Drive Shaft Maintance

[nardo]

Improper Drive Shaft Maintance a costly oversight!!

Improper maintance of a drive shaft can cost you money that you don't need to spend. Believe me I found out the hard way a couple of weeks ago. It started the week we come back from the Callantee ride with Aaron, Daniel and ajestrab (Aaron) and myself. Drove it to work I could hear a noise that sounded like it was coming out of the transfer case or transmission, as the week went along it was getting louder and louder.
So the following Tuesday I took it to transmission shop in Bristol, Va. The tech. drove and he said it sounded like the noise was coming from the transfer case but he wasn't even sure. So I decided to spend the money and have it checked. They tore the transfer case down and didn't find a thing wrong with it, did the same with the transmission, didn't find anything wrong with it either. What it was, it was the double cardan (CV) drive shaft joint. I kept the U-joints greased, but what i failed to do was grease the center pivot point in the C.V. joint. The noise that was coming from underneath the jeep sounded like the transfer case was going to fly apart. Keep it greased!!

This is from Tom Woods custom drive shaft web site.
http://www.4xshaft.com/maintenace_1.jpg
http://www.4xshaft.com/maintenace_2a.jpg

[Gubni]

I find it discouraging that a transmission shop didn't check the obvious CV joint before doing the transmission and transfer case. I would be very upset with them. I hope they didn't charge you for the other work since they diagnosed it wrong.

[nardo]

Unfornatally, I'm the one that discovered it. By that time, they had already got eveything back together. I can say one thing theres nothing wrong with the transfer case or the transmission, it's been inspected. lol

[TiredIronGRB]

I find it discouraging that a transmission shop didn't check the obvious CV joint before doing the transmission and transfer case. I would be very upset with them. I hope they didn't charge you for the other work since they diagnosed it wrong.

X2, that should have been the first thing they checked and if they weren't sharp enough to find that I wonder what kind of job they did putting everything back together:icon_eek:

[Hadfield4WD]

Hope they didn't charge you.

[99NCXJ]

thats the exact reason why i do all my own work. If I missdiagnose it, its my fault.

[flattietj]

we have gotten a little extra life out of those by greasing them but since there is no good way to grease it it is easier to put a new centering kit in there.....or grab the spare shaft out of the back of the jeep and have the other one rebuilt

[BillM]

When I had my front ds rebuilt he put a grease zerk in the centering ball if I am not mistaken.