mpwarfy

Does anyone know the answer to this? It looks like the pinion seal was a 200 dollar band aid because I'm getting noise from back there from 45 plus mph but only when my foot is on the gas. I believe I found some 4.10 3rds for 45 a piece and its going to be a down grade but it's better than nothing... I'm pretty sure I can do this but I know everything has to be lined up correctly.

GuitarMike

Hi Warfy....I'm sure in the factory they probably balanced all the flanges and U joints etc. to each other, but I have it on pretty good information that the real deal is keeping the U joints balance with respect to each OTHER. As long as you didn't change the relationship between your U's, just bolt the new pig on there.
If you see the trace of the old U's from the truck it came off of, you can go to those marks, too.

Should be a pretty straight-forward job; the only PITA is having to slide the axles out a little to get the new one in. Definitely a do-able job, though!
You are sure your U joints are good? They can cause strange symptoms if they're getting loose....

Hope this helps! I did my own 3rd, and have had no issues from 'out of phase' between shaft and companion flange...

mpwarfy

Thanks mike, when the truck is in park and I get under there I cant get any play in the drive shaft but if it's in neutral I can get it to move some. Not a lot but some. I guess I need to search for for bad u joints so I can be 100% that's not part of it as well. The truck also shakes a bit when this starts getting loud and I can feel it through the floorboard. I thought the noise was the wind until I took my foot off the gas and it went away.

mpwarfy

Also It did not make this noise when it was leaking. It started when I got the rear pinion seal replaced.

GuitarMike

I used to think the 'slop' from shaft thru the diff was how to check them, but it's not....you have to grab both parts of the U joint and try to move them up and down, and side to side. You shouldn't be allowing the shaft or the flange to move....the problem will be in the joint itself. One hand on either U joint is how to do it. You may have to really push! We're only talking about 1mm of play; just enough to see a very slight movement. Took me about 10 tries to figure out my front Cardan joint was bad, but once I held it right, it moved like a son of a gun...I also noted the 'slop' when you try to rotate it - but the rotation isn't the point with U joints, rather, it's how the 2 parts relate to each other. They should be 100% tight.
Check them at the tranny output AND the rear end....

BTW - if you had the oil seal replaced, its 'failure mode' would be to leak again, spraying gear oil all over (which you would smell in spades, LOL!). If the bearing inside is bad, it would growl - I'd suspect it would start at low speed and sound progressively worse. When they changed the oil seal, I doubt they were able to pre-load the bearing correctly - kind of need Toyota to do that (or perform some real magic at home!).....my friend, certified Yota technician, was not able to load it properly and explained all this to me. If you change the seal, you're almost certainly on 'borrowed time', 10K miles or 2K, nobody can say...(guru feel free to correct my assumption here) - I think it's too soon for it to be failing. Rear end noise is often attributed to a bad 3rd member, when U joints are a more common part to wear out.

Test up those U's, don't be gentle! Look for ANY play between them - if so, they're toast.
And - if the pig has had the oil seal done, I'd just count on changing it again (DIY) anyway as you have time, down the road. Doing them right takes a shop that's set up to do rear end work, usually not your regular mechanic.

GuitarMike

I just noted your 2nd reply....good chance the 3rd is done, but be sure of those U's!! ;o)
Mine is doing the same thing, and I am going to swap my 3rd also, but if there's a bad U it will do similar things.

Like chasing a ghost, isn't it? lol

mpwarfy

Lol yes it is mike a ghost that @&$#s oil in my driveway. I think if the 3rds I can get on the cheap weren't 4.10s I wouldn't be second guessing myself on this I would just swap.

GuitarMike

Yeah, it stinks, for sure....there HAS to be a place to find a 3rd with a 4.30 ratio....have you tried Craigslist?? My friend finds lockers and things like that on there ALL the time! Too bad you're not close - we have Toyotafarm up here - maybe there's a parts place like that near you? Definitely go with the recommended (stock) ratio, unless you really think you're gonna get huge tires. Sounds like for now, you need to get it going, and get those ghosts cured!
I bet I need to change out my 3rd, also, and my U's are suspect, too. Just take it a step at a time....and with the right 3rd being available (somewhere!) for under $100, you really can't go too wrong, I think.

mpwarfy

yeah i have checked cl and i go to the 2 pull a part type places here a few times a week. Toyota trucks and runners get picked clean here pretty quick.

I went out put the truck in neutral and started shaking the shaft. after the neighbors stopped throwing rocks at me I got under the truck and to the best of my ability checked the u joints. what i noticed was a clicking sound from the middle of the drive shaft is that the slop you were referring to? I think you are right about the 3rd being done... its already leaking again... its not leaking like before but its leaking. sorry about the horrible joke above

GuitarMike

Not sure, MP - if the U's are bad, the noise or movement will be right at the joint, and nowhere else. It might even be best if the truck is in 1st...you don't WANT the shaft to move, only the joints! No turning the shaft - that is the wrong direction to be trying to move things....you want one U to be pressed up, and the other coming down, if that makes sense...You hold the actual "U" part, and watch the rod that goes thru the other one...

By slop, I mean if the truck is in gear and you can turn the shaft a little before it engages inside the diff....a small amount is normal, very much and something is wrong.



Look at this pic - no, yours isn't quite like this, but same principle.
http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/mainte...driveshaft.jpg

Grab the left hand U at 12:00 and 6:00, and with other hand, grab the one next to it, 90 degrees apart (where the detents are). You then have to really try to make them move internally, with respect to only each other. It might take effort, due to grease build-up...they shouldn't go up or down, or rattle, so to speak. There is a 'spider' in there, an "X" shaped piece that has bearings...when they go bad, things vibrate (with increasing badness!). What you need to do is see if they are shot.

Yeah, if there's oil coming from the third, you need a new one! Put it on the list.....

GuitarMike

Here's one that's wasted!

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/d...aft/ujoint.jpg