Hey everybody, i was just wondering from anyone with experience with this, How hard is it to install a diff drop spacer on a 3rd gen 99 4runner?

 

super easy ! drop the skid see the two big bolts wiz those out install the diff drop tighten it back up

 

It's not worth your time or money.
All it does is rotate the front of your diff down using the back diff mount as it's fulcrum.

 

i disagree... at $25 for the kit, plus half an hour to install it, i think it's worth the time and the money considering that it partly corrects the front CV shaft angle if you have lifted your truck a couple inches...

the ONE thing that really does piss me off, is that the factory skid plate doesn't go back on the same way, as the diff mounts now touch the skid plate..

 

yea, see the pics above & super easy. Rather than spending $25 for the spacers, ive just stacked washers instead to gain the 1" drop = $2 at your local hardware store.

 

Let me know how you enjoy replacing your pinion bearing once it gets oil starved. Just saying.

 

Oh no. The start of this controversy again.

Have a considerable amount of people run into this problem of pinion oil starvation?

 

Has anyone taken before and after pics measuring how much the CV's actually drop? It obviously isn't 1" (for a 1" diff drop at least).

I decided not to install my diff drop kit, but that was largely because those big bolts are rusted on mine.

 

im just wondering because i about to lift the front about 2.5 inches and the rear about 3 to 3.5 inches

 

The Diff Drop Debate!

I did the diff drop. Do I NEED the drop? Probably not. I think it is cheap/easy insurance. It should prolong CV life.

I dropped my skidplate and did an oil change. I didn't remove my diff drop and measure but as others have said you aren't dropping the whole diff, just rotating it. The rear, driveshaft side, mount is 6" from the axle centerline. The front, where the drops go in, is 7" from the axle centerline. There for when you drop the front 1" the actual axle centerline only drops .462" (~15/32") Just under 1/2". It's hard to tell what strain it takes off the CVs when wheeling and you have full droop.

Is it worth it? That is up to you. I'm leaving mine in.

 

my front diff was filled prior to doing the diff drop, with the nose of my truck on ramps... so my front differential is filled waaay past the fill bolt if my truck is level... i don't think i'll run into this issue...

 

is that way too full?

 

Did anyone have any vibration problems that the kit eliminated?

 

If you actually put an angle gauge on your cv axle it does lessen the angle so yes it is worth it.

 

I got 323k on my 4 runner and at least half of that with my diff drop. No oil starve issues and cv axles have not failed. Worth the 25 bucks.