JD's '02 Tacoma Build

I’m sure JD will chime in at some point but he’s not as active as he used to be. You have a couple of options. A few companies out there make a Toyota flange pinion adapter rather than a traditional 1330 or 1350 yoke. You can buy and assemble the pinion with that Toyota flange so the Toyota yoke on driveshaft bolts in. Or you can assemble the pinion with a 1330 or 1350 yoke and have your driveshaft modified to accept that 1330/1350. When I did my 9”, I used a billet 1350 yoke on the pinion, and had my driveshaft re-tubed and lengthened with a 1350. JD used a Toyota pinion adapter.

 

ECGS will do it with a flange adapter, but you will have to provide the adapter. I measured for hours and still wasn’t 100% sure if I would have to lengthen or shorten my driveshaft. So rather than bet on a guess, I just had them assemble it with the 1350 and I would figure out the driveshaft after I got it installed. Initially I tried to use a crossover u-joint (spicer makes a u-joint that is half 1330 (Toyota) and half 1350. Popped out the last u-joint and flange on the driveshaft and replaced it with the crossover. Unfortunately there was not enough room in the slip yoke for me to be comfortable, so I had the second half of the driveshaft re-tubed longer with a 1350 end. I have had absolutely zero problems or vibes or issues with this approach so far (over a year now).

 

All my measuring was based on drawings and some educated guesses since I never actually bought the flange adapter. With a second gen, the driveshaft has single cardan u-joint. First gens have a double cardan u-joint on the driveshaft. The double cardan gives you a bit more leeway in getting your angles set correct and keeping the Toyota flange gives you more overall length on the driveshaft. My driveshaft was only extended by 3/4” IIRC. And it was a good excuse for me to re-tube it with thicker wall since I do the crawling thing too.

I would have to go back and read through JDs build, but if memory serves me, he didn’t have to do any driveshaft modifications with the flange adapter. The 1350 yoke is obviously stronger than a Toyota 1330, but a 1330 has more usable driveshaft angle. That said, I measured over and over and over with an angle finder on both my first and second gen. You aren’t going to max out a 1350 angle with a leaf sprung full framed truck even with spring under. Just gotta have a slip yoke.

 

Set your spring perches yourself. There are way too many variables that can affect it.

 

It’s literally pointless. I’m too many bourbons deep to search. But if you look through the penguin build i showed how to set pinion angle.

 

Or just go balls deep cause leafs are for trees