Leveling blocks causing axle wrap? WITH VIDS

and if that doesnt work. get new leafs or struts?

 

Yeah. If I were you (with knowing what I know now) I would first tighten the u-bolts to at least 80 ft/lbs. Do them all a little at a time to keep the threads even. Then go for a drive. See if it fixes it. (I'm still thinking this is necessary anyway).

If it doesn't help then pull your shocks. I highly doubt that a blown shock would be that noticeable from my past experience. However, pulling the shock, putting your weight onto it to compress it, and then seeing if it expands will cost you nothing but 30 minutes of time.

Have you greased your zerks in a while? If not, now's a good time since you're already under there.

So at this point you have $0.00 invested and only about an hour of time.

If you are still experiencing your issue then look into spending money. If it is indeed the leafs/block setup causing your problem then I'd personally remove the blocks and add a leaf. An Add-a-leaf is cheap, can be done by anyone with basic tools, add lift, and is a much better/safer approach to lifting the rear.

 

you just about as much as I know about the whole ordeal haha alright awesome! I will tighten the bolts and then I will take of a shock and compress it (my dad just told me to try that too). I actually did take it to a mechanic and he greased everything up so I believe that covered that. Also with add a leaf, I heard that could cause axle wrap just too. I think PCbuilder had that problem

 

Here are some more vids before I drop $400 into leaf springs. Everything is tightened. Axle wrap?

probably most helpful


probably least


and so so

 

Sure looks like axle wrap to me. Have you considered pulling the blocks (even temporarily) to see if it cures the issue?

 

ill take them out next week and see if the sound goes away and take a video too. What makes the clunk noise though? I havent been able to isolate that sound

 

probably your ujoints.

 

I can't take a guess at the clunk noise. U-joints are fairly easy to diagnose though.

 

I always assumed the clunk was the slip join slamming back into place after the weird angle caused by the axle shifting laterally. Just a guess.

What is NOT a guess is that blocks destroy your leaves quickly by adding leverage to the wheels under the leaf. The twisting forces acting on the leaves by the acceleration and deceleration of the axle is increase by the added distance between the two.

 

I can see it being the slip joint. I can take some video just off the u joint and slip joint tomorrow and post it.

Is axle wrap a tacoma problem? My buddy is a truck guy and has blocks in his dakota and he has never heard of axle wrap ever and had to explain it to him.

So the consensus is that I do have axle wrap from blocks according to the videos? The shocks are still good so I guess drop 4 hundy into a pair off all pro leafs?

 

Yes. First gens have a common problem of leaf springs becoming weak. I have axle wrap currently.

I'll be installing new shocks and springs and that should fix it.

There's a reason everyone on this forum says not to use blocks. Do it right to no do it twice.

 

Yeah Ive heard both sides with blocks but I guess I was hearing sides of people who have them on other trucks and not tacomas so thats why I was wondering if it was one of our problems.

How about add a leaf? Does that help you think?

 

My stock leaf springs with an add a leaf still had axle wrap. Honestly after so long the leaf springs just too weak. With new leaf springs by axle wrap is completely gone.

 

i think i remember you telling me that. I just dont wheel so I dont wanna spend 400 on all pros just for the 3 inch lift but they do say that there is an extra half leaf to prevent axle wrap so I guess Ill just invest in those

 

If you're getting axle wrap, the AAL will be a bandaid, but the AAL was be killed quickly due to the other leaves being bad. Plus, if you've got 3 inches now, you won't get that with an AAL unless you get extended shackles.

 

you could get an anti wrap bar and fix that issue too. as all leaf springs will have some wrap but more when using blocks

 

The money you'll spend doing that, he could just buy a new leaf pack and not worry about axle wrap.