Mechanics Special 05 DC Refresh

Dang. Terrible.

 

I guess I'm wondering now, how'd your mechanic miss that one?

 

I can only thing i can think is that the yoke ears overhang out past the companion flange, and therefore the redrilled hole location couldn’t be easily seen.

 

I swapped in a Ford 8.8 axle in the back of my YJ a while ago. Turned out my existing driveshaft had a different sized adapter yoke on the end of it (1310 u joint). I swapped on a 1330 yoke and all was good.

 

is that black paint on the flange or had that driveshaft been on there that long?

 

Yeah giving them the benefit of the doubt on this one. He should have caught it but it’s tight up there and the overhang from the yoke made it tough to see. You’d have to be looking specifically for it to see it, and I think that falls outside of the normal scope of a pre purchase inspection. Hell I removed the driveshaft myself and didn’t see it until after I had it off and pinion flange was exposed.

Local Toyota dealership had 66mm companion/pinion flange for $120 after tax. Per some posts here all 3rd members for gen 1 have same spline count back there so should bolt up no problem. Videos of removal/installation look pretty straightforward of guys replacing pinion seals.

So this idiot butchered a pinion flange, wrecked a bunch of new parts, and could have killed me/my family to save $120. Balza Motors Bradenton FL, avoid like the plague. Unbelievable.

 

Black paint. He coated everything in rust prevent stuff.

 

https://youtu.be/iUPMf3y-o9A?si=lD_C_x74wJFSGWJG

https://youtu.be/inzulc9rD6w?si=cKvgGGd_MbhHYwW8

 

Yeah, that works if you're re-installing the same companion flange. I'm less confident with a different flange.

 

You should still confirm front and rear gear ratios match before putting any labor in this 3rd member.

 

I sent this to my brother that lives in Parrish. At minimum you should leave them a 1 star Google review with pictures.

 

I just hired a guy that lives in Parrish. Small world.

 

Wow. Small indeed. Parrish is not a big town.

 

I thought he lived in Orlando. Guess I was in a hiring fog. Previous guy lived in Tampa, so he's pretty close to there.

 

So glad my parents gtfo of Bradenton finally. They're so much happier in southern AL, being surrounded by feed corn and peanut farms. They lived not too far away in Bayshort Gardens. Motorworks brewing is a few blocks away, had beers there many a time.

 

My Grandparents winter in Bradenton from Ohio. Snowbirds.

 

I'm sure they were part of my parent's frustration

When they first built the Super Walmart at 301 and SR70 probably 20, maybe 25 years ago now, it would take my parents 10-15 minutes to get there from Bayshore Gardens. After 10 years that was more like 20-30 minutes. When they left a few years back, it was at the point that, at full season when the snowbirds were there, it could take a good 35-40 minutes during non-peak times.

Same thing happened getting out to Coquina Beach. We had a couple times during Christmas timeframe when we'd go to visit, in the last couple of years, it'd take a damn hour to get to the beach. Absolute insanity. It's like 10 miles, it should take 20 minutes. There were times where it'd be backed up damn near all the way to 75th street, and it was faster just to bounce up to Manatee and go that route.

I have more than a little disain for FL. I'm glad I don't live there anymore, wife is in the same boat.

 

They're like 90 years old. They aren't clogging up the streets with their activities. They just want to be warm

 

My parents are maybe 10yrs younger, mom closer to 15. Their two biggest complaints were "too many damn people" and "too many old people driving like idiots".

If the grandparents didn't drive, they weren't it. But I can tell you from ample firsthand experience, 41 was always loaded with 90yos driving 15mph under the speed limit, in any lane you can imagine, stopping completely in the middle of the road to turn into shopping center parking lots as if there was a stop sign, and causing all kinds of other general havoc.

 

Thank God for small towns. My area of Flower Mound is very pedestrian friendly. I can walk everywhere I need. If I do live to see 90, I'll just ride my Rascal everywhere.

 

I enjoyed FL when I lived there but you're right. It's becoming more like a mix of NY and CA...

 

Atlanta will be like NYC with boroughs and everything within the next 10-15 years. Mark my words. We plan on being out of here by the time it's getting ready to flip though.

FL is just weird as a whole. I lived all over the place in between SR72 and Fernandina, over three phases of my life. I said it was a cesspool back then, but at least most of the people I met were alright. It's really a cesspool now, and half the people I've met, and the kids of our friends down there, they're all effed up. I loathe going down there these days. I'd like to see some sanity come back to the residents.

 

To say my confidence with anything on this truck is low would be an understatement lol. But I will be the guinea pig, we'll know by early next week if you can swap pinion flanges or not.

If the new pinion flange doesn't fit i'll list it on ebay or offer it to someone here, then see if the drive shaft shop can swap the flange on new driveshaft to 60mm and mount it to current skeletonized pinion flange.

Leaning heavily towards "fix it enough to have a clear conscience and trade it in on a 2nd gen" at this point.

Oh, and please everyone talk as much shit as loud as possible about Florida. 1000 people a day keep moving here and I'm trying to make it stop. I'm here for the forseeable due to work and literally cringe every day at the massive development and absolutely overwhelmed infrastructure/road systems here. We don't need to add lanes here, we literally need double the interstates and exits we have on the west coast to get it under control.

 

New 66mm pinion flange is in. Splines are identical and checked sizing with calipers, should bolt right up. New drive shaft supposed to arrive tomorrow. Will keep all posted after install.

 

Dude, I wouldn’t go in on a 2nd gen. I always thought I wanted one till my bro in law got one, the thing is massive and has lots of large bulky plastic inside and out. Great power, but I’m not confident in the 5.7 at all.

I’d have a conversation with the shop that did the work. Like walk in with the flange and say, hey man, this could have killed my family. And go from there. Any front suspension work that was done, I’d make sure it was with all OEM parts.

 

Blasphemy!!

 

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I think this may be one of my favorites of that meme. https://www.tundras.com/threads/blown-engine.115124/page-15#post-3352589

 

Can’t make my mind up. After spending some time under the truck today I really don’t want to get rid of it. I just want it to work. She really is in decent shape for the age and I don’t want to throw another 10k out on a vehicle. I’m leaning towards keeping it again.

Once the repairs are done I’ll put some miles on the truck to build some confidence in it, then we’ll see.

 

Yeeeeeeessssssssss………