Anyone have the specs for various year/model front CV driveshafts handy? Did all front Toy driveshafts use a CV joint on one end? Mainly looking for overall length and amount of slip available in the splines. 4Runner and Tacoma will be the easiest for me to come by in the junkyard... so I guess I need to post this in the Tacoma section as well. Thanks in advance for the help <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Can you be more specific about which dimensions you want? Or send me an e-mail and we can discuss specific dimensions. I have a variety of Tacoma and 4Runner droppings in my garage that I can check.

[Other CV axle specs deleted from here - I'll include that in an updated article in the near future.]

Thank you for taking the time to type out so much info <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Now here's the bad part... I was refering to the driveshaft from the t-case to the differential. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cyclops.gif" alt="" /> My rear driveshaft with the dual cases is only going to be 23" long; so I plan to adapt a Toyota front CV-jointed driveshaft to help with the angle.

My understanding is that a certain year range of 4Runners had a front driveshaft CV that could handle 40*. "mid-90's" is all I have found so far, no specific year range. I guess if I get a '95 I should be okay <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

I saw the excellent 4x4wire article on grinding a Toy CV to increase its usable angle; but even with that it didn't appear they were able to get as much out of it as this mythical 4Runner joint.

No problem. I still need to update that CV axle stuff in an article someday. So I've removed it from this thread.

I can get specs on the front driveshaft from transfer case to front diff as well. I have some parts left over from some rear driveshaft damage of mine from years ago.

So for the front driveshaft of '96-'02 4Runners, it is normally 27.5" long. There are U-joints on both ends. No CV joint. I don't know how much extension travel is allowed, but I'd guess very little since it's IFS and it doesn't move around much.

The rear driveshaft has a CV joint at the transfer case end. On my old damaged driveshaft I just measured 30 or maybe 31 degrees for max angle. The overall length as it is on the truck now is 48.75". It allows about 2" of compression from that point or 3" of extension from that point.

Some Limited edition 4Runners with the "Multi-mode" 4wd/all-wheel-drive mode had a larger transfer case and thus a shorter rear driveshaft. That would be maybe 10" shorter than my 48.75" and still include a CV joint. Those would only be on the top-of-the-line models of '99-'02 4Runners. It doesn't sound like that would help you anyway.

Honestly I'd be surprised if a front driveshaft on any IFS vehicle included a CV joint (double cardan) since it doesn't need to move much at all. But I don't know much about that topic. You might look into even older 4Runners that came with the solid front axle. They most likely had CV joints in short front driveshafts. Those would be '86 or earlier.

My '07 Tacoma also has a front driveshaft with U-joints on both ends - no CV joint.

The break of the model years is '96 or newer for 4Runners which starts the 3rd generation. So I guess look at '95 and earlier for your mystery joint.

You also might check into Land Cruisers while they had a solid front axle.

I agree completely with your thought process; but THIS article leads me to believe otherwise. Kind of like how the front driveshaft in Isuzus (all IFS) has like 4" of slip available in the splines <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Actually Jeff, ALL 4Runners and pickups from 79-95 had a CV double cardan front drive shaft.

84/85 is the ideal year, since it has the 30 degrees or so of travel, and the larger yoke.

But, as you saw in THIS article, you can easily modify a 86-95 joint for the same clearance, if not more, for free.

Honestly, I have no clue if newer rigs have CV fronts. But as Jeff said, seems they dont.

There are no 40 degree stock CV;s. You should be fine with a modded IFS front shaft.

That's just weird. You'd think they would want to reduce rotating mass where it's completely unnecessary.