toyota font drive shaft ques.

[krehel24]

i have a 81 toyota with a 3" lift. I keep killing the double-cardan joint on the rear of the front axle, not the ujoint but that joint between the two joints. It holds together ,but clunks like crazy. I had 32's (mud grip) and killed one and now i have 33's (TSL's) and killed one, so i dont think it is tires i just think that may be a weak link. I can't find much on replacing it with somthing stronger(may not be looking in the right spot). Has anybody had this problem and found a good way to fix it? and do i even need that double-cardan joint, can i use a good oll single ujoint?

Thanks
Kevin. K

 

[Rich]

What the heck is a triple joint? If you're referring to the joint that's on the front output of the transfer case, that's a double-cardan, often called (incorrectly, but what the heck) a CV joint.

Toyota shafts are NOT your weak link in your equation. Any honest DS builder will agree that the Toyota stuff is generally rated about the same as 1350 series, which is to say, 1 ton.

I can't imagine you've got too much angle on the joint, as the pre IFS trucks have a slightly weaker dc joint, but they can operate at up to 32*, which is QUITE a bit in driveshaft-speak. (Billy Bob's u-joints on his Z71 are only good to about 23*, for comparison)

I'd be looking at other parts being worn out and causing the joint to fail.. bent driveshaft? worn-out tranny crossmember mount? (I'd bet yours is torn)

Hope this helps..

 

[Punkskalar]

Do you mean the splines are getting loose? Mine has done that a few times, but I keep using old junkyard stuff... If its the CV up top, and its an IFS model, you will wear it out quick with higher angles, they bind and loosen up... And im sure you know that all the splines, u-joints and such need regreased really often, especially in high angle situations and anything that sees dirt... grease is cheap, parts ain't

On second thought, he may referring to the center ball between the two u-joints in the CV, they take a lot of abuse in that short driveshaft you've got on the early model truck... It also has a grease fitting and really slings grease out, its not sealed up very well, and has needle bearing like a u-joint as well... Those short 83-down model shafts have to run at a higher angle that the later trucks, and see more abuse as such... Either way, find a good one, and grease it religously

 

[hairy bean bag]

High Angle has cardian joints that are for pretty steep angles up to 45 % i think but not sure.their is also a shop in concord that has my front shaft now that can put a higher angle cardian joint in it for a pretty penny.

 

[drkelly]

Don't know if this will help, but here is my personal experience with DC's. About four to six months after I lifted my Bronco (6" lift) and started wheeling, my DC started making noise. One of the u-joints had taken a phat dump. I replaced both u-joints and the center ball unit with parts from Autozone. Probably 100-200 miles later it started making noise. I then replaced both u-joints and the center ball unit again with parts from NAPA. About a year later I had to replace the u-joints again, and this time I bought the NAPA heavy duty ones with the greasable nipple on the end of one of the caps. Those are still in there now with the same center ball unit from NAPA. Next time the u-joints fail I will replace them with Spicers. Just to clarify, my Bronco has the DC on the rear driveshaft, and the single joint on the front.

Does yours have a pin on the end of the driveshaft that fits inside the roller bearing inside the ball? That is what mine is like. What is the condition of the pin? If it is worn, maybe you should try and find a used shaft.

DK

 

[krehel24]

so as you can see from the pic's(best i could do) it has not come apart, but i am guessing that the center is were the problem is. it clunks and has play in it,so what actually goes bad? or is broke? sorry but I am a little ignorant about this joint

 

[jvmin]

I have a question for you
did the shaft ever get seperated when you removed it to rebuild it. where the splines go together?

it is just an idea but make sure it is phased right

if you had it apart and it wasn't put back together correctly it could cause premature failure.

take a pick of the whole shaft showing both ends so we can make sure it is phased correctly

and as for replacement parts go bite the bullet and get toyota joints from your local stealership. I used autozone ones and they failed quickly. Then the advance auto ones and they failed as well. Then I got toyota joints and haven't had any problems.

but I also quit dunking it in the mud every weekend as well.

an 81 shaft with double cardan joint and 3 inch lift shouldn't have any problems

I've had 3 inches of lift on my 84 since late 85 early 86 and haven't had any problems my failure problems were all due to mud running

 

[krehel24]

I have not rebuilt it or taken it apart, but i will get a pic anyway. Yea I am in URE almost every weekend and there seem's to always be MUD!!

