1997 4runner double cardan joint vs u joint

GunslingerT4R

GunslingerT4R

New member
Hey y'all
Got another question for you. Took my rear drive shaft out and low and behold no more noise. I'm trying to figure out which joint is which.
Thanks
4b279686682a7d46c02fce5dd33548c5.jpg


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I'm not even seeing any question asked in your post.
The picture is of the DC, and the u-joint is at the diff- is that what you were wondering?


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Sorry for the confusion. Yes I meant to ask that. I wrote this on my way to work around 330 am. Is it possible to replace the DC?

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it looks like the two spider assemblies, cross shafts, or whatever toyota calls them are removable. Cant you remove a few circlips and press the joints apart?

A universal joint (universal coupling, U-joint, Cardan joint, Spicer or Hardy Spicer joint, or Hooke's joint) is a joint or coupling in a rigid rod whose axis are inclined to each other, and is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion.
 
With the driveshaft out, wiggle each joint around. If something is bad enough to cause noise, it should be fairly evident when wiggling them by hand.

I've replaced u-joints before, it's not hard, just a combination of finicky and brute force. I've never messed with replacing the u-joints in a double-cardon before, it looks like it adds a whole extra level of finickiness.

Depending on how many miles are on your truck, I'd probably just go ahead and replace all 3 u-joints. If one is bad, the others probably aren't far behind.
 
You wont want to rebuild a DC. They're a complete pain in the ass. The noise you're getting is likely from the single u-joint (rear diff end) as that's typically the culprit for wearing out on these vehicles after some time.

If it is fact your DC, take it somewhere to be rebuilt or just replace the ds. Be sure to have a new ds balanced before you go throwing it under the vehicle.
 
JWaldz said:
You wont want to rebuild a DC. They're a complete pain in the ass. The noise you're getting is likely from the single u-joint (rear diff end) as that's typically the culprit for wearing out on these vehicles after some time.

If it is fact your DC, take it somewhere to be rebuilt or just replace the ds. Be sure to have a new ds balanced before you go throwing it under the vehicle.
Click to expand...
I grabbed on the ds and it's one of the ones near the front of the rear drive shaft with some movement. Is it the same part to replace the cardan joint as a u joint? It doesn't look too difficult. U joints aren't too bad to replace.

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The difficulty of replacing the u-joints and centering ball that make up the double cardan joint is not necessarily the work itself but finding quality parts for the rebuild. If you do a search on this subject, you'll find threads that discuss this in length. There are places that are known to rebuild the double cardan joint but they're secretive of where they source the parts from.

After doing research on this, I decided if my double cardan ever needed repair, I'd probably just buy a driveshaft from Tom Woods or other reputable aftermarket builder of driveshafts.
 
mtbtim said:
The difficulty of replacing the u-joints and centering ball that make up the double cardan joint is not necessarily the work itself but finding quality parts for the rebuild. If you do a search on this subject, you'll find threads that discuss this in length. There are places that are known to rebuild the double cardan joint but they're secretive of where they source the parts from.

After doing research on this, I decided if my double cardan ever needed repair, I'd probably just buy a driveshaft from Tom Woods or other reputable aftermarket builder of driveshafts.
Click to expand...

X2...

Had the same problem, and had a driveshaft built by a local shop (would be local to you too, if your in Md). I posted a bunch of info on this a few years ago. Do more research in this forum and read the whole threads, and you'll find a bunch of good info.
 
Like stated above OEM replacement parts are not available for the front CV joint (double cardon) on the driveshaft. You have three options.

1. Junkyard replacement.
2. Custom locally build shaft.
3. Hit up https://www.highangledriveline.com. He uses OEM parts from another Toyota CV to build the shaft correctly. Usually $150 or under depending on what needs rebuilt.
 
So you removed the rear driveshaft and the noise is gone?

Just a thought, is it possible the noise is the rear pinion bearing? It's more common than a DC. Also, I think I read, maybe in another post from you, that the noise was associated with throttle application and at a certain speed. That could be a pinion bearing.

Is there any play in the DC? Have you greased all three fittings to see if the noise is affected?
 
Andy in Pa said:
X2...

Had the same problem, and had a driveshaft built by a local shop (would be local to you too, if your in Md). I posted a bunch of info on this a few years ago. Do more research in this forum and read the whole threads, and you'll find a bunch of good info.
Click to expand...
I am in MD. who did your ds? And what was the cost?

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