Toyota FJ60 rear Drive Shaft length.

[Roger J]

Now Im totally stuffed. The boys have been helping me out with a tight rear drive shaft and I have followed their advice. The yoke is ok and its moving but it still has no give to remove. Well i haven't really tried to remove it yet for fear of destroying it. I need a good 4wd mechanic to come to my place and drop this thing out. I have measured it from Uni centre to Uni centre and it is 990mm. I have measured another 85 FJ60 and the shaft is 890 from centre to centre. So why is my shaft approx 100mm longer when all the other FJ60's i measure are approx 890mm long. I have a factory shop manual and my diff flanges are square and not round like in the manual. Is this because it is an older model? Mine is Feb 83 build. It has a square flange coming from the transfer case and a square flange at the rear diff. Other FJ60's i see have round flanges. Surely my transfer case or my diff can't be that far removed from the original design. It has not been in an accident. It's as straight as.
Can anyone recommend an expert on FJ60's in Sydney's northern Beaches or near?
Cheers
Roger

 

[ian.c]

Now Im totally stuffed. The boys have been helping me out with a tight rear drive shaft and I have followed their advice. The yoke is ok and its moving but it still has no give to remove. Well i haven't really tried to remove it yet for fear of destroying it. I need a good 4wd mechanic to come to my place and drop this thing out. I have measured it from Uni centre to Uni centre and it is 990mm. I have measured another 85 FJ60 and the shaft is 890 from centre to centre. So why is my shaft approx 100mm longer when all the other FJ60's i measure are approx 890mm long. I have a factory shop manual and my diff flanges are square and not round like in the manual. Is this because it is an older model? Mine is Feb 83 build. It has a square flange coming from the transfer case and a square flange at the rear diff. Other FJ60's i see have round flanges. Surely my transfer case or my diff can't be that far removed from the original design. It has not been in an accident. It's as straight as.
Can anyone recommend an expert on FJ60's in Sydney's northern Beaches or near?
Cheers
Roger

They do have different plates on different years, I have had the same problem as you, they have same spline and same uni so are interchangeable, unis are a pita if you don't have the right tools, I'll get to the manuals and have a good looksee , will get back to you tomorrow morning at the latest, Ian.c
Oh I'll measure mine up too

 

[Aaron Schubert]

Are you saying the tailshaft is stuck in position, or you can't get it apart? If its the first one, can't you jack the chassis up of your vehicle and the diff will drop, thus lengthening the tailshaft and having more room to get it out?

Aaron

 

[ian.c]

Hi mate, both my workshop manuals show a mix of round and square, some even mismatched , yours is the early 60 series, in 1987 they done an upgrade , mine is one of those , usually easy to pick by the headlights, they had a complete new chassis, springs were changed to a long travel leaf (whatever that entails, maybe length)
I've interchanged between early and late with a few problems, I have swapped out springs, diffs, shafts and transfer cases and have come across bolts patterns not matching, and different size locating pins on springs, to remedy the bolt pattern problem I have either changed the end of the shaft or the coupling plate on the transfer or diff, I seem to remember having hassles with length of tail shaft at some stage, but not certain, I think engine position may have even changed with the upgrade.
Ok, it gets tricky because on both types of 60 series you have variations such as 2f, 3f, 2h, 12ht and a 2h upgrade, which is basically the same as the 12ht minus turbo.
Then there was 4speed and 5speed manual, and an auto.
There was different spring set ups with rubber and crush tubes cushioning the union between spring and diff on the Sahara , the barn door pov model like mine just kept basic steel on steel, although mine now has the Sahara set up because that's the diff I have.
Then after all that there was the standard open type diff or the limited slip diff.
And...there was lots of imports , these were heaps different with 24volt systems, different interior, park bench winch bar with huge pto set up.
There were lots of options in both type of 60 series (pre1987, post 1987) it has had me stumped over the years why did they change bolt patterns??????

By the way my rear tail shaft is close to yours in length, and my plates are all square but have been swapped.
I did spend quite some time googling to no avail, maybe a Toyota mechanic who has worked on them in past years could enlighten us, my old girl is so mismatched from up to five different donor vehicles whatever I have doesn't help , it is a bit of a Frankenstein.
Both these pics are in the same "to remove and install" instructions ???? Both round and square ????

Auto box and transfer with round coupling

Manual 5speed and transfer square coupling

there is no mention of coupling differences or of shaft length differences in the manuals,
so there you go absolutely complex and bloody confusing, but gee I would like to know the exact specs and parts used in each model/ variation.

 

[Roger J]

Hi mate, both my workshop manuals show a mix of round and square, some even mismatched , yours is the early 60 series, in 1987 they done an upgrade , mine is one of those , usually easy to pick by the headlights, they had a complete new chassis, springs were changed to a long travel leaf (whatever that entails, maybe length)
I've interchanged between early and late with a few problems, I have swapped out springs, diffs, shafts and transfer cases and have come across bolts patterns not matching, and different size locating pins on springs, to remedy the bolt pattern problem I have either changed the end of the shaft or the coupling plate on the transfer or diff, I seem to remember having hassles with length of tail shaft at some stage, but not certain, I think engine position may have even changed with the upgrade.
Ok, it gets tricky because on both types of 60 series you have variations such as 2f, 3f, 2h, 12ht and a 2h upgrade, which is basically the same as the 12ht minus turbo.
Then there was 4speed and 5speed manual, and an auto.
There was different spring set ups with rubber and crush tubes cushioning the union between spring and diff on the Sahara , the barn door pov model like mine just kept basic steel on steel, although mine now has the Sahara set up because that's the diff I have.
Then after all that there was the standard open type diff or the limited slip diff.
And...there was lots of imports , these were heaps different with 24volt systems, different interior, park bench winch bar with huge pto set up.
There were lots of options in both type of 60 series (pre1987, post 1987) it has had me stumped over the years why did they change bolt patterns??????

