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Remove the differential drop on your 05+ Tacoma

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by mjp2, Oct 15, 2010.

  1. Oct 15, 2010 at 7:50 PM
    #1
    mjp2

    mjp2 [OP] Living vicariously through myself Moderator

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    Grab a beer, pull up a chair, and let your helpful uncle Mike tell you a story.

    Once there was a guy who didn't take his own advice and left a differential drop kit on his 2006 Tacoma 4x4. He put lots of time, effort, and cash into modifying his skidplates to work with the kit that he never should have installed, He did it to protect his precious CV boots.

    Then he went offroad, after which he could no longer drive his truck. The end.

    When told that the diff drop does nothing but pivot the front differential, there are always a pile of people that say "Even if it only helps CV angles just a little, I'm going to use it." They can kiss my ass. (that's probably the beer talking but the sentiment is not that far off :drunk:)

    This is not a debate. Remove those spacers.

    My truck looked like this:
    [​IMG]

    Then I hit a rock because the differential mount was sticking too low. My truck then looked like this:
    IMG_3025_31602be68c484f44e4a4ff5fdc776257b7ee718f.jpg

    IMG_3022_ac4adb8a09ad6a5a90d230e7ab87b1f3c6ae50dd.jpg

    Let's pull that skidplate and see what we've got...
    IMG_3042_2fdf80ea5f9f86417497f3f6f420ba44ffa30ffe.jpg

    ^ Note that the passenger side is no longer lower than it would have been had I left it alone. It's right where it should have been all along.

    It got that high by pushing through the cross member.
    IMG_3027_44dbc7c3dde86abd1655a576df2909c235a45274.jpg

    It didn't just push up either. It pushed backwards, and the differential became intimate with my oil pan.
    IMG_3051_0d2a1d24edb0b8f269496b6cfb30f307dd588eba.jpg

    IMG_3053_ef7afb9959a0baa9b4f6dd0ff899ff88ced614cb.jpg

    The bottom end on my engine is playing peek-a-boo:
    IMG_3055_d7edd2d8fffbadf99aa6874254a8619be07a53a2.jpg

    And to those that swear these things actually help, look at where the dropped mount is relative to where the front axle inserts into the front differential:
    IMG_3058_66b89599808883e93a9060ab309e84359bf59df5.jpg

    Pretty nice looking mount too, huh?

    So...how much of a pain is it REALLY to replace a CV boot?
     
    Drainbung, cubie, HomerTaco and 6 others like this.
  2. Oct 15, 2010 at 7:55 PM
    #2
    ttylerr

    ttylerr Well-Known Member

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    the only thing i can think of.... OUCH!
     
    Blackbeast06taco likes this.
  3. Oct 15, 2010 at 7:55 PM
    #3
    RelentlessFab

    RelentlessFab Eric @Relentless Fab Vendor

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    Excuse me while I go remove those POS's. I never really though they did any good and after a BUNCH of posts on what little benefit they have, I'd rather not have to worry about hitting that rock then replacing a CV every year or 2.
     
    Stryker420 likes this.
  4. Oct 15, 2010 at 7:56 PM
    #4
    mjp2

    mjp2 [OP] Living vicariously through myself Moderator

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    I've broken worse. This'll be fixed and made better. It's just frustrating because if it weren't for that $20 kit I most likely would have finished the race.
     
  5. Oct 15, 2010 at 7:59 PM
    #5
    mjp2

    mjp2 [OP] Living vicariously through myself Moderator

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    My jaw hit the ground when I crawled under the truck.

    I'll be in touch to discuss some bulletproof armor in the next few months. :thumbsup:
     
  6. Oct 15, 2010 at 7:59 PM
    #6
    S.B.

    S.B. Well-Known Member

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    DAM!!. That some damage for some stupid diff drop. Have fun fixing it.
     
