Drive Shaft Center Support Bearing?

[WTreat]

CDonaldson,



You mentioned that you keep spare parts in your truck box when you travel. What size and manufacture of u-joints are you running in your one piece aluminum driveshaft?

 

[cumminalong]

Folks,

You can use the Spicer or Precision u-joints in the AAM shafts, but you have to machine . 010 off the end caps to get them to fit correctly, otherwise they bind and you'll be shortening the life.

Otherwise, you'll have a tough time getting the circlips to seat fully, if at all.

If we have a truck in the shop and the owner wants the Spicers or Precisions on the shaft, we have to put the caps in the mill and take . 010's off the end and then they're all set.

 

[S.Morris]

. 010 comes off real quick with angle grinder. With a steady hand, probably done all 4 caps before mill setup for one

 

[DGamelin]

We take it off the the clips, has worked fine for years. Anything that comes in that is diesel gets Spicer if possible.



_________________________

93 250 2wd xc 354 auto 275k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6speed 100k

 

[cumminalong]

. 010 comes off real quick with angle grinder. With a steady hand, probably done all 4 caps before mill setup for one

There's what works and there's what's right.

Anybody that says they can "steady hand" . 010" with an angle grinder isn't touching my truck.

Ever seen what happens when someone goes, "Yeah, that'll be okay..... " even after you tell them it's NOT okay?

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Don't say I didn't warn ya.

 

[seafish]

There's what works and there's what's right.



Anybody that says they can "steady hand" . 010" with an angle grinder isn't touching my truck.



Ever seen what happens when someone goes, "Yeah, that'll be okay..... " even after you tell them it's NOT okay?



Don't say I didn't warn ya.

Well PLEASE DO tell us the whole story on that aluminum driveshaft with the broken yokes... are you saying that the wrong type of u-jont pressed in, or with the caps too loose caused it too bust like that?? I can believe it, but it would be NICE to have more details... .

 

[cumminalong]

This was on a truck that had 6" lift blocks on the back, even after I told him that 4" was the most you can go with the 1-piece without using a spacer. 6" usually requires a spacer (if it's a true 6 and not 6 in the front, 4 in the rear) and 8" lifts always require a spacer.

The truck had 22. 5" wheels w/ 37" g-rated tires on it and he was running it on the track.

I saw him run the truck before and he had HORRIBLE axle wrap because of those enormous lift blccks in the back. The axle wasn't only wrapping, but it was also dog tracking, because he had an open diff. You could VISIBLY see the driver side rear wheel move forward when the truck launched.

Combine that with a bigger turbo, bigger sticks, Smarty and he simply bound the u-joint and he snapped the yoke.

He is now on his third shaft. He broke the OEM steel one, then he broke the aluminum one, now he's FINALLY listened and lost the lift blocks and added a set of traction bars.

This is THE only shaft I've had come in broken. He also broke the transfer case right after this by driving the truck around with no rear driveshaft and using the truck in 4WD with only the front shaft.

I'll tell you flat out if I think something isn't going to work or isn't going to work right. It may cost a sale and you may not be very happy about it, but if I think it's going to damage your truck, I'm going to tell you.

Broken trucks and "close enough" is not a good way to do business. It might work when you're working on your own truck, but when my name is on it, it's going to be right. It might take longer, but I refuse to do half azz.

There are things you do to get you home and there are things you do to make it right.

Folks make a much bigger deal out of the u-joints than there really is. The 1-piece goes through joints less than half as often as the 2-piece shaft does. The main factors in it are 1 - You don't have a center carrier bearing to induce vibration and 2 - the operating angle on the joints is half of what it is on the 2-piece and the joints are closer to being in phase.

By putting in the wrong joints or not having them sized correctly, you'll do one of two things. Either you'll have the joint too tight and it'll bind or you'll have it too loose and it'll vibrate. My personal opinion is to use the joints that were intended for the application UNLESS you have the means to accurately machine the caps or the circlips (which does work fine, it's just not our preferred method). I'm sorry, but an angle grinder on a driveline component IS NOT the way to do it.

 

[seafish]

THANKS for all the details!!! I am wondering if these aluminum drivelines, set up properly, will hold about 450hp ??

 

[cumminalong]

They'll hold 450 HP with no problem.

The most I've seen through one so far on a customer's truck has been 587 HP.

That's on a 6" lift (using a 1" spacer on the pinion flange) and 37's being turned by a 6. 7.

 

[seafish]

They'll hold 450 HP with no problem.



The most I've seen through one so far on a customer's truck has been 587 HP.



That's on a 6" lift (using a 1" spacer on the pinion flange) and 37's being turned by a 6. 7.

When my center bearing finally goes bad, I think I will replace the whole shebang with one of these aluminum driveshafts. I have no lift on my truck, though eventually my do a Carli upgrade which would result in a 2" lift in front. Doesn't seem like that would be a problem, nor does the eventual HP/torque might truck hopefully will make when it is out of warranty.



Thanks for all the info!!!

 

[Prairie Dog]

The last shop I talked to in my area wanted $1K to build a one-piece, does that sound typical?

 

[cumminalong]

That's way too steep.

Any more than $700 for a one-off 1-piece is too much.

If you re-use the OEM slip yoke and pinion flange, it should bring the cost down even lower. Those are a couple of expensive parts.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I called my local Dodge dealers parts dept and they don't have any listing for a one piece for my truck. Does anybody have a P/N for the one I would need to have shortened?

 

[tkerrigan]

Part# is 52123162-AA, this is stock for a 2008 G56 long bed quad cab or a mega cab truck. I paid $414 plus $30 freight in early 2009. Moparforless phone # 800-748-2139. Drive line comes with everything needed to just slip it in. Just needs shortened about 1. 25". The U-joint bosses at each end of the tube are also aluminum, so it will be a glue in job for future u-joint replacement, best done by drive line shop. Joints are non-grease-able. The joints have to come out for shortening, so hopefully, they get a good dose of grease. This will increase your fuel mileage about 1-2 mpg, as the two piece had lots of binding in operation. Smoooth!

 

[MChildress]

Like mentioned above will have to have a factory one shortened or one built for the NV5600 6 spd. I had one built for a little over $700 with all new parts.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I'm going to pick up my new shortened shaft rite now. . anybody know what the torque spec is for the rear flange? Seems like it was 40 ft lbs or something?



Thanks,

Scotty

 

[JeffKing]

For the 2005 it is 85 foot-lbs



Manual says to use new bolts.



If you re-use the old ones you will need to clean off the old Loctite and add some Loctite 242. I googled Loctite 242 and it appears to be the BLUE Loctite.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Thanks Jeff.

I guess I have some re-torquing to do...

 

[aarlucas]

What is the deal with 2WD trucks? Should these be changed to single drive shafts too? Or is it that they not a problem with the carriers? I have an 05 3500 DRW two wheel drive and I have had no problems other than the DMFW. However, I don't want to be caught in no mans land and have a problem.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Take a look and see if you have a 2 piece but I'd bet you do. When you start having vibrations or shutter at launch, you'll want to look into a 1 piece. Sure made a huge difference to mine!