07 2Wd V6, Im in the process of changing the 3rd member. I got the 4 bolts holding the driveshaft to the third member out and the whole shaft is loose already. I can move it forward and back out of the rear of tranny pretty freely where the slip yoke is.

The problem is that if I slide the DS forward into the slip yoke of the tranny, it stops just short of allowing me to clear the studs of the rear diff flange to let the thing drop. I can wiggle the the u-joint flange all round and it will clear one or two of the studs but not all 4 of them so that it can drop down.

If i try to hold the Ujoint "even" with the flange as i slide it all forward, I need only about another 1/8 of an inch to clear the studs.

Is there some kind of trick to this???? WTF, this should be simple right?

Please help as I'm stuck now and need to get this third member swapped before the day is over

1st and 2nd gen 4Runners play this game with their CV joints. Assuming that you really can't get the shaft any farther into the slip joint, you've got two options that I see - pound out one or two of the studs, or droop the rear axle to move the third farther away from the trans.

I think I would pound out all the studs, myself, and replace them with grade 11 bolts and locking hardware.

Did you remove the grease zerk at the slide yoke? If not, that's the problem. Grease doesn't compress. Give it somewhere to go and the shaft will shorten with little effort.

If you have to you can take one of those ratcheting tie downs, slip it through both yokes and use the ratchet action to compress the two halves of the shaft.

I got it guys....What I did was wiggle the joint so I can thread two nuts back on the studs and set them just so they are even with the end of the stud. This kept the flange from trying to fit back over those two studs. I then took a pry bar and gently pushed out the other side.

Not sure what was "giving" at that point. Perhaps the bushings for the whole rear axel, motor mounts up front? Whatever it was it gave me just enough clearance to nudge the whole thing to side and thus dropping it down.

fdbyrne, I didn't see any zerk's? I thought the 2wd shafts don't have them but ill look again.

KidVermicious, I was pretty much slamming that drive shaft up into the tranny, it was def at the end of its forward travel.

Now getting it back might still be tricky but at least I know the attitude I need to take with it.

Thanks GUYS!