SHIPPING/BOXING INFO
The heavy 3rds in double boxes is best sent to the convenient
Fedex outlet down the street from me
(Do not use UPS to send boxes to a Fedex outlet...Fedex will
refuse it from UPS)
Ken Francisco 480-406-2283cell
Fedex Office Print (HAL)
1780 West Chandler Blvd.
Chandler AZ 85224
Allow me to supply the Nitro Gears and master kits.
I can also source Harrop elockers.
(LARGE pictues loading)
updated OCT 16 2017
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I used to recommend these so-called "Heavy Duty" plastic totes but they don't seem to be living up to their reputation.
In addition, plastic totes are subject to a non-standard packaging Fedex fee of $12.
There is no "fee" for standard cardboard boxes like the ones below.
Meet Cola.
Just stopped in to Lowe's and picked up some shipping supplies.....
Left.......$1.47.....the perfect size HD box for just a single diff.
right......$2.28.... medium size box for a diff and gears/master kit.
middle.....$22.......436 yards of thick HD clear packaging tape(1/4 mile).
This is the perfect size for the typical Toyota diff.....16x12x12....only $1.47 per box!!
These are double corrugated....2 of these together are killer.
Beware ...they also sell SINGLE corrugated boxes so make sure to get the heavy duty version.
I also stopped in to Home Depot and they also have the same heavy duty double corrugated boxes.
Notice the green bubble wrap on the right side? That is the ideal stuff to pack the 3rds with
to keep them from shifting around during transit. More about that farther down this page.
Close up. Same pricing as Lowe's.
They also have medium and Large hd boxes. Must be a popular size.
Here's how I just made a double double box....
Tape the bottoms up so the boxes keep their shape.
Not shown but the hammer was used to DING the 4
corners in such that the inner box would slide
into the outer box easier.
Stuff one into the other. Tight fit but I do it all the time.
Beef up the bottom even more by dropping in one or two other boxes.
Then the heavy 9.5" landcruiser 3rd was dropped in.
Doesn't close up 100% perfect but that's ok....
...... then run the clear tape about 7 times around and it will look "factory".
....That's what clear thick packaging tape is for..... 7 or 8 times completely around.
Don't go too cheap and use that cheap thin clear tape stuff.....it will tear easy.
Here's an e-locker being boxed up....
Not obvious but there is a thick wad of cardboard below the ring gear to shield it from the bottom.
...here's a front 8" 4th gen Tacoma clam that is boxed securely.
Here's a heavy 9.5" e-locker that was stabilized using wadded up newspaper.
Here's a 9.5" arb diff....a stuffed Nitro box is placed in the double box.....
....then secured/stabilized with bubble wrap and foam.
Not shown but before the box is closed there should be at least 3 slabs of cardboard on the topside of the 3rd.
How to get 2 same size boxes to fit together....using medium sized boxes in this example. Some tape to keep the bottoms together...
Then it might be discovered that they don't fit inside one another so well....
the 4 corners hit too hard.
Tap/beat the 4 corners of the inner box in and try again.
This time it goes down much farther and I stopped here to take the pic shown.
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
A simple way to pack the 3rds right and light
......and possibly save 12 bucks
this series of pics added 4-11-18
The big 9.5" Landcruiser 3rds will weigh in at about 80 pounds....but the usual 8" 3rds
typically weigh 62 pounds and if the packing job keeps the boxed 3rd under 70.0 pounds
then Fedex won't charge an extra $12 fee so who would want to throw away $12?
Here's how to do it with the smaller 3rds....
Light packing materials....shipping paper is good but the bubble wrap is probably the best route to go.
Wrapping paper is less common to find just laying around....but bubble wrap (orange) can even be found in dumpsters
....or your local Home Depot or Lowe's.
I have received 3rds with no cushion for the steel lip like it is shown above. Even a sturdy double boxed 3rd will succumb
to a 62 pound steel lip slicing thru the bottom. The steel lip has affectively become a "hot spot".
The goal is to spread the load out over a larger surface area.
Just find an old box and cut 1 or 2 pieces that are 12" wide.
Roll it up to get a 3" diameter as shown and now the lip never touches the bottom of the box.
I just checked the fit and a nice 12" piece of light weight 2x4 (or 2x3 or 2x2) wood does a
super job of keeping the lip off of the bottom floorboard.
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The cardboard roll weighs only 1/2 pound...super light for the task it is used for.
The cardboard roll is in place. Also, 2 extra pieces of flat cardboard to prevent punch-thru at each end.
Close up shot of the heavy duty double corrugated box construction.
Bubble wrap is highly effective if packed into all the nookies and crannies....the diff will not move around.
Some more bubble on top....a couple pieces of 16x12 cardboard on top and it is secure and should weigh only 68 pounds ;)
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