I'm springing my 40 over(60 rears in the rear/55 fronts in the front) and will be pointing the pinion at the t-case on both ends(cut and turn in the front). What have you guys done with your driveshafts? I've heard of people using the cv part of mini truck shafts. How much do you think it would cost to get one made up with cruiser u-joints?
I guess just post what you think the best option would be in my case.
Thanks. Yeah, I know the principles involved. I was wanting to know the solutions that people here have used(mini truck cv or get one made by a ds shop, etc.).
Off to read that thread...
Edit: That thread pretty much covers it. Now I just need to find a shaft.
I grabbed a front shaft from an '85 minitruck and had it lengthened for my rear driveshaft (stretched wheelbase using new hangers and 60 rears in the rear). From what I read, the minitruck CVs are bomber and depending on the flange at the pinion a simple re-drill of the flange and boring out of the minitruck shaft holes (I think I used a 7/16" bit) and you're in buisness. I sent my shaft to High Angle Driveline for lengthening and also had it re-tubed with I believe 0.120" wall tubing?
Edit: Shaft cost me $50 and the re-tube cost ~$160 if I remember correctly including shipping both ways.
I grabbed a front shaft from an '85 minitruck and had it lengthened for my rear driveshaft (stretched wheelbase using new hangers and 60 rears in the rear). From what I read, the minitruck CVs are bomber and depending on the flange at the pinion a simple re-drill of the flange and boring out of the minitruck shaft holes (I think I used a 7/16" bit) and you're in buisness. I sent my shaft to High Angle Driveline for lengthening and also had it re-tubed with I believe 0.120" wall tubing?
Edit: Shaft cost me $50 and the re-tube cost ~$160 if I remember correctly including shipping both ways.
Sweet! Sounds like what I need to do. What are the best places to look at sourcing a shaft? Which forums? I'm not sure how much luck I would have at the local junkyards.
Sweet! Sounds like what I need to do. What are the best places to look at sourcing a shaft? Which forums? I'm not sure how much luck I would have at the local junkyards.
I don't have any local junkyards so I posted a want-add on craigslist. Had a few hits in a couple of days so I had some choices and bought the best one.
08/80-08/84 FJ60 front drive shaft is a CV style that will bolt up to your transfer case and differential companion flanges without any modifications, and also uses larger joints than the mini-truck cv shafts...
08/80-08/84 FJ60 front drive shaft is a CV style that will bolt up to your transfer case and differential companion flanges without any modifications, and also uses larger joints than the mini-truck cv shafts...
I read some discussion about the deflection angle not being as much in the 60 shafts. Is there plenty of metal there to grind some away to increase the operable angle? Or would the shaft be sufficient for my purposes? Sprung over with 60 rear springs in the rear, oriented as they are on a 60 series, meaning my rear axle on my 40 should be ~4 inches further back than stock. Mostly moderate wheeling, some hardcore, 38.5" SXs. Flex will be decent, not extreme.
08/80-08/84 FJ60 front drive shaft is a CV style that will bolt up to your transfer case and differential companion flanges without any modifications, and also uses larger joints than the mini-truck cv shafts...
that's what I used front and rear, modified to the correct lengths. I buy them when I can find them reasonable as I have found them getting harder to come by. Whenever this comes up there always seems to be someone that chimes in they can buy them all day long for ~$25 but I have not been so lucky. Usually they are $75-$100 but YMMV.
If you do grind to allow for more deflection, be sure to remove material from the mounting flange and not the area near the caps.
Thanks, I posted an ad on craigslist for both an '84-'85 mini truck front shaft and an '80-84 fj60. A guy emailed me and said "Have front 4x4 driveshaft toyta sr5 1983 ". What do you guys think about this one? What is the difference between an '83 and an 84-85? I read that the '84-'85 had the highest degree of deflection, but did the design change, or is there just less metal there to inhibit the operation angle?
I've got one pre-85 and one ifs minitruck cv in mine. I made both shafts. Just used all stock toyota parts. All the tube diameters were the same for all of the parts I had. IIRC, I can't remember now, I think one of the shafts was just a combo of stock parts. I did clearance the IFS unit. It involves tearing down the joint and grinding some material away. I'm sure if you search you can find info on it. I picked mine up for $25ea for complete front shafts at a local offroad shop. $50 seems to be the going rate though. A quick check on car-part.com brought up a number of them around the $50 mark plus shipping.
I think I did a short write up on it a few years back.
Anyway the 83 would probably be fine. I don't think there is a big difference compared to an 84-85.
Also if you're planing a shackle reversal, I'd look into a long spline set up. In that case as the suspension cycles it will have a larger change in distance between the tcase and diff. With a std shackle set up as the suspension droops it also moves back and as it compresses it moves forward keeping the distance change or necessary slip movement small.
08/80-08/84 FJ60 front drive shaft is a CV style that will bolt up to your transfer case and differential companion flanges without any modifications, and also uses larger joints than the mini-truck cv shafts...
The early 60 series DC shafts are excellent and there is plenty of deflection for any set up. In fact, the driveline shop was impressed with the amount of deflection in the stock CV joint-significantly better than a similar sized Spicer when compared side by side.
I run 1 in my SOA FJ40 and 2 in my SOA FJ60 and have 1 spare. They have gotten very hard to find. I have 1 from a minitruck as well and the minitruck flnage is a smaller pattern though the CV joint itself appears about the same.
If you find an early FJ60 DC shaft, I would buy it and hang on to it, since any of the available options are either more expensive or less desirable.
