New front drive shaft

[Eric Winkworth]

Hi guys


I'm still getting vibration on a brand new driveshaft, balanced and greased with tight U joints. I'm thinking about going to a CV type shaft, because i'm thinking that the angle on the shaft the U joint just won't cut it.

i'm getting a vibration at about 50, it is the worst on slow down... any ideas?

 

[crushers]

front pinion loose or front output on the t/case has slop

 

[lshobie]

Is there play in the drive shaft spline? If you need a driveshaft I have a brand spanking new one for sale. just reach under and push and pull on the shaft - see if there is any play in it at the spline.

 

[lshobie]

Oopsie, my bad. Ya, my bet is loose pinion nut.

Regards,

 

[roscoFJ73]

Is it aligned properly? By that I mean are both sleeve yolks flat when you lookdown the shaft?

Swapping to a CV joint is pointless unless the angle is horrendous

 

[knorrena]

Actually cv joints may not work any better under large angles of operation. What they do work better is situations where the the two drive faces are not parallel. This afffords the opportunity to operate under conditions where the angle of operation is large because one can tip the diff up or the tcase down or both and have less to worry about. Although I have no proof, I suspect that this is why cv are typically used on the fron dshaft: the engine/trans/tcase usually dips toward the rear diff leaving the angle between the tcase and the front diff out of parallel.

The above was realized partly from personal experience, research and gut feel. Its not gospel or anything. For an online reference I would go to:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Driveline-101.shtml

http://www.4xshaft.com/driveline101.html

Karl

 

[crushers]

yep a c/v joint will not flex the same angle as the rgular ujoint but it has smoother operation...
so i am lead to beleive...

 

[Eric Winkworth]

hummm well I just checked and the nuts are still tight and there is no play, there is about 3/4 of and inch of back lash, what is tolerence?

this is starting to bum me out.

 

[crushers]

3/4"?? way too much...
but this should only give you clunch when either shifting or going forward / reverse shifts.
no play on the diff or the t/case output shaft?

 

[Eric Winkworth]

no they feel nice, no up and down or in and out play at all

 

[Eric Winkworth]

she is rounding 300,000km's I dunno man, the driveshafts are liek new from g&S's nice and tight and balenced,

 

[Greg_B]

Eric.

50 is right around the classic driveline incorrect angle vibration speed.

What is the angle of each flange face...eg: Axle pinion flange, and corresponding t-case output flange. Are they the same? You have recently put on a lift or not? Get a mag base angle finder, take the driveshaft off, and measure each face.

Is this on the front? Did you require the use of shims to bring your caster back?

If on the rear, did you do a combination spring and shackle lift?

The second link shows you exactly what things should look like with regular u-joints.

hth's

gb

 

[roscoFJ73]

How about some pics Eric and was there a suspension lift in there recently?

 

[Tapage]

my bet is for a lift ...

 

[Eric Winkworth]

yep a 3 inch OME lift, I don't think it did this before the lift, I know for sure it didn't do it last winter, which is primarily when I use 4wd. I'm still tinkering with it a bit.

I got the truck aligned after my lift, and it drives really striaght and feels great other then this 4wd vibration, I really don't think it is the u joint angle anymore, I dunno, I wish all you knowledgeable foke wern't so far away so someone could come for a drive with me..

i'm located in st.thomas ontario near london, so if anyone has any info on someone who knows his s*** around here and what I can continue to try don't hesitate to ask.

I don't know everything about fixing Land cruiser but up until this point i've done alot myself, so don't be affriad to talk to me like i know nothing

 

[crushers]

are you SURE the shaft is in phase?

 

[Eric Winkworth]

well i've gotten rid of alot of it, and I appreciate your guys patience with me because I just did something stupied, I had the shaft backwards in the spline after it was balenced I took it apart and put it back togther so the weights were working against each other, I feel dub. There is no more vibration in the truck but there is a growl now GREAT, I think it is the transfercase input shaft, I really have no idea I just know it doesn't sound like it is coming from the front of the truck and with the hubs locked and unlocked it make no difference. I notice it mostly when slowing down, like i said there isn't play in it though so i'm stumpted, maybe it was siezed when I checked it and it breaks free when driving, but it sound aweful like grinding gears kind of.

how much is that worth and do you think it is the issue, we just got a little snow so as soon as it melts I will rip it apart, I assume you just undo that nut and pull? then I can check the splines for wear? I guess in the end I was dealing with a few things at once, which is why this seemed so hopeless, but i''m getting there now.

thanks again guys

 

[Greg_B]

yep a 3 inch OME lift. I really don't think it is the u joint angle anymore,

You will not KNOW it is the pinion angles unless you have the faces checked for angle. To move forward in the process of elimination, have the faces checked so you KNOW it is not a pinion flange angle issue.

This is your front driveshaft...correct?

Check phase too, as Wayne mentioned. It is explained in the chassis manual.

hth's

gb

 

[Greg_B]

A growling when going on and off load is usually, but not always, the u-joints. It usually growls till it loads up in the direction of rotation, the goes away. This is happening not just in the load and unload phase?

What shop did the balance? They typically will leave assembled in phase after the balancing, and it is always best to mark with white paint pen if you take apart after a service like that. Any shop that balances usually will check and ensure u-joint and spline health as well.

A 3" lift is getting you into caster, pinion face angle and bump steer issue territory...make sure these are in spec and are okay.

hth's

gb

 

[Eric Winkworth]

i'm going to take it in somewhere as I really have no idea as to how to check the faces for angle. Or can I check the faces myself? it seems like the axle input face is a little \ angled. and the transfer case one is | flat

what is ideal for face angle?

I will try to get a picture tommrow, but it the u joint off the transfercase is definitaly the one with the extream angle, and that seems to be where the gowling is coming from.

The gowling seems to be alot more noticable when slowing down of cousre this could be because the motor noise is not over the growling.

Phase as in both u joints are lined up? then yes they are perfect.

The shaft itself is in really good shape no wear on splines or u joints because I purchased it from you guys last year and haven't use it that much.

thanks for you patience with me I appreciate the help

Eric