[MrRocky]

Alot of people seem to rave about this setup.
Just wondering what the major benifits are in running it.
I drive with alot of guys running quite heavily modded zooks capable of driving nearly every accessible track within a 6hr radius and all have no issues with the rear end.
I mean a g16b isnt necessary but makes a massive difference to the car and the way it drives. What exactly does a full floater setup do ? And dont just say its better, why does it have to be better ?

[alien]

For me - I twisted my rear axle splines (over 5 years though) and was going through rear drum shoes at an incredible rate - so the floater setup was a win win.... at Joeblow's introductory price it was also quite cheap versus replacing the stock axles and shoes given the added reliability.

The most noticeable difference however is how amazing my handbrake now works =)

So for me it was more about reliability. It's just something I don't need to worry about now.

[fordem]

A full floating axle is one where the weight of the vehicle is supported by the axle housing and not the axle shaft - the axle shaft simply transfers the torque to the wheel.

With a full floater a broken axle shaft would simply result in a loss of drive to that corner, rather than the possible loss of the entire wheel assembly - it could mean the difference between having to get a replacement axle brought to you for the vehicle to be moved, or simply driving it out and performing the repair at a more convenient location.

[chris77]

I made my floating rear for lots of little reasons rather than one big one . Some of the guys we get out with are breaking rear diffs now , but they are running 33's .
My reasons for building my vitara rear floating housing was
Wanted to run 4.62 diff ratio and can use a set of diffs not just the front
Cost - If I break a rear diff I can just swap in a vitara rear , no cost of swapping of parts to a 413 housing and setting up etc
Wanted disc brake's on the rear
Can carry one spare hub/bearings for all four wheels
Break an axle and it can be removed and still drive home
Wanted to be able to flat tow it , so I can put fwh on when required
An advantage of doing it was I could make it a custom width to match the front without wheel spacers .

Installing rear disc brakes and changing the ratio etc can all be done to a standard diff but add it all up and thats why I went down that road , time will tell if it was the right one when I get it back on the trail .

Cheers
Chris

[jdk81]

I went to full floater for a few reasons

I had previously twisted a WT rear axle, and later correctly twisted it.
It was only a matter of time until a trip was ruined and PITA repair etc.

I had also reached the point where I was driving my car a lot harder than previously before.
Breakage was inevitable

Due to dailying my Sierra, and wheeling it, I was doing rear wheel bearings about 4 times a year.
At about $400/year to maintain the rear bearings, I was getting sick of it.

I had just previously swapped to Subaru calipers and disc brake rear end, so the brake upgrade wasnt a factor for me.
I'm currently not running a handbrake - but setup to run the transfer handbrake.

I wanted the strength to run 35" tyres for future progression

[J--A--C--K]

If I had the ability. I think the pain in the ass wheel bearings would be reason enough for me to go a floater.

[tanshi]

also if you were to break a shaft. you can pull the drive flange and shaft out and drive home on one shaft presuming you have a locker

[MrRocky]

I suppose everyones scenarios are specific for the type of wheeling the do. Just doesnt really apply in W.A. with the type of terrain we have here. All sierra rears twist a bit with a locker but ive only seen 1 rear break in 6-7 years of driving hard tracks with the same 3-4 lwbs. As for brakes, handbrake and bearings i dont do mud and my bearings seem to last quite well even with spacers.
Floaters certainly seem to suit you guys over east alot more than here in the west where it only rains 4 times a year haha.

[alien]

Mine were twisted and cracked and slapping about making all sorts of noises... I reckon if i'd have driven it much more one of them would have snapped. Either way, it was a nice upgrade to have done when i had the chance =) It's been exactly 2 years now and wheels bearings are still all good and brakes still have plenty of meat on them. That's a real win IMO

[SierraDan]

Not sure what rain has to do with a requiring a floater?

[MrRocky]

Some saying brakes and handbrake dont work on standard setup very well.
Just implying they work fine if u stay away from water.

[SierraDan]

Merely a by product of the conversion though.
If that was the only benefit, there's easier/cheaper options.

[vet 180]

The main reasons are strength and the fact you can drive home with a breakage