Drive Shaft Blew Up!

check the pinion and transmission bearings, then give the fellas at olivers custom driveshafts, (google it, theyre in winston salem NC) a call and have them build you a quality one piece one if you want at the fraction of a woody's price (tom woods)

 

I didn't know you had to grease the ujoint.

The following pics are of the broken ujoint from my 06 prerunner at 95k back in June 2011.

 

So....Why the hell did you tow the damn thing?

Next time pop out the drive line put in 4x4 and drive away.

 

These guys with the broken shafts are Pre-runners which have non greaseable u-joints. Both of which you have apparently missed while reading through this thread.

 

Guilty.

 

Bad U joint was your vibration. I had one going bad & the floor vibrated bad on the interstate. I had mine fixed before it dropped.

 

now im confused so my u-joints are NOT greasable?

 

thanks man this is extremely helpful!

 

thanks everyone! now to get to work!!

 

No, but it does pay to check them every once in a while. Sealed u-joints (the type that come stock on pre-runners, such as yours) aren't ment to last much over 100K. I would start keeping an eye on them at around 70K

 

Just because your stock u joints were sealed doesn't mean the replacements have to be. When I had mine replaced they used greaseable spicers (my choice). I spent 80 bucks to have all three installed. Now at every oil change I give them a few pumps of grease.

 

Oh.....So......Its one of them half assed trucks?

No I did not really read much here just wanted to toss in my 3 cents.

 

Some trucks were not greasable & some were. My 2005 2wd did not have grease fittings on the ujoints.

 

That's messed up that they don't last but about 100k. Mine broke at 95k. Good to know that I will have to fork over $1200 to get a new one at about 200k. Right now I am at 119k.

 

$1200!!!???? Holy crap! Before they break, go to a driveline shop and have them replace the u-joints for probably less them $300 (if the take it all apart and put together), unless of course you can replace the joints yourself then probably only cost you $50. Oh and go with greasable ones next, so you won't have to replace them again if they are greased regularly.

 

No offense, OP...but how the hell do you NOT at least take it in to have that sound checked out?!? I blew the rear U-joint last week and drove it for 4 days with the most agonizing clicking/tapping sound from under the truck only under load, and I was scared to death of this happening until I got the time to change it out. Now you need a new shaft, and all the U-joints need to be replaced because when one goes out like that, the others will follow.

Also greased all the zerks from front to back, they were pretty dry.

 

Did this vibration develop after lift ??

 

i really didnt think too much about it i thought it was part of having a higher mileage truck and i honestly thought it was my exhaust. especially since im busy with work school and my now 5 month old boy i really didnt have the time and when i did all i did was sleep, homework, or play with my son. but now i know

 

no the vibration developed a little after i put my exhaust on and thats what i thought it was but then recently there would be a knock between 5-15mph and so i thougt...meh... then recently the knock was between 5-15 and 50-60 and 80+ so ithought well these tires probably need to be rebalanced and shit so thats what i did and then the day before and the day that it blew out it was really loud and under a quick lane change it blew

 

It is always best to look and see if they are or not. My 2012 has Zirk Fittings for grease on the U-Joints from the factory.

So I would say some do some don't.