Replacing driveshaft, any special procedure?

Seeing a lot of details around making sure to keep the old drive shaft aligned when you pull it to replace the carrier bearing or u-joints, but I think I'm better off starting fresh costwise and given how rough mine looks.

Truck is a 2000 SR5 Access Cab 4x4 4.7, has 265k and sat for a couple years, driveshaft is relatively rusty (lived in CT all it's life), and just got done epoxying the rear end so it'd hold new oil. The grease fittings won't take grease and the carrier bearing is basically non-existent. Called local driveshaft shops and they've said they don't work on Toyota driveshafts, they just order replacements, and for this truck it's $525. So to me starting fresh for maybe an extra $100 compared to buying all the u-joints and carrier bearing, seems worth it.

So my question is if I'm going to do it myself, pulling the old one seems straightforward, but do I need to align it in some sort of way to match the orientation of the old one? Or does it not matter for some reason cause it's new?

 

Should be fine however you bolt it up.

Typically the alignment matters between the two halves at the carrier bearing.

 

Ah ok, that's great news and really appreciate it. Guess that explains why there's no how-to out there for it haha

 

Thanks. I'm told the replacement shaft comes all assembled in one piece, so I'd just need the bolts, etc. to reattach it. And if there's no need to worry about aligning/matching the old driveshaft's position I think it should be pretty straightforward.

 

$525 is a deal! OEM is running $800ish

 

Agreed, it's why I'm thinking it's a better option than just trying to redo the original. Figure between carrier bearing, all the u-joints, frustration getting them all apart and back together..... prob worth it

 

Yeah. Some members here have done a single new shaft eliminating the Double Cardan and its center bearing.

Iirc someone did an Aluminum Shaft which is much easier, lighter, and cost effective vs putting an Original back on.

 

Any idea where one would buy a one piece shaft? And any downside to using that as opposed to the original style?

Also I'm doing the math on 4 u-joints at $30/each and the carrier bearing at $75.....should I be considering replacing all those bits instead of just starting fresh with a whole new shaft? Never replaced u-joints before and would need to buy a press or whatever other specialty tools are needed.

 

If you’ve never done u-joints before you’ll want a Heavy Service Truck Center to do them for you. Also, they can make a driveshaft as well if you go that route.

 

Appreciate the thoughts, checked all the local drive shaft shops and they basically said they don't repair Toyota shafts, just replace cause they've had too many issues.

Didn't try a heavy truck place, but the ones around here only do semis so I'm not sure that's an option without having to ship it long distance.

Thinking the replacement is the way to go, as starting fresh will take a lot of the guesswork out.

 

Sounds like you are choosing the best option based on Northeast Rust Bucket pictures we’ve seen come through here. Start fresh and move on.

 

Shouldn't be any downsides, likely less chance of vibrations.

Tom Woods, Tatton, Adams are the ones I can thing of off the top of my head. They likely won't have a ready made in stock but you'd give them a flange to flange measurement and they'll make one up.