 

[Blkvoodoo]

an 81 shaft with double cardan joint and 3 inch lift shouldn't have any problems

I've had 3 inches of lift on my 84 since late 85 early 86 and haven't had any problems my failure problems were all due to mud running

Keep in mind that the '81 driveshaft is about 6"-8" shorter in the tube than on an '84. This will cause steeper running angles in the front shaft. as it is so short.

3" of lift may not hurt but if the lift also involves shackles this could certainly cause a binding of the pinion end of the shaft, and if out of phase would definatly have an effect on the DC joint.

Have you looked at the joint closely? is the grease zirk still there and useable ?

There was actually a special tool included in the tool kit for these trucks specifically to grease the ball.

Something to check.

Kevin

 

[muddin38yota]

I run a driveshaft shop in concord Universal Automotive and it sounds like your front c/v shaft is wore out. There are two joints and a center ball yoke in that end and most likley the center ball is sloppy. If you keep running it like that your gonna do some pretty good damage to it.

josh

 

[Rich]

3" of lift may not hurt but if the lift also involves shackles this could certainly cause a binding of the pinion end of the shaft,

With 42* angle of operation? I've only seen a Toyota u-joint bind when something let loose...

There was actually a special tool included in the tool kit for these trucks specifically to grease the ball.

No kidding... What does that look like? My rear CV is going to be running a decent amount of static angle, and I want to keep the center well-lubed.

 

[Blkvoodoo]

I think you need to look at the front shaft in question, the '79-'83 toy trucks engine and trans sat a little further forward in the frame, and the front shaft was pretty damn short, they had issue with the splines wearing out and with the DC joint, both due to lack of maint. .

My '82 had issue with the front shaft slip spline, apparently it never got greased before I got the truck, thus you would put shaft in phased correctly, and the they splines would jump, soon as the yokes were out of phase, I would get a nice thumping sound from the front end. this truck also had a shackle lift, which rotates the front axle back, increasing the angle of the front joint. this and the out of phase tore up my DC.
At the time I had this truck, there was no shop in my area that would touch a Toy shaft, ( central Illinois ) I found a good shaft from an '85 truck, but it was a good 6"+ longer in the tube area, I finally found a guy who could cut it and weld it back, but not balance it, which was fine for me at the time. Worked like a charm, all I had to do was change the yoke on the axle end of the shaft, to fit the smaller pinion flange pattern.

I'll snap a pic of the tool soon as I find it again, not sure if it is in the truck or in the shop. basiaclly a tube with a zerk on the end that fit into the center of the DC and the tube slipped over the zerk inside at the ball. as long as the angles are not crazy, you can stick a small grease gun fitting in the DC hole and hit the zerk.

Kevin

 

[Blkvoodoo]

No kidding... What does that look like? My rear CV is going to be running a decent amount of static angle, and I want to keep the center well-lubed.

The tool is about 3.5" long, the center tube threads in and out with "E" clips as stops. inside the barrel end is stepped, I presume to accomidate different sized fittings to attatch to the zerk end at the end of the center tube ( inside barrel ) tip of tube is concave to seat over grease zerk it is applied to.

On the driver visor there was a card slid into the clear pocket that gave you all lube points and frequency of lube chart, there was also a picture of how to use this tool. My '84,'85,'87 nor my '90 had/have the tool nor did the card make mention of the tool, seems it was only the '79-'83 trucks, I procured the tool from my '82 Hilux, may it rest in pieces.

Really makes greasing the DC joint a lot easier, but can be used on all the joints in the drive shafts, and also makes it a little handier to add grease to the knuckles thru the plugs.