[am286704]

Hi all,

I just needed some help on how I should go buying a driveshaft for my 92 Previa. My mechanic said I need to replace it soon (it has 182K miles) so I've been shopping around on the internet. I'm not going to buy a new one because it's over $1200 so my options are used and remanufactured. I'm having trouble finding a used one for under 100K miles and I'm just uncertain about remanufactured and if it's safe to use and I won't get ripped off.

Any and all information would be useful.

Thanks!

 

[cmh1129]

why exactly does it need to be replaced? Just because of milage?

 

[am286704]

No, he said it's pretty much about to bust if I drive much more on it. I need a new one. I've read online that around 180K-200K miles, it's common to replace the driveshaft (front). It's probably from age and mileage--not from an accident or anything like that.

 

[TOYOPARTSMAN]

has it ever been replaced before? The front driveshaft, aka accessory shaft, used to have problems with the couplings. In 1994/95 the improved the design on them and you could replace the couplings. However, they are not interchangeable with the 90-early 94 shafts, unless the shaft had been replaced with an upgraded shaft.

Back in the mid 90s, we used to replace them on average about once a month. So you may want to see if you have the original shaft or a new updated one.

 

[am286704]

has it ever been replaced before? The front driveshaft, aka accessory shaft, used to have problems with the couplings. In 1994/95 the improved the design on them and you could replace the couplings. However, they are not interchangeable with the 90-early 94 shafts, unless the shaft had been replaced with an upgraded shaft.

Back in the mid 90s, we used to replace them on average about once a month. So you may want to see if you have the original shaft or a new updated one.

I mean, as far as I know it hasn't been replaced. Maybe the couplings but I need the actual driveshft replaced. We were always so careful with our Previa and maybe we were lucky with the Previa. I think the only possible time we would have replaced it, which I doubt we did, was from a car accident in the first few years we had the car. Other than that, I don't think we've ever had it replaced. I'll ask my mom and see, she should know for sure.

 

[TOYOPARTSMAN]

the couplings cannot be changed on the earlier versions, that is why they redisgned it. Many people tried to use the newer couplings on the older shaft, which it doesn't fit. if it is the original, you are very fortunate. If it is, it cannot be rebuilt, you may try a drive shaft specialist, but I think you are out of luck there. I also am not sure if you will be able to find a good quality used one.

 

[am286704]

the couplings cannot be changed on the earlier versions, that is why they redisgned it. Many people tried to use the newer couplings on the older shaft, which it doesn't fit. if it is the original, you are very fortunate. If it is, it cannot be rebuilt, you may try a drive shaft specialist, but I think you are out of luck there. I also am not sure if you will be able to find a good quality used one.

Yeah, it's an original one. I thought about buying remanufactured ones and hoping they fit. My mechanic said either a good remanufactured one w/ lifetime warranty or a used one under 100K miles would be the best scenario. Does that sound about right?

 

[cmh1129]

Wow.... Once a month. There was something seriously wrong with it.... My 91 has 220,000 miles on it and it is just starting to show signes of needing the couplers changed.
I have never heard of the driveshaft itself going bad and about to bust.... UNLESS something wierd has happened to it. The Coupling DOES go bad after a time. In hotter climates like Texas, Arazona etc. They tend to deteriorate faster. You can purchase ones on Ebay that are very durable. For around $70.
I would ask your Mechanic to show you where your shaft is about to bust. I am betting that it is the Coupling that he points to. Toyota only sells the entire shaft for $1200. They do not sell just the coupling, or aknowledge it as a seperate replacable piece.
If for some reason you do need the shaft, I have one out of a 91 that I will sell you for $200 that will have brand new couplings on it.

 

[am286704]

Wow.... Once a month. There was something seriously wrong with it.... My 91 has 220,000 miles on it and it is just starting to show signes of needing the couplers changed.
I have never heard of the driveshaft itself going bad and about to bust.... UNLESS something wierd has happened to it. The Coupling DOES go bad after a time. In hotter climates like Texas, Arazona etc. They tend to deteriorate faster. You can purchase ones on Ebay that are very durable. For around $70.
I would ask your Mechanic to show you where your shaft is about to bust. I am betting that it is the Coupling that he points to. Toyota only sells the entire shaft for $1200. They do not sell just the coupling, or aknowledge it as a seperate replacable piece.
If for some reason you do need the shaft, I have one out of a 91 that I will sell you for $200 that will have brand new couplings on it.

