Broken Driveshaft...

tepos

tepos

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So i heard sum noises coming from under that hood couple of days, and last night heard the same thing, but this time a little louder. So i took the Ls to the dealer today and paid for sum inspection... Went to work and few hrs. later i droped by and got and answer... "FOUND INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD BENT, AND BROKEN DRIVESHAFT":eek: ... They asked if i had been powerbraking lately... and i kinda rememberd that one day...:rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1mLfxUs--U

i said yea i was but was like 3 or 4 months ago... But yea anyways, they estimate a total of $1,300 which i gotta come up before my baby leaves on
the side of the road...
Any of you had a broken driveshaft b4? How much is it for a local shop to do???
 
wow, that was hard to read...

sucks that all of that happened to your car. good luck getting her back on the road.
 
That sucks man, well power braking is not such a good idea after all I guess.
 
Exactly whats broken about the driveshaft I would ask. It has flex couplers on each end that could go and wouldn't require the whole driveshaft to be replaced and are fairly easy to change. It also has a center bearing and 1 u-joint by that center bearing. These are considered "not serviceable" by most places and would require replacing the whole unit. Rebuilding the shaft would likely cost more than a new one perhaps. I did buy a salvage unit for $80 though for the modification I did to mine.

DS3.jpg


DS2.jpg
 
Plenty of places can build and install one for you. Check local 4x4 shops since a lot of lifted or modified 4x4's requires customs driveshafts. If not then go to a u-pull-it and get one.
 
glanga said:
Plenty of places can build and install one for you. Check local 4x4 shops since a lot of lifted or modified 4x4's requires customs driveshafts. If not then go to a u-pull-it and get one.
Click to expand...

The 3 bolt flex coupler ends takes alot of the drive shaft places out of the picture. Only few have the equipment to work on them. The u-joint is a "stacked style" and is not serviceable but I did find a few places on line that at least claimed to be able to rehab the shaft replacing it with a seviceable one, same for the center bearing. Both would cost more than a new shaft, never checked but probably. Used shafts are very available, a salvage yard near me got me one in 1 day.
 
Question... If the U-joint can not be replaced, how do they put it on?

Edit: Thanks for the pics. Now that I know what is involved with the drive shaft maybe I can figure out the strange rumbling that is coming from under my car when I accelerate.

Ok [/off topic] :p
 
97stscaddy said:
Question... If the U-joint can not be replaced, how do they put it on?
Click to expand...

The U-joint is "staked". Rather than the clips to hold them in place they are staked as in the metal around the cap of the joint is punched into the caps, not to be unassembled again. I assume they are put together the same way just this being different. Kinda stupid really.
 
The ultimate replacement driveshaft

X3 on the Ebonics.
If you don't expect to make any HP upgrades, undoubtedly the best trick is to get another from the boneyard. If you intend to make more HP, it will pay you to go to a custom driveshaft place. Try Googling 'Denny's Driveshaft'. The ultimate replacement would be to have two aluminium driveshafts built---front and back. The center hanger is known as a 'pillow block' and is a common item. Get rid of the rubber ends and the rubber liners and make all the connections with HD U-joints. Do it right and only do it once. It'll be easy to construct a shaft system that'll transmit more than 1K HP. Then replace the rear diff and put in new halfshafts using the same construction techniques.
KenS from Ben's Place
 
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cammerfe said:
X3 on the Ebonics.
If you don't expect to make any HP upgrades, undoubtedly the best trick is to get another from the boneyard. If you intend to make more HP, it will pay you to go to a custom driveshaft place. Try Googling 'Denny's Driveshaft'. The ultimate replacement would be to have two aluminium driveshafts built---front and back. The center hanger is known as a 'pillow block' and is a common item. Get rid of the rubber ends and the rubber liners and make all the connections with HD U-joints. Do it right and only do it once. It'll be easy to construct a shaft system that'll transmit more than 1K HP. Then replace the rear diff and put in new halfshafts using the same construction techniques.
KenS from Ben's Place
Click to expand...

Denny wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pole, I called him. You forget the 3 prong tranny yoke...not everyone will work with it.
 
cammerfe said:
The ultimate replacement would be to have two aluminium driveshafts built---front and back. The center hanger is known as a 'pillow block' and is a common item. Get rid of the rubber ends and the rubber liners and make all the connections with HD U-joints. Do it right and only do it once. It'll be easy to construct a shaft system that'll transmit more than 1K HP.
Click to expand...




I would recommend just going with a one-piece D-shaft if you are bothering to go custom. It will have less rotational mass (less parasitic power loss) and will be less complicated and able to withstand more power. It will be cheaper too.
 
