I took my driveshaft out. I need a new one...

[CanuckQx4]

So I was hearing a bearing type noise from the back of my car. And I ended up just pulling the rear part of the driveshaft, disconnected from the middle of the car and the rear end. And sure enough there is definitely something wrong with it. The one end binds up and clanks around like a soup can while the other rotates around smooth similar to a balljoint. So Im sure this is where my noise is coming from.

So my question is, can I buy just the rear shaft?? Does a 4x4 rear shaft fit my 2wd??

Im hoping I can replace just the rear shaft that I removed, and that a 4x4 rear shaft hopefully is interchangable so I can simply get one from an auto wreckers since 4x4 is more common.

I couldnt find a park number either to look it up, sucks that rockauto doesnt carry it.

Appreciate any advice, a driveshaft is pretty big deal to me for a monkey mechanic

[Towncivilian]

4WD driveshafts are clearly different - see exploded parts view. They even have different part numbers.

[CanuckQx4]

I dont even see my shaft on that page. My rear (keep in mind I only took half the shaft out) piece has a 6 holed flange at each end

[CanuckQx4]

cant find a price on it anywhere

[Chuck Tribolet]

That sounds like it's just the universal joint.


Chuck

[CanuckQx4]

Well I kind of fixed it for the time being. I popped a cap off the back of the noisy joint, and it was bone dry in there. So I packed it with grease and made a DIY boot, put it back together and reinstalled and it drove down the road nice and quiet.

Im not to sure how long my boot will hold up though

Is this shaft rebuildable?

[Towncivilian]

The U-joints are replaceable as far as I know.

[CanuckQx4]

Well the guy at the part store when I took the whole shaft there told me it isnt a u-joint. We have a ujoint at the front connecting to the engine.

These joints have multiple balls inside, I was hoping they sold a rebuild kit or something

[Chuck Tribolet]

That would be a CV (Constant Velocity) joint.

If you put a constant input into a U joint, the output fluctuates twice per rev unless the U joint is perfectly aligned. The
more angle in the U joint, the more the output fluctuates. Drive shafts with two U joints have them at 90 degree angles
so their fluctuations cancel each other out, provided they are each at the same angle.

CV joints don't have this problem, and can have a greater angle than a U joing.


Chuck