Hmm, well, I mean, my mechanic is really good and he knows Previas well. He said as odd and rare of a care as they are, he's seen a lot of them. I trust that it is the driveshaft, especially with the noises my car is making. From doing research, it probably is the driveshaft.

Does the 91 driveshaft fit into a 92? I don't want to buy the wrong thing. This is really the first thing we've had to replace in the Previa. From research and forums I've found, it's common to replace the entire driveshaft. The biggest problem here is humidity and I'm wondering if that could cause problems (we live in southeastern Ohio). How many miles is on the driveshaft?

 

[cmh1129]

I am sorry, but i disagree with TOYOTAPARTSMAN . the coupler is replacable. Here is a link to just one of the many that are brand new on ebay that are specifacly for the early style SAD http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyo...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I have replaced them in the earlier Previas before. Usually when they are going bad, they make a knocking sound that changes when the A/C is turned on. I got a 93 alltrac in San Antonio for dirt cheap because the Mechanic that was selling it said that the engine had a bad knock in it... I drove it the 1000 miles home to nebraska, ordered a coupler set for it, 4 hours of labor later had a previa that ran smooth as snot with just over 100,000 on it.
the Sad that I have is out of a Previa that has 228,000.

 

[TOYOPARTSMAN]

I am a Parts Manager at a Toyota Dealer, and have been doing this for 30 years. As I stated above, the earlier shafts the couplings could not be replaced, they were all rubber. If you were to buy a used shaft, I would try to get one out of a 95 or later because those couplings could be replaced. Again, as i stated above, if you were to buy a new shaft from a Toyota Dealer, you would get the redesigned shaft, which in essence means that all the Previa's took the same shaft, it is just a matter of old vs. new design.

It is my recommendation, that I would not put one of the old shaft designs back on. With that being said, one has to analyze the cost vs how much longer you plan on keeping the car. If you can find someone who has one with a lifetime warranty, or an newer used shaft, I say go for it. But if you can only find an older one, then I would try to find one with the least amount of miles on it you can, but remember, what has happened to yours might not last on the next one.

When we were replacing them about 1 a month, I was living in Los Angeles area and at a very large dealer, so the shere numbers alone made us see more than our fair share.

I truly am sorry for the one telling you the bad news, but I am being up front on your situation. If it were my car, I would look for a 95 or later shaft and if the couplings look bad replace them, although they don't really need to be replaced unless extremely high milage.

 

[am286704]

I am sorry, but i disagree with TOYOTAPARTSMAN . the coupler is replacable. Here is a link to just one of the many that are brand new on ebay that are specifacly for the early style SAD

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-Previa-Sad-Shaft-Coupler-Drive-Coupling-91-92-93-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5ad7afa8aeQQitemZ390165670062QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I have replaced them in the earlier Previas before. Usually when they are going bad, they make a knocking sound that changes when the A/C is turned on. I got a 93 alltrac in San Antonio for dirt cheap because the Mechanic that was selling it said that the engine had a bad knock in it... I drove it the 1000 miles home to nebraska, ordered a coupler set for it, 4 hours of labor later had a previa that ran smooth as snot with just over 100,000 on it.
the Sad that I have is out of a Previa that has 228,000.

Hmmm, well, I can't determine anything with the "knocking sound" seeing that my air conditioning hasn't worked since 1999. And it's too expensive to fix. My car makes a squealing noise almost--as though I need new belts. I do have a cranking sort of noise that's very quiet as well. The squeal/quite loud noise has gotten worse in the past year. It's especially noisy when I'm idling at a stop light and usually gets better when I'm over 40 MPH. I would say it's a loud cranking high pitched noise that comes from the car more than anything else. I know the dampener is starting to disintegrate, but most of the noise is coming from our driveshaft problem.

Does this make any sense?

 

[TOYOPARTSMAN]

If CMH1129 has found some aftermarket source for the couplings, and has some success with them, and it was my car, I may look into what he is saying. I know as a dealer they are not replaceable(again see above posts). I don't or never will claim to know all and see all.

 

[cmh1129]

I myself do not have 30 years experiance.. I just have the few years of experiance With the 7 or so Previas that I have owned and maintaining them.
I know that I have sucssefully changed the coupler on the early style shaft, and looking at my 91, will have to do so again in the near future.
I have never tried to put a "newer style" shaft into an older van, so I cannot say that they will fit. If it can be done, yes, that would be the way to go. There is a 94 s/c that is in line to be crushed at my local salvage yard. the SAD is still on it. the van caught fire cause the distributor seal leaked on the manifold. but the damage was just limited to that area.. it only has 115,000 on it, but it may be too late...

