new member need help

Hi all, I've got a 2011 Taco with a Pro comp 3" lift kit that fits closer to 3.5". I've torn through two sets of CV boots in the past year and I'm wondering if a dif drop will help by reducing my CV angle? in the winter in BC Canada I need to use 4 wheel drive to get over the mountain passes on my daily commute to work. Generally I keep the speed below 90kms/hr while engaged. I'd like to know if a 1" drop will help?

thanks

Danny

 

Welcome to TW! Yes a diff drop will help. I have one in my truck now for the last 3 years and so far so good.

 

Ok thanks. I've heard that the 1" drop can rotate the diff a bit and might cause lubrication issues. I definitely don't want that!

 

Maybe my understanding of 4x4 vehicles with splined hubs is misconstrued but I believe the CV's are always in motion in 2wd as they would be in 4wd (whereas 4wd's with manual locking hubs can have the axles disengaged and thus no rotation of the front axles/diff). I guess what I'm getting at is, how can being in 4wd affect the longevity of the cv axles, albeit kept a minimal speed? How can your axles be going out so often? What if you never went into 4wd, then would they not go out as often? I don't mean to hijack your thread OP but I guess that I want a better understanding of how they only go out with continual use of 4wd even if they rotate in 2wd.

Also, welcome to TW! Post up a pic of your tacoma why don't you?

 

I'd like an answer to the axel question as well because I thought those CV's were only spinning when 4x4 was engaged. Please let me know if I'm wrong. I only lifted the truck 3 years ago now and never had an issue in the previous 7 years. I'll post some pics soon.

 

Post a pic of that lift and CV angles

 

The cv’s spin all the time,with that much lift the boots will rub together,this wears them thin When I lifted mine I pulled the innermost part of the boot in about 3/4 of an inch . One of the most common ways to wreck your boots in this area is winter wheeling ,you packed and full of snow and in the right condition pack in there very hard.
As soon as we are done winter wheeling we pull over and clear those areas out .At times my truck has had it packed in so hard it was like a big block of ice and wonder how you have any CV boots left

 

Here's the truck and cv angle pic

 

I swear that I've seen worse cv angle before. This would appear to be at an acceptable angle. I believe CV's are supposed to be below 15°.

 

I supposed the dif drop can't hurt, and since I have the kit already.....

Thanks for the input everyone.

 

high angle CV boots

https://www.offroadsolutions.com/products/high-angle-inner-cv-boot/

 

He is referring to CV boots, not the axles.

Would OP have torn CV boots to take a pic to see how/where they tore?

 

My skim reading has, yet again, gotten the best of me lol. That makes more sense then.

 

Here's an interesting development. It appear my dif is already dropped. I wish I would have noticed that before I snapped one of the skid plate bolts. Old trucks eh?

 

At this point, I would take TacoTuesday1's advice and grab some high angle cv boots since the diff drop isn't correcting the issue.

 

Yeap already dropped.