Gen 1 4.10 Rear End Replacement - 4x4 from a 4x2 donor?

[APart11]

I have an '05 Gen 1 (4x4) and an '08 Gen 2. My Gen 1 has some minor mods but mainly runs as a family truckster still. The rear diff has started to growl and the 'pumpkin' is seeping fluid.

I need to replace the rear axle housing and rear diff. Does anyone happen to know if I can use a 4.10 rear end from an '07 donor 4x2, with some kind of alternate mounting flange that is slightly different between the 4x2 and the 4x4, but easily swapped from behind a 27mm nut? I found a decent-looking replacement rear end but it's from a 4x2 and I am not sure whether it would be a good buy or a horrible mistake to buy it.

Thanks for any feedback you may have for me.

~Drew

 

[SequoiaSurveyor]

Hello Drew,

I'll be the first to admit I do not know the answer to your question. Although most 1 gen parts place nicely with each other, intuition tells me that you should probably stick to 4x4 parts. Don't know for sure, maybe someone who knows definitively will speak up.

Good luck Drew

 

[APart11]

Hello Drew,

I'll be the first to admit I do not know the answer to your question. Although most 1 gen parts place nicely with each other, intuition tells me that you should probably stick to 4x4 parts. Don't know for sure, maybe someone who knows definitively will speak up.

Good luck Drew

I really appreciate your reply. I’ve been digging, and I’m not done because when I shopped the part list for both versions, the parts all seem to match up to the companion flange, which is exactly what I was told by the salvage yard selling the 4x2 version.

My inclination is entirely to stick with a salvaged 4x4 rear end, but they are harder to find these days.