diff with the ratio you want installed while also saving you the hassle of resetting pre-load and backlash if you were to re-build your existing housing. Yukon heavy-duty dropouts feature upgraded materials and an improved design versus OEM to provide heavy-duty strength, ensuring they are ready to stand up to any abuse you can throw their way. You can elect to upgrade your dropout with double or triple drilled pinion flanges, solid pinion spacers and shims in place of crush sleeves (to better maintain gear setup preload), and you can add a locker or positraction limited slip differential to your build. An added benefit of this approach is installation cost. Going with a rebuilt dropout reduces downtime and saves money on the labor. Further, those comfortable with swapping out the housing can handle the install themselves, saving even more money. Check out our Toyota dropouts for Toyota’s with V6 engines (YP DOTV6) and Toyota’s running the 8" diff (YP DOT8). Yukon also offers Toyota-specific spider gears, yokes, knuckle kits, axles, and small parts like, bearings, u-joints, seals, shims, cross pins, washers, and nuts. The bottom-line message here is hardcore Toyota owners who expect their rides to meet the challenge of the trail or Everyday Joes who primarily drive on the street have found their one-stop shopping destination.
Yukon Gear & Axle Toyota Re-Gear Kits
Reclaim Performance in Big-Tire Toyotas Toyota owners can now take advantage of performance-engineered Yukon Gear & Axle gear sets that have been proven at King of the Hammers, the granite crags of Moab, and in Ultra4 competition across the country. Yukon’s convenient ring and pinion Re-Gear Kits bundle everything you need to upgrade your Toyota’s front and rear differentials in one simple part number to save you time. These kits feature premium Yukon ring and pinion gears, Master Install Kits with high-quality Timken/Koyo bearings, and all the small parts you’ll need to get your vehicle back on the road quickly so you can make the most of your time on the trail. There are two main reasons to re-gear your ride. The first is to recapture the lost performance and fuel efficiency of a daily driven vehicle that has been upgraded with larger wheels and tires. The second is to fine tune the performance characteristics of a vehicle that is a dedicated off-roader where the focus is more on low-end grunt and mild acceleration. Yukon’s Toyota gear program covers 1996-and-up 4Runners, ’95-and-up Tacomas, and 2000-and-up Tundras. This offering encompasses popular Toyota differentials like the 8.75” rear, 8” clamshell front, and 8” rear that is featured on countless V6-powered Toyota 4x4s. Toyota 8” diffs are stout and utilize a third-member, dropout-style design, much like the Ford 9” and Chrysler 8.75” unit. This means the carrier and internals of the diff can be easily removed for ring and pinion upgrades. Gear Ratio Explained If you’re adding big tires, you’re technically already re-gearing because the increase in tire circumference changes the final drive ratio. Remember, if your Toyota is running a 4.10 gear, the pinion gear spins 4.1 times to generate one revolution of the ring gear. Further, upsizing tires likely increases the un-sprung weight, or rotating mass, of your rolling stock. This also increases the vehicle’s overall rolling resistance. On the road, your vehicle will take longer to accelerate, turn a lower engine rpm to maintain a highway speed, and get poor gas mileage because of the increase in weight and rolling resistance. Big tires also put a lot of additional stress on the drivetrain, stock braking system, and factory steering components. Re-Gearing Explained A worrisome trend we’ve seen is owners who think that since their rig has a six-, seven-, or eight-speed transmission they don’t have to upgrade their gear set when they jump up in tire size. The culprit is the increased load of larger tires. It can keep you from realizing the full benefit of the tire upgrade because the transmission won't shift into its higher gears. It's not uncommon to see the transmission hanging out in lower than normal gears at light throttle on the freeway or shuttle shifting while trying to find the right gear. Even if you’re okay with that, the undue stress on the transmission can lead to early failure and a big hit to your wallet. Changing ring and pinion gears is the answer. Understanding Different Ratios Gear talk can be confusing. Wheelers have different ways of talking about the same thing—tall gears, high gears, low gears, deep gears. Tall gears produce a lower numeric ratio such as 3.08 or 3.73, while short or deep gears refer to higher numeric ratios such as 4.88 or 5.29. Numerically higher