Front Double Carden Driveshaft Project for the 80 (1 Viewer)

[Lugboot]

I thought I read the Slee front DC shaft is almost impossible to grease the center grease zerk while on the truck. Slee himself also admitted that using the Toyota factory parts is better. He stated he tried to find a source for them, but couldn't without making the shaft very expensive. I'm curious what height lift you are running, what caster correction you are using, and if you tried installing new OEM u joints in your front shaft. I am running 3 - 3.5" of lift and just had to pull my front shaft yesterday due to excessive vibes. I like the way it drives so much I am considering doing a part time conversion kit. That way I can run the stock shaft and keep the currently installed 3 degree caster correction bushings.

The greasing issue is exactly why I'm still considering the Taco route.

I have already replaced the u-joints--it helped, but didn't eliminate the grrr.

I'm running OME Heavy springs all around so I'm around 3.5" because I don't have much weight. OME bushings didn't do it for me in the caster correction department, so I went back to OEM bushings and installed Landtank's caster plates. The upshot is that I'm back in the caster spec and I'm pretty much lined up, pinion-wise, for a DC shaft. Also, I'm considering adjustable Panhards to recenter the axles to help as well.

I thought on the part time kits, the front drive shaft still spun but the axle was disengaged. If the front shaft still spins, you may still notice some vibes? Mine was smooth as buttah when I pulled my front drive shaft as well.

 

[zucruisers]

I thought on the part time kits, the front drive shaft still spun but the axle was disengaged. If the front shaft still spins, you may still notice some vibes? Mine was smooth as buttah when I pulled my front drive shaft as well.

i dont know much about 80's and how the part time kits are set up, but im assuming they either just install lockout hubs and run it in 4hi or leave the drive flanges on and make the tcase have a 2wd option? either one of those ways, yes the front driveshaft will spin, but unless there's power to the shaft, and its going all the way to the ground, there wont be any real amount of torque on the ujoints/driveshaft and they will not vibrate

 

[cstamm81]

I believe with taking the viscous coupler out and running hubs, the front DS will be stationary. Engage the hubs and or hit the CDL button and the front DS moves.
How hard was installing Landtanks caster plate kit? I might just go that route, will give me more caster and line up for a DC shaft. Should be less work than ripping apart the t case for the part time kit as well. But man do I like how ir drives in rear wheel drive only.

 

[Wayneraintree]

running hubs is a great option (if that is possible on the 80's)... I've driven many miles of hard trails in
2wd LOW in my old 55 just for turning and less stress on the front. I can't imagine fulltime 4WD on the road, you'd get better MPG's with 2WD as well..and less wear on the entire front end.

 

[CJBury]

Slee has the kit for $575. I have often thought of getting it to improve the horrible gas milage I get. Then I go it is a cruiser. Man I really need a car, or tow vehicle. Then I need to cut up the 80....

 

[Wayneraintree]

or put $575 into it and run 37's : ) pretty much it'll go wherever.. but you know that.. I mean jeeze, the auto X2's your gearing so no need for gears in the axles or a doubler right away...

 

[Riad]

IIRC, when the CDL is engaged, the front DS cannot rotate at a different speed anymore, if it is there, so it will be moving at the same speed as the rear shaft. Also with CDL, you don't have ABS (may/may not be important). A part time system will certainly ease stress on the front end, as every one mentioned.

 

[zucruisers]

Slee has the kit for $575. I have often thought of getting it to improve the horrible gas milage I get. Then I go it is a cruiser. Man I really need a car, or tow vehicle. Then I need to cut up the 80....

i think you should buy my bro's 93 diesel f350, 4dr long bed, its ugly, yellow, and slow....but it'll tow anything, it just takes awhile

 

[CJBury]

I have come to terms with that the 80 is mine forever. There is nothing left to do but double up the xfr case and cut a ton of sheet metal. Which will make Jeeper Jim very happy. He has been wanting to take a sawzall to it since the day I got the 80. Then I need to find a pos to haul it up to rausch or Kentucky.
End of hijack.
Hope you get the vibe issues worked out Brett. You just need to decide what you want to do. One way you will get what you pay for, the other is a little work and hastle that may work out well for you. I'm not envious or your prediciment. Let us know what you decide and how it works out.

 

[jtaco1]

Don't know if this part would help Taco & 4 runner parts - TTORA Forum

 

[Lugboot]

Thanks for the tip--but I'm looking for a complete driveshaft.

 

[Lugboot]

Well, I dropped off a Tacoma DC shaft and my 80's front driveshaft at the shop today. They're going to shorten and retube the Tacoma shaft to match the compressed length of the 80 shaft and send it out to be spin balanced.

They're going to try to save the u-joints but we'll see how it goes. The joints in the Tacoma shaft are still pretty nice.

 

[jtaco1]

What shop did you end up using?? Glad to see this is working out for you, hope is solves your vibration problems too.

 

[Lugboot]

The one you pointed out.

 

[jtaco1]

Cool, look forward to seeing how it comes out for future projects.

 

[cstamm81]

how hard was it installing Landtank's caster plates? And what was the cost? I'm still trying to decide if I should go that route or try to do the part time kit on my vibing 80.

 

[Lugboot]

I can't remember the cost, honestly. I was doing a bunch of stuff at once and it was just part of it.

You do have to have some patience with the install. The brackets come piloted for the new holes, you clamp them onto the control arm brackets and then drill them out, essentially drilling new holes for the control arms to bolt through. The difficult side is the passenger side because of the proximity of the diff and clearance issues. PM Landtank--he'll fill you in on the details. I had a few phone conversations with him as well.

There's a thread in the 80s section on it, as well...check this:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/58518-different-caster-plate.html

The start of it all.

 

[Lugboot]

Update

Hey, I have a DC front driveshaft on my 80 now. I ended up shipping my rear Tacoma shaft to IPOR and they modified it for duty on the front end of the 80 and shipped it back.

The shop I took it to previously had never done a DC shaft before and based on what he was intending to do, I decided not to be their guinea pig. I retrieved the Taco shaft pretty much unmolested and shipped it to IPOR the first week of September. Got it back in about 2 weeks or so, and finally got it bolted on last Thursday.

Drove over 250 miles on a mix of state forest fire roads, pavement, and rough doubletrack this weekend and the vibes are almost completely gone. Still there very slightly, but the truck feels much smoother than before. Good stuff.

 

[4x4CPOSEADOG]

Hey, I have a DC front driveshaft on my 80 now. I ended up shipping my rear Tacoma shaft to IPOR and they modified it for duty on the front end of the 80 and shipped it back.

The shop I took it to previously had never done a DC shaft before and based on what he was intending to do, I decided not to be their guinea pig. I retrieved the Taco shaft pretty much unmolested and shipped it to IPOR the first week of September. Got it back in about 2 weeks or so, and finally got it bolted on last Thursday.

Drove over 250 miles on a mix of state forest fire roads, pavement, and rough doubletrack this weekend and the vibes are almost completely gone. Still there very slightly, but the truck feels much smoother than before. Good stuff.

Lugboot, you wouldn't mind me asking what IPOR did exactly to modify the Taco shaft for duty on the front end of the 80? According to Bear80's thread the Tacoma shaft is an exact match on both t-case and axle flanges. I also have the Tacoma rear driveshaft with the double cardan but the center section is a little bit loose. Thanks.

 

[jonheld]

Curious as to why you need a DC shaft in the first place, but I guess I'm a bit late. I have standard shafts on mine, OME J springs and Rick's castor correction bushings. No real vibes to speak of, but I did replace the uni joints on the rear with new OEM.