YEP..I have axle wrap!!

I did this severeal weeks ago, problem solved.

 

Axle wrap be gone! Lol I had bags and didn't know what every body was talking about till I removed them...

 

For a while...when the leafs die some more it'll come back...ask me how I know...

A new leaf pack is a good start. The only 100% cure for axle wrap is a traction bar, but that's going to be more than most on here want to deal with. I have been very unimpressed with Toyota's stock leafs. TSB pack with a 2" AAL was dead and wrapping in about 18 months.

 

This may not be your problem, but with some people that thud at stop and go is coming from the slip yolk needing lubed. Unfortunately there isnt any grease fittings for the slip yolk, on mine at least (not sure for all the different trucks). Some guys have taken the drive shaft apart and lubed it and solved the problem for a while and eventually it comes back. My truck does it to, but after reading some of the posts here im gonna check my u bolts and see how tight they are.

 

Where's the slip yoke, and how do you lube it? I've had the "clunk" on all three Tacomas I've owned ('99, '02, and '06). I'd love for this to be gone (and the transmission lurch . . . and the take-off shudder)!

 

This isnt the best picture but this is it. The grease fitting you see is for the u joint. On my model there is no grease fitting for the slip yoke which is where you can see the rubber boot in this picture. On this one you would have to drop the drive shaft, take it apart and lube it manually. Im not sure which years or models might have grease fittings for the slip yoke.

 

None from what I have been able to research...

 

Thanks for the picture! The boot looks like it's held on with one of those one-time-use bands. If I remove it to lube the slip yoke, could I just replace that band with a stainless hose clamp? That OEM clamp looks like it requires a special tool to secure it, while a hose clamp obviously will not.

 

A regular hose clamp may cause shaft balancing issues...

 

I doubt it. That's a small weight. In any event, the slip yokes rarely need lube. Best thing to do to check is take the shaft off the truck and check slip yoke function by hand.

 

How do you do that? Once it's off the truck should it simply rotate freely, or should it have longitudinal play (in and out, hence "slip" yoke)? Again, thanks for all of the answers and help! Once I learn things I'm pretty handy, but I have a lot to learn!

 

The rear driveshaft bolts onto the differential flange and transfer case flange at each end. The rear bolts and nuts are 14mm. I believe the nuts for the t-case flange are 14mm as well...the stock driveshaft also has a carrier bearing in the center with two bolts..I don't remember the exact size...I want to say 17mm but size it yourself to be sure.

Slip yokes are there only to allow the driveshaft to lengthen and shorten as the suspension articulates. It shouldn't rotate at all. If it easily compresses and lengthens by hand, it's definitely NOT a factor in any rear end noise/axle wrap.

 

If you do decide to remove your driveshaft make sure to make realign marks anywhere you take any part of the drive shaft apart. Everything needs to go back together exactly the way it was prior to removal.

Again this may not be your problem, but many guys on here found once the slip yoke was taken apart there was very little lube put on from the assembly line. Im willing to bet that is my problem. Mine has 31k miles and has done this from about the day that I bought it new.

 

Can't you just remove the clamp and grease it and then zip tie the boot?

 

It doesn't take much weight in the wrong spot, like adding weight to the heavy side of the shaft...

 

No, it doesn't, but these shafts are already fucked up enough with balance from factory I don't think it would matter. If the OP is really concerned, he could have the shaft re-balanced.

 

Good idea. I was looking at it today while I was under the truck flipping my carrier bearing around. I thought about just using two stainless hose clamps and simply positioning their screw mechanisms (the heaviest part on the hose clamp) 180* out from each other to offset the weight.

By the way, once the OEM clamps are removed, how do I go about greasing the slip yoke? Do I slide the boot towards the carrier bearing in order to expose the splines (or whatever makes up the yoke), slather everything with grease, slide the boot back in place, and then secure?

 

To properly grease the slip yoke it will need to be taken apart. You need to get grease on the end of the spline, which you won't be able to do unless you remove it and disassemble.

No disassemble Johhny 5!

 

Good to know - thank you very much! Last question (maybe ): Once the drive shaft is off, do you simply pull the two driveshafts apart to disassemble the slip yoke? Any tricks to this?

 

As stated earlier. Put match marks on everything so that they all are reinstalled in the correct orientation. If not it could cause binding problems.