I removed my differential drop today while having my new Demello Offroad skid plate put on. When I originally put it in I never bothered to look and see if it made a difference or not. I took pictures today right before and after I removed it. I'm not saying it wont help some people but by eyeballing it it didn't help me.

Driver's Side Before Removal(with spacer in)


Passenger's Side Before Rmeoval(with spacer in)


Driver's Side After Removal(spacer out)


Passenger Side After Removal(spacer out)


As you can see the same two fins, second and third in from the wheels, still touch and nothing else. Take it for what it's worth.

 

I know this is an older post, but I was wondering about the differential drop. My leaf springs will need replacing in the near future as well as the shocks. I'm playing with the idea of replacing the leafs and installing coilovers, which will give me some lift. I was thinking about doing the drop. I have manual hubs, so it is not critical, but I was still curious.

From what I have read, some say the differential drop is good and others say it really doesn't do much at all. Matt's pictures seem to indicate it doesn't really do much.

Any more input on this subject?

 

Is it completely going to level your CV angles back to stock? No. Will it help reduce the angles, and possibly help with long-term wear and tear? Absolutely. For such a cheap part, and so easy to install, it seems like a no brainer to me.

 

i wonder if Roger Brown's diff. drop works on all years?

 

Good question. They're just a metal spacer, so I'm not sure why not...

 

Have not run into any problems fitting my 1" diff drop into any year Tacoma or 3rd gen 4Runner:

http://www.4Crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/DiffDrop.shtml

In the above photos, it does look like the diff drop did reduce the CV joint angles (2 boot ribs touching with the drop in place, 3 ribs touching afterwards). Sure, it does not make the axle run horizontal, but it reduces the angle and a small angle change can make a big change in joint strength and life.

I recall some birfield joint testing Marlin Crawler did and there was a dramatic change in strength beyond a certain angle (forget the exact # of degrees). Below that angle and the axle shaft/splines would break before the joint did, after that angle the joint would break first and the breaking torque fell to about 1/2 to 1/3 the maximum as the angle hit the maximum.

 

Actually the same two ribs are touching with it in and with it out. I think it's kind of vehicle dependant. Some people have great success and some don't

I'm only running about 2-2.5 inches of lift up front. I gave the spacers to a friend and it helped him out. He went from three touching to two touching.

My "spacer in" photos are kind of crappy because it was in Demello's shop without much light to work with.

As I said your mileage may vary.

Also, Roger's product is top notch and made with quality materials. I just removed it because it didn't seem to help in my case and I was having a skid plate from Demello put on where the diff drop would have interferred with the mounting of it.

 

Looking at the ribs in the before picture, I see:

1-2-3-45-6

And in the after (diff drop removed), I see:

1-2-3-456

But yes, at 2" of lift, you are still within the good angle range on the CV. Its when you get into the 2.5"-3" range than the angle increases and the drop does more good. And it is not like the CV will "grenade" the first mile with a 3" lift and will last forever with a 2" lift, its all a matter of relative strength and service life. The higher the angle, the lower the strength and the shorter the service life.

 

Hijacked thread!! Sorry for doing this, but I have the same coilover that Darx has and have it set at 2.25" of lift. I rub alot and have been concerned about going another .25" higher. I do have your diff drop...do you think it's safe to crank it to 2.5" of lift?

Thanks

 

I've got the Daystar 2-1/2 inch kit on my Runner. I've been told that a diff drop kit with less than 3 inches of lift is a total waste of time. The tech people at Wheelers said the angles would be fine with less than 3" anyway. My lift has been on for 6 months so far with no problems.

 

Well I'd imagine the diff drop would be a benefit. The less angle the less wear, so although the CV can support the lift it will wear it out ever more slightly then stock levels.

You probably wont have a problem though.

I guess its kinda like the standard radiation comparison. Alot of radiation will kill you fast, a little radiation will kill you slow. There is no healthy amount.