AC or DC - that is the question.

It would be the driveline bridge bearing. Its usually surrounded by urethane or rubber. The mounting flange just seems thin. Maybe there is not a lot of force on them

 

Just take your torque and divide it by the radius of the flange and you'll see how much force is on them

 

It's called the Carrier Bearing.

Googlel "Toyota Carrier Bearing" and hit IMAGES. You'll see what it is. It is a 'bearing' .....

 

Cool. So all it does is take the bending stresses out of the shaft by supporting it along its length....?

 

I can't say why Toyota engineers would've put it there.... but with my experiences with driveline setups for offroading... I'm gonna guess its because they didn't want a L O N G (straight) driveshaft. With a straight shaft - there are driveline angle issues to deal with. And perhaps the carrier bearing setup (and/or lack of it) is easily & cheaply interchangable between all of their truck configurations. And now that I think about it more......the carrier bearing eliminates the need for another ujoint and/or cardon joint.

Putting a 'bend' (not straight shaft) in the shaft needs a bearing/support. And the rubberized part, probably to take up vibrations and allow the shaft to 'give' (not rigid).

That's my guess anyway....

 

My AC is a 2.7 5 speed, I've never really had to use the backseats for anything other than dogs and hauling all my junk. On summer fuel, I get about 22-24mpg, now with winter mix I am getting 19-21 usually, running premium fuel.

 

Wish I would have gotten a DCLB, both times I owned my tacos I needed it on a few occasions. When I go somewhere I usually have 3 people with me so an AC was out of the question.

 

I did this to my 4x4 ac 4cyl 5sp



Dog loves it




I'm happy with it and to access the back in tight spots I open the driver door open the access cab door then just push the driver door shut. Not that big of a deal.

 

Damn the Devil. Just when I was convinced that the DC was the way to go, you go and screw it up. That mileage is impressive, and might be worth holding out for what I wanted initially.

Basically, its just whatever I value the most.

Pros
AC: More bed space, better mpg (with I4)
DC: More interior space, easier to find

Cons
AC: Can't really carry more than one person, difficult to find
DC: Worse mpg, shorter bed, hard to find with MT

 

Pretty sweet. I think I'll shoot for a '05-'08 so I can get the interior extra space that actually makes sense. The '09 and later back area is a massive waste of space.

 

You can always look into the DC with the I4, but it only comes in automatic so is likely to be gutless as ever.

 

Do the db i4 come in 4x4 though?

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/162748-access-cab-owners-3.html

I was going for the same thing as the older style and the back piece pops out because from time to time I have to put the girlfriend back there

 

I'd never get a DC with I4. The AC is nearly under-powered with the I4, IMO.

 

I actually read through that thread a while back and saw your pics (you posted them in there, right?). Pretty sweet setup, but I'd rather just get the previous trim so I don't have to worry about fabricating my own flat area in the back.

Still, your solution looks great!

 

Not me another guy did something similar but I don't think he removed the cubby in the middle so the platform was up higher which I think made the space worse

 

Oh, yeah. Yours did look a lot better.

 

no kids or weekend/work truck - AC

kids or a daily driver - DCLB/DCSB

for me right now, i love my AC, the 6 foot box is more important then a full rear seat.

 

When paired with the MT, it isn't as underpowered as everyone makes it out to be. The people that tell you that have spent little to no time in one. Had mine almost 2 years and the only time it was gutless was during the break in period. Tows fine too, yesterday I had my atv in the back, Honda 400EX which is about 400lbs, and my Dad's Grizzly 660 which weighs close to 700, plus the trailer which is about 500. Didn't even notice them back there, did 75 on the highway no problem.

 

can you get a DC with an I4, i always thought no. when i was looking at the dealers i was doing the whole I4 vs v6 thing. i am pretty sure the dealer said that configuration is impossible, or they lied to me.