Tacoma DC Shaft Installed - Unusual Result?

[Nay]

Tacoma DC Shaft Installed - Unusual Caster Correction Result?

I recently increased my caster by replacing the OME yellow bushings with Slee blues. I have a 3.5" lift (23.75" on all four corners hub to fender - no flares). My axle end u-joint operating angle with the OME's was only 2 degrees, so I thought the Blues might fully align for a DC shaft, and they did. This means a zero degree axle end u-joint angle. By the standards described here, that is an unusual result, although I think if these bushings truly correct 5 degrees then it is right on for a 3.5" lift if I had a bit more caster stock (lower pinion) than average.

This caused my stock front driveshaft to vibrate on decel, which is to be expected with the major misalignment of u-joint angles. So I sourced a 2001 Tacoma extended cab (whatever version of that you want) rear driveshaft, since as we know the rear double cardan half of that shaft bolts up to the 80 front flanges. I used car-part.com and found one in a Denver salvage yard.

I paid $150 for it - more than I needed to as another non-local yard was willing to split the shaft and just sell me the DC portion for $80, but I wanted a local recourse if in fact it wasn't "A" grade, and I will try to sell the front half. Upon arrival, the shaft seemed grease starved but the joints felt in excellent shape (no binding or sticking).

I took it to my local driveline shop, and the tech confirmed that the assembly felt in excellent shape. 90 minutes later and I had it retubed and balanced with 2 5/8" .95 wall 31.75" flange to flange for $88. I installed it and am completely vibe free and a lot quieter.

I think the stock shaft at high angles is extremely tolerant of not creating heavy vibes, but it is in actuality a lot less happy than you hear or feel in the cab as something "wrong". This feels like an excellent upgrade, no caster plates required, pinion angle and caster are correct.

Had I sourced a shaft for $80, I'd be well under $200 for a DC shaft with Toyota parts with about an hour of my time involved (sourcing the shaft, unbolting it, and dropping it off at the driveline shop while taking the kids to the park).

Here are some pics of the rebuilt Taco shaft. The first shows the pinion angle mounted, the second a side by side with the stock shaft, the third the full shaft.

 

[Nay]

Here are a couple of close-ups of the joints:

 

[Wrench]

So to clearify you are using the DC side of the taco shaft only? Then mating it with the 80 side? Not sure I understand correctly.

 

[4x4CPOSEADOG]

Nay, can you please post pic of the DC at the transfer case flange? Also, 31.75, is that a compressed length?

 

[Bear80]

So what's the unusual results? Paying to much for the shaft?

 

[Bear80]

Noel, my thread on making either front or rear shafts might help with your question.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/199148-double-cardan-drive-shaft-solutions.html

 

[Nay]

So what's the unusual results? Paying to much for the shaft?

Nope . I knowingly paid more for the shaft to ensure I didn't have to spend a ton of time on this. Still cheap compared to the new Spicer alternative.

It's the getting a full pinion angle correction for a DC shaft out of Slee blue bushings on a 3.5" lift. Common wisdom here is you need caster plates to do that on this much lift.

If this is a "standard", then it means you could do a lift like OME heavy, use Blue bushings, and run a pretty cheap DC shaft with Toyota parts. It's getting cheaper to run 35's on an 80 "properly" set up. I paid "too much" and corrected for caster and pinion angle (no vibes) plus a Toyota DC shaft for $400, and I still have the stock shaft plus the front part of the Taco to sell to offset the cost.

 

[Nay]

So to clearify you are using the DC side of the taco shaft only? Then mating it with the 80 side? Not sure I understand correctly.

No, the Taco shafts have two sections with a middle hanger carrier bearing - this is why the double cab is the right model in order to get the back half double cardan design. I used the entire DC shaft, which is half of the Taco setup. Nothing from the stock shaft is reused.

 

[Nay]

Nay, can you please post pic of the DC at the transfer case flange? Also, 31.75, is that a compressed length?

I'll need to take one, which I won't be able to do for a few days. PM me if I don't post up because I forgot.

31.75" is the flange to flange length on my lift. For a properly set up shaft, that means about 30.25" compressed. The shop needs the flange to flange measurement.

 

[Bear80]

Nope . I knowingly paid more for the shaft to ensure I didn't have to spend a ton of time on this. Still cheap compared to the Spicer alternative.

It's getting to run 35's on an 80 "properly" set up.

Yeah I saw that on your first post, I guess piece of mind usally is worth a little more. How's about some salt in your wallet wound? I only paid $50 for my shaft off a Tundra (nearly identical to the Tacoma).

Your last statement is very true, though it has cost some of us the money to do the research. For those who can dig through the bs posts to get the good stuff, solutions are now out there for nearly any setup.

 

[landtank]

31.75" is a little long for all applications. Depending how you correct for caster you can get an axle shift that can cause you problems at this length. I've done a few at 31" compressed and there is still plenty of spline engagement.

I still don't understand how you got the pinion alignment with Slee blue bushings. Glad you like the result, pretty damn smooth isn't it.

 

[Bear80]

I'll need to take one, which I won't be able to do for a few days. PM me if I don't post up because I forgot.

31.75" is the flange to flange length on my lift. For a properly set up shaft, that means about 30.25" compressed. The shop needs the flange to flange measurement.

