Just fixed driveline vibration!!!For free!

Don't measure there. It might be okay but better off measure off the yoke anyway. and that looks like 4* from here anyway. Just imagine 90 as 0*.

Rotate the pinion yoke around until you get the one ear of the yoke to come flat down, parallel with the ground. You'll notice that at the t-case you will have the output yoke exactly opposite at this point. When you measure that you will have to roll the truck until you get that to come down 90*.

With the yoke stick a 1" socket into the yoke against the u-joint cap and take a measurement. Remove the socket and take another measurement.

If any discrepancy try the angle finder on a different side and re-measure. If discrepancy still exists use your judgement or perhaps rotate the pinion 180* and try again.

Then measure the pinion to carrier shaft. Straight forward. Then measure the carrier bearing to t-case output shaft.

Then measure your t-case output yoke. I found that the stock skid plate seems to be the same as the output yoke, so you can check off that if yours hasn't been dented.

Don't worry about trying to zero off anything. Just focus on getting the two shafts parallel and the two yokes to be equal angles.

You essentially want the middle u-joint to run nearly at 0* operating angle and the two u-joints on the input/output yokes to be equal/opposite so they cancel each other out.

Or to put it in other words, you want those yokes to be parallel to each other.

____Yoke shaft runs from yoke to yoke
..............................................................Yoke______

I believe you can get level apps for smart phones to check against as well.


Once you figure out all your angles. You'll want to rotate your pinion to match the t-case output yoke angle. We can't really adjust the angle at the t-case as you'd have to change the mounts at the tranny or engine and this just isn't a good idea or a feasible one. So we adjust the pinion using shims, until both yokes match. Then you can drop the carrier bearing until you get your shafts nearly parallel.

Also make sure to do this on a level floor and at ride height. Also make sure no slop in u-joints.

 

could i also just remove the drive shaft from the pinion and measure directly on the pinion? that seems be the most accurate way to measure it.

 

Definitely. Dunno about your gauge but mine likes to stick so I have to fiddle with it and take about 20 readings before I get a true reading.

 

Guys i sorry if its been explained before.. read a bunch and i think i finally understand. Plus typing puts it in my brain lol
here goes..
1. i need to get my pinion to match my transfer case, in this case it is 0*(90*) shimming possibilty
2. once there parallel with each other i need to raise or lower my CB in order to get both shafts within a degree with eachother. so in theory, if the front shaft is 5* and the rear shaft is 6*, all is good in the hood. am i right? If i can get them both the same is that better, since they will cancel out?

 

Correct, just make sure to measure off the yokes or the flanges for the i/p o/p yokes.

Technically you don't want true 0* as u-joints need a slight operating angle to function correctly. I think 1* and you'll be okay. Gotta get the shafts lined up left to right as well.

 

How can you fit the angle finder on the flanges ?

 

Pull the drive shaft.

 

Ah so

 

subbing

 

If you drop your shaft make sure you mark flanges properly so it gets bolted up EXACTLY as it came off or you'll open another can of worms... it'll be out of balance & is a pain in the ass to return to original config...

 

You've got it. You don't want the two shafts at exactly the same angle. Best is more than zero and less than one. Right now you have 1 degree. If you could nudge it down to 1/2 degree that would be even better. The operating angle of both the Tcase and the Pinion get fine tuned when you do the adjustment on the carrier bearing. The CB adjustment has to be done after you are finished aligning the pinion and tcase.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the shaft was balanced as a whole and not balanced on the truck. In other words you would only need to mark the shaft if you separate the two parts of the driveshaft where it mates together next to the carrier bearing... Right?

 

Theres a thing called phase. You really only need to worry about it, if you separate the two shafts, correct.

 

I did some re measuring tonight.. I got 2*down for the tcase and 5*up for the pinion. this makes a difference of 3* to get them parallel. i ordered shims and now gotta wait to get them.. i got the bolt on ones from toytec. (envy you west coast guys who can just go pick them up) We will see what happends when i get them. My truck doesnt have bad vibes, but it may be dampens because its a DCLB. My truck seems to have a little hop, almost as if the tires are out of round. Kinda of feels like my take up shudder is constantly shuddering lol. I was thinking it may be the increased sping rate of the expo springs and lack of weight in the back. If thats the case ill have to see about removing some leaves.- this has been a very information thread! Just gotta read past all the trial and error stuff

 

I picked up shims from summit racing, but they're here in town.

 

FYI , Toytec is in Colorado

 

Did everything by the "book".. made the vibes and shudder worse.. I had little to no vibes from the start. and i wanted just to get rid of the shudder...FML another day of wrenching tomorrow..

 

Just a quick question, when was the last time your driveline/Ujoints & all things greasable were lubed ??

& remember what I told you earlier too....

 

awesome question!!!!!!!

my rear most ujoint is done!! as in it's toast. a few years ago while on the trail i scraped over some rocks which destroyed the actual grease fitting for my ujoint..which meant i could never routinely grease the fitting..

a week and a half a go while driving home from work my rear end started making loud clanking noises..and i mean LOUD. ..we took off the driveshaft to see what was going on and found the ujoint has seized in itself..the needle bearings indexed themselves into the bearing surface of the actual joint..

tomorrow i'm replacing the ujoint with OEM toyota parts..

part number for the u-joint is 0431-0k080 Spider Kit, U-Joint

 

Whats up MP how ya been ??...

Yeah I thought it was worthy of at least asking, seems the 'yotas have some really weird issues when the driveline & joints are dry & alot of guys report back that the vibe issues & clunks have gone away just by lubing (which everyone should do religiously )...