diff drop
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thirstyturtle
New member
What Gen?
No.
No.
Singtoe
New member
Yes, You can get away with out having one.
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thirstyturtle
New member
Everything I have read says a diff drop is only necessary if you lift the front 2" or more
how hard are they to install?
the kit comes with two bolts so I assume that is all I am changing out.
do you take out both bolts at the same time. will that let the diff drop and be man handled or will it drop on the ground?
then the spacer would go above the driff and below the upper part that would give it the drop?
and would you use any thing on the bolts? (lock-tight, anti seize)
once the snow stops falling I can crawl under and do this. just afraid I will screw it up. (I am good at that) once I find a socket set to borrow (mind got stolen out of my FJ40 :sobbing
the kit comes with two bolts so I assume that is all I am changing out.
do you take out both bolts at the same time. will that let the diff drop and be man handled or will it drop on the ground?
then the spacer would go above the driff and below the upper part that would give it the drop?
and would you use any thing on the bolts? (lock-tight, anti seize)
once the snow stops falling I can crawl under and do this. just afraid I will screw it up. (I am good at that) once I find a socket set to borrow (mind got stolen out of my FJ40 :sobbing
Running4life
New member
When I put one on my last Runner, I put the jack under the diff and only lowered it enough to get the spacers in. I would not recommend unbolting it with no support. Did the kit come with different bolts for the skid plate? If not you will probably have to get longer bolts for the back two hole locations to make it fit "normally".
yeah there are new bolts. and I have to grind the skid to help it fit.
its the Sonora steel kit that has the beveled spacer.
thanks
I only have 2.5 in the front, but figured it wouldn't hurt having the drop
maxspeed96ct
New member
Would it be possible that a diff drop on a small lift like a 1.5 spacer kit could do harm instead of good?
Mr. Leary
New member
Nope.
Indefinitely. Diff drop only necessary for lift that exceeds factory specifications for 99 tall springs (i.e. 2"+ )
Not likely. It would only be harmful if there was a great deal of suspension compression (uptravel). Since the spacers do not compress (no additional travel), the CV axles will not be pulled out of spec on the top end. I would recommend a diff drop on a 1.5" lift... CV angles would be almost flat. Given the lack of manual locking hubs on these trucks (not to mention the torque load on the Cardan joints)... the flatter the CV angle the better. I would hesitate to say that its required.
Singtoe
New member
Diff drops do more damage then good. They are definitely not worth the $.
tinman
New member
How so? Please elaborate...
Gerdo
New member
WOW. That is a new one!
8sm
Member
brian2sun
Elite Member
Yeah, you're gonna have to elaborate on that one.. I've never heard of anyone having diff or driveline issues caused by a diff drop.
Singtoe
New member
Let the fireworks begin.:ybrick:
Why is a diff drop bad.
The front diff only holds 1.12 liters (1.2 quarts) of gear gear oil. So in relative terms, it holds very little. When the Toyota engineers figured out the proper oil level, they had set it up so when it is at the right level, it is suppling the front pinion bearing with the correct quantity of oil during its operation.
Now, with the front diff dropped at an angle, the diff oil is all in the forward position, away from the pinion bearing. This causes the bearing to run dry during operation slowly but surely wearing it out.
Now you say, well how about adding more oil to get it at the same level for the pinion bearing. This causes an over fill issue. Lots of heat is generated, oil foaming occurs, seals blow out and oil life is cut in half.
YMMV
Why is a diff drop bad.
The front diff only holds 1.12 liters (1.2 quarts) of gear gear oil. So in relative terms, it holds very little. When the Toyota engineers figured out the proper oil level, they had set it up so when it is at the right level, it is suppling the front pinion bearing with the correct quantity of oil during its operation.
Now, with the front diff dropped at an angle, the diff oil is all in the forward position, away from the pinion bearing. This causes the bearing to run dry during operation slowly but surely wearing it out.
Now you say, well how about adding more oil to get it at the same level for the pinion bearing. This causes an over fill issue. Lots of heat is generated, oil foaming occurs, seals blow out and oil life is cut in half.
YMMV
SKIDMRK
New member
ToyTec Lifts
New member
I can see that in theory but do you have any examples of trucks that this has actually happened to? In the 1000's of diff drops we have sold, I have never heard of anyone having issues with the diff drop causing pinion bearing oil starvation. That includes Toyota dealerships installing them on new trucks.
im sure that could be an issue over time if we all drove around in 4wd constantly but at low speed off road the bearing cant build to much heat and in 2wd it isnt spinning. also the fill plug is lower than the pinion so the lubrication is from splash or gear climb. it is not relying on oil saturation
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