Question about slip yoke

I just brought my first gen in to get the u-joints on the rear drive shaft replaced but the replacement u-joints wouldn't fit. My mechanic had to use u-joints for a 2wd taco. Now after re-installing the drive shaft and putting it in reverse there is play in the drive shaft. It's late so he's going to keep it over night and get new u-joints again tomorrow. Is it ok if there is a 2wd yoke not 4wd? I would think the two would be completely different. Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

More details would help. Is your truck an Xtracab or Doublecab, or a single cab? Your title says slip yoke, are you talking about the slip joint towards the rear of the two-piece driveshaft? That is different than the yokes that hold the U joints. If you have an xtracab or doublecab, there is a double cardan joint in the center of the driveshaft, just behind the center bearing. The u joints in the double cardan joint are a different size than the u joints at the transfer case and rear differential pinion. The double cardan is also fairly difficult to service and find parts for, and usually doesn't need it until it was never greased or something.

If they're just replacing the single u joints at the transfer case and/or the rear pinion, those are a simple swap, you can find that size u joint at any auto parts store. If by 2wd driveshaft they mean a Prerunner, I think the u joints are the same size.

 

Just a single cab. My mechanic said there are three u-joints to replace and when i looked up the parts it only called for two, front and rear.

 

You are correct, there are only two for a single cab. They are both the same size, and are very common - Toyota part number for those is

$69 04371-60070 Universal Joint

04371-60070.

 

He got those two first but when my mechanic went to install them they did not fit, and there were three on the rear drive shaft. He had to use u-joints that a 2wd calls for. I'm confused on how that even works. After installing and reversing out of the bay he said they ds has play in it now.

 

I'm not sure what is going on then. U joints work in pairs, by canceling each other's angle to allow a smooth rotation of the driveshaft without vibrations. Having 3 u joints doesn't make much sense.
See if you can get some pictures, I'd be curious to see what's going on.

Edit: do you know if there is a center carrier bearing, about halfway down the driveshaft?

 

I'll stop by in the morning before work and see if i can get some pictures of what he's working with. I can check for a carrier bearing as well.

 

yup has a carrier bearing, and doesn't look like there were any markings to put it back in the exact same position.

 

Yes the top picture is of a double cardan joint, there are two u joints in it as well as a centering ball. Unless you are absolutely sure one of those components is bad, I wouldn't start taking it apart.
There is a writeup on here about replacing those components, I will see if I can find it.

The rear u joint that you have apart is a common size, it is the same as the front u joint at the transfer case and both u joints in the front driveshaft (if you're 4x4).

You said you're a single cab right? I was under the impression that all single cabs had a one piece driveshaft with no double cardan joint, perhaps I am mistaken.

Edit: read through this thread, lots of good info:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/double-cardan-joint.273119/

 

Is that a shop? Or some guy's garage?

Either way, it'd be a good start to not disassemble those parts on a dirty/oily floor. Maybe get that electrical cord out of the oil, too..

 

Single cab 4x4. The mechanic replaced all three and said after he reinstalled the ds then reversed out of the bay the rear u-joint had play in it. I'm not sure where he's at with it right now.

 

Yeah your mechanic's shop looks a little sketchy.

If it is just a problem with the rear joint, he might have just got a bad one. Hopefully replacing that will take care of it. I really hope he didn't screw up the double cardan joint.

 

he probably didn't realize they were different. I was told that the front and rear u-joints were the same and the 2 near the carrier bearing are the same. You can verify that by the way they were installed and the location of the c-clips.

 

What? That’s not a carrier bearing lol

 

it attaches to one, the shaft he has in his hand bolts to the carrier bearing and to the rear diff.

 

On a single cab? Single cabs don’t have carrier bearings

 

That’s def not the correct shaft for the truck. Looks like some hack made to fit the truck

 

That's what I thought too, not positive though. That looks exactly like the rear half of a two piece driveshaft. I suppose the DC could bolt right to the transfer case output flange. Maybe its single cab 2wd's that have the solid DS?

 

If the single cab didn't come with this particular axle than something ain't right unless this isn't a single cab but that shaft thats in his hand looks exactly like what I took off of my double cab.