By the way my rear tail shaft is close to yours in length, and my plates are all square but have been swapped.
I did spend quite some time googling to no avail, maybe a Toyota mechanic who has worked on them in past years could enlighten us, my old girl is so mismatched from up to five different donor vehicles whatever I have doesn't help , it is a bit of a Frankenstein.
Both these pics are in the same "to remove and install" instructions ???? Both round and square ????
View attachment 44293 View attachment 44294
Auto box and transfer with round coupling
View attachment 44295
Manual 5speed and transfer square coupling
View attachment 44296
there is no mention of coupling differences or of shaft length differences in the manuals,
so there you go absolutely complex and bloody confusing, but gee I would like to know the exact specs and parts used in each model/ variation.

Hey so good to know Im not alone. Thank you for your words of wisdom. Here is the final draft on this issue. I have found two 85 FJ60's and they have the same shaft length as mine. What a relief!! I originally went on the mechanics advice that the shaft was too long which was why he said it was tight. I assumed, never do this, that it was too long so I opened a can of worms.
Having measured both vehicles apart from mine and both came up with the same specs. Drive shaft from Uni To Uni is 990mm. From Crank flange to Diff Flange 1080mm. All correct for three vehicles. So even though I have square flange couplings it must be that it was just what they put on it back in 82.
Why is the rear shaft so hard to remove? It looks the same as other trucks , re the yoke slip distance and when I pumped it with a grease gun it started to stretch out. So it's not jammed. Only variable left to consider is that, by the looks of it, has had new springs in the recent past. The springs are way more pronounced than other FJ's that I've seen. A big curve with 7 leaves front and back.
One of the brothers mentioned that it could be due to this. How do you know if it has had a lift kit? Are the shackles longer front and rear or is it the spring curve?
Im just glad that I have the correct parts to this point in the story. Next is to put the new diff in and see what happens next. could the springs have pushed the diff forward in some way?
THANKS!
Roger

 

[Roger J]

Are you saying the tailshaft is stuck in position, or you can't get it apart? If its the first one, can't you jack the chassis up of your vehicle and the diff will drop, thus lengthening the tailshaft and having more room to get it out?

Aaron

Thanks Aron
Will pass this on.
Cheers

 

[ian.c]

Hi Roger how's it all going,
The springs will have more curve if they are aftermarket lift kit springs, your shackles are slightly longer on the back only by about 25 mm from memory, I've gone extended shackles on the back to compensate for my rear end sag (old age thing) shackles shouldn't change anything when it comes to tail shaft length, apparently extended shackles are illegal for some reason, I'm sure someone here will know why ? rear axle sits closer to the front of the springs so if installed the wrong way around your tail shaft wouldn't reach, do some searches for standard height of the 60, just remember these springs were sagging from new so most have already been replaced or been beefed up with extra leaves , if not it will be sitting on its ass, very ugly look for a 60. Cheers Ian.
Edit... Just looking at your avatar, if that's the 60 in question it's almost definitely standard height.

 

[Roger J]

Hey Ian
Thanks for your reply. Iv'e been busy So Iv'e only just had time to get it to the mechanic to go over a few things. I have a question?
He had it up on the hoist and said the shaft rear pinion seal was seized. So he got that off and and as I was leaving after a long conversation with him I asked why he had to remove all the brakes off the rear shaft. I said don't you slide the rear axle out from the centre by undoing those bolts on the axle hub? He said he tried but couldn't access something so he decided to remove the brakes. This doesn't sound right to me. Iv'e seen other guys just pull the axle out from the hub with a puller no trouble. The drive shaft is off and ok and the new diff going in tonight. I just hope he knows what he is doing or is he going around it the long way?
Cheers
Roger

 

[ian.c]

Hey Ian
Thanks for your reply. Iv'e been busy So Iv'e only just had time to get it to the mechanic to go over a few things. I have a question?
He had it up on the hoist and said the shaft rear pinion seal was seized. So he got that off and and as I was leaving after a long conversation with him I asked why he had to remove all the brakes off the rear shaft. I said don't you slide the rear axle out from the centre by undoing those bolts on the axle hub? He said he tried but couldn't access something so he decided to remove the brakes. This doesn't sound right to me. Iv'e seen other guys just pull the axle out from the hub with a puller no trouble. The drive shaft is off and ok and the new diff going in tonight. I just hope he knows what he is doing or is he going around it the long way?
Cheers
Roger

That's unusual, axles unbolt and slide out, don't even need a puller, no need to even take off the wheels or jack it up if your not too big to slide under, there is six studs on the end of the hub, they pass through the end of the axle end plate, six nuts tighten down onto split cone washers, a copper or brass hammer tapped here and there, or a brass drift / bar will loosen them and they just pop out, I leave the nuts on loose until the washers pop loose so I don't damage the thread, maybe he had troubles getting these out , it's a bit of a knack to loosen them, gets easier the more times you do it , I hope he didn't charge by the hour, a diff centre switch in a sixty shouldn't take any more than two hours max , the pinion seal should cost about $10 I can change one in less than half hour.
To do the job properly and if you have just bought the cruiser and you love it I would strip the lot , new seals,wheel bearings, gaskets, oil and check pads, bleed out old fluid and replace, clean out the drums check for wear and while I'm at it I would check all the leaf spring bushes and shocks, and extend my breather, if he is doing all that it should take two days max, that reminds me ....thats what I want to do soon, new rear springs and e-locker while I'm at it, just don't tell my missus how much that's gonna cost