gear ratios produce more torque, quicker acceleration, and lower top speed. Lower numeric ratios produce less torque, slower launches, and higher top speed. The wrong ratio can reduce fuel economy by forcing the engine to work too hard or spin too fast at freeway speeds. It’s a trade-off. How to Select a Ratio That’s Right for You To pick the right ratio, you need to know your current gear ratio and tire height in stock trim. These values determine engine rpm at a given vehicle speed. The homepage provides calculators for gear ratio, tire height, and engine rpm. Use your stock setup as a baseline to understand how your vehicle behaves from the factory. Enter your new tire diameter and adjust the gear ratio to match stock freeway rpm for factory-like drivability, or tune for more low-end pull or improved fuel mileage depending on your goals. Going big-tire isn’t as simple as making them fit. Larger tires affect acceleration, cruising, and off-road performance. Yukon Re-Gear Kits restore drivability in one complete solution. Call Now 866-631-0196 Shop Toyota Re-Gear Kits Yukon Gear & Axle Toyota Re-Gear Kits Highlights Re-Gear Kits upgrade your Toyota’s front and rear differentials Saves time by bundling everything needed to complete the job correctly Regains lost vehicle performance from big-tire upgrades Includes Yukon ring and pinion gears with premium Timken and Koyo bearings
Yukon at the 2021 King of the Hammers
For 10 years Yukon Gear & Axle has been a part of the toughest one-day race on the planet, King of the Hammers. It began as a group of friends, all heavy off-road builders, that met in the dry desert outside of Joshua Tree, California, just 50 miles east of Los Angeles. In those days it was about climbing the toughest trails over boulders the size of a Volkswagen Bug, and the loser bought the beer. From there the party grew. King of the Hammers is now a city of people from all walks of life. They come in motorhomes, campers, towing motorcycles, quads, side-by-sides, Jeeps, Toyotas, Samurais and even lifted limousines. Making the trek to Johnson Valley is awe-inspiring, it’s the Burning Man of off-road racing. Last year, more than 60,000 people came from all over the world. Some to watch, some to race. On the lakebed, more than 400 teams participated. It was an attendance record for King of the Hammers. This year with COVID issues and California leading the nation in cases, the race went on with heavy mitigation rules. The event didn’t disappoint. The overall crowd was down but only to an estimated 40,000 spectators and again more than 400 race teams participated. King of the Hammers is a full day race, encompassing more than 300 miles through the desert and on trails. Drivers are in their cars by 6 a.m., lining up and waiting for their turn for the green flag. Racing begins at 8 a.m. The fastest cars can finish in five to seven hours with many working all 12 hours before timing out just to finish. For most, there is no podium, just the personal satisfaction of finishing the race. Making the full distance is quite an accomplishment. In Friday’s event, 123 cars started but only 35 finished. Team Yukon is comprised of 12 race teams all in different classes. These are the guys we put our money on to hit a top finish. Beyond that, you can’t turn your head around in the pits and not find a Yukon decal on a car. On the track, teams of race cars begin each race and qualifying run, goosing the throttle over the Yukon Launch, a jump mere yards off the starting line. Yukon is the official sponsor of the 4500 Modified Class and each year owns the real estate in the front row of all racing pits. Each pit flies U.S.A. and Yukon flags to drape the desert with respect. In the Yukon pit, we show up with parts and a full garage to rebuild diffs so we can provide tech assistance to whoever needs it. It doesn’t matter what product they’re running; Jason and Brian were there to fix it. Yukon saved team after team that had broken parts, limited drivetrain experience, and/or no replacement. We get them back on the track saving them from what looked like a long drive home. Ask anyone out there, and they’ll tell you it’s about the racing. The more cars in the race the better. Teams and competitors are friends and willing to help, yet fiercely competitive behind the wheel. When it’s the toughest race in the world, your parts have to be good. Better yet, your parts have to be great. Many manufacturers try King of the Hammers one year and are never seen again. The cars run the desert at speeds of 140 mph and hit boulders and dry waterfalls taller than the walls in your home. Yes, things break, but every year we’re back and the calls keep coming for our parts.
