Eartha's Travels

Ran into a big problem. My mechanic called and said the rear axle assembly does not fit under my 1978 rig. I bought a 1988 rear axle but it did not come with leaf springs or u bolts. If i got those would it fit? He says the new assembly is about an inch too wide. I am afraid my frame is too narrow for the newer rear axle. I need advice please.

Ok, makes sense! Today I found a 1988 complete full floating dually rearend assembly. The wheels are 14" in diameter. I am buying 4 of them for right now at $75 bucks a pop. However, it doesn't come with tires. Do you know if my current 185R-14C tires would fit the new wheels....or would I have to get a new set?

I guess the main thing I am looking for is some key terminology to be using in my search. What type of axle should I be looking for? If it is a dually what should i be looking for? If it is a single wheel axle what should I be looking for? What is the difference between a dually rear end and one that only uses one set of wheels? To be honest, I am completely overwhelmed and don't even know where to start. Advice?

My bad..... CORRECTED weight***** Steer axle: 1640 Drive axle: 2640 Gross: 4280

Thanks for all the information JD! It is very helpful and informative and I really appreciate it. I went and got my rig weighed today and these were the results: Steer axle 160 lb Drive axle: 4260 Gross Weight: 4420 With that information and what I'am gathering with the above comments the 1 ton axle (single tires) would be sufficient? I would just need to find a pair 185R-14" tires? I have found a couple of full ton rear axles I just want to make sure I am buying the right thing before spending money on something I can't use. Also, if I do the swap would I have to make other modifications to make the rearend fit? Or would it be an easy switch out? And about those bearings....I am interested in buying the from you.

If the problem is the foolies, would I be safe to do a single wheel rear axle assembly?

My girlfriend and I just purchased a 1978 Toyota Sand-Pak. It comes in at a whopping 16ft. We are the second owners and it has 47,000 original miles. It was used by the original owner to go deer hunting. We are planning to live out of it full-time with our 4 year old son. The beauty has the original 5-lug duelly rear axle, and I was wanting to get more information on whether I should do the swap or not. We live in Lincoln, Nebraska, and I found a rear axle for $750 that has no wheels. Is it worth the extra cost to replace the axle and the wheels+tires? Or is the fact that we have a 16 footer make it OK for travel?