FINALLY Fixed my vibes!!!!!!!!

So a little background bought a 2012 DCSB right off the lot I had the 20mph vibe drove it a couple hundred miles to see if it got worse or better no change after 500 miles so I took it in to have them look at it. Wouldn't you know it they said it was normal, whatever, I figured it would probably get worse once I put the lift on which it did.(2.5" in the front with an aal in the rear) not only was it worse it now had the damn take off vibe. So jump on TW and start doing research find out Tom Woods makes a one piece that seems to work well so before I sink $500 into a new driveline I wanted to make sure it was the rear driveline. Oh I took a weekend and screwed around with shimming the axle and the CB which helped but did not eliminate the vibes. So back to my story, I took out the rear driveline put it in 4HI and took it for a drive well well no vibes so I am just about ready to pull the trigger on a new Tom Woods driveline when I notice the spare drivline I have for my 99 4Runner, it has the CV style u-joint at the transfer case side and the slip joint on the rear diff side so I take it and hold it up to the transfer case and lo and behold it fits on perfect take it back to the rear and the bolt pattern is smaller but with the flange the way it is I figure it wouldn't take nothing at all to drill it to fit it just needs to be lengthed. So I call the local driveline shop and they quote me $160 to lengthen the driveline sounds reasonable so I take it down and a few days later they call me and say its ready. Sweet so I motor on down and pick it up take the old one out and bolt on the transfer case side and hold it up to the rear diff and mark the holes, takes about 20 min to drill new ones and then bolt the rear on with some new fine thread grade 8 bolts and take it for a test drive. Guess what NO MORE DAMN VIBES!!!!!!!!! I am freakin ecstatic this was my only bitch on the whole truck besides that it has been great. I have had it in for about 2wks and it is still vibe free.
So anybody who wants to do it the cheaper way this is what you need. The rear driveline is out of a 99 4Runner but I think that gen is from 1997-2002 don't quote me on that though, I did a little research and found the drivelines at some junkyards from $40-150 I remember paying $40 for this one from a pick-a-part so basically for $200 I fixed my vibes. Don't know if it will work for everybody but it worked for me I had that same driveline shop quote me a new one custom built and it was about $550 so this way you already have the CV u-joint and the slip joint they just have to lengthen it. If anybody else does this let us know how it turns out. Oh and for those who think I didn't try hard enough with the shims and CB maybe I didn't but I thought it was a pretty weak design from toyota to begin with but to each his own I guess.

 

Send some pics!

 

Soon as I can

 

subd this is awesome news for you plastic truck guys

 

HAHAHAHA!! That is actually some funny shit!

 

nothing? amazing fix and nothing? why isnt everyone all over this?!

 

I dont know something about it being a 2012 with a vibration at 500 miles and you fixing it with a modified driveshaft from a 99 4runner. Just thinkin if maybe the drive shafts are not balanced correctly at the factory? Can you take your original driveshaft to shop that lengthened the other since they seemed to do a good job and check the balance of your driveshaft?

 

I think the fix is as follows:

I may be wrong but all 05-12 Tacos drive shafts came with a universal joint where as the runner shaft has the CV joint. That is the fix. Of course along with lengthening the shaft and balancing it to fit the Taco! If this is the source to all vibration problems....I will personally mail the OP a medal! I may even include a cookie who knows! But I will definitely give him crazy props on this forum

 

interesting.

 

Well don't know if it is the fix for all the vibration problems but it cured mine. Sorry toyota but you failed driveline 101 with that rear shaft. I think driveline vibes are one of the most common complaints about this gen tacoma and with this fix it is a lot cheaper than having one custom made by Tom Woods or somebody else. Hopefully will post pics sometime today.

 

would you please post the information regarding the lengthening? how much was it lengthened? are you 2wd or 4dw (does this even matter with length?)

I'm just going to cut to the chase, I am sick of the issues that are happening since my lift - I'll be hitting up a junk yard shortly.

 

Good find! Please post some pictures - I'm curious as to how you drilled the flange (both sides I assume) RE: driveline slop when mounted.

Were the Joints the same size between the 4runner and tacoma? Could you have swapped flanges on the U joint and double cardan?

 

So here are some pics of what I did.
Pic 1: Stock Driveline
Pic 2: CV joint on transfer case side
Pic 3: Diff side with the redrilled flange
Pic 4: Whole shaft as good as I could get it while lying on the floor.
Don't remember how much it had to be lengthened just remember that the total length was 67.5" from inside flange to inside flange. I was looking at the stock driveline and was wondering if the diff side flange could be used on the 4Runner shaft does anybody know if the u-joint was the same? That would save you from drilling the flange like I did will have to look into that and compare some part numbers if they are the same I will post back with what I find.

 

Justinhw you only have to drill the diff side the transfer case side bolts right up.

 

do you happen to know out of which type of 4 runner this is? 4wd? 2wd? Does it even matter?

 

wow. that looks really good!! Do you happen to have the stock 4runner driveshaft length? Reason being is that I have a single cab (1 piece driveshaft) and may not have to lengthen.

The 4runner driveshaft has a zerk for the slip yoke as well, doesn't it?

 

According to this:
2wd: 4wd: 1996-2002 it's 4wd only. Looking at other FSM's it seems the tundra also has a double cardan driveshaft after the carrier bearing. Not sure about the flanges/length though.

 

Im doing this - going to aquire a 4runner 4WD Drive shaft - i'll take plenty of pics along the way. Not wasting any more time with shims or carrier bearing drops!

 

Yup has to be out of a 4WD and the u-joint on the rear is different inbetween the 4Runner and the Taco looked up the specs so you would still have to drill the rear flange or the driveline shop said they could get a new flange that would be drilled for several different bolt patterns for another $65 but I decided to drill it and save me the money.
justinhw I recall the stock 4Runner length being around 48" but don't quote me on it also if you have a longbed taco this would not work, the shop said this was about the max length you could balance it and make it work. If you do have a longbed I think you could put the CV joint where the middle u-joint goes and maybe solve the vibes would need to have someone with a longbed try it and see how it goes.