Builds Gen. Waverly (1 Viewer)

[RevISK]

I haven't. This may be first order of business tomorrow am. Also ordered new front wheel bearings, just for fun.

EDIT - how fast can you go in 4-HI, just so I don't overdo it? Seem to remember it's about 55 but to confirm.

I drove it normally without the rear driveshaft.
I think the speed limitations are for when 4 wheels are driving, but I’m no driveline scientist doctor.

I wonder if you’re not a spline or two off on the rear so it looks like you’re in phase?

 

[majdomo]

I drove it normally without the rear driveshaft.
I think the speed limitations are for when 4 wheels are driving, but I’m no driveline scientist doctor.

I wonder if you’re not a spline or two off on the rear so it looks like you’re in phase?

Good to know.

On being out of phase, it's possible. I was going to check that as well when it's out. I just put it on as received from Tom Wood. I also replaced the u-joints on the OEM driveshaft with OE-equivalent joints, put that in without rebalancing and that made it a little worse. One idea was to get the OEM shaft rebalanced and refurbished, but I put that on hold when I found the bad rear axle bearing.

However if I can narrow it down, that would be a big help.

 

[RevISK]

I know much of what you’re going through.
You’ll get it eventually.

 

[Spike Strip]

FWIW, I had a 50-ish mph vibration until Mark A told me to verify proper phase after having both DS rebuilt by the people who used to do TLC4x4 stuff. It was not correct and when corrected the vibration vamoosed.

 

[majdomo]

FWIW, I had a 50-ish mph vibration until Mark A told me to verify proper phase after having both DS rebuilt by the people who used to do TLC4x4 stuff. It was not correct and when corrected the vibration vamoosed.

Is the driveshaft shop still in business, would you recommend? My former go-to d/s guy bailed for Idaho...

 

[Spike Strip]

It was Wenco Industries, in Van Nuys on Valjean. Next to Van Nuys airport. I think it may be closed.

 

[majdomo]

It was Wenco Industries, in Van Nuys on Valjean. Next to Van Nuys airport. I think it may be closed.

Yeah, gone. Just looked them up and called the number, and got the no-longer-in-service message. Bummer.

 

[majdomo]

UPDATE - pulled the rear driveshaft (Tom Wood) and ran it in front wheel drive mode up to 60 on the freeway and VIBRATION IS GONE. Did this against good advice from trusted sources, but now that I know, hopefully I can just put one back and get the other rebalanced and be done with this saga. Crept down to the highway slow, got it up to speed in the right lane, exited half a mile later, and then crept back home.

I am beyond frustrated after all this work that it came down to the one thing I replaced early on, from a reputable shop, but that happens sometimes I guess. Very glad that I have it narrowed down and can start working the problem rather than chucking parts and time and money with nothing to show for it.

Big thanks to @Spike Strip and @RevISK for the encouragement and suggestions!!

 

[Spike Strip]

Might be as simple as rotating the slip joint 90 degrees. Unlikely the Tom Woods is out of balance

 

[majdomo]

Agreed, but...

On the (messy) bench is my other project for the weekend, tie rod ends for the 40.

 

[RevISK]

Pinion angle?
Confirm the ds is balanced?

At least you’re getting somewhere.

 

[majdomo]

Pinion angle?
Confirm the ds is balanced?

At least you’re getting somewhere.

DS balance up next. Pinion angle looked ok, I measured it about a week ago, results were fine and not extreme (just can't remember what they were offhand). Truck is riding on tired stock springs, thought it might be an issue but it's within spec.

 

[RevISK]

DS balance up next. Pinion angle looked ok, I measured it about a week ago, results were fine and not extreme (just can't remember what they were offhand). Truck is riding on tired stock springs, thought it might be an issue but it's within spec.

Way easier to measure pinion while the driveshaft is off.
Also a good time to see if either of your flanges wiggle or have play due to bad bearings?

 

[majdomo]

Way easier to measure pinion while the driveshaft is off.
Also a good time to see if either of your flanges wiggle or have play due to bad bearings?

Rear third is a known good replacement from Mark's Off Road. I swapped that out when I found the pinion flange all loosey-goosey chasing this issue over the holidays. That eliminated part of the vibration, particularly off-throttle.

I rebuilt the TC about 2 months ago, which did nothing to harm or help. That was a shot in the dark parts cannon project. Ultimately didn't need it but glad it's done, since I got the chance to inspect the trans output shaft and replace the output shaft gear with the long-spline version from Georg, replace the idler shaft and thrust washers, and reseal the whole works.

This is a bit like "How I Met Your Mother," I never get the answer I'm looking for, but I'm entertained (sorta?) and take care of a bunch of other stuff instead.

 

[RodrigzCrzr]

Check your spring bushings.
If they are bad and breaking apart might be a good idea to replace them.

 

[majdomo]

Check your spring bushings.
If they are bad and breaking apart might be a good idea to replace them.

This project is on the list too. I was thinking of tackling that this weekend, I've done the shackles and bushings but haven't done the hanger pins, I am dreading the cutting and swearing that come with that project.

 

[RodrigzCrzr]

This project is on the list too. I was thinking of tackling that this weekend, I've done the shackles and bushings but haven't done the hanger pins, I am dreading the cutting and swearing that come with that project.

Start spraying them down with WD40.
Ahead of time. Use a big pry bar that fits the bushings and pry them out. They seem to come out easy that way.

 

[RevISK]

This project is on the list too. I was thinking of tackling that this weekend, I've done the shackles and bushings but haven't done the hanger pins, I am dreading the cutting and swearing that come with that project.

I’ve got some real zingers I can loan you as far as curse words for this project.

Get yourself the best sawzall blades you can buy and go straight at them with those. Don’t bother with other methods.

 

[majdomo]

Vibration win today, mostly.. I was able to find a driveshaft shop that was open on a Saturday, ran my old OEM driveshaft with the Matsuba u-joints purchased from FJParts over to California Driveline so that Nacho could wave his magic wand over it and make it all better.

I installed one of them with the zerk fitting pointing the wrong way, so he fixed that and re-balanced the shaft. The runout on it was pretty bad, apparently, which evidently is normal and fixable. He was able to balance this and gave it a lick of paint all in the span of a few hours on a Saturday. Here's the sign above the door, they are in Rancho Cucamonga which is a haul but fortunately I had the time today. They do everything from normal car driveshafts to the big honkin' shafts from semis. There was one on the floor where the u-joint was at least 8" across, just huge.

I'd say that about 95% of the vibration is gone on a short test run down the freewayy. He did say that it's possible the slip yoke splines are worn, right where it sits installed. He balanced it fine and fixed the runout, however. This may get worse over time, but if it does, I know what to do next.

As for the Tom Wood shaft...he didn't have many good things to say about them. I'm glad I didn't bring that to him to fix, as he said he wouldn't have touched it. Which sounds about right for a driveshaft shop guy who makes his living building custom driveshafts, though he did say they use Chinesium parts and that the Matsuba joints are more robust. I think in my case I may have gotten a dud, will get in touch with them and see what happens since it's been a while.

For now, though, it's hot and I've done enough driving around southern CA for the weekend. I'm more relieved than anything that it's pretty much figured out. Hope to stay close today and tomorrow with more to come next week, particularly on the 40.

 

[Spike Strip]

Matsuba are Toyota OEM.