TJ: Drive Shaft ?

[Schmo]

So I have Tom Wood's Driveshafts F&R . . . had the center ball replaced on the rear shaft Dec 2009. Rubi 4" lift 33" tires, Double Cardan Rubi DS. Noticed a noise tonight that reminded me of the noise my Rear DS made last year before the center ball went bad . . . so I turned around headed home (drove less than 5 miles) . . . it was only making the noise upon deceleration and under 2000rpm. I yanked the rear DS and drove around in 4x4 and sure enough the noise was gone. I didn't notice any play in the DS when on the Jeep or in the CV joint like there was last year when it went bad so I greased up the CV real good, sprayed some WD40 in there figuring perhaps some grit or something might have got in there and then greased it up a bit more, threw it back on the Jeep, greased the U Joints and Splines and the noise is gone.

So here's my question, what are the odds that I caught the issue in time and perhaps it was just a bit dry and needed some grease or some grit was in there compared to the odds that it's shot, will need to be rebuilt, and all I've done is temporarily masked the issue?

[bails85]

drive it boy! fix it when it blows up.

[OU812]

Odds are slim. When the centering ball in the double cardin goes out it deforms the seat that the ball rides on. Fresh grease might make it feel better for a while but if the joint is worn out its not going to get any better. Check out this write-up on a drive shaft rebuild. Once they CV is bad it will get exponentially worse till it becomes pieces of what was previously a drive shaft.

[Schmo]

Last year, I noticed the noise while up at my parent's over the holiday 300 miles north, the noise was very faint, only at slow speed and on deceleration and I didn't know what I was hearing . . . I drove home and didn't notice the noise until I got off the freeway when I got to the exit near my home and at that point the Drive Shaft had a ton of play and was making aweful racket, you could grab it on the Jeep and shake it around. I figure the highway speed on the drive home kept the drive shaft spinning fast and kept it from flopping around, but when the speed dropped it was able to flop around like crazy. At this point, I'm not feeling any play in the DS which is why I was hoping there might be a chance I got to it in time. It did take grease and seemed to stiffen up once the grease was added. I guess time will tell . . . I've got the tools to remove it in the Jeep in case it starts up again. At least I know it's only the DS. When I didn't feel any play in it I started to worry that it wasn't the DS and something more expensive. But having to rebuild the DS in less than year is a bit ridiculous . . . I've maybe put 5000 miles on it if that.

[mrchips]

Contact Tom Woods, they will take a look at it for you and may even fix it for free. They stand behind there product and work.
Yes you have to ship it out, but they are real fast on the turn around.
I also have T Woods shafts Front and rear, and they have been awesome.
I got mine with premium splines and a dust cover, no rubber boot, and have messed up the dust cover on rocks, and they have sent me spares @ no charge.

[Ol Man]

Contact Tom Woods, they will take a look at it for you and may even fix it for free. They stand behind there product and work.
Yes you have to ship it out, but they are real fast on the turn around.
I also have T Woods shafts Front and rear, and they have been awesome.
I got mine with premium splines and a dust cover, no rubber boot, and have messed up the dust cover on rocks, and they have sent me spares @ no charge.

Agree with this recommendation. They have great customer service.

[Schmo]

Drove 40 miles today and no noise . . . we'll see how it goes.

[bails85]

you may have got lucky. it happens. believe it or not.

[Schmo]

Well I pulled the front drive shaft and gave it a good greasing. Drove around and don't have the noise that was apparent before, but I still have noises (it's a Jeep), but now I'm paranoid . . . I'll guess I'll just keep listening and checking it for play. Planning on a 200 mile trip on Sat so we will see, I'll definitely have the tools and a tarp to lay down on in the rain!

[Red Heep]

Contact Tom Woods, they will take a look at it for you and may even fix it for free. They stand behind there product and work.
Yes you have to ship it out, but they are real fast on the turn around.
I also have T Woods shafts Front and rear, and they have been awesome.
I got mine with premium splines and a dust cover, no rubber boot, and have messed up the dust cover on rocks, and they have sent me spares @ no charge.

What is the DS angle? Most of these guys won't warranty them if the angle is to steep. Mine is around 22 deg and I've been told by many DS places they might last 3 months or two years depending on angle, miles put on it and luck. --Damon

[Schmo]

New Question . . .

I noticed what seems like a bit of play in the U-Joint on the Front Drive Shaft at the diff. Play might not be the best word as it's not loose where you can rattle it around, but it seems as if the center of the U-Joint is able to move a tiny bit side to side in the yoke of the DS (doesn't seem to do it on side of the U-Joint that attaches to the diff). Hard to explain but it seems as if there is a little space under the cap of the U-Joint and you can move the center part of the U-Joint in and out of the cap a tiny bit, you can't twist it, the caps are tight in the yoke and on the U-Joint but are able to slide the center of the U-Joint between the two caps tiniest bit. Is that normal?



