Well ive been chasing a vibration in the drive train for over a week. Replace one u-joint with no luck stopping it. Tired of checking everything, i put the truck on jack stands and geared it up to 50mph to see if i could find anything.

Found my harmonic balancer on the front of the diveshaft rotating out of square. I stopped the truck and grabbed it and found i could move it back and fourth by hand.

The rubber is all dry and failing. I called dodge to see if this is a replaceable part which it is not. I'd have to buy an entire new drive shaft.

My question is can i just cut this thing off and not put a new one on and be okay with that?

I might be pulling the trigger on a 1 piece drive shaft after i talk to my drive shaft guy after the holidays but if it ends up being too pricey, is my alternitive a bad idea?


Thanks guys.

 

Sorry that I dont know a thing about the balancer but was bored and found a couple of posts that might give you a little more info.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...cer+driveshaft

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...cer+driveshaft

Hopefully those in the know will chime in. Meanwhile, make sure to keep us posted

 

Thanks for those links. I did catch both of those threads before I posted mine. I have a call
Into my buddys drive shaft guy to get his opinion about just cutting
The thing off. I'm not really sure why its there since I havnt generally seen many
Drive shafts with them. Maybe it has something to do with it being a split shaft design.
I think I might have the drive shaft guy quote me to build a 1 piece shaft utilizing the factory u joints that way I can still go to a parts store to look em up rather then trying to remember a part number.
Anyone know the diameter of the 07 and up 1 piece shafts made from aluminum? I know their quite larger due to the material. I'm guessing at least 6" but that's just a guess.

Thanks for your input.

 

The harmonic balancer is on the front of the engine crankshaft. The bearing on the driveshaft is the carrier bearing on 2 piece driveshaft. if that is so worn you see it wobbling around that is your problem i'm sure. There are also 1 piece replacements guys are using. The carrier bearing can be replaced.

 

I believe he's talking about the balance weight on the front of the driveshaft.
When I replaced mine with a one piece I got it without the weight and it has been fine FWIW.

 

My factory DS does not have the balancer on it. I don't know why some have them and some don't.

 

Thats what confused me! I had never heard of an H balancer on a driveshaft until recently.

 

Here's a picture of the culprit.
From what i gather, the short beds dont have them at all. Only the long bed crew cabs with a 2 piece shaft.

Condor, have you seen a factory setup with the ballancer? Im asking cause i wonder if everything else is the same.

 

Not all long bed quad cabs have the balancer on the DS, mine doesn't.....

 

What year is your truck?

 

You could order the DS with or without the weight.

 

Never saw one of those. Maybe Dodge did it in response to the chatter on acceleration that some were having with 2 piece shafts.

 

Im pretty sure that chatter is from the carrier bearing which is also a poor design.


So....... Anyone knowif i cut this thing off completly, will that have any poor results? besides making the shaft out of ballance?

 

if you remove it, id get the entire driveshaft balanced.

 

My truck is an '06 quad cab long bed manual trans truck.

BTW, I just noticed my signature is missing. Anyone know why that is?