Broken Driveshaft, snapped shocks, bent links, etc..

[4-Ripcord]

Went offroading today and the run had to get cut a little short..

Was attempting to climb a steep rocky/sandy/steps hill, About 3/4 of the way up the truck starts to jump around and before I can settle it I hear a very loud POP!

I looked to my spotter and said.. "that.. did not sound good"

We all went to look under the truck and we didnt see anything out of the ordinary, although we knew something was wrong. All the links were intact and strait, no broken CV axles, no leaking fluids anywhere.. hmm

I went to back down and after 2 feet I felt/heard another VERY LOUD series of pops.

Stop the truck again and get out to look, what do I see this time? Both rear shock shafts are sticking out of the boots.. broken. The rear differential is pointing up in towards the bottom of the truck.. one upper control arm link is destroyed and the other had the bolts sheared off..

After looking at it a while, I was able to determine what happened.

The driveshaft snapped while the axle was drooped and was pretty far out of the slip yoke. When I went to go back down, the shaft was seized in that position and the slip yoke was now unable to take up the excess length and so instead the axle shifted up like it did to allow the suspension to compress again. When the axle shifted up, the upper control arms snapped being that the OEM ones are so thin, and the shocks just did not stand a chance against that.






So.. parts that were broken:
Rear driveshaft
one of the rear upper control arms (the bolt just sheared on the other one)
Both rear shocks

 

[Stick Figure]

OUCH ... on the plus side at least it should be a fairly simple remove and replace the broken parts kind of repair.

 

[4-Ripcord]

OUCH ... on the plus side at least it should be a fairly simple remove and replace the broken parts kind of repair.

Apart from the upper control arm mount that was mangled, yeah it should be a bolt on repair.

 

[momo.75]

Holy ****e! Sorry man

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Damn, Jim. I guess that means you didn't make it to work on time today?

Seriously though, what's up w/your 4Runner? Did you have to leave it out there?

 

[4-Ripcord]

Damn, Jim. I guess that means you didn't make it to work on time today?

Seriously though, what's up w/your 4Runner? Did you have to leave it out there?

I was only 20 mins late

We got the rear driveshaft unbolted and removed which allowed the axle to go back to the normal position. Then we got the one remaining upper control arm secured as much as we could and we drove out really slow. I had to drive through town in 4wd Hi using just the front wheels.. Luckily my family has an extra vehicle so I have some time to get it fixed.

BTW driving without rear shocks is an awesome experience. I would stop at a stop light and people would look at my truck bobbing up and down thinking I had Hydraulics or something, lol.

 

[4Running Daily]

Holy Crap!

Good luck with the repair, get this beast back on the road!

On a serious note:
When you get a new driveshaft, make sure you color match it, it'll make it stronger.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Whew!!! I'm releived you didn't leave your rig out there man. You probably would not have been happy with what you came back to.

The 4Runner @ U-Pull it still had the upper links last time I was over there, in case you're interested.

Let me know if you'd like a hand with anything. I'm off 8/6-8/10.

 

[4-Ripcord]

On a serious note:
When you get a new driveshaft, make sure you color match it, it'll make it stronger.

lol wut

Actually I am convinced it makes things weaker now.. My front bumper is mangled quite a bit from today as well. But ill post more on that when I have a chance to talk with the dumbass who built it.

Whew!!! I'm releived you didn't leave your rig out there man. You probably would not have been happy with what you came back to.

The 4Runner @ U-Pull it still had the upper links last time I was over there, in case you're interested.

Let me know if you'd like a hand with anything. I'm off 8/6-8/10.

You and me both, I would have stayed with it overnight If I had to..

Thanks for the heads up about the U-pull It 4runner, I totally forgot about that one. Ill be there in the morning!

EDIT: the links were taken..

 

[thor999]

Friend of mine once had an old (milk truck?) that had no shocks, and even better, no seats either :0 he bungied down some milk crates for seats haha he also had an old Jeep with absolutely no brakes. Both were very fun to drive off road :banana:

 

[AZTOY]

WOW! What a mess. Good luck with the repairs.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Why did the drive shaft snap? I read the explanation for what happened afterwards but I am wondering why the first failure occurred. You seem the type not to abuse the truck.

 

[farmerjon]

BTW driving without rear shocks is an awesome experience. I would stop at a stop light and people would look at my truck bobbing up and down thinking I had Hydraulics or something, lol.

hahahahaha! I broke my rear driver's side shock and it really bobbed all over the place, I felt each bump three times or more! Fun haha

And sorry to hear about this mess - get 'er fixed and back on the trails!

 

[JWaldz]

Now we be a good time for duals and a freshly built shortened & stroger driveshaft


Glad it wasn't worse. Just because it didn't break doesn't mean it's not on the verge of breaking. Better check everything under there twice. Hope I don't ever do that lol. Good luck!

 

[the great him]

damn man... i saw the pics on the book but i just thought you got on it a little hard with the SC and split your shaft... wow man that blows

 

[Singtoe]

I think the failure occurred by the upper link mounting bolt coming loose.

Bolts are very hard to shear off as it would have to shear off in two places in order to pull the link out of the axle.


Either the Bolt and nut loosened up, fell out or there was an actual structural failure of the bolt.

Once it had loosened up and fell off, the Axle was no longer in quadrangular support to the chassis.

Torquing the axle while driving it in low caused the axle to wrap up.

Once it wrapped upwards, it broke the other upper control arm and the drive shaft.

Shocks was just collateral damage.

 

[techno]

I like your trail fix solutions. Using the hi-lift under the tires as an anchor for the ratchet strap was pretty cool, I bet not many have ever done that before.
Hope the repairs go smoothly.

 

[Shibby!]

Wouldn't have caught me under the vehicle that close to the axle. Look at the tension in those springs!

 

[nevada]

Why did the drive shaft snap? I read the explanation for what happened afterwards but I am wondering why the first failure occurred. You seem the type to abuse the truck.

id guess the link failed first. it was a snowball affect from there.

I think the failure occurred by the upper link mounting bolt coming loose.

Bolts are very hard to shear off as it would have to shear off in two places in order to pull the link out of the axle.


Either the Bolt and nut loosened up, fell out or there was an actual structural failure of the bolt.

Once it had loosened up and fell off, the Axle was no longer in quadrangular support to the chassis.

Torquing the axle while driving it in low caused the axle to wrap up.

Once it wrapped upwards, it broke the other upper control arm and the drive shaft.

Shocks was just collateral damage.

yup. thatd be my guess aswell.

 

[Dous]

Sorry to see that brother!


Another reason I am going to be putting limiting straps in the rear, these 4runners just have TOO much flex in the rear. It was never designed for the amount that we give them with the longer shocks, and LC coils.