( < + > ) - Visual . . . ( = the caps, + = the center of the U Joint, <> = the movement sliding the U-Joint back and forth in and out of the caps.

[RAT]

New Question . . .

I noticed what seems like a bit of play in the U-Joint on the Front Drive Shaft at the diff. Play might not be the best word as it's not loose where you can rattle it around, but it seems as if the center of the U-Joint is able to move a tiny bit side to side in the yoke of the DS (doesn't seem to do it on side of the U-Joint that attaches to the diff). Hard to explain but it seems as if there is a little space under the cap of the U-Joint and you can move the center part of the U-Joint in and out of the cap a tiny bit, you can't twist it, the caps are tight in the yoke and on the U-Joint but are able to slide the center of the U-Joint between the two caps tiniest bit. Is that normal?



( < + > ) - Visual . . . ( = the caps, + = the center of the U Joint, <> = the movement sliding the U-Joint back and forth in and out of the caps.

Home boy, you should have no movement in the u-joint if its installed properly and in good condition. I'm thinking the caps aren't completely seated in the yoke.

[Schmo]

Home boy, you should have no movement in the u-joint if its installed properly and in good condition. I'm thinking the caps aren't completely seated in the yoke.

It doesn't seem to be moving on the end that I straped on to the diff but on the other end that is on the driveshaft which was installed when I got it...weird, I've kept the joint lubed up too. What would be the fix, just replace the UJoint, or does this point to a problem with the shaft.

[Schmo]

Pulled the shaft and there is definitely movement in the U-Joint . . . it's tiny maybe 3 hairs next to each other, but there is movement. With the shaft off, you can move the middle of the U-Joint back and forth in the yoke, the caps don't move in the yoke just the middle part of the U-Joint will a tiny bit back and forth in and out of the caps. The yoke looks fine, the clips on each side appear to be secure and in place, even the U-Joint looks fine with plenty of grease. I don't know if this is just something simple and routine and the U-Joint was just bad or wore faster than usual or if it isn't seated properly or if the yoke is a tiny bit too wide creating a tiny bit of space. I guess I'll call Tom Wood in the morning, but I'd really rather not have to deal with the hassle of shipping the driveshaft out to UT or wherever he is if it's just something normal and simple. Still a little frustrated to have to deal with this seeing how I just bought the front shaft in Jan and have only put 4000 miles on the Jeep. I probably wouldn't have noticed but after having the issue with the Rear which I had rebuilt a month before getting the front, I figured I'd better rip it off and lube up the center ball . . . the U-Joint that's got the play is the one that has a zirk and is easy to get to and got plenty of attention . . . go figure! I've put about 250 miles on the Rear shaft since having that noise and lubing up the center ball, the noise has not returned and I do not feel any play in the shaft, but I don't know if I'm out of the woods on that one, and now I'm driving around without a front DS, which was my insurance plan as I figured I could take off the rear shaft and just drive home in 4x4 if needed, I guess AAA is my only insurance now. :mad:

[RAT]

Pulled the shaft and there is definitely movement in the U-Joint . . . it's tiny maybe 3 hairs next to each other, but there is movement. With the shaft off, you can move the middle of the U-Joint back and forth in the yoke, the caps don't move in the yoke just the middle part of the U-Joint will a tiny bit back and forth in and out of the caps. The yoke looks fine, the clips on each side appear to be secure and in place, even the U-Joint looks fine with plenty of grease. I don't know if this is just something simple and routine and the U-Joint was just bad or wore faster than usual or if it isn't seated properly or if the yoke is a tiny bit too wide creating a tiny bit of space. I guess I'll call Tom Wood in the morning, but I'd really rather not have to deal with the hassle of shipping the driveshaft out to UT or wherever he is if it's just something normal and simple. Still a little frustrated to have to deal with this seeing how I just bought the front shaft in Jan and have only put 4000 miles on the Jeep. I probably wouldn't have noticed but after having the issue with the Rear which I had rebuilt a month before getting the front, I figured I'd better rip it off and lube up the center ball . . . the U-Joint that's got the play is the one that has a zirk and is easy to get to and got plenty of attention . . . go figure! I've put about 250 miles on the Rear shaft since having that noise and lubing up the center ball, the noise has not returned and I do not feel any play in the shaft, but I don't know if I'm out of the woods on that one, and now I'm driving around without a front DS, which was my insurance plan as I figured I could take off the rear shaft and just drive home in 4x4 if needed, I guess AAA is my only insurance now. :mad:

I thought you siad it was the yoke at the diff that was doing this. If it's at the cardon that is something else. You're right; probably is the u-joint wearing out. Tom Woods should take care of that for you. They have been good to me so far but all I did was ask for a new accordian boot that I scraped off in JV.