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U Joints for a '96 4x4

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by Jayste4, Feb 3, 2019.

  1. Feb 3, 2019 at 11:42 AM
    #1
    Jayste4

    Jayste4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2016
    Member:
    #183849
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    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    1996 Tacoma Xtra Cab 4x4 3.4
    3" lift, fancy exhaust tip.
    I need to pull off my drive shaft to replace the center bearing, so I would like to replace my u Joints at the same time. Just the front and rear most... I will leave the double one in the middle alone unless it gives me problems later on . My question is what joints do I buy? I am second owner, and if I had to guess the u Joints on it are original. They don't have the outside clips all the replacement ones like Dana Spicer ones have. So... If I pull out the joints, will there be grooves to accept replacement joint clips? Or does my driveshaft require some special u Joints?
    Picture is what the outside of my joints look like.

    IMG_20190131_165534485.jpg
     
  2. Feb 3, 2019 at 11:56 AM
    #2
    thenodnarb

    thenodnarb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    California
    Vehicle:
    2001 TRD 4x4 379k and counting
  3. Feb 3, 2019 at 12:04 PM
    #3
    thenodnarb

    thenodnarb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    California
    Vehicle:
    2001 TRD 4x4 379k and counting
  4. Feb 3, 2019 at 12:10 PM
    #4
    Jayste4

    Jayste4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
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    Member:
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    Messages:
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    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    1996 Tacoma Xtra Cab 4x4 3.4
    3" lift, fancy exhaust tip.
    I've been looking at the same u Joints. Where do the snap rings go? I know they are normally on the outside, but since mine doesn't have them on the outside makes me a little hesitant to order those.
     
  5. Feb 3, 2019 at 12:11 PM
    #5
    thenodnarb

    thenodnarb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    Messages:
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    Gender:
    Male
    California
    Vehicle:
    2001 TRD 4x4 379k and counting
    they go on the inside. Google Timmy the toolman on YouTube. watch his video on 4 runner ujoints. it's the same
     
  6. Feb 3, 2019 at 12:15 PM
    #6
    Jayste4

    Jayste4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2016
    Member:
    #183849
    Messages:
    30
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    1996 Tacoma Xtra Cab 4x4 3.4
    3" lift, fancy exhaust tip.
  7. Feb 8, 2019 at 12:55 PM
    #7
    Jayste4

    Jayste4 [OP] Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2016
    Member:
    #183849
    Messages:
    30
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    1996 Tacoma Xtra Cab 4x4 3.4
    3" lift, fancy exhaust tip.
    Got the job done. I rented a press, but I I do it again I will probably just hammer the joints out. The yokes are beveled making a press very hard to use. Getting the old joints removed was the hardest part. Everything else was easy as they show on the videos.
     
  8. Feb 9, 2019 at 8:53 PM
    #8
    thenodnarb

    thenodnarb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2019
    Member:
    #280389
    Messages:
    237
    Gender:
    Male
    California
    Vehicle:
    2001 TRD 4x4 379k and counting
    i just got through doing my rear most u joint. what a PITA. i have a 20 press and i made a little press cup to level the yoke while pressing. but it was still a PITA. my joints were the original oem joints. ive never changed or greased then in 325k miles. by the design you can't press the u joint all the way through. you have to try and press it out most of the way and grab the cup with pliers and pull it off (which was not happening for me. too tight). i ended up pressing it as far as i could and using a grinder on the inside of the cup around the circumference then pushing out it all the way back the other direction. with the removed material i could finally remove the cup. had to do that on all the cups. if someone knows a better way id love to see it. i only replaced the one joint because it was the only one that was going bad but if i have to do another, without a better method, I'll just take it to a driveline shop.
     

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