 

[am286704]

Ok, so, should I call my mechanic and confirm that it's the driveshaft and not the couplings? If it is the driveshaft, should I go for used or remanufactured? Haha, never quite got my original question answered.

 

[cmh1129]

What exactly is remanufactured? The whole driveshaft consists of a metal shaft with a coupling on each end. I don't see how they can "remanufacture" the metal shaft. All they can really do is replace the coupling on each side and call it remanufactured...
That would be the same thing you can do to yours... For $80 in parts..
That's why I don't understand what your mechanic means when he says yours is about to "bust". What part is going to bust. It is only made up two couplings with six bolts holding them on to a metal "pipe".
We are talking about the Suplimental Auxillary Driveshaft ( SAD ) yes? I am assuming so, cause that is what Toyota sells for $1200. That is what I am talking about... For some reason I get the feeling we are talking about two different things. Also, I do remember a guy had a New SAD on Craigslist , I think in Missouri a couple months ago..

 

[mr.vls]

Search EBAY for Previa Bushing and ABC Mart will be one of the search results and they have bushing kits for ther earlier Previas. Toyota did not make a bushing kit for the earlier previas. The repacement procedure is the same for installing a bushing kit. In fact I had the local toyota dealer install the bushing kit I purchased from ABC Mart. The toyota mechanic after the install said that the kit fit perfectly. I have not had any troubles with the front shaft after the install. Yes, the Toyota solution is a new drive shaft for the earlier Previa's but there are aftermarket bushing kits availible at a much lower cost then replacing with a new driveshaft.

 

[am286704]

What exactly is remanufactured? The whole driveshaft consists of a metal shaft with a coupling on each end. I don't see how they can "remanufacture" the metal shaft. All they can really do is replace the coupling on each side and call it remanufactured...
That would be the same thing you can do to yours... For $80 in parts..
That's why I don't understand what your mechanic means when he says yours is about to "bust". What part is going to bust. It is only made up two couplings with six bolts holding them on to a metal "pipe".
We are talking about the Suplimental Auxillary Driveshaft ( SAD ) yes? I am assuming so, cause that is what Toyota sells for $1200. That is what I am talking about... For some reason I get the feeling we are talking about two different things. Also, I do remember a guy had a New SAD on Craigslist , I think in Missouri a couple months ago..

Ok, I think I probably misled you with the word bust. He didn't say "bust" but that's kind of what I thought of in my mind. After inspecting the car, which I need new springs in my front shocks and have my rotors machined, he said that he was worried about the condition of my driveshaft. From what I understood, he's talking about the front driveshaft or the accessory driveshaft. I don't think there's one single part he's worried about, but rather the whole thing. I called a few places and they said remanufactured is taking a used one and refurbishing it, if that could make any sense. I've seen 6-7 on the same website ranging from $200-$450. I'm guessing that depends on the condition of the original driveshaft. I think we are talking about the same thing because what I saw that was new from Toyota was $1200. Obviously I'm not going to pay that much money; I'm a college student. These remanufactured ones I saw online have a lifetime warranty, which is nice, but that's why I'm here--to ask whether or not remanufactured is any different than used.

 

[am286704]

Search EBAY for Previa Bushing and ABC Mart will be one of the search results and they have bushing kits for ther earlier Previas. Toyota did not make a bushing kit for the earlier previas. The repacement procedure is the same for installing a bushing kit. In fact I had the local toyota dealer install the bushing kit I purchased from ABC Mart. The toyota mechanic after the install said that the kit fit perfectly. I have not had any troubles with the front shaft after the install. Yes, the Toyota solution is a new drive shaft for the earlier Previa's but there are aftermarket bushing kits availible at a much lower cost then replacing with a new driveshaft.

Hmmm, yeah, but what does a bushing kit do? And would that help anything if I truly need to replace my driveshaft? I don't know much about mechanics--I can't tell you exactly what's wrong other than what my mechanic said and what he suggests. He's hunting down a driveshaft as well. He said they shouldn't be too much if I can find one.

 

[mr.vls]

At the ends of the drive shaft there are two flanges that bolt to the front of the engine and to drive the accessories. The flanges have bushings in the bolt holes to absorb the shock of starting and stoping over time the bushings in the flanges wear out. You can not replace just the bushings but you can replace the flanges that have new bushings already installed. Below is the link for the bushing kit that I used. It is really a flange kit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-9...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Get a Haynes manual and there is a pretty good picture of the drive shaft. I doubt very much that your drive shaft actually needs replaceing.