Since i got the truck i have a loud vibration/noise when i engage the 4x4. I went to the dealer to pick up some parts ( my gf work there, so i pay the cost price.. ) and i talk to a mechanician.. He lifted the truck and told me that the driveshaft is too long and there's
no play on the splines, so the d-shaft push the yoke and the gears in the t-case.

My question is, is there anybody that have the measurements for the front driveshaft so i can look what's going one with this.. The new shaft is 550$, too much expensive.. So i will took the shaft and made it cut and rebalanced, but i need the mesurements..


Any help will be appreciated.

Cheers,
Marc/

 

Nobody?

Marc/

 

well...first off any drive line shop can shorten it for a lot less and fix the splines.....But I would do a bunch of reserch and see "why "it is too long.....has the axel slid back? worn parts? I could not give all the resons...just thoughts......then shorten the drive line

 

Definitely check the front suspension first. The big question is why is the front driveshaft all of a sudden too long? I've never seen a driveshaft grow all by itself. If you shorten the shaft, then find a problem in the suspension, then you have to retube the shaft to lengthen it back. Don't forget to check the mounts.

 

I am not convinced that if the shaft is too long it will cause a vibration.........it can't be too far off because if the splines on your slip were bottomed out with your suspension at normal ride height it would tear the transfer case off the back of the tranny when you hit a large bump driving down the road (I have seen it happen)...........can you turn the drive shaft freely?........more often than not, the CV seizes up and begins to bind and this gives a mild to severe vibration in 4WD depending on how seized the CV is...........to satisfy yourself, I would unbolt the drive shaft at the axle yoke and measure how much compression travel your slip has. It should have at least 1 1/2" compression travel to be safe but the very fact that you can unbolt the shaft and remove it from the axle yoke when the weight of the truck is on the suspension tells you that you have at least 1/2" of travel - no where near enough but that certainly tells you that is not what is binding or causing a vibration..........

Let us know what you find.......

 

When i went to the garage and the truck was up on the lift, the guy shown me clearely that that the u-joint at the end where the driveshaft connect to the front diff was "dead". He told me that he had hard time to remove the driveshaft because it was stuck in place. He replace the u-joint and when he put back the shaft, same thing.. very tight.

The mechanician told me that they could have replaced the front driveshaft with the wrong one.. But i totally agree with you HemiCat, it can grow by itself!

Once the front is engage, if i push the throttle a bit hard ( half to 3/4 ) it make an awful sound in the front drivedrain ( t-case, front ), it's a bit hard to pin point where exactly the sound come front and, same thing when i depress the throttle to let the engine compress, same awful sound..

This truck had the recall to renforced the front suspension. Ive seen that they soldered new mounts to hold the coil spring. Is it possible that they put the mounts to far behind ? IMO, it almost impossible, with all the steering linkage etc..

I'll take a look if i can turn the driveshaft freely and i will come back with the results..

Marc/

 

IMO- could the splines be wore out not letting the drive shaft slide into the female part??
next take the D.S. out and drive it in and out of 4 wd...this will help eliminate some guess work- IE if the same noise is there, its not the shaft.

 

You can have siezed splines on your slip and this can make the driveshaft hard to remove but it doesn't mean it is too long........like I said earlier, if you can remove the shaft from the axle yoke with the truck on the ground you have at least a 1/2" of travel - not enough but not what is causing the vibration...........I would remove the shaft yourself and pull the slip apart if it is siezed, clean it up, grease it and measure the shaft at full compression after the slip moves freely along it's entire travel........I'm thinking the shaft is the right length but the slip is seized

The upper coil mount recall has nothing to do with the location of the axle, suspension link mounts or their placement......

If the drive shaft does not spin freely it is not the slip joint that is causing that particular problem but most likely a siezed CV.........without seeing the truck I would say your front shaft has a siezed CV AND slip which is really not that uncommon for a part time 4WD system that is rarely engaged in 4WD......

 

Ok, i froze my a** outside, the temperature is around 5'F. The drive shaft spin freely with my hand no problem there.. I will do what CTD suggested me. Is there any trick to split the shaft at the spline or it will just come off ? The guy that had the truck before me, told me that he used the 4x4 very rarely, so it's probably something seized. Here's few pics i took...



I'll keep you informed guys.

Thanks again,
Marc/

 

Hmm......judging by those photos, that slip joint boot appears to be very compressed........I'll admit that it does apear to be long........I would still remove the boot and measure to be certain..........no tricks to removing the slip from the shaft........cut the banding clamp that holds the boot to the slip and unthread the collet and if the slip isn't siezed, it will come apart.........but before you unthread the collet I would measure the compression travel.......leave the shaft in the truck, cut the banding clamp and move the boot so you can measure how much remaining travel is left..........after seeing your pics it doesn't look like much.

 

also index it so you put it back togather the same way

 

Im curious HemiCat, what mounts are you talking about ?

Marc/

 

Stupid question, is your truck lifted at all? With any amount of lift and stock control arms (ie not longer control arms) the axle will be pulled closer to the truck and in turn "shorten" the front driveshaft. Also, if the technician had your truck on a two post rack with both axles hanging freely it would also give the appearance of the front shaft being too short. Just a suggestion. Have you driven the truck without the front shaft yet? That would be the tell tale sign there is something wrong with the front shaft. Just my .02. Keep us posted!

MIke

 

IMO, the truck is stock and not lifted. I will take picture of the front and rear axles for you guys so you can tell me if the truck has been lifted, but it appear bone stock. The tech lift the truck with a four arms lift, placed under the frame that let both axles hang freely..

I haven't take the time to remove the front d-s yet, it's quite cold here. I'll to remove it this weekend.. I'll keep you informed guys.

Cheers,
Marc/

 

Trans mount, motor mounts, Make sure the eng/trans is setting correctly. Check the radius arm bushings and the brackets for the front axle to make sure it is setting correctly. Measure the distance between the front and rear wheels to make sure the wheel base is correct. Remember you said you had the vibration since you got the truck, Maybe it was in an accident and everything got moved or bent or repaired by an amature. Look for something that would move either the front axle or the eng/trans.