6”lift, Front Diff Angle?

This was my thoughts exactly so I got these pictures a few days ago but they do look to be installed correctly. And if these brackets are installed correctly I don’t see how they could’ve screwed up because this pretty much governs the angle of the front differential. I’m just at a loss of what’s going on here.

This passenger side bracket picture is taken looking towards the back of the truck.

Well it appears this one is taken facing the back of the truck as well

 

Since you have the exact same lift kit, would you mind snapping a pic of that passenger diff bracket?

 

This might help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqQQ-lWoPBA

Check this video of a 2nd gen 6” RC install, 5:15 into the video is the diff brackets being installed.

 

Not sure if the bracket can only go in one way but here are the shots I took. BTW, RCI skid plates are possible as you can see in the pic with a 6" lift contrary to what some people say. Just have to do some mods.

 

Yes. This all pairs up. So… maybe when they pulled the axle out and replaced it, it didn’t get filled back up. Or, the front drive shaft wasn’t tightened back up properly, or the pinion nut wasn’t tightened back up.. or it just wore out!

I’ve been told by a very reliable mechanic that he’s never had to replace a front diff on a Tacoma, not once. His thoughts were something went fishy with this install, something I haven’t been told.

This all being said. The truck needs a new front diff, I’m not selling or trading in this truck. I love this truck, fought tooth and nail to finally get this truck the way I want it. I’ll have to replace the gears or just get the whole front diff. My trusted mechanic says he can get a used entire front diff and install it for cheaper than the 4x4 outfit said they could just rebuild the gears for.

my thoughts are on the trusted mechanic route, either way I know it will all be done correctly.

 

diggin the skid plate

 

Id take a look at the oil in the front diff asap. If something really did grenade in there you would see it. Im slightly confused though about the front wheels locking up in 4Hi but not 2Hi?

 

Thanks! I used the factory transfer case skid plate as the skid plate for the ADD motor. It was exposed a little too much for my liking.

 

The front diff is locked to the front drive shaft only if 4 wheel is engaged. The front drive shaft spins freely in 2 wheel. I have no clue how the front end could be locked and the rear end throw snow and ice at the same time while in four wheel. Very confusing. Most mechanics have no idea how this is possible. Then when I switched it to 2hi. Truck ran just fine. Idk if I had multiple failure on the front end at once. Maybe both the diff actuator got stuck and the gears bound up. The even more interesting thing is, after the storm blew over… I tested the 4 wheel drive in my driveway and it was immediately stuck again until I put it in 2 wheel. 2 wheel was fine.

 

Toyota diffs have a bullet proof reputation for a reason, they shouldn't fail without someone screwing up.

 

Mine looks just like yours and I've had mine for maybe 6 years with no problems.

 

Thats not true. There is no actuator of any sorts between the pinon and anything else. (Not even sure how you would do that..?) The only actuator up there is the ADD. This is why you can spin the front DS in 2Hi, due to the ADD being disconnected. The ADD disconnects the passenger side CV from the rest of the diff. So when you spin the front DS in 2Hi, you are also spinning the gears inside the diff.

You can look all this up and learn how it works if you want to. Weber Auto did a good video on the 4x4 system from a Toyota Tundra. Very similar to our trucks.

All that said, Im still not clear what you mean by "stuck". How does the truck get "stuck" when you switch to 4Hi? What happens, what are the sounds, etc?

 

I wonder if when the front diff locked up, it bent or tweaked some brackets or something, and that is why the angle looks weird now. OP was driving at 35 miles an hour when it locked up.

 

OP said it was during a snowstorm. Probably low traction conditions

 

Not so much the traction, the whole drive train has inertia, the wheels/tires themselves are like 60 pounds coming to a sudden stop. You ever seen a video of a wheel that comes off the car? They have a lot of energy. Plus the OP has big heavy tires.

 

Ok, heres exactly what happened. Very bad storm, luckily I was the only one on the road, hence the 4x4, lower speed, and no wreck with any other vehicles. Tbh, I was probably driving 30 or under in 4hi under the conditions I was in. The truck completely locked up and slid to a stop, maybe 15 minutes into driving. It felt like I hit a tree laying across the road, that’s the best way I can describe it, it was pretty nasty. So I put it in reverse and the truck went nowhere, gave it a bit more throttle and the back wheels threw snow & slush up at my mirrors. I then put it back in drive and it went nowhere, felt the back tires trying to grab and move after giving it some gas. After that, I just turned off the truck. Got out and saw no obstructions in the wheels or tires. Then kinda freaked out, thinking about how to get moving again and what could have possibly just happened. Waited five minutes! Turned truck on, switched to 2hi. Hit drive again, was stuck for a bit still, hit reverse, truck switched to 2hi, switched back to 2hi and drove just fine from then on.

When the weather cleared and I had a chance to look at the truck at home, in my driveway with tools. Put the truck in 4hi, truck would not move, not at all, nothing. This is what I mean by stuck, truly stuck. No better way to describe it.

put it in 4lo for giggles and it got worse. Light flashed, it did start to slowly move but sounded real bad. Then couldn’t get it back in to 2hi. I thought oh dear, now I need a tow truck. Eventually with patience it did pop back in to 2hi and it’s been fine in 2hi until I got it in to the shop.

 

Are you 100% sure the installer filled the diff back up after it leaked out? Or did they just tell you they did?

 

The sudden lock up could account for the angle change, also the loose ds. I like the no or low oil theory, diffs don't lock up for no reason and if the DS was loose you would hear it and most likely feel it in the steering wheel with the 4x4 drive on. Hell, the front drive shaft is right under the drivers seat if it was loose you would most likely feel it in your butt.

 

Not 100% sure they refilled the front diff after replacing the axle. But I did take it to have a front diff and T-case service before taking it back to the 4x4 shop and they said fluids were fine and no metal shavings of any kind. They flushed the front end refilled it to double check as I know the shop well.

I never felt any vibrations whatsoever leading up to the day of the storm and lock up. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have been able to feel DS vibrations over the snow n ice the morning of the incident.

 

Wait, so the front drive shaft spins freely in 2wd?

That would seem to indicate it's not a ring and pinion problem.