Double Cardan Drive Shaft Solutions

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desmocruiser said:
The 2.0 looks like a great option. I have had great luck with all my Land Tank products, including one of his earlier DC’s.

@landtank is there a published price for you to properly service/upgrade one of your older DC shafts?

I am building another 80 and will buy a 2.0, thinking that would be a good time refresh the first one I bought from you. Could it really have been a decade ago?
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No published price yet. I need to check my source for the pin yoke boot for a outside clip style CV joint. In the pics above you can see a notch in the boot where the center ball zerk is. The outside clip style doesn’t have that notch.

With that boot I should have everything to do a complete rebuild of either style.

But depending on slip yoke play and needing to be retubed or balanced it might not make sense to.
 
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I've been making DC DSs out of toyota OE cores due to the DC joint sourcing difficulties. Glad to see these Koyo CVs available somewhere. I'm sure I'll be in touch one day.
 
Have some extra cash this month and still need to get a DC front shaft. Can have one made by Tom Woods of course, but would prefer to keep it Toyota. I’m aware of how this works and the parts I need, but can’t source the shaft locally, nor do we have a driveline shop that can do the work. Small town AK problems 🤷‍♂️

Anybody have suggestions as to how to go about this, considering I can’t do it locally?

Before it’s asked, I’ve confirmed proper angles for use of a DC shaft, and have run it without the stock front to confirm vibrations. It’s not bad as-is, but I’d like it to be smooth and prevent the shortened life of the joint at TC with stock shaft.
 
SpenserAK said:
Can have one made by Tom Woods of course, but would prefer to keep it Toyota.

Anybody have suggestions as to how to go about this, considering I can’t do it locally?
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The only Toyota/Japan DC shaft option in market for our 80 series is the landtank unit I posted just a page ago.

I'm currently running Landtank's version 1 shaft with zero issues for well over 40K miles now. I'm hoping to install his newest version after the 4th.

The JE Reel DC, disappointingly, groaned at hwy speeds so reverted back to the og Landtank shaft.
 
Thanks - I did know that much, but maybe didn’t look hard enough. Dumb question perhaps - is this simply a “message landtank about it” solution?

Edit: yeah I’m an idiot. Disregard! For some reason I thought there was no stock.
 
SpenserAK said:
Thanks - I did know that much, but maybe didn’t look hard enough. Dumb question perhaps - is this simply a “message landtank about it” solution?

Edit: yeah I’m an idiot. Disregard! For some reason I thought there was no stock.
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No worries! We are here to help each other.
 
SpenserAK said:
Have some extra cash this month and still need to get a DC front shaft. Can have one made by Tom Woods of course, but would prefer to keep it Toyota. I’m aware of how this works and the parts I need, but can’t source the shaft locally, nor do we have a driveline shop that can do the work. Small town AK problems 🤷‍♂️

Anybody have suggestions as to how to go about this, considering I can’t do it locally?

Before it’s asked, I’ve confirmed proper angles for use of a DC shaft, and have run it without the stock front to confirm vibrations. It’s not bad as-is, but I’d like it to be smooth and prevent the shortened life of the joint at TC with stock shaft.
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I get wanting to keep it all Toyota, but it's still a custom made shaft with Toyota and other Japanese parts from Land Tank. I'm sure Rick's DC shafts are excellent and north of $700 they should be.

FWIW I have been running the Tom woods DC front shaft for years with out issue, it was just north of $400 shipped to my door. Last year when I needed to have lengthened because I moved my axle forward, they completely rebuilt it and lengthened it for $100 buck because it was one of there shafts. That's what I call service folks.
I'm not sure if Ricks DC shafts are a one size fits all but I know that the Tom Woods shafts are made to order based on the length specific to your rig. In other words they have you measure form point A to point B and then make the shaft. you also have the option to get a long spline shaft. ;)

I am not affiliated to tom wood shafts in any way, just a happy customer.
 
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That’s where I’ve been stuck at. For the way I use my truck (well below its abilities), TW would be just fine - not to say they’re not quality - and keep my bank happier. Time to mull it over more. Thanks guys.
 
TW states Spicer joints being used in their products, and they admit that Toyota joints are beefier albeit harder to come by and more costly. If I don't have the bandwidth to make the DC DS for someone, or they have to have all new parts, I send 'em to @landtank. The niche may be small, but I'm glad he filled it.
 
