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TOYOTA CV JOINT REAR DRIVESHAFT
with Miles Oliver
After adding my ‘Spring-over Axle” with OME springs. I knew I had some major driveshaft extending to do. I also moved back my rear axle 1/2″ to clear the 33″ Super Swamper Radial tires at the front of the rear fenderwells so that made my driveshaft needs even longer. I added a 1.25″ aluminum spacer to compensate but The slipjoint was still more than 60% extended. This could cause me to ruin the slipjoint or possibly have the driveshaft come apart on the trail. I also didn’t like the driveline angles that were now a part of my lift. I had a few options.
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Get a Samurai front driveshaft and have it cut down to size. This would require some effort and driving. The nearest yard with Samurai stuff I know of is in Pennsylvania.
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Have my original driveshaft lengthened. This would cost around $100.00 locally.
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Have a custom driveshaft built . This would be expensive. I was quoted over $350 for one.
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I wanted to reduce the driveline angles, gain some strength and have a cheaper alternative.
After discussions with another Suzuki owner and MAJOR Samurai Fabricator, Matt Corum of West Virginia at the BIG DOG PRODUCTIONS Jamboree in Gore Va in Sept of 98 I had my solution. 
Matt showed me that a CV joint driveshaft from a Toyota IFS Pickup would work fine after being shortened, adding a rear spacer, and some machine work/redrilling the holes of the transfer case flange. At $75.00 from a local yard this was sounding cost effective. The one I got was from a 90-95 model. It cost me another $75 to have it shortened and rebalanced.It is originally from the rear of a ’90-’95 Extended cab pickup
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The Toyota CV driveshaft has many advantages over the Suzuki driveshaft.
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Decreased driveline angles due to the CV joint.
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Bigger Universal Joints. about 1.75 times larger than the original Suzuki.
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Longer Slip joint (about 1.5″ longer than the Suzuki).
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Overall Increased strength due to its size.
The driveshaft alignment flange is about 2mm larger on the Toyota driveshaft than
the Samurai. This is the reason for removing the transfer case flange and having it machined. Removing this small amount of material on the inside of the flange, making the alignment hole larger will not affect the strength of the flange. Machining this flange down on the driveshaft itself is NOT recommended.
The front (CV joint end) holes on the driveshaft and the transfer case flange WILL NOT mate up to the original transfer case holes . This requires rotating the flange 45 degrees and REDRILLING a new bolt pattern. I redrilled the holes using an SAE 3/8″ size drill bit instead of a metric. This allows me to keep more metal on the edge of the xfer case flange and still not have ‘sloppiness’ in the holes. I used Grade 8 bolts and loctite blue for attaching the driveshaft.
The later year Suzuki 3rd member flange bolt holes will mate up EXACTLY with the Toyota driveshaft holes at the rear of the driveshaft EXCEPT for the depth of the inside of the alignment flange on the driveshaft. The pinion nut and shaft on the Suzuki 3rd member will protrude to much for a proper fit. A spacer of at least 5/16″ is required on the pinion end to give proper room. I had the option of adding a 3/4″ aluminum spacer to the rear and having the alignment hole machined to fit or getting a smaller spacer made.
I opted to have a Suzuki pinion flange cut and machined as a spacer instead of the aluminum spacer. This will keep the bolts shorter. I now have a driveshaft with greater strength, bigger Universals and it reduced vibration and driveline angles.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Matt Corum of Martinsburg West Virginia, for the initial idea Norther Virginia Driveline Services for Shortening/Balancing the driveshaft Matt Needham for the machine work and his tireless efforts and assistance in getting this project finished.
NOTE: Disclaimer: The fabrication and modifications and designs you see here have been done by myself (some with help), for myself, Miles D. Oliver. I hold no Mechanical, structural, or Engineering degrees. If you duplicate these modifications you do so at your own risk. I do not endorse or make any claims to their safety, performance, On-road or off-road worthiness.
08/11/10 15:12
