I've got an 88 4Runner V6 manual w/235K. Awesome truck, I love it.

About a year and a half ago I replaced the stock rear springs with OME. Install went well enough for someone with my limited skill. Afterword she shook like a sonofabitch however. Realized the lift screwed up the alignment of the driveshaft. After about 6 months of shimmying I got a guy to make up a couple shims to correct the DS angle. The driveshaft was aligned but it still shimmyed a little and got pretty loud on the highway.

This past week I took her on a 400 mile highway drive. Realized today the rear diff was totally dry. Completely. My lazy ass hadn't check it since my son was born a year ago. It sounds like there's a coke can floating around in there.

In addition, now she's shimmying like before I installed the shims.

Question for you guys with much more knowledge/experience than I... Any good articles out there on rear diff rebuilds? And, what are the chances I torqued my driveshaft back when I lifted it 2" and the recent highway driving torqued it further. (The driveshaft looks straight to my untrained eye)

Thanks...

 

Sounds like you got your u-joints out of phase. Your diff shouldn't just go dry.

 

x2 sounds like u-joint

edit: I have 4" of lift in the rear and have used shims and not used shims no shimmys or shakes either way.

 

ome springs shouldnt be high enough to require shims. I agree, probly your u-joints bad, and yea, thats wierd that you diff would just go dry.....maybee someone really needed 90W and siphoned it out of your axle.

 

Or, maybe it leaked out the plug or axle seals.


You've probably ruined the diff and your U-joints sounds like they're cooked. Used diffs aren't expensive. I'm assuming you have a 4.10 diff which you can pick up for between $25 and 60.

Try lubing the U-joints one at a time to figure out which one is the problem, or just check for play if they're bad.