I did use a 4runner driveshaft on mine, I had to pull the flanged output end off the full time case to drill, and more importantly relocate the studs to the other hole pattern, but it worked.

I did have to get it shortened, and I'm not sure if the flange pattern at the other end matches a stock 80 axle, as I essentially have a plate welded to the D60 pinion flange, but it would be an all toyota DS, and under $400 ($350 or so to grab a 4runner shaft, chop/weld/balance at driveline place)
 
Just be clear, I am a fan of keeping it all Toyota and Land Tank DC shafts are a excellent choice as are his other Products.
I run his castor correction plates and think there the best designed Plates.

I was just pointing out that there other valuable options that are always available ( not out of stock ) with a fast turn around a custom Shaft all new was on my door step in less then 4 days and as far as strength, I have not been able to break the TW shaft even running 39s on hard core rock crawling trails.
I'm pretty sure I beat on my 80 harder then most.

They also offer a 1350 u-joint up grade if strength is a concern ;)

Cheers
 
Neat

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For those who are looking at Tom Woods - installed this afternoon. No problems, just a little more finagling on the DC end with a ujoint/socket & 6pt boxed wrench, which I don’t think I needed on the stock shaft (just socket/extension). By nature of the joint, it’s not as straight forward to get a socket on those nuts.

Got a long needlepoint adapter for servicing the ball, which I will have to access from above-ish, so hopefully that works out. Don’t want to have to undo the DC end often on this shaft...

It was mentioned somewhere not to bother with the bolts they supply, but I liked them on the pinion end. They are slightly longer, which accommodates the slightly thicker flange. Stock hardware would work without the washer, but not quite long enough with it IMO. At the DC end, you have to use the stock nuts, as the threads are different. I used the washers there too, and it left the studs flush with the outer end of the nuts, maybe more, so I have no worries.

Had been driving with the front shaft out for a few weeks and got used to it. It’s subtle, but really nice having drive from the front wheels back in action. Truck feels planted like it should. Shaft runs really smooth, so I’m happy.

Don’t know if I mentioned my angles. I measured less than 1° at the pinion, and I think my TC end was somewhere around 10°, not great. Even then, my vibrations weren’t really that bad, but the angled joint had a shorter lifespan.
 
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SpenserAK said:
Installed this afternoon. No problems, just a little more finagling on the DC end with a wobbly & 6pt wrench, which I don’t think I needed on the stock shaft. By nature of the joint, it’s not as straight forward to get a socket on those nuts. Pinion end was easy as usual.

Got a long needlepoint adapter for servicing the ball, which I will have to access from above-ish, so hopefully that works out. Don’t want to have to undo the DC end often on this shaft...

It was mentioned somewhere not to bother with the bolts they supply, but I liked them on the pinion end. They are slightly longer, which accommodates the slightly thicker flange. Stock hardware would work without the washer, but not quite long enough with it IMO. At the DC end, you have to use the stock nuts, as the threads are different. I used the washers there too, and it left the studs flush with the outer end of the nuts, maybe more, so I have no worries.

Had been driving with the front shaft out for a few weeks and got used to it. It’s subtle, but really nice having drive from the front wheels back in action. Truck feels planted like it should. Shaft runs really smooth, so I’m happy.

Don’t know if I mentioned my angles. I measured less than 1° at the pinion, and I think my TC end was somewhere around 10°, not great. Even then, my vibrations weren’t really that bad, but the angled joint had a shorter lifespan.

Since I had a front wheel jacked up to rotate the shaft while installing, I checked for play, and then did the other side. Don’t think the PO did preload correctly when he replaced the wheel bearings. Luckily I’m doing a knuckle rebuild either this weekend or next.
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Yes, there’s no way to get a socket on the TC side.
I purchased a spanner wrench for that job.
There longer and boxed ended allowing one to get those bolts much tighter than a standard wrench.
 
I was able to do it with a ujoint adapter and extension, with the shaft shoved up under the body as high as possible to create the best angle for access. An actual wobbly socket would probably fare better - perhaps time to add that to the toolbox. Two of the bolts fit a boxed wrench, but the other two are too close to part of the flange and only a socket fit.. otherwise it would have been easy on all 4 with the wrench!
 
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