One Piece Driveshaft Exploded

Had a local driveline shop make me a one piece driveshaft. Long story short, it blew up on me on the highway at around 70mph and it took out my gas tank, gas tank skid plate, muffler, and carrier bearing crossmember.

So they bought me a new gas tank and were supposed to build me a new driveshaft. They built me a new one but it was another stock 2 piece. Told them I couldn’t use it because it bent the hell out of the carrier bearing crossmember. They just built me another one piece out of 3” tubing that’s .095” thick. The one they built me originally (the one that blew up) was 2.5” tubing .083” thick.

Now they swear to me up and down that this new one will work no problem but I’m thinking there’s no way it will. So I did some research and I called Denny’s Driveshaft to ask him about all this and he told me there’s no way he would run that driveshaft because it’s too small of a diameter tubing. He said he would’ve built me one but his balancer maxes out at 65”. I need a 67” driveshaft. So I called Driveshaft Specialist in Texas and he told me basically the same thing but that he couldn’t build one that long because it has to be 4” aluminum and they don’t make a flange big enough for a Toyota.

So my question is where are you guys getting your one piece shafts from? And what are the specs on your driveshafts (tubing diameter, wall thickness)?

I either need a good one piece made or somehow fix the carrier bearing crossmember to bolt a stock 2 piece back up.

Sorry for the long post but my truck has been down for a month now and I need to get this figured out. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between borrowing my gf’s car and my dads truck.

 

Fix the damage carrier cross member and go with a factory 2 piece. 2 piece provide better ground clearance and vibrate less or should I say absorb vibration better then 1 piece.

 

Here’s the new shaft

 

I don't personally have one, but I believe the word on the street is go with a Tom woods 1 piece.

 

Specs?

 

Tom Woods or whoever it is. There is a thread somewhere that has all the measurements.

 

God damn...2 piece I will stay...

Sorry to hear man.

 

That’s what I’m thinking. Hard part is getting this driveshaft shop to find someone who can do it and I’m sure they’re gonna give me a bunch of crap about it because I know they’re not going to want to pay for it.

 

They might have to..

 

Tom Woods, that's all I buy.

 

I know a lot of people go with Tom Woods but it’s sounds like a crap shoot with them too. Some still have bad vibrations and some don’t. Just wondering if there is anyone better out there.

 

Might try these guys.
http://www.driveshaftsuperstore.com/CUSTOM_Toyota_drive_shafts.htm

 

Do you have one on yours? If so how is it at high speeds?

 

Looks like you caught the critical speed for that shaft you blew up. There's a reason not many people make driveshaft's 65"+. They are hard to balance, and they bend when rotated at high speed. Your option is to go to a bigger OD like you've been informed, or put a 2 piece in there as Toyota designed it. One of the things I like about a 1st Gen is the 2 piece driveshaft's with CV.

 

I’ll give them a call tomorrow and see what they have to say.

 

Yeah definitely found out the critical speed limit. Not something I want happening again..lol

Just have to find somebody to make me one. I know that Denny’s Driveshaft would’ve made me one but his balancer wouldn’t let him. The other 2 shops I talked to didn’t want anything to do with it.

 

Liability issue that's why

Why not fab a cross member in the same position?

 

I have been buying from Tom Woods for over 20 years. Here are a few of the vehicles I have used his shafts on, everything from a Samurai to a 400 HP small block. Have 3 of his shafts in the garage right now. Never had a problem with them.

 

I can’t do that. That’s something that will have to be done at a shop.