spratz86

Hello all. So glad to find a T-100 forum.

I have an issue with the rear-end in my '96 T100 2wd. I've been hearing a rubbing noise (more like grating) coming from the back. I thought it might be the brakes, so I had them checked but they were OK. The mechanic said he heard it coming directly from the differential, and he could replace the entire rear-end for about $1200.

They don't do diff. work, but they have replaced rear-ends. I called around, and can get a used rear-end for about $500, but need to know the ratio and was told the only way to tell what ratio is correct is to open up the rear-end.

Driving home today, I heard two load pops. At first I thought I must have hit a rock, but then heard it again. Then leaving home I heard it a third time and it's diffenently coming from the rear-end.

Questions:
- Could this noise and the pops be worn U-Joints? If so, are they easy (for the non-mechanic) to replace?
- Should I take it to a transmission place that works on them and have them tell me what the problem is? Sorry to any mech's, but I hate trusting shops to tell me the truth. Been burned too many times.
- Does anyone know of a reputable trans place in or around Lexington, Ky?

Any advice is appreciated!

NY T100

Post your VIN and I can check it tomorrow at work to see what gear ratio you have. If you don't want to post the whole VIN, post the first 5 and the last 8 characters. That will be enough for me to search in the toyota database.

spratz86

Vin number: JT4TN12D9T0018246

Thanks!

NY T100

I ran your VIN at work and found that there were 2 ratios for your truck depending on the wheel size that came on the vehicle. If you have 15x6" wheels then the ratio is 3.91. If not, then your ratio is 3.76.

Hope this helps.

Sean

NY T100

I did a little more searching. You have a white T100 x-cab with an extra value package that includes P235/75R15 tires.

spratz86

Thanks, Sean! Pretty cool that you can get all that with the VIN. So I need the 3.91 ratio rear-end if I decide to go that route?

I starting to think this may be u-joints. I'm going to check the play in the drive-line tonight. Any tips on doing this? Should I not be able to move it at all, or is it supposed to turn, move side to side or up and down?

WileEToyote

Just get under there and hang on the driveshaft and try to shake it around. You might find a little bit of rotational slop, but lateral/vertical slop is what will tell you the joint is bad. I wasn't able to find any but I was able to see grease coming out of the joint in a way that looked like one or more roller bearings was gone.

DIY is pretty straightforward, but I wouldn't go so far as to say the first one will be easy. I get hung up myself a lot of times using too little force and frustrating myself or too much force and blowing out the part next door, thereby frustrating myself tenfold more.

The best way I found way to remove a ujoint is the BFH routine you'll find outlined all over the place. Mark the slip yoke to line it up when you reinstall it, remove it, put it in a vise and beat the holy hell out of the slip yoke around the shoulder of the ears til the cap walks up a little. Grab the cap with some vice grips and keep beating or if you've walked it up enough to grab the cap in the vise, do that and tap the yoke off the cap. Repeat with the pinion-side flange. The c-clamp presses are easier, but also lend themselves to fouling up the ears on the slip yoke and pinion flange. If the ears/holes in the slip yoke or pinion flange are wallowed out at all, they'll need to be replaced.

Go slow installing the new cap so that you get it set straight and don't bork the roller bearings by pounding it into place. I use a socket just smaller than the cap and tap right square in the center with notsuchaBFH and mind when it starts travelling off-straight and tap around the socket to correct the direction.

NY T100

Yup, the 3.91 rear end is the one you would get. Let me know if you need info on any other parts.

spratz86

Thanks for all the help!

Well, surprise (at least to me), it actually has two seperate drive lines! I hung on both and try to move them in any direction, and no such luck. Guess it's not going to be as simple as some new u-joints. Now I need to decide between taking it to someone and paying them to figure out the problem, or buying a used rear-end and slapping it in.

Like I said above, I don't know a trustworthy shop around here. On the other hand, I hate to put in a used rear-end that I don't know the type of shape it's in. Opinions?

snap-on

start by pulling the thrid to see if there are any obious bad signs. (like chunks-o-steel in the bottom of the diff)

its fairly straight forward and can be taken out and put back in a little over an hr.

once you have the third sitting on a bench its much easyer to tell if its fubar'd. at that point its easy to take it to someone for bench work (costs MUCH Less) or just bolt a new third in.

WileEToyote

Remember I said I couldn't force the play in the driveline either, it was a visual that gave it away for me, so it could still be the ujoints.

Sanp-on's got ya headed in an equally correct direction. Drain the rear and look for stuff in the pan first, inspect the magnetic plug - grey filings ok, silvery chunks not ok.

Randy's Ring and Pinion lets you download installation guides that show what correct gear pattern wear looks like. If you replace thirds, I'd use that as a guide, have the side bearings replaced and slap it in. It's rare for these rear ends to go bad unless they've been abused or super-contaminated.