Drive Shaft Center Support Bearing?

[DGamelin]

Has anyone found a better then stock drive shaft center support bearing for an 04?

I read on here some where the 06 bearing looks better. Will it fit?

Where have you found the best price?



93 2500 2wd xc 354 auto 267k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6speed 94k

 

[ASchwartz]

Has anyone found a better then stock drive shaft center support bearing for an 04?

I read on here some where the 06 bearing looks better. Will it fit?

Where have you found the best price?



93 2500 2wd xc 354 auto 267k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6speed 94k

Give Sage a call at Carli.



Dodge Ram Suspension, Dodge Suspension and Ford Super Duty Suspension Systems - Carli Suspension, Inc

 

[CDonaldson]

It's possible that Carli might make a better carrier/center support with bearing, but I have not seen anything on theirwebsite or heard anything about a new product.



Having said all that, my carrier bearing on my 2006 looks pretty much like those on previous models. Chances are, they will be interchangable.



Mine was changed 2 times under warranty (in the first 36K ) and at 42 K it is looking like it might have a problem again. Mine was 'spaced' a couple different times to solve for what the tech called 'binding and angle issues' but still, those spacers did not really solve anything.



I just ordered a 1-piece driveshaft, should be here next week. I am going to be done with the center carrier bearing once and for all. The 2008 and up trucks are all one piece driveshafts, even Dodge finally gave up on trying to solve the carrier bearing problems.





CD

 

[ASchwartz]

Having said all that, my carrier bearing on my 2006 looks pretty much like those on previous models. Chances are, they will be interchangable.

I would not reinstall the oem carrier bearing on an 06... ... ..... way to light duty. The bracket is sheet metal. Beware.



Call Sage.

 

[seafish]

so how would one go about finding the correct part # for a one-piece shaft replacement for any given truck?? TIA

 

[CDonaldson]

You might want to look here



1-Piece Aluminum Drive Shaft for 03 - 09 Cummins



If you have questions, just hit the contact button and e-mail him. Nice fellow, very quick to reply and answer any questions. If you contact him, tell him Carol referred you. I get NOTHING for referals, just want to let him know that I am pleased with his services to me and will rec him.



CD

 

[DGamelin]

I looked into a one piece and was told by more then one place that because of the size of my loads, my truck tows over 90%of the time and I have a manual trans that I should stay with a two piece. You might talk to this outfit they sound very honest. They make a nice looking one piece aluminum out of 1/8" instead of 90thousands. I like the idea of a onepiece. I know a couple of guys with duramaxs that tow for a living also, and they've twisted up stock aluminum driveshafts. I am going to put a set of air bags on it. It doesn't become a problem until I get at least 2-3000lbs of tounge weight on it (gooseneck).



Driveshaft Specialist Inc



_________________________

93 250 2wd xc 354 auto 267k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6speed 94k

 

[CDonaldson]

I tow heavy on a constant basis. I have a friend with a 2008 truck, identical to mine with the one-piece driveshaft that Dodge installs as stock equipment. He now has more mileage on his truck than I do, tows a lot heavier loads than I do, and the Dodge shaft is doing the job without any problems. It is 6061 aluminum, about 6"s in diameter, welded to perfection, just one of the nciest pieces I have seen in a long time.



Going to a one-piece has it's advantages, first and foremost it eliminates the carrier bearing, then there is the weight reduction and weight of the rotating mass, and less driveline vibration. There is a slight torque loss with a two piece as well. That's eliminated with the one-piece.



The 2008's and up have not had the launch/shudder problems that the earlier trucks have had with the two-piece shafts. All in all, even Dodge thought it would be a better way of going and those who have changed their out to a one piece have all said that it is like driving a totally different truck.





CD

 

[DGamelin]

I agree with everything you say CD. Just a little leery about being 1200 miles from home and broke down. Does Dodge put them on manual trans? I was told they don't yet.

 

[CDonaldson]

They put them into the 2008's with manuals as stock equipment. Last year, in January, I was at my local dealer having my rear seal replaced, seal #2 I might add. While killing time, I wandered around the lot looking at the 2008 trucks. It was then that I noticed the one piece shaft on a Mega Cab basically identical to my truck. In the beginning of my perusal of the 08 I was looking to see what changes they had done to the front end that everyone was talking about, then I looked under the rear end and saw the shaft.



Broke down, whether 1200 miles from home or 100 miles away from home, it's all the same. You should have been me a few months ago when my carrier bearing decided to give up the ghost. I was only about 200 miles from home, out in the middle of nowhere, pulling my 4-horse trailer with 2 horses up in the trailer. Found myself dead alongside the road real quick. Fortunately for me, I was aware of the carrier bearing problems, so I had a spare bearing, already pressed in a new mounting bracket in my tool box. I also was carrying a few other spare parts and tools.



A couple of my friends and I had been all together doing a long trail ride so we were traveling together. They had room in their trailers and took my horses home for me just in case I had other problems, much easier to pull an empty trailer than a loaded one. If they had not been with me, my horses would have just had to stand around a while until I got the bearing fixed.



I dropped my shafts, replaced the carrier bearing, u-joints, and several hours later I was back on the road heading home. I don't travel without the stuff that could cause me grief. I carry a spare serpentine belt, radiator hoses, fluids, spare fuel filter, the basics for the most part, but I also carry those things known to strand you, and the carrier bearing has stranded many. I am done with that thing, will move on to the one-piece and carry what it needs just in case. I am installing a drive line loop as well. I am also looking at carrying the parts for the front shaft in my toolbox. I am due to drop it out and service it here real quick. I do that 1 hour job every 15K when I change the fluids in the diffs, xfer case, and transmission.



