Is there an advantage in using that driveshaft over stock? I have plundered junkyards several times without finding a good straight aluminum shaft but they are littered with steel ones...
It's bigger in diameter and has larger U joints than the stock Mav shaft. I bought it from Ft. Wayne driveline via ebay for about $125, this included the transmission slip yoke (it's 28 spline butthe slip portion is about the same diameter as a 31 spline, so I didn't use it, and they hand picked it and ran it thru the paces to make sure it was straight and balanced correctly. It's about 4" in diameter.
Bout to change that u-joint... I have an extra C4 yoke that happens to have a damper on it. Is that a worthwhile upgrade or just another way to introduce the potential for problems?
I don't see why it couldn't hurt. Maybe I should use one too as I've never been able to completely get rid of the vibes in mine.
I think if there is a vib it's still there, just dampened... once the rubber gets hard...it's of no use...I have seen one that came apart.
Ended up not using that yoke. Rubber didn't look so good, plus it was significantly shorter than the stock one... But I think I did find the reason they keep breaking! I never would have known had I not just randomly decided to check while I was down there, but the nuts on the U-bolts holding my axle tubes to the leaf springs were all loose. I know they were tight when I put them on, and all of them have lock nuts, but there it is. They were damn loose, although not visibly so. I'd been thinking, when I accelerate and the rearend steered the car a little bit, that I needed new bushings on the leaf springs. That was going to be my next project. Not the case, apparently. Quite a difference when I tightened those up...
lol.. we all know it happens. Course.. the more we do this stuff.. the more it seems to happen. To me it often seems that the busy family and/or multi-tasking type lifestyles tend to lend a few more mistakes into the mix too. I know very many weekend warriors/semi-professionals that make mistakes like I do though.. so I don't feel so bad when it happens. At least you eventually found the quick.. and cheap.. fix to get it all sorted out now.
I'd feel better if I knew for sure it was a mistake on my part, but I swear those nuts were tight. So I have to wonder why they loosened and whether it's going to happen again. I suppose I'll double-nut them next chance I get...
its just something that happens from the leaf spring flexing. Ive seen a case where someone spot welded the nut a more permanent fix but good luck getting that nut loose next time. red locktite and a double nut will insure they never come loose again
They can work loose from the flexing and settling of the springs and pads. Also depends on how tight you got them to start with and what thread pitch the U bolts are. Really fine thread bolts take forever to get really as tight as they should be.
was this one side or both sides...One U-bolt or all four... I mine with an impact and never had them come loose... ... ...