Simple DS

Is there room in the trans/shaft tunnel to run direct from the trans output to the diff? I gave things a cursory look when changing the exhaust system. Might the heat shield be in the way?
There's power to be found by eliminating all the extra hardware and fabbing connections at each end would only consist of dumping the rubber connectors in favor of U-joints. What goes in between would then be an ordinary HP shaft.
KenS from Ben's Place
 
cammerfe said:
You'll note I suggested changing to HD U-joints ! KS
Click to expand...

????????

Thats not what our trans is set up for, its set up for a pilot bearing/flex coupler style of attachment. Not to mention so is the stock diff so in a "stock" situation you have to deal with this on both ends. I no longer have that in the rear but still am stuck with it up front. Unless you've changed the trans yoke...your stuck with it and have to use an adapter to convert to a more conventional style of flange. Many make these for other applications but I haven't ironed out if any fit ours. BMWs, Benzes, Supras, new style GTOs use similar and when going custom are adapted to the normal seldom are flanges changed and likely not even available. With the New Mustang and other Fords using our trans I think a swap of the flange will make the 1 piece and a custom driveshaft much easier.

I would agree 1 piece may be the best way. A hanger is prone to bouce.

Call Denny, he won't make anything to work with 3 bolt styles....unless somethings changed in the last 2 months. Driveshaft Shop handled my modification.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you project will not use the stock trans or the stock diff??
 
Custom Driveshaft/rear-end

02LSE96LSC91SE84TC said:
????????

Thats not what our trans is set up for, its set up for a pilot bearing/flex coupler style of attachment. Not to mention so is the stock diff so in a "stock" situation you have to deal with this on both ends. I no longer have that in the rear but still am stuck with it up front. Unless you've changed the trans yoke...your stuck with it and have to use an adapter to convert to a more conventional style of flange. Many make these for other applications but I haven't ironed out if any fit ours. BMWs, Benzes, Supras, new style GTOs use similar and when going custom are adapted to the normal seldom are flanges changed and likely not even available. With the New Mustang and other Fords using our trans I think a swap of the flange will make the 1 piece and a custom driveshaft much easier.

I would agree 1 piece may be the best way. A hanger is prone to bouce.

Call Denny, he won't make anything to work with 3 bolt styles....unless somethings changed in the last 2 months. Driveshaft Shop handled my modification.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you project will not use the stock trans or the stock diff??
Click to expand...

My Land Speed LS project will use a 5R55 transmission. I'm working with a prototype operation (Easy enough to find here in Metro Detroit) and we actually haven't gone beyond a five-minute discussion regarding the output end of the trans. Offhand, a fabricated adaptor flange attached to the tri-lobe and bored to take the billet u-joint end-caps available in the afternarket should make it possible to place a HD U-joint directly behind the trans and then go back with a regular custom driveshaft. Depending on clearance, either that would have to be duplicated fore-n-aft of the pillow block and then duplicated again at the diff, or replaced altogether with a single shaft.

I expect to get an entire rear suspension to play with. The ultimate result will include a nine-inch center section or one of the 9"/12-bolt hybrids that are available from aftermarket sources, and also custom half-shafts. Have you looked at the carbon-fibre stuff now available?
All of this is being done not just to have a unique luxo/daily-driver but to provide hands-on research for the soon to be started B'ville car.

I have talked to Denny. I only expect shaft(s) from him---not the fabricating before and after. He has no problem with that approach.
KenS from Ben's Place
 
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cammerfe said:
Is there room in the trans/shaft tunnel to run direct from the trans output to the diff? I gave things a cursory look when changing the exhaust system. Might the heat shield be in the way?
There's power to be found by eliminating all the extra hardware and fabbing connections at each end would only consist of dumping the rubber connectors in favor of U-joints. What goes in between would then be an ordinary HP shaft.
KenS from Ben's Place
Click to expand...


The shield may require minor modification, but nothing that could not be overcome quite easily. After all, if a person is taking the time to get the custom DS made to hold that kind of power then they are probably comfortable enough to do a little tinkering to ensure it fits without any problem. I have looked in Jason's car when we did the 8.8" diff swap on his car and it looked very possible to do a one-piece from what I seen.
 
ILLS said:
The shield may require minor modification, but nothing that could not be overcome quite easily. After all, if a person is taking the time to get the custom DS made to hold that kind of power then they are probably comfortable enough to do a little tinkering to ensure it fits without any problem. I have looked in Jason's car when we did the 8.8" diff swap on his car and it looked very possible to do a one-piece from what I seen.
Click to expand...
Thanks !!!
I'll be happy to share when I get to that place. I also have an already-constructed belly pan to concern myself with !
KenS from Ben's Place
 
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Ok srry i didnt end up coming back with the hole drive shaft problem. But im back... Ok so the stealership found the problem, apparently the driveshaft was braking off, and so i got a quote for $1300. Back at my local tranny shop they found the right problem the center bearing from the driveshaft was braking apart. They charged me $150 to replace it and in 1 hr my baby was just fine. Thanks 4 the info u guys provided tho...=)
 
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