I've been told my front driveshaft has a binding spot and needs to be rebuilt. I feel like I used to know this stuff back when I had my last Toyota....but it's faded...When I'm not using 4wd, is the front driveshaft turning? Right now I just want to get this truck running so I can sell my car. It's going to be my DD. I'll need 4wd in the winter, maybe sooner if I take the truck out on some trails, but I'm just wondering if the front shaft is something that can wait, or if it needs to be done right away. Rebuild is expensive..

 

shaft only turns in 4wd....you can always pull the shaft and run 2wd til you can afford the work

 

Thank you again!

 

make sure you hubs are unlocked.

 

Whats wrong with your shaft?

bad u-joint?

 

Ok.

I actually don't know what's wrong with it.....when I bought the truck I brought it in to a local "Toyota's Only" shop and they printed me out a list, in order of priority, of what was wrong with it. One item was "front driveshaft has a binding spot, needs rebuild" or something very similar to that. That's really all I know. I'm just going down the list...

 

could it be, "front driveshaft has a binding spot, needs lubrication..."

 

Check it out yourself. How? Lay underneath the front end and turn the front shaft by hand (t-case in 2H and front hubs unlocked). Should be able to feel it it is binding. If so, see if you can isolate where the binding is occurring.

 

Ok. Isolate it and..............?
I'm guessing if all it needed was lubrication the mechanic would have said so, he doesn't do the rebuilding and he's a good mechanic so it's not like he's trying to make extra money off me.

Thanks!

 

Isolate the source of the binding, if it does exist, and then fix it. How to isolate the problem? Unbolt the driveshaft and run each joint through it's range of motion and feel for any binding, grittiness or slop and if found, that is likely the cause of the problem. Might be a u-joint gone bad, easy enough to replace. Might be the CV joint, a little harder to repair.

 

Ok, thank you.

 

The hardcore details @
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b.../3propelle.pdf

If needed, all of the U-joints, including the Double Carden, are available at the usual outlets (PartsAmerika, 'Zone, NAPPY...). A big vice will help. A press more so.

Once it's out, do it at your leisure. The money you save by doing it yourself can be spent on tools!