New beam axle options?

J!m

Active member
So, I’ve been looking around and other than the Jeep Wrangler and the Suzuki Jimny, are there any other options with beam axles and low range?
 

rnArmy

Adventurer
You mean solid axles front and rear? And not looking at 3/4 or one-ton axles? If so....

IH Scouts
IH Trucks
Toyota Landcruisers.
Earlier Toyota trucks
Land Rovers
Range Rover classics
Early Ford Bronco (classic), and later full-size Bronco (till about 1981-ish)
Earlier Full-size Ford Trucks (till about 1981-ish)
Earlier Dodge Trucks (and up through Gen II trucks)
Dodge Ramchargers (last one 1992-ish)
Earlier Full-size Chevy Blazers & Suburbans
Earlier Full-size Chevy Trucks

This should get you started.
 

J!m

Active member
Ok cool. Anything smaller? Midsize, Like early Range Rover /D1 size? That Jimny looks cool but only 88-1/2” wheelbase and only 1.5l gas engine. (Probably a ton of fun in the woods!) A bit small and no diesel option.

Any current Toyota offerings still have a beam axle up front?
 

J!m

Active member
Hang on. I need DANA 60’s (and lockers) for my Starbucks!

Not really but the Bronco looks interesting. Low range and a diesel and I’m very interested.

It’s amazing to me that is seems Land Rover are rolling over and playing dead regarding utility trucks. That’s their bread n butter. Now all (including new defender) with independent suspension? That have totally lost the plot. What is the UK military going to use moving forward?
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
Looked in the 'ol (dusty, covered with fingerprints) crystal ball;
I would bet that the new Bronco will be based on the new Ranger chassis (likely an obese, anemic, descendent of the Australian Ranger) and have independent front suspension...
Electronic assists will probably abound and a rear electronic locker will be an option (for the Starbuck's crowd).

...Hope I'm wrong...

Enjoy!
 
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Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
It is based on the Ranger. Rolls out of the same factory property (unknown if same building or not). No reason why it still can't be a solid axle. I expect the seats, fuel tank, mirrors, and dash like stuff to carry over.

Making a solid axle and IFS truck in the same factory is no harder, possibly easier, than 4wd and 2wd Super Duties in the same factory. 2wd SD has/had different frame, k member, etc. etc. A few lines of code for the robots, and all of the logistics issues are someone else's problems. The frame provider, and the truck driver, for example.
 
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J!m

Active member
What abut the rest of the world? Africa and Australia had traditionally had beam axles long after we (in the states) suffered with IFS and now FIS... Horrible state of affairs.

It seems the "anti-off-roader" lobby is strong, and in addition to closing our trails, is having the manufacturers make vehicles that are flat incapable. (how's that for a Monday morning conspiracy theory? Not bad eh?)
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
The rest of the world expects actual performance, here in America we are stuck with some New York City advertising executives vision of what people actually want (or can be sold, after the design is vetted by legions of lawyers).
Hopefully the new Bronco will receive some axle DNA from the Brazilian Troller SUV...
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/t...roller-t4-for-brazil-is-pretty-**************

Not going to hold my breath though...

Enjoy!
 
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Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
The Bronco and Ranger were/are being tested and tuned in Oz. So there's some hope that their love of solid axles over there, might help.

Can't compete with the Wrangler without solid axles. And the jeep is vulnerable, only the Rubicon comes with the good axles. Put 44/60 hybrids under all of the Broncos....
https://www.dynatrac.com/axle-assemblies/prorock-44-60-hybrid-axle.html

And it is being listed as a "gobal" SUV. So we don't have to worry about it getting bloated into an American fullsize.
 
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J!m

Active member
Sounds promising...

How about the Brazilian diesel? Can we have the too please?
 

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