CD

 

[DGamelin]

I had a trany bearing go bad this summer a 1000 miles from home. 250 miles short of the run left the load behind, that cost me. Limited it home in 5th and rebuilt the trans.

 

[jelag]

We have an 04 with close to 300K and the stock support bearing pulling a 20K lb trailer... do you have the bearing out of alignment to go through them... we also have an 04. 5 , 05, 08 with fewer miles as well... all still have the stock support bearing. .

 

[DGamelin]

Alignment is not the problem. We got the truck at 18k it had a drive line shutter adjusted almost all of it out. It's only a noticeable when tongue weight is heavy. The bearing isn't bad, the rubber around it doesn't look good (94k). On the last run it got much worse. The bearing isn't centered, it is siting on the bottom grommet. I dont see anything else. I have a 93 with 268k and can't ever remember ever messing with it.



_________________________

93 250 2wd xc 354 auto 268k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6speed 94k

 

[CDonaldson]

Hey jelag.



When I bought my truck new, I had the shudder at takeoff. The dealership installed a shim, claimed it would correct the problem. Then, wasn't long before the carrier bearing went out. They replaced it, again shimmed it, different amount of shim as compared to the first one. Then I broke down on that trip I mentioned earlier hauling my horses, and that trailer would have been under 10K on that trip. Maybe there is some kind of mis-alignment, who knows, the 1-piece will end the problems, I have had enough.



By the way, is there a recommended alternate place to mount the PacBrake air compressor other than on top of the engine? I really would like to move it, have hood interference and it's just too hot up there. If you can reference me a pdf for an alternate install place I woulod greatly appreciate it.



CD

 

[jelag]

CD...

We had one of the trucks, can't remember which one with that shudder when we had a lot of weight... we also kept loosing the rear seal in the transfer case... we shortened one drive line 1/2" and both the shudder and the seal issue went away... . we felt we had the back sagging and the yoke was hitting the seal... .

We later installed air bags as well...

I don't suggest that you move the compressor... . its where its warm and can't freeze but I've taken my trucks and moved the items screwed into the compressor to reduce the height and we do that on all the pacbrakes we install...

Does this help?

 

[MMeier]

You might want to look here



1-Piece Aluminum Drive Shaft for 03 - 09 Cummins



If you have questions, just hit the contact button and e-mail him. Nice fellow, very quick to reply and answer any questions. If you contact him, tell him Carol referred you. I get NOTHING for referals, just want to let him know that I am pleased with his services to me and will rec him.



CD

So, I take it you have one ? What problems exactly were you trying to resolve by going this route ?

 

[DGamelin]

I got to thinking maybe a ujoint is froze up, so I took it apart and sure enough the middle joint is frozen.



_________________________

93 250 2wd xc 354 auto 267k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6 speed 94k

 

[CDonaldson]

CD...



We had one of the trucks, can't remember which one with that shudder when we had a lot of weight... we also kept loosing the rear seal in the transfer case... we shortened one drive line 1/2" and both the shudder and the seal issue went away... . we felt we had the back sagging and the yoke was hitting the seal... .



We later installed air bags as well...



I don't suggest that you move the compressor... . its where its warm and can't freeze but I've taken my trucks and moved the items screwed into the compressor to reduce the height and we do that on all the pacbrakes we install...



Does this help?

So, you are talking about shortening the spacers? I suppose I could shorten them to eliminate the hood interference. I don't live or drive where freezing is really an issue, in fact, I think the engine HEAT could be more of a climate related issue in the overall. When we have snow and cold I usually am not doing any towing, I use the brake for/when towing.



I guess I'll have to give this a little more consideration before doing anything/making changes. I actually have removed the compressor and have it in my garage at the moment. I kept having a problem with the air hose connection loosening and leaking air, I finally just eliminated it, so no on-board air, but that really made no difference because I rarely used it for airing stuff up.



The compressor got pretty hot sitting where it was, you could not lay your hand on it, just too hot. I do not want to damage it and have to replace it or shorten it's life due to the engine heat.





on edit - with regard to the shudder problems, I had them running empty and towing, towing light loads and heavy loads, made no difference. I installed air bags at about 3K miles, so they have been on the truck almost from day one. I kept loosing the real seal at the punkin and having to replace it a few times. But I did not have sag that would have pushed the driveshaft to it's length limits. That stuff was looked at with a fine tooth comb, by my dealer and by a local driveline shop.







CD

 

[CDonaldson]

So, I take it you have one ? What problems exactly were you trying to resolve by going this route ?

Yes I do have the one-piece driveshaft now.



If you read my posts, you would have also read the issues I had happening. Not so much trying to solve probelms per se, I went to the one-piece driveshaft to get rid of the headaches, pains, irritations that can go with the two-piece unit that I was experiencing. Anything that can reduce those things is BETTER in my way of thinking. My experience so far - I made the right choice.



I have a pic of the two-piece driveshaft and the one-piece driveshaft side by side. I do not have a photoshop account, have no means to reduce it for posting size. If anyone wants to see them, or would reduce the pic for posting, I would be happe to e-mail it so it could be posted. Pm me with an e-mail addy and I will send it to you.



CD

 

[MMeier]

CD's pics

Lets see if i can get this right !