I'll edit this post when I get home but I have my measurments for static, fully compressed/extended. If I recall correctly the difference between fully compressed and extended is like 1/2". You should have asked the shop to take that into consideration and make sure there was more engagement on the slip yoke.

 

[Beowulf]

If I recall correctly the difference between fully compressed and extended is like 1/2".

Are you sure about this? .5" doesn't seem like nearly enough.

-B-

 

[Bear80]

Are you sure about this? .5" doesn't seem like nearly enough.

-B-

Yep, just checked my notes. I pulled my front springs, cycled the front suspension and took the numbers a few months back. Fully compressed the flange to flange measurment was 31 1/2" and at full extention it was 31 7/8". Oh and interesting enough the static measurment was like a 1/16" UNDER 31 1/2", odd but true.

This is with LandTank's castor plates, 5" of lift and 9" of wheel travel. My static hub to fender hight is 25 1/4", compressed with 2" lowered bump stops it's 20" and 29.5" at full extention.

 

[Nay]

31.75" is a little long for all applications. Depending how you correct for caster you can get an axle shift that can cause you problems at this length. I've done a few at 31" compressed and there is still plenty of spline engagement.

I still don't understand how you got the pinion alignment with Slee blue bushings. Glad you like the result, pretty damn smooth isn't it.

You would need to measure your own setup to have a shaft built. I am only posting my own measurements, nobody should be using these in place of a tape measure. As we know, "rotating around axle centerline" with LT's template has a different result in axle position, and therefore required driveshaft length, than the 6 o'clock / 12 o'clock setting. Age of transfer case and transmission mounts can have an effect as well.

Take a look at the picture of the two shafts side by side - the Taco shaft has substantially longer splines than stock (well, assuming the spline tube correlates to spline length on each shaft). We don't have to be exact to the quarter inch here - you are running a rear driveshaft setup on a front application, and we know the rear application is more demanding than the front.

It's real smooth - it points out that the stock driveshaft really isn't "vibe free" with as much misalignment has we have with lift + caster correction.

 

[Nay]

Yep, just checked my notes. I pulled my front springs, cycled the front suspension and took the numbers a few months back. Fully compressed the flange to flange measurment was 31 1/2" and at full extention it was 31 7/8". Oh and interesting enough the static measurment was like a 1/16" UNDER 31 1/2", odd but true.

This is with LandTank's castor plates, 5" of lift and 9" of wheel travel. My static hub to fender hight is 25 1/4", compressed with 2" lowered bump stops it's 20" and 29.5" at full extention.

There is an easier way of doing this. Measure the length of your radius arms. Then cut a piece of string and tie it around a dowel rod or broom handle or whatever. Tie a piece of chalk to the other end, with the distance between the two the same as your radius arm length eye to eye. Have a friend and/or family member hold the dowel. You get to draw a radius line with the chalk.

Measure the total lateral distance the arc moves across the length of your shock travel. That is how much your driveshaft can move.

As far as additional extension, the measurement is only across available compression from static height. So you are talking about measuring the lateral distance a 31" arc moves over 5" of its travel in my application. This is immaterial and probably overstates the amount of travel because on a 3.5" lift 5" of shock travel will pass zero degrees and start to travel backwards again. So in effect, it is a 31" radius' lateral movement over 3.5" if you assume a horizontal radius arm at stock height.

One of our math majors may be able to assist you as well with a good formula.

Edit: thinking about this further, I'm not sure it can really move materially. The front driveshaft and radius arms are almost the same exact length and mounted at essentially the same angle and it the same positions. They really simply move together in an arc.

 

[Bear80]

Hu? I doubt a math major would help, my college roommate was one and I had to take up to Cal3. I don't know any of that crap anymore

I don't drive my 80 much. Well pretty much just once a month for the club meetings so I can leave it on jack stands for long periods of time while I do crazy stuff like measure wheel travel numbers and drive shafts.

 

[Nay]

Yeah I saw that on your first post, I guess piece of mind usally is worth a little more. How's about some salt in your wallet wound? I only paid $50 for my shaft off a Tundra (nearly identical to the Tacoma).

Your last statement is very true, though it has cost some of us the money to do the research. For those who can dig through the bs posts to get the good stuff, solutions are now out there for nearly any setup.

This is good info on the Tundra shaft also working. The newer the truck the better - if I was working off a late model shaft I'd take the risk of sight unseen at those prices. Based on my searches last year I thought up to '02 Taco was all that worked.

But hey, it's a fantastic result for $250 and now I know how easily I can have one put together if I ever mangle mine. No brainer if you have a good driveline shop, and I am really lucky in that regard.

 

[Nay]

Hu? I doubt a math major would help, my college roommate was one and I had to take up to Cal3. I don't know any of that crap anymore

I don't drive my 80 much. Well pretty much just once a month for the club meetings so I can leave it on jack stands for long periods of time while I do crazy stuff like measure wheel travel numbers and drive shafts.

Oh, I bet one of the guys around here could draw you a diagram, post it up here, and give you the measurements. Or have you not noticed how we have refined the art of hair splitting in the context of hundreds of lbs of offroad rubber around here ?

 

[tommy854runner]

Very interesting info. Nay, I have a very similar setup and the same annoying growl vibration. So did you use a d-cab rear or extra cab rear shaft? There are a few scrap yards fairly near my work and sounds like it might be a good investment to pick one up. Thanks for the info