CÓMO FUNCIONA. ACEITE PARA ENGRANAJES & ADITIVOS PARA DESLIZAMIENTO LIMITADO
El siguiente artículo habla acerca de la importancia de utilizar el aceite correcto para los engranajes de tu 4x4. Este artículo es originalmente realizado por el fabricante Yukon Gear & Axle. También habla acerca de los números y que significan. Excelente articulo para esas personas que nos gusta todo lo relacionado con los 4x4 y las modificaciones. Si gustas seguirme en las redes. El aceite para engranajes mantienen lubricados y funcionando los componentes como el set de engranajes de piñón corona , engranajes satelitales y laterales, diferenciales de deslizamiento limitado, ejes, bujes y similares. Los modificadores de fricción son aditivos que mejoran el rendimiento y la eficiencia de los diferenciales de deslizamiento limitado estilo embrague. Es vital entender cómo funcionan estos productos, es clave para mantener lubricada correctamente su línea de transmisión para que funcione en las condiciones más difíciles y dure muchos años. Los números del Aceite para diferencial Yukon recomienda aceite para engranajes 80W-90 GL-5 que no sea sintético en todos los diferenciales. El aceite se clasifica por su valor de viscosidad. Vea un aceite multigrado como un 80W90… El 80W es el valor de viscosidad para el invierno, denotado por W, o más precisamente a 0 grados F. Entonces, un aceite de 80W tiene más viscosidad que un aceite de 60W a 0 grados. El segundo número, 90, se refiere al índice de viscosidad del aceite a 212 grados F, nuevamente un número más alto será más viscoso a la temperatura de operación. Estos números también son función del espesor. Entonces, un aceite de 80W es más espeso que un aceite de 60W. Los aceites multigrado son mezclados con polímeros que reducen el adelgazamiento a medida que aumentan las temperaturas y al mismo tiempo reducen el espesamiento a medida que desciende el mercurio, lo que determina el rango de viscosidad del aceite. En términos generales, un aceite más delgado circula más rápido a través del diferencial o motor durante un arranque en frío. Por el contrario, un aceite más espeso protegerá mejor cuando los engranajes del diferencial generen temperaturas más altas. La designación "GL-5" identifica la cantidad de modificador de fricción a base de azufre que está presente en el aceite. Este modificador químico ayuda al aceite a funcionar bajo presión extrema… como en un LSD. Nota: Debido a su contenido de azufre, el aceite GL-5 está diseñado para usarse únicamente en engranajes de los diferenciales; es demasiado corrosivo para usarse en transmisiones, que requieren una formulación GL-4 más suave porque contienen partes metálicas suaves. Yukon ofrece una serie de aceites para engranajes en una variedad de viscosidades y en mezclas sintéticas y no sintéticas. El único modificador de fricción Los aditivos modificadores de fricción de Yukon se utilizan cuando más fuerza de sujeción es necesitada. Este tipo de producto es solo para diferenciales tipo embrague como el Yukon Dura Grip, no es para deslizamientos limitados impulsados por engranajes como nuestro Spartan Helical LSD. El aditivo modificador de fricción de Yukon protege contra el enganche o desenganche anormal del embrague, lo que garantiza que se mantengan las características óptimas de fricción entre los discos del embrague. Estos aditivos se pueden utilizar para compensar el desgaste de los embragues o para "ajustar" el rendimiento de los paquetes de embrague para una aplicación específica, como vehículos para carreras o para vehículos que pasan muchos días en pistas de carrera. Cabe señalar que es nuestra propia fórmula diseñada y patentada específicamente para los embragues compuestos en los LSD de Yukon. Si utiliza un Dura Grip, no utilice modificadores de grado que se encuentran en las tiendas porque están formulados para los embragues originales. Con aproximadamente una quinta parte de las propiedades abrasivas, estos productos comprados en la tienda funcionarán como una versión diluida de nuestra versión original. Estos productos son vitales para el mantenimiento correcto de su diferencial y saber cómo están calificados y cómo hacen su trabajo es fundamental, para tomar decisiones correctas a la hora del mantenimiento de su vehículo.
