what driveshafts are you guys using? I have square tube front and rear, they are strong as hell, but they are not balanced and they are noisy. On slow speeds they are ok, but around here there is a lot of driving to get from trail to trail (and around the mall parking lot) so I want something a little more user friendly. I dont WANT to spend a grand on custom shafts from the big manufacturers, but if that is the right thing to do then I guess i need to start rolling my pennies up. Anyone have left overs they cant use anymore that may be useable on mine? engine pushed back 8", linked rear, leaf sprung front, dual cases. I can get measurements if it helps. otherwise, what are you guys doing. I need something pretty strong in the rear because with the links I have been known to get high-centered on my rear driveshaft and the stock tube just pretzels up. thanks

seen the trail gear kit? im not running it but it looks decent.

http://www.trail-gear.com/drive-shaft-kit

It was even on the first page :laughing:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=913172

Just get a rear retubed local to heavy wall tube, .180-.250 wall. Similar with the front, once you get a long slip, or see if the local shops have a source for long slip.

We've built a number of our own driveshafts here, but never for a customer. Theyre not hard, machine yokes/tube, press together, phase yokes, tack, check in a lathe for straight, weld away.

Tachedoutoffroad sent me one last week that should bolt up. Mine is 44" flange to flange in the rear.

That same day, I got word from the driveshaft shop that my new driveshaft was ready :mad3: I thought they had given up on salvaging my stuff from the square driveshaft I took them.

Anyway, I have a rear shaft I can send you for what I gave him. I paid $60 shipped. Cover that and $15 for me to send it to you and you can get a good rear shaft.

That is what I am thinking. Just keep the front shaft square and the rear shaft good. That way if you need to drive to the trail, unlock the hubs and haul ass.

Tachedoutoffroad sent me one last week that should bolt up. Mine is 44" flange to flange in the rear.

That same day, I got word from the driveshaft shop that my new driveshaft was ready :mad3: I thought they had given up on salvaging my stuff from the square driveshaft I took them.

Anyway, I have a rear shaft I can send you for what I gave him. I paid $60 shipped. Cover that and $15 for me to send it to you and you can get a good rear shaft.

That is what I am thinking. Just keep the front shaft square and the rear shaft good. That way if you need to drive to the trail, unlock the hubs and haul ass.

4 seater, single case? That sounds nearly stock length, our rear is 26" I think!

4 seat double case.....hmmmmm........maybe I am wrong.

If I had cores to work with They would be a bit less than a grand - Jess

4 seater, single case? That sounds nearly stock length, our rear is 26" I think!

113" wheelbase, duals, 44" rear driveshaft....just checked.

BTW, the new driveshaft is in and it drives 100% better with a balanced rear shaft than that dopey square thing. It cost $400 but it was worth it.

I have the one from tachedoutofftoad I can send you...I won't even unwrap it.....

113" wheelbase, duals, 44" rear driveshaft....just checked.

BTW, the new driveshaft is in and it drives 100% better with a balanced rear shaft than that dopey square thing. It cost $400 but it was worth it.

I have the one from tachedoutofftoad I can send you...I won't even unwrap it.....

I haven't taken the $$ out of paypal yet if you want to mail it back and just lose shipping and I'll refund you. It really doesn't matter to me. If it wasn't the truth, I wouldn't post it on the Internet :D I don't want you to be stuck with my garbage.

If dude wants it, it's been retubed, I don't know with what, but it was a little smaller diameter but weighed like 3 pounds more.

Anyone running the TG drive shafts? how well do they hold up and balance?

Not for mine but for a 86 4runner, just seeing if anyone has run them since price seems decent

I haven't taken the $$ out of paypal yet if you want to mail it back and just lose shipping and I'll refund you. It really doesn't matter to me. If it wasn't the truth, I wouldn't post it on the Internet :D I don't want you to be stuck with my garbage.

If dude wants it, it's been retubed, I don't know with what, but it was a little smaller diameter but weighed like 3 pounds more.

No way, I thought I needed it. Turns out the DS shop and I were not on the same page...that's cool.

If I can flip the same deal you made me to a fellow Ftoy guy, I will be glad to.

I build all my drive shafts for Toyota stuff using 2.5" sch 40 pipe from lowes/home depot or your local plumbing or electrical shop. The toyota stuff fits in there almost perfect and they are almost 1/4 thick pipe.

Do they balance? Nope but I usually drag them across so many rocks etc it doesn't matter. I do preffer them to sq drive shafts though. I can't stand the clanking those make. I also run the tg front longtravel kit and it works fine.

When ever possible use Oem toyota stuff its best - Jess

Davez off road has a 18" slip DIY kit and Trail Gear has a 10" DIY kit.

Balanced or not, anything is better than square IMO

What I did for driveshafts was to hit the junk yard for Toy parts and had our local guy build them for me. The local guy is Bruce at High Desert and has done most of the FToys up here in the high desert. Know you guys don't live here, but sure you have a driveshaft guy in your area. I found out that there are two different CV joints, one has more useful angle than the others. Don't remember how to tell the differences right now. Try a couple. It is real obvious.There are also different bolt patterns, so get the matching yokes while you are at it . For the front we went with the Trail Gear long engagements. I think we built them out of 0.25 inch wall DOM. I think I paid $50-75 per stock driveshaft. I believe Bruce told me the CVs from Toyota were about $200 new, but he has not seen an issue with good used ones and saves quite a bit of money.

What Rich said. Whenever I am parting out an old Toy, I save the drivelines for parts for later! :laughing: It's crazy that you can usually grab them for free off of a parted truck, they're $50-75 at the junkyard, $60 for a new ujoint alone, and $200 for a new CV alone!!!

The CV's with the most angle are from the 84-85 solid axle fronts. The 79-82 cv's had an 8mm driveline to flange bolt, but you can redrill the ears. You can also look up ErikB's "cv clearancing" article on 4x4wire.com and make any CV a high-angle CV.

From what I've read, all toy minitruck ujoints (single cardan) are the same, and all toy minitruck CV ujoints (double cardan) are the same. What Jess said--only use OEM Toyota ujoints (or Rockford) for replacement. They are very expensive--so another x2 on what Rich said--use good used ones!

CV's had a larger flange at the t-case. You can grab a pair of these and put them front and rear on your t-case and redrill them for 3 (or 4 if you measure carefully) different patterns.

I was the one who started clearancing c/v's 11 years ago , Not that it matters really . I would not use rockford U joints there not a very good fit in my opinion, We sell Oem Joints for around 30$ , and try to use the 85 and newer stuff even though the early c/v's flex good the parts inside suck . Jess