Play in the rear differential?

[nw4runner345]

I have a stock 88 Toyota 4runner. I recently have been hearing rattling noises when I shift to a lower gear or when coasting in neutral. After further inspection I noticed that the drive shaft had some play in it. Does it have anything to do with the rear differential?

 

[penbergm]

Most likely the drive shaft u joints

 

[flyinhawaiian01]

Yep, u joints could be heading south, or if you're really lucky, are telling you that they want some grease. Here's a quick read to check your u joints:

How to check U-Joints | How a Car Works

I don't recall if the stock u joints have grease nipples (had beefed up driveshafts made for front and rear of my truck with heavy duty double-cardan joints), but if they do, you should get some grease in there even if they're going south on ya.