ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Hey 4runner_guy-
Long time, no hear Those factory uj's are the best there are so I guess I would say go for a whole "new used" DS. Also, those factory uj's are the hardest to press out...they are in there very tight and the dealer uj is pricey at about 30~40 each I think. Never been a fan of some of the after-market ones....Checker uj's suck......Pepboys seems to have a nice cheap one that seems to last. But before you replace the uj or the whole ds, it is really a good idea to phase that ds. Phasing is easy....the 2 most INNER "C's" need to be aligned with each other....so take the lower slip end off out and rotate it 90 degrees then re-insert. Apply new grease to the splines while it's apart.

Notice there is also a spot-welded weight on the slip end....there may also be one on the transmission end. 50/50 chance that you rotated the slip the 90 degrees in the right direction but that balance prob may not even be noticed compared to the phase issue. I have 'experience' with the phase issue when I was building a Sami with Ford 9inch on both ends....I did not understand phasing then and drove it all the way to California to deliver it with the wrong phase.....it didn't make so much the noise issue but it did slow down faster on it's own.....I would push the clutch in and it kinda coasted but slowed down faster than normal...kinda like the brakes were lightly applied. Maybe you notice the same thing? That is what phasing can do.

So....you have the cheap $75 rear kick-ass lift.....the "free" 1.25" crank the torsion bar lift.......does it still ride unbelievably good?

ps--Usually, it's the lower UJ that goes out first.....unsure why that is exactly. To determine if the uj is bad just get under there and rotate the ds back and forth by hand(wiggle it mostly). The ds most not be under any tension so you can leave your auto in PARK but no emergency brake so do it on level ground. UJ's can have some up/down left/right slop....but they shouldn't have any visual rotational play. If it is real obvious then, ya, you do have a bad uj.

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

This is a copy/paste from your post...

"I'm trying to make it make sense but its difficult to follow what you're saying. From what I "think" you are saying is that both drive shaft should be in sync? So you're saying that I can slide any part of the driveshaft either from the transmission or the axel end? "

Ya, so remove the 4 bolts that hold the lower ds flange, separate the flange from the pinion flange.....pull the driveshaft out of the upper slip joint, grease it, and then re-insert it so that the 2 inner C's are "sync'd". It has nothing to do with the 4 bolts and the 4 holes by the way. Done.

Edit- I can see why you have the noise issue that sounded like it was coming from the tranny....you have the slip joint up near the top end and the phasing issue caused the upper uj(which is operated thru a steep angle) to rattle the nearby slip joint. If you had the slip near the bottom (near the ring and pinion) then the phasing noise would probably be "different". Some people leave the slip up (like yours)...and some turn the whole ds around and have it at the bottom. Some argue that it has better rock clearances that way. But leave yours at the top like it is.

4runner_guy

I see. So is there anything I need to do, mark, and etc before I go ahead and take it apart or does it not matter as long as I align the drive shaft? Does it matter if I unbolt from the transfer case or at the rear diffs? Thx again Zuk.

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Sure....it's probably a little easier to slip it out and re-align it on the tcase end. No need to mark anything. While you have the ds flange off on the tcase side, best to make sure the 30mm nut is not loose...if so, 90 ft/lb...... or as tight as you can get it.

4runner_guy

Alright, so I just got done aligning the drive shaft and took it for a drive....2-3 minutes later, I STILL get the driveline vibration noise! Argh! I guess it's back to the drawing board because I now have no ideas as to what is contributing to making that noise. Anyhow, here is some pictures that I took of the drive shaft when it was re-aligned and some photos of the truck in it's current state. The truck looks a lot better and still rides like a dream .

Rear diffs:

Front T-case:

The truck w/ new 1.5 BJ spacers:
Before:
After:





Lol! Now that the front is a bit higher, I want to see if a AAL and longer shackles would help raise the rear an inch or two to help level it out. We'll see, stay tuned. Much Thx everyone and ZUK especially for the help.