Repairing my Driveshaft - What to know?

I'm going to take my driveshaft into a local shop to have it rebuilt/repaired. The center carrier bearing is shot so I have an OEM on the way. While I have it off for replacing the center bearing I'm going to have it rebuilt and checked out. My Tacoma has 227k miles.

The shop that I have found that appears to be the best in my area has told me that they can't guarantee they will be able to salvage the rear driveshaft due to a common issue with it. I don't recall the specifics as I still hardly know anything about driveshafts. If they do replace it they won't be using the exact same type of rear driveshaft, I believe it will be a non-greasable/closed/non-u joint driveshaft.

Here's their very bootleg website, but they have a lot of good reviews and have been helpful over the phone, seem knowledgeable and willing to explain.

https://a1driveshaft.com/

Few questions, do most people think it is a big deal to replace the rear driveshaft with another type? If so why?

When I remove the driveshaft to take it into the shop, will my truck stay put when parked in first gear (manual transmission)? I don't have a parking brake so I need it to stay put when I take that off. I'll use stops but I would like to know if this is an issue or not.

Do I need to make markings on both ends to ensure it gets put back together correctly or will that not matter given I may have a replaced rear drive shaft?

Anything else I need to consider?

Thanks!

 

As long as that drive shaft is the same length and balanced, then you should be okay. The thing I think most people complain about with aftermarket, is the durability of the universal joints it comes with. Though they should be easy to replace with quality ones when the time comes for it.

And yes your truck will try to roll if the incline is too much. The parking brake would be key here, and since the driveshaft is not being stopped by the transmission in park, then the rear differential will be free to move as if the car was in neutral.

I would advise on marking the old drive shaft, just in case and to double check.

And lastly, did the mechanic say that reason for not being able to service the rear drive shaft? Does it have to do with the double cardan joint?

 

without a driveshaft, yes it will roll while parked without the e-brake. Try to keep it on flat ground and chock the wheels

 

I was gonna guess the double cardan joint, seems like it's more of a pain to service and most places just replace the entire thing instead

 

Here’s a secret. These are actually serviceable. You just need to order the specific u-joints for these that you cannot find somewhere like oreilly, autozone, advanceautoparts, eBay, or Toyota parts websites. This is why almost every driveshaft place says they cannot service them.

However, there are a few places that sell these specific u-joints (such as this one: https://www.northerndrivetrain.com/product/PTI-1351-25.html)

Here’s some more information on this specific aspect of the 1st gen’s rear driveshaft. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/double-cardan-joint.273119/#post-6745013

Keywords for google: double cardan joint Tacoma 2001 2002 2003 2004 replace ujoint universal joint rear driveshaft

 

yes definitely mark it before taking it off. A good drive shaft shop should be able to replace the double cardon. It just depends on your location. Here in california i know of 2 shops that rebuild these. From what the guys at these shops told me when i did my drive shaft the double cardon is unlikely to fail. Most of the time is the 2 u joints and the center bearing that will need replacing. Of couse it is possible for the double cardon to give out but unlikely from what they told me.

 

I think he said something about excessive runout? I'm not totally sure. Honestly my problem is for sure the center bearing being loose and rusting away. I can grab the driveshaft and wiggle it around at the bearing. So I know this needs to be replaced and I assume that it is the cause of my vibrations at 45-65 mph. So it is possible everything else is fine with it other than the bearing but I was thinking that while I have it off I should just have someone get it balanced and greased and do everything that it needs to get it ready for another 200k miles. So idk if they will have to replace anything other than the bearing or not, but I'm just trying to be more knowledgeable.

 

If it's just the carrier bearing, that's a super easy job to DIY. Don't even need to remove the whole driveshaft, just drop the front half of it where the bearing is.

 

I mean I guess it is worth a shot to just do that before taking it in, but was thinking might as well have it once-overed by some professionals. Know of a video where they do just that partial drop of the drive shaft and replace the bearing? The other videos I seen seem more involved.

 

Yeah the videos I looked up show most people removing the whole driveshaft. I know another member on here @Blue92 that did it an easier way and I just followed his step by step, this was all I needed

I added the correct torque numbers for the stake nut in step #9

 

I also recommend getting a new stake nut, some people talk about reusing theirs but new ones are cheap insurance. And sometimes the old ones get ruined when removed

 

Thanks for this. I think I will give this a shot and see if it resolves the issue.

 

I also suggest replacing the carrier bearing ahead of taking the whole shaft to a shop. These things can be a can of worms. The less you mess with the better off you are sometimes.

 

Also a few thoughts on that quoted procedure. Amazon sells paint pens- get one so you don't piss your lady off by stealing her nail polish. Don't hit the flange directly with a hammer to separate the shaft. Use a dead blow, or at least put a piece of wood between the drive shaft and the hammer. The goal here is to fix things, not distort the flange and knock the DS outta balance.

Pay special attention to the orientation of the original carrier bearing assembly. There are tabs on the "ears" which are easy to identify, but you should put another pen mark on the bottom of the bearing. The mounts aren't exactly on CL, so it matters. Marking the bottom of the original will help you get the orientation correct on the new one.

The torque spec for the bearing mounts is 27 ft lbs. The torque spec for the flange bolts is 54 ft lbs. The linked post says "as tight as you can", which is not true.

 

If you decide to do this let us know what they do or don't - I have 300k miles on mine, greased every oil change but lately I got some occasional vibes at 75mph. Felt the vibes in the stick shift and seat so likely the DS. First time I ever had vibrations other than unbalanced front tires. My carrier bearing is new but it seemed like the U joints had some resistance when I moved them with my hand. If you take the DS off, maybe check the joints for any play or resistance although I don't exactly know what to look for.

 

mmm they should move easily without any "sticky" spots. Timmy has a few videos on changing out the rear u joint on the slip yoke. The one they take off has an issue, and they demonstrate that will in the video. I suggest you check that out.

 

I don't know if the first gens have it but my second gen has a washer / spacer that goes in the assembly. I almost missed putting this washer back in because it was stuck to the old bearing.

 

Thank you! Would thread locker be a good idea for the bearing mounts? Seems like the sort of bolt you don't want coming loose.

 

While it's true that you don't want it to come loose, I'm pretty sure a dab of anti-seize and the right torque spec is ok- at least it has been just fine for me.

 

I have been looking for a reliable metal marking pen, tried the paint pens and a total waste of money as they dry up. These work great-

$8 SHARPIE 39109PP Metallic Permanent Markers, Fine Point, Silver, 4 Count

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009L1WE?ie=UTF8