Help newbie with single piece driveshaft vibrations

I’ve spent hours perusing this forum & have yet to find a solution to my driveline vibes. Please help! Just added an add-a-leaf to my 2011 Single Cab 4x4 to support an added topper and the hauling of a bunch of gear. I immediately got a driveline vibration. I then added a (recommended by a friend) 2 degree shim. It’s still vibrating. I have no carrier bearing to lower or flip or replace on this rig This single cab has a one piece driveshaft and no carrier bearing. The solution in most cases seems to relates to the carrier bearing. Is there a solution for folks with rigs without carrier bearings? My u-joints appear sound. It looks like a simple and very tiny drop of the TC could remedy this but I see no way of doing so on this thing. I’ve read on countless posts where similar driveline vibrations have driven folks crazy trying to remedy. Before I take the add-a-leaf off & give up, can someone offer any help or a remedy? I’m surprised a 2.5 inch add-a leaf would cause this. I’ve installed dozens of lifts, far bigger than this on rigs through my life and this is the 1st I could not simply remedy with an axle shim.

Red

 

Was your pinion angled up or down in relation to the TC? Is your TC angled up or down? How did you determine you need a 2 degree shim?
At what speed is your vib?
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/drive-shaft-vibrations-solved-step-by-step.244535/

Look through that thread and go from there.

 

This is interesting. I have my RC lifted over 3" in the rear and have mild vibes at best. No shims just an OME HD pack.
I think it's probably your u joints. I had mine replaced, the slip yoke regreased and the shaft rebalanced. It was a night and day experience. I didn't think I had it bad at all but man it's so much smoother now.

 

So, the 2 degree shins were a crap shoot of sorts. Made no difference though. The vibrations are at low speed 10-25ish and they pick back up again around 50-60ish. For what is worth I read the entire thread you linked a day or so ago, & again today. Every solution seems to involve either shims or some type of carrier bearing mod. Since I’ve got no carrier bearings on this truck, I’m just curious what options are even available? I can’t seem to find anyone with a single cab, who has this problem posting about this. Did I miss something on all these posts I’ve gone through? It’s 90% carrier bearings. I know there’s got to be something out there I’ve missed. Interesting thing to me is, I’ve installed add-a-leafs or mild lifts of a 1/2 dozen Toyotas (trucks, 4runners, a land cruiser), on a Nissan Xterra, Jeeps, and some domestic trucks & I've not once had this issue except for an old Jeep which was solved simply & easily by dropping the transfer case slightly.

Thanks,
Red

PS. I’ll acquire an angle meter this week and get some numbers.

 

From what I've gathered on this forum, your best options include going with a Tom Woods Driveshaft, single piece. Or going with different joints, particularly the double cardan joints.
If you didn't have a single piece shaft, I'd recommend the latter or buying another two piece shaft with the double cardan joints, but you already have a single and so going with a TW shaft would seem to be the ideal choice. The TW shafts would come with the double cardan joints when specified.

 

no need to spend any $$ on this... the double C. joint on the TW single piece will make things smoother but will chew through joints if the angles are still off...

 

OP don't go blowing your money on a new shaft. The one you have should work fine. Something else is going on here. I'd be curious if you asked this question in one of the regular cab threads. I have never heard of this issue, but maybe one of us has.

 

Thanks for the info. I’ll delve into those options. Might be easier & cheaper to go back to stock. What a pain in the backside.

 

The speeds your describing sound a lot the same as for guys who do ECGS bearing swap. Do you feel the vibe coming from the front? Otherwise maybe you can mess around with different shims? I had one from Wheelers when running a AAL + 1" block setup and it worked well. (I also have the upgraded ecgs bearing tho.)

 

Take some angle readings and see where you are off, someone aleady linked a good thread for that.

If it were me, I’d cut off my old spring perches, point the pinion at the TC, and burn in new perches, use a double cardan joint out of a 4runner, they are cheap and plentiful.

 

I'm not sure about the mounts for transfer case on reg cab trucks, but there is a "updated" mount for the transfer case on ext/double cab trucks. Mine was replaced by dealer in an attempt to get rid of vibes along with new leafs and some steering wheel damper. I remember seeing the two mounts side by side and the new one looked like it was slightly shorter. (Which would lower rear of TC). When I'm get home later, I'll look for the part number to the new one. I don't remember if it was here on TW or if it was just a google search, but somewhere there is an image of the two side by side.