How many have had their driveshafts balanced?

[Lostchain]

Appreciate all the advise guys, you make pretty good points. What do they say, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”?

 

[ckouba]

Who did you use for the rebuild?

No affiliation:

Driveshafts.com

Driveline Service of Portland

 

[GTUnit]

I recommend getting the driveshafts balanced. Yes, it's going to cost at least a few hundred dollars if they find nothing, and almost everyone reports that they do find issues and the total bill is like $750-1000. The gamble is that while it seems like most driveshafts need significant repairs, only maybe 5% of people have issues... however, the "issues" they have (including myself) are extreme: broken alternators, broken starters, cracked water pumps, and finally broken engine blocks and transmissions. That stuff is expensive to fix, can be difficult to get parts for, and is very time consuming to repair. So if you don't get them balanced, like me, you may end up spending $10,000 and a month's worth of nights and weekends to replace a whole engine, also like me.

Don't