  7. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:01 PM
    #7
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    Correct, Mike....err.r....Uncle Mike....??........The "Diff Drops" drop teh FRONT of the diff 1", but the drive shafts go into the diff further back. Lets say that it dropps the point at which the drive shafts enter the diff 1/2" (best case).....That is only about 1* change in the angle of the CV joints. Nothing that will do any good. The side affects however, can be worse. ASide from what Uncle Mike mentioned, vibes can be increased, and if the diff is moved slightly from the installation of this Drop, welp......your gonna get the wobbles....
     
    hoverlover likes this.
  8. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:05 PM
    #8
    Yoytoda

    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    if you hit the same rock without the diff drop do you think it would have done the damage? or are you saying that because they were lower is why you hit?
     
    t0nyvalenzuela likes this.
  9. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:10 PM
    #9
    mjp2

    mjp2 [OP] Living vicariously through myself Moderator

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    Without the drop the bottom of the truck would have been smooth and I would have slid over the rock. Even if I had gotten caught, the rock would have had less leverage on the bolt and differential and would not have pushed the whole assembly back into the engine.
     
  10. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:16 PM
    #10
    uood8

    uood8 If You Search...You Shall Find.

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    Just playing devils advocate here...but it seems to me the square boxes on the skid plate were just asking to get hung up on something sooner or later. I wouldn't totally blame it on the spacers, but i get your point...if you didn't have them on then no need to modify the skid plate.
     
  11. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:17 PM
    #11
    Yoytoda

    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    ok havent looked at mine... those little cut-outs to fit over the diff mounts would be a weak point too...

    so the aluminum spacer on the front mount is the diff drop kit?!?!?

    Thanks for the tip...i didnt plan on getting one before. am certainly not going to now
     
  12. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:19 PM
    #12
    Razorecko

    Razorecko Well-Known Member

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    I'm interested in hearing more about this. I haven't heard any largely damaging issue like this before from a F&R diff drop kit.
     
  13. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:30 PM
    #13
    Yoytoda

    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    from the pics it only rotates the front diff. doesnt look like it lowers the axles any
     
  14. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:34 PM
    #14
    brutalguyracing

    brutalguyracing BIG DADDY

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  15. Oct 15, 2010 at 8:40 PM
    #15
    jandrews

    jandrews Hootin' and Hollerin'

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    I've never been sweet on these things.

    Mucking with the front driveshaft angle to preserve the CVs seems silly. Replacing CV boots is cheap, if a little messy.

    Differentials, driveshafts are not cheap to replace. I suppose U-joints are, but still.

    Axle shims make sense. You're restoring factory angles (or close to it). Carrier bearing drops sort of make sense (carrier bearing SHIMS would make more sense). Front diff drop just doesn't compute to me.
     
    hoverlover likes this.
  16. Oct 15, 2010 at 9:12 PM
    #16
    woody6047

    woody6047 McGrubber

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    I would find that rock, douse it in gasoline, catch it on fire. Then put the fire out with a wet brick! Stupid rock.

    Seriously though that looks bad, Sorry to hear about that.

    And to think i have been debating on getting one of these, just to be on the safe side. I havent had any problems so far, so im not going to get one now.
     
  17. Oct 15, 2010 at 9:26 PM
    #17
    mjp2

    mjp2 [OP] Living vicariously through myself Moderator

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    ^This.

    ^ And this.
     
  18. Oct 15, 2010 at 9:27 PM
    #18
    mjp2

    mjp2 [OP] Living vicariously through myself Moderator

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    Smart man. :)

    It'd be a damn long drive to find that rock. I'll just make sure I drive past it at next year's Primm 300. :thumbsup:
     
  19. Oct 15, 2010 at 9:32 PM
    #19
    aficianado

    aficianado Well-Known Member

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    back to bone stock.
    anyone have the part numbers for the long bolts? it has been awhile. what else needs to be brought back? i only seem to remember the bolts.

    what size are they? i may just go get some standard bolts.

    thanks.
     
  20. Oct 15, 2010 at 9:53 PM
    #20
    woody6047

    woody6047 McGrubber

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    On my comment about not getting one. That would just be one more thing for me to worry about, I have had zero problems without it. So i dont see a reason to get it, really.
     

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