TravRich

Entire t100 unit, going to try to exchange the ones I have now and tell them I bought the wrong part on accident since they carry a lifetime warranty.

Included a picture, courtesy of paint, of the axle separation I'm talking about.

Zpd426

Ya thats what im talking about also. Here check out this diagram. I would pull the whole thing out and look for damage but most likely you just broke the snap ring

http://www.toyotapartswarehouse.com/...iagram=F809205

TravRich

Oh sorry I think I misunderstood the question. I'm going to keep the same axle, if it isn't ruined, and just go get the t100 half shafts. But thanks for the diagram, that will come in handy when I finally get around to inspecting it.

BlazeN8

You got some sort of frankenstein creation going on underneath your ride. I see Rancho's front cross member bracket lowering the diff (1.5"). I can't identify the control arms? Possibly Downey +2 but more likely an old TC (+3 something) If your LCA is in the 18" range that is about the length of a T-100 CV plug in style long arm kit. The Tie Rod Adjusting sleeves are custom made to begin with but then have been cut and sleeved for an altered length. Is the UCA using the factory cross shaft?

The factory upper shock tabs (pin mount) have been cut off. It looks like some sort of shock tower has been bolted to the three bolt cross shaft attachment. This is asking for trouble as now you are compounding the torsion bar load, the UCA load, and the shock load onto the three bolts. If there is no shock hoop dividing the load you will rip those three bolts out of the frame.

By lowering the diff with that Rancho cross member you are going to be grading the crown of the trail with the cross member hanging so low and also assuring the CVs will have geometry issues as plunge and angles are affected.

You may consider installing a factory front cross member and T-100 CVs. But, it may be the T-100 CVs will be too long? If it is a TC kit I'd send them an e-mail with a link to this post and see if they will provide some customer support. My guess is it is a knock off and the control arm lengths are only 3" longer per side (a common miss conception of length increase) and they need to be a minimum of 3.25" for the T-100 CVs to work. Maybe that is why they used the Rancho cross member to lower the diff? Was it an attempt to correct geometry in the CV? I can only speculate!

TravRich

The guy I bought it from wanted to turn it into a pre runner, so the entire front in was out and in the bed so i have no idea what all of it is and he isn' answering my calls/texts. So what I've gathered so far is get some T100 halfshafts and hope for the best?

BlazeN8

Yep, that's a good plan! T-100 CVs are cheap at just about any auto parts store chain. Also consider some of the other points I mentioned. Keep us posted!

TravRich

Well he finally got back to me after three days.. Who doesn't check their phone for three days? Anyways, he said it was a TC kit he put on their. I asked him if he remembered which kit, waiting.....

TravRich

Didn't have to wait for three days this time, he said when he bought it it was advertised as a TC ball joint kit and the website said it is meant to work with T100 half shaft. Gonna give it a try. As a secondary question, anyone have any luck switching out parts at oreilys because you "bought" the wrong one? As in, if I take in my halfshafts, not broken, will they exchange for T100 ones? They have a lifetime warranty and I don't mind paying the difference at all

BlazeN8

I'd think if you cleaned them up and boxed up in the original packaging so they didn't look like they were installed maybe. Choose your wording carefully when you speak with the counter person. Maybe they will sympathize with your situation and work with you!

If it is a legit TC BJ kit then definitely replace that Rancho Diff Drop Cross member and go back to factory. Also I would keep tabs on those modified Tie Rod Adjusting Sleeve. Its suspicious as to why they have been modified. Its obvious that truck at some point had a Rancho kit on it. I still see a pivot saddle slug in the frame on one of the photos. I could see the tie rod adj slve being a Rancho unit that needed to be lengthened.

TravRich

Good to go, but why the factory over rancho? And I'm sorta new to Toyotas and vehicles in general. Could you give me some details on what you mean?

Zpd426

Weird I got a delayed update of this thread and I was going to post something already answered by N8.

Anyways. The TC kit doesnt need that Diff drop dirt anchor. You wont loose any travel or be in danger of maxing out your CV. You will just gain clearance.

It looks like you still have your factory upper and lower bumps so your fine

StewsRunner

iTrader: (1)

Just tell them that you just got this truck and still do not know the difference between a pickup and T100. . maybe park your truck in a different parking lot

BlazeN8

As Zach said the Rancho front cross member is a "diff drop dirt anchor" Rancho used this design as a way to lower the differential assembly so as to maintain the CVs working within their limits. The Rancho design was intended to be a 3" lift..... but what it actually did was add 3" additional down travel. The downside is you lost a couple of inches of running ground clearance as the suspension compressed.

Even when going back to the factory cross member and 33" tall tires you will find when pre-running, with large whoops and a high crown in the road, as the suspension is compressed the cross member will get hung up.

The Rancho design was capable of 10-11" of travel but that loss of 2" of ground clearance. Downey made a custom slip yoke axle shaft that allowed the Rancho UCAs without lowering the differential. This may have been the commercial birth place of LT on the Toyota IFS?

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

If that doesn't mean you got em swapped out already.. The counter person has the option to refund instead of exchange parts for warrenty, according to thier posted policies.

BlazeN8

Sometimes we don't consider how a return affects the big picture. From the store to the mfg a return means a loss. The charges from the transaction, the shipping, the re-packaging. To sell again as new(if that is even possible) are just of the few things to take note of.

I'm glad to hear TravRich is offering to pay for the return fees. It makes sense since it was his mistake. Very reasonable attitude!

TravRich

Anyone know if the year of t100 matters?