Dieselfuel12v

I've been trying to track down the clicking noise I get right below my floorboard when I go in 4x4. It's speed sensitive and i'm 99% sure its the double cardan joint that goes to the t-case. If I spin it manually it's smooth with no wobble, the input shaft on the t-case is not warped at all either. The cardan joint has what seems to be alot of play in it in the middle connection. It's greasable, but I cant get a grease gun on the nipple without taking the front shaft out. Before I do that, will greasing it remove this clicking, or will I need to get a new joint there?

Thanks, Evan

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

One way to find out is to pull the shaft and grease it. While it is out, take a test spin, t-case in 4H and see if the clicking is gone or not. If it is not there, then reinstall the greased shaft and see if it is better or not. If not, it is likely a worn out CV joint. They can be rebuilt.

Dieselfuel12v

breaking out the wrenches now...i'll check back after I do these test's. Thanks

edit: The cardan joint is what is making the racket. Haven't tried it with grease yet, all I have is lithium, and I read your suppose to use moly. The driveshaft angle isn't bad, a 4" lift with 33's shouldnt be the problem, just a worn out joint? I'll try with some lithium grease just to see if it helps. If not, anyone know a good place to get a joint?

scooper

My brother had the same problem with his 83. I spent a week and rebuilt the whole front axle, replaced everything. Got it back in the truck and pulled out of the garage and the clicking was still there. Talk about upset. He's not the mechanical type so I had to do all the work. Dropped teh front shaft and he drove it and there was no clicking.. he still wasnt happy. Pulled the shaft out of my own truck and put it in his just to show him and he was happy. It got pretty late and I never took my front shaft out of the truck, I had planned to put it back in mine the next day. Unfortunately he traded his 83 for a chevy LUV and traded MY shaft with it.. I had just put a new set of 33's and a 4" trail master lift on his truck and rebuilt the whole front end of the truck.. Over 3k invested and traded it .. for a POS chevy LUV.. and to top it off, about 2 weeks later he sold the LUV for 500.00 cash.

I no longer work on his vehicles.

Dieselfuel12v

You must love your brother .

So....anyone got a spare front driveshaft? Or know where I can get a new dual cardan shaft piece?

bpayne88

"inch worm", marlin or tom woods. would be your best bets. they have waranty

425Runner

you try NIX 99 in MT. Lake Terrace

Dieselfuel12v

good call ^. I got my harmonic balancer for a toyota I had years back through them, but forgot they existed.

425Runner

Yeah I just got the '80 you see in my sig. I have a feeling that they will end up being the new recipient of my paychecks.

Dieselfuel12v

Well, I took the upper part out and greased it hoping it would solve the noise. It helped in low rpm situations, but once u get going the noise is still there, somewhat dampened though because of the grease. I found someone with a replacement, so i'll pick that up tomorrow and see if it was the ticket.

Dieselfuel12v

I got the replacement driveshaft today, but what do you know, it binds up when u spin it by hand. It looks like a small metal nub in the middle part of the cardon joint is getting stuck on a piece of metal in the joint. Hard to explain, but wtf...... Im about to just try and tear it apart and grind all that down so it can rotate free. I've never taken a universal joint out, so Im pretty lost here.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like you have a later model (IFS) CV joint in there, they have less angle capability than the older solid axle joints:
- http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/cvmod/

Dieselfuel12v

I learned all about universal joints today, lol. Tore it apart and ground off the nub, and still need to grind another piece of metal that is causing a bind. I didnt have time to finish yet, but I need to take the second set of caps off the universal joint to remove it completely to grind the piece off. One side of the universal joint had no grease, was rusted, and the bearing was melted, lol.

Dieselfuel12v

well, I ruined that driveshaft. cut to much metal off, so now the cv joint droops. It had a siezed u-joint anyway, but that would have been a easy fix.

I guess I gotta find ANOTHER driveshaft now.

Dieselfuel12v

I noticed something today, if I leave both hubs unlocked and go in 4x4, the driveshaft doesnt make any noises and spins nicely. When I engage the hubs and go in 4x4, then it clicks when u go above like 5mph. Is this just because now the driveshaft has to work to push the tires, so it clicks from being worn out? Or do you think I can clearance it somewhere specific to get rid of the noise?

refried

Maybe he dosen't trust his mechanics work

Dieselfuel12v

If I buy another driveshaft and have this same problem, im gonna be at a loss.

snailwagon

I just finished rebuilding the front driveshaft on my 81. Mine did the exact same clunking, and in the same way as you described. It made a little, but not as much noise with the hubs unlocked but the t/case in. I could also get the noise to go away above 3K rpm or so. As you found, the u-joints are a bitch to get out. They are a lot easier to reinstall though using a press and two sockets. You can rent U-joint presses/removers from autozone for free.

The clunk comes from the cardan, but you also need to check the splines on the driveshaft. If you can get the joint apart you can tell if its dead. I've been going through an ordeal trying to get a driveshaft going. No luck from all of the local junkyards, and the only driveshaft shop in a 45 miles radius wanted $350 to put a ford CV on instead. Finally I just ordered the parts to redo the shaft. I got them from www.rockauto.com ; which had the cheapest prices. Northwest Offroad also carries the parts. On mine I had to replace the yoke flange (precision #623, $80) because the inner pin was so worn. The cardan joint was only $39 (precision #613). I did the u-joints anyways since I had it apart and they were under $20 each. If you messed up the H-Joint piece, those are cheap and available new.

Or, you can find a used one possibly, or buy a brand new one. If you are not going to need an upgraded shaft, you can get a new one from rockauto.com or from Napa to the tune of $300-350. I couldn't afford a Woods or High Angle driveline option so rebuilt it for $170.

Dieselfuel12v

Thanks for the reply. Im picking up another used one this week, this time I know alittle more of what symptoms will cause a problem. The center part seems to be whats giving me a problem, the little ball socket thing. But I cant figure out if I can grind away some of it or not.

Dieselfuel12v

im starting to think I should just rebuild my driveshaft with some new parts.

Yoke w/ball stud
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...8,partGroup,17

pivot ball kit
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...9,partGroup,17

U-joints
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...t,partGroup,17

Anyone had luck doing this?