Unlike the local parts store which may only offer one choice, most driveshaft shops keep a variety of quality parts in stock, including American made universal joints. Mopars used two distinct sizes of u-joint, commonly referred to as the big and small u-joint. Since often a rear differential swap results in a pinion yoke that doesn't match the driveshaft, most driveshaft shops offer adapter u-joints which go from one size to the other, saving the time and expense of changing the yoke or driveshaft. Central Florida Driveshaft offers same-day driveshaft service in most cases, ensuring your ride isn't off the road any longer than necessary to complete repairs. Since our driveshaft needed to be rebuilt with a new tube, we followed along to show you what is involved in rebuilding a Mopar driveshaft.
After it was initially determined that our driveshaft was pretty severely bent, the team at Central Florida Driveshaft quickly cut the ends off of our old shaft and found a secondhand driveshaft that was in good shape to use as a replacement. Since the majority of driveshaft damage occurs at the ends, mostly due to abuse and worn-out or dry u-joints, longer shafts can be cut down and used in shorter applications by welding on new ends. Having the right equipment is necessary to keep the driveshaft aligned and straight during the rebuild process, and the driveshaft must be rebalanced once the work is complete by welding weights to the outside of the shaft. The crew at Central Florida Driveshaft completed the work on our driveshaft and installed new, American made u-joints in a couple of hours. And after reinstalling our repaired driveshaft, our van drives great with no more vibrations. Now we can concentrate on getting our cool cruiser ready for this year's Hot Rod Power Tour by searching the internet for a disco ball, fender flares, TV aerial, and side pipes!
While we were at Central Florida Driveshaft we asked what the most common driveshaft failures were. According to the staff, lack of proper lubrication is the single largest cause of the failures they see, with abuse being a distant second. As you can see from the above examples, bad things can happen when a universal joint comes apart, and adequate lubrication can stop most failures. Central Florida Driveshaft recommends the u-joints be greased at each oil change and checked regularly for sloppiness or wear. If a problem is caught in time, it will require simply having new universal joints installed. If not caught in time, the problem could lead to failure of the u-joint and driveshaft and damage to other components of the vehicle or even injury to occupants. So, when's the last time you lubricated and inspected your u-joints?
4 Once removed, be sure to...
4 Once removed, be sure to hold the caps on the rear u-joint by wrapping tape around the u-joint and driveshaft. Failure to do this can result in the caps falling off and the needle bearings being scattered about the floor. If this happens, it’s difficult to find all of them or get them back in the cap properly, so it’s easier just to tape the u-joint.
5 Once removed from the vehicle,...
5 Once removed from the vehicle, we could see several dents in our driveshaft, likely caused by running over some major debris. Though it is possible to straighten driveshafts that are slightly bent, we think this one will need to be re-tubed.
6a After removing the slip-yoke...
6a After removing the slip-yoke from the front of the shaft...
6b ..The driveshaft is placed...
6b ..The driveshaft is placed in a specially made lathe where it can be checked for straightness and balance.
7 As soon as our driveshaft...
7 As soon as our driveshaft began to spin, it was apparent that it was too severely bent to straighten. The only option here is to cut the ends of our existing shaft and install them on a different tube.
8 Luckily, Central Florida...
8 Luckily, Central Florida Driveshaft keeps various sizes of new tubing in stock, as well as a variety of old driveshafts with varying levels of damage. They saved us a little money by cutting the ends off and shortening a used driveshaft so they could install our ends.
9 The driveshaft ends can...
9 The driveshaft ends can now be fitted to the new (or in our case, used) tube to ensure a proper fit prior to welding. The driveshaft is actually three pieces, a center tube and two ends, that are welded together to form the driveshaft.
10 Once the ends are fitted,...
10 Once the ends are fitted, the shaft is placed in the lathe again where the ends are welded in place. This is somewhat of an art as the driveshaft is turning at a low rpm, adding one more variable to the welding process.
11 With the ends welded,...
11 With the ends welded, the shaft can be balanced using equipment installed on the same driveshaft lathe. This is a specialty piece of equipment, allowing complete driveshaft servicing and repair on a single piece of equipment to save time.
12 The dynamic balancing...
12 The dynamic balancing a driveshaft is very similar to balancing automotive wheels and tires. As the shaft is spun, the balancing unit determines how much weight is needed and in what location.
13 Weights are initially...
13 Weights are initially held in place with tape while the driveshaft is spun for balancing, then once the best balance is achieved they’re tack-welded onto the shaft. Central Florida Driveshaft balances their shafts to better than OEM standards, ensuring each driveshaft operates smoothly. If we install this driveshaft and have a vibration, we should look elsewhere for the source.
14a Balanced and ready for...
14a Balanced and ready for service, Central Florida Driveshaft installs new universal joints and the slip-yoke, then liberally greases the u-joints using the installed grease fittings...
14b ...Most universal joints...
14b ...Most universal joints have a grease fitting either in the body or in one of the caps. We prefer the fitting in a cap so that the body of the u-joint isn’t compromised by the hole.
15 As a final step the driveshaft...
15 As a final step the driveshaft is painted, making our used tube look far better. New driveshafts are painted as well, both to inhibit rust and for aesthetic purposes. With this final step complete we’re ready to reinstall our shaft and take the van for a cruise.
16 Trucks and vans are nice...
16 Trucks and vans are nice because you often don’t even need to jack them up to complete jobs like this. We had our driveshaft installed in a few minutes and were ready to go for a drive.
17 Our groovy van now cruises...
17 Our groovy van now cruises comfortably with no driveline vibration thanks to the new driveshaft. This is just one of many maintenance items we’ll take care of before driving our new purchase in this year’s Hot Rod Power Tour.