National back order on drive shaft with no foreseeable delivery date!!!

[fkovalski]

I have been waiting for close to 3 months for a 2-pc driveshaft for truck as listed in signature. Chrysler CAIR and dealerships are not able to give me a delivery date. It seems that the manufacturer that makes these are not producing them. This is very frustrating to say the least!



... is anyone else waiting on a 2 pc shaft for a 4WD with NV-5600?

 

[HBarlow]

What happened to your original? Can't new U joints be installed and the shafts trued and balanced by a driveline shop?

 

[fkovalski]

I had the factory original replaced at around 30K. The truck now has 90K and the vibration is awful. 3 dealerships later after 2 middle carrier bearings have been replaced it is now diagnosed as a faulty harmonic balancer. They are going to warranty and replace the whole complete shaft in order to resolve the issue but non are available.

 

[mwilson]

I have been waiting for close to 3 months for a 2-pc driveshaft for truck as listed in signature. Chrysler CAIR and dealerships are not able to give me a delivery date. It seems that the manufacturer that makes these are not producing them. This is very frustrating to say the least!



... is anyone else waiting on a 2 pc shaft for a 4WD with NV-5600?

Has anyone performed a nationwide dealer inventory search for you??? Maybe they have but I would still ask to be sure.



What is probably happening is that the driveline manufacturer is at full capacity cranking out drive shafts for new production trucks. Replacement parts take a back seat when new vehicles are selling fast.

Another thing that happens is the vendor and OEM sometimes have ******* contests over pricing. You wouldn't believe the things that go on.



Mike.

 

[mwilson]

I had the factory original replaced at around 30K. The truck now has 90K and the vibration is awful. 3 dealerships later after 2 middle carrier bearings have been replaced it is now diagnosed as a faulty harmonic balancer. They are going to warranty and replace the whole complete shaft in order to resolve the issue but non are available.

Where there are none available see if Dodge will authorize a driveline shop to do the work. The Dodge District Service Manager might be able to give consent. I would certainly ask if it were possible.



Mike.

 

[jclark5810]

Have you considered a 1-piece drive shaft yet? I put one on my 04. 5, best thing I ever did to get rid of the vibrations. I got mine HERE. Of course, if for some reason Dodge is paying for it, then what Mike said. If you're doing the work it takes about 10 min to get the old one out and 5 min to put the one piece in. It's a Mopar part too. Although I did take mine into a trustworthy shop I knew and they re-balanced the new one, got rid of a bunch of the extra weights.

 

[DBentley]

3 months??
I would tell the dealer to write up a trade and drive a new one off the lot.
Dealer may give you a decent deal.
How can anyone go 3 months with no truck?

 

[Wingate]

I'd just have a competent driveline shop build me a new one. A hand built one will be much better than a mass production piece anyway.

 

[Prairie Dog]

You could try to get them to use a Dodge 1 piece. I used one and had it shortened 1. 5" and balanced - best mod to date.

 

[rscurtis]

Too bad you're so far away. I have a friend on LI who bought a one piece for an automatic truck that can't be balanced. I'm sure he'd make you a good deal on it and you could mod it to fit your stick. Perhaps when it's cut open the cause of the imbalance could be found and eliminated.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I'd just have a competent driveline shop build me a new one. A hand built one will be much better than a mass production piece anyway.

^^THIS^^^ 100%.

I'm not going down the OEM road again with drive shafts. Total waste of money.

 

[TFucili]

I'd just have a competent driveline shop build me a new one. A hand built one will be much better than a mass production piece anyway.

Absolutely! A good shop will turn that out in no time flat.

 

[cerberusiam]

The 2 problems with that:

Expensive

Finding a shop that can and will do it.


Not every shop can and will work with aluminum and those 5" tubes get very expensive if they don't get it right. The 1 piece drive shaft has its downsides also, it is not a cure all. Replacing the center support bearing on the 2 piece with a better unit works just as well as a 1 piece.

 

[seafish]

Rich at Doghouse Diesel is selling oem aluminum one pice driveshafts for the 3rd gen trucks that can swap in a one-piece alum DS from later models, as well as making custom ones that fit the NV5600 trucks... .

 

[jelag]

Go find a local drive shaft shop that's been around for 20 years... . and let him diagnosis and fix your truck... . I own an 05 dually with the same transmission and have had no problems doing UJoints and have had no vibration problems...

I have a good friend who's owned a drive shaft shop in Terre Haute IN who's helped me when I needed it with my other trucks... . With all you've shared, you've got something that's been overlooked... I'm on my OE carrier bearing and second set of ujoints at 130K miles... I was surprised when I lost the front ujoints and noticed their issue when the truck was in a tight turn left or right... .

Just my thoughts...

 

[LNaugle]

i have replaced the dshafts with dodge 1 piece aluminum. check your length and see if they have one to replace it with out of the newer trucks.

 

[fkovalski]

Thanks for the opinions. I cannot begin to relate how frustrating this is. I have been VERY patient with all the dealers with whom I dealt. I have been through 3 case managers at corporate Dodge... explaining and faxing/ e-mailing work order receipts along the way.

I am trying to stick with the factory 2-pc as there is still warranty coverage via an aftermarket company. I cannot say enough good about the warranty coverage! It has worked in my favor albeit expired... but they are still working with me in the midst of all this drive shaft BS!

I am being a squeaky wheel PIA by keeping in touch with the latest case manager and service manager at the dealer. I do not know how an aftermarket shaft would fit into the dealer/ warranty company scenario. I am being patient but It is getting ridiculous.

 

[LNaugle]

i was talking about dodge shaft... they have upgraded 1 piece shafts but not longer than 71 inches i beleive.

 

[seafish]

i was talking about dodge shaft... they have upgraded 1 piece shafts but not longer than 71 inches i beleive.

There is no plug n' play Mopar one piece aluminum driveshaft for a truck using the NV5600. It would have to be cut down or custom made.

 

[LNaugle]

not true... depends on the wheel base... . have done it more than once. think the auto longbeds are too long and it wont work but does for others. the last one i put in was an 03 nv5600 longbed qc. could go through records and get part #.