TECH: How I built my square driveshaft

[toy4x4ota]

my square shaft is great, i have hit about 40MPH with out any vibes, thats not to say that soon after it was vibrating horrible. all i need to do now is make one for the rear.

[alwayzbroken]

my square shaft is great, i have hit about 40MPH with out any vibes, thats not to say that soon after it was vibrating horrible. all i need to do now is make one for the rear.

I have a rear square shaft and my transfer doubler comes loose daily while wheeling. I would suggest using lock tite and lock washers on your cases if you are gonna build a rear square shaft. That is my next item on the to-do list

[alwayzbroken]

I will add some more tech to this thread as I just found out the hard way that the early shafts should not be cut up for the yokes or flanges because they are much smaller than the later model shafts. The early shafts have a much smaller range of motion and as far as I am concerned should be avoided. We made a square front on an 82 p/u with rears up front and 5.5" eye to eye shackles and the shaft bound and would not spin at ride height!

[Gittinit]

I have a rear square shaft and my transfer doubler comes loose daily while wheeling. I would suggest using lock tite and lock washers on your cases if you are gonna build a rear square shaft. That is my next item on the to-do list

Off Topic 
I used exhaust manifold studs that I had lying around in a scrap head. I don't know if it is a better way or not , but I have never had issues with my doubler coming loose even with my square front and unbalenced scedule 40 pipe rear shaft. Come to think of it you could even use some of the locking nuts like the exhaust manifold uses. I am running a custom crossmember using FROR center which helps locate the cases front to back slightly better than the stock type tranny mounts. Is your motor mount on the drivers side chained down? You could be twisting the drivetrain some and causing the bolts to loosen. My bellhousing bolts used to come loose on me till I chained the motor mounts down and that was with a single t case.

[alwayzbroken]

Off Topic 
I used exhaust manifold studs that I had lying around in a scrap head. I don't know if it is a better way or not , but I have never had issues with my doubler coming loose even with my square front and unbalenced scedule 40 pipe rear shaft. Come to think of it you could even use some of the locking nuts like the exhaust manifold uses. I am running a custom crossmember using FROR center which helps locate the cases front to back slightly better than the stock type tranny mounts. Is your motor mount on the drivers side chained down? You could be twisting the drivetrain some and causing the bolts to loosen. My bellhousing bolts used to come loose on me till I chained the motor mounts down and that was with a single t case.

The motor mount was chained, the torque from my t-cases stretched the chain out so much it does nothing now.

[Gittinit]

The motor mount was chained, the torque from my t-cases stretched the chain out so much it does nothing now.

Put a bolt through a couple links and tighten it all back up. I'm shure it will help immensely.

[speedemon]

I will add some more tech to this thread as I just found out the hard way that the early shafts should not be cut up for the yokes or flanges because they are much smaller than the later model shafts. The early shafts have a much smaller range of motion and as far as I am concerned should be avoided. We made a square front on an 82 p/u with rears up front and 5.5" eye to eye shackles and the shaft bound and would not spin at ride height!

by later model do you mean 84-85?  i need to make one within the next few weeks and i have an 83 front DS.

[alwayzbroken]

by later model do you mean 84-85?  i need to make one within the next few weeks and i have an 83 front DS.

I would say later model would be 2nd or 3rd gen. I think the 83 is gonna be the bad one. I know that 2nd and 3rd gen shafts have more spacing allowing a much larger range of motion. The 1st gen shafts are very compact in the u joint area and bottom out on itself easily.

[90toy]

thats perfect!! thank you for the writeup. that is my next task on my to do list.

[kevin286]

I would say later model would be 2nd or 3rd gen. I think the 83 is gonna be the bad one. I know that 2nd and 3rd gen shafts have more spacing allowing a much larger range of motion. The 1st gen shafts are very compact in the u joint area and bottom out on itself easily.

IIRC the pre 84 had smaller bolts but post 86 had poor max operating angle. There's an article on 4x4wire on how to clearance IFS CV joints for greater operating angle. http://http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/cvmod/

[alwayzbroken]

IIRC the pre 84 had smaller bolts but post 86 had poor max operating angle. There's an article on 4x4wire on how to clearance IFS CV joints for greater operating angle. http://http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/cvmod/

I was not talking about the CV, but that coule be true since I really don't know about the CV angles since I have never put a CV in the 3 shafts I have made. The U joint ends on the early shafts should be avoided.

[Yota4life]

Anyone have any tricks to snug up there square shaft? After about 2 years  mine has gotten really sloppy and makes a lot of noise now. Im thinking the outer tube just stretched out a bit and wore the inner wall some. I had tape around the 2" square to snug it up but after the first trip it just fell out.

[BLACKDOG]

I've got duct tape around mine now   its staying in there so far.  I'vealso seen people use the sticky backes rubber pads, they seem to work ok

[Yota4life]

I used electrical tape, but duck tape is where its at! I might try welding some sheet metal to the 2"to snug it up. It might just fall out after a while

[MT4Runner]

There was a guy on PBB who cut the last 3" off of his 2.5" side driveshaft and put it on loosely before putting it back over the 2" shaft.  Rotate the 2" shaft within the 2.5" shaft in one direction, and rotate the short ring of 2.5" material the other direction and weld it back to the longer side of 2.5"...so it has a "twist" in it.  Should take out the clack and rattle, as it can no longer rotate at all inside itself in either direction.

[skid]

rivet on some plastic strips cut from a role up sled?

[toyotanner]

  front square driveshafts are where its at!!

[Yota4life]

There was a guy on PBB who cut the last 3" off of his 2.5" side driveshaft and put it on loosely before putting it back over the 2" shaft.  Rotate the 2" shaft within the 2.5" shaft in one direction, and rotate the short ring of 2.5" material the other direction and weld it back to the longer side of 2.5"...so it has a "twist" in it.  Should take out the clack and rattle, as it can no longer rotate at all inside itself in either direction.

This sounds like a great idea. I will be doing this soon to mine.

[Volcom]

Just make some tack welds on the 2x2 on all 4 sides.  Take a grinder and grind the welds down until the 2x2 can fit into the receiver tubing.  Easy as pie.  I didn't to it to mine, it makes a ton of noise but it doesn't bother me.

[yota_krawler]

bump I want one, does it wobble?

[Volcom]

bump I want one, does it wobble?

My square D-shaft fits just like a hitch in the rear of a pickup truck reciever tube.  It has some slop.  On the trail when I'm coasting, my driveshaft makes quite a bit of noise but it's strong ,cheap, and easy to make

[Doof]

very imformational....   

ill be makin mine today hopefully if not start it today and finish it monday after work... ill post when the final product is done and retell how i had to imporovise for not having the hand held saw

[ROCKO]

HEY THIS THING WORKS GREAT I BUILT ONE A TESTED IT OUT IM HAPPY
THANKS FOR THE WRITE UP

[89toy]

ttt

[Cumminz]

plan on doing mine afte ri get my fuel cell. Thank you very much. when i heard some guy talking about this, i thought he was full of s&^t. but looks like it works great. My auto teacher will get a kick out of this when i take in my front driveshaft and cut it up and weld some square tube on it. thanks

[boggerunner]

i accidently left my 4runner in 4hi and drove all the way across town with my square d s and didnt realize it till i got into a parking lot, and it was clankin at slow speeds, but no vibration at 50 mph

[BoG-ToY]

I drive with unbalanced boggers..so who cares about a little slop...BUT  I think a little bronze brazing rod would help.... just a few puddles of it?   maybe a thicker coat on the coast side and a thinner coat on the drive side...if you know what I mean?   

[rockhound]

Nice job Mini. 

Not intending to jack, just contributing.

Here's mine...http://www.runandplaymotorsports.com/working_on_the_little_gray_truck.htm

Off subject...

Freakin' killer rear spring perch swivel  mounts. With the bolt in the middle so the springs don't twist. Very nice. I've seen the design a while back, but never noticed 'em on the trial. I saw 'em on Big Mike's rig at the Hammers. 

[MiniSimp]

This is now a permanant article on ehow.com
http://www.ehow.com/how_4475628_build-square-driveshaft.html

[boggerunner]

i built a square rear d.s. but i used the stock toyota slip, just replaced the tube with some inner reciever tube box. i used an extra slip part for the axle side cause i could grind it square and slip the box over it.  ive had my truck hung up on both d.s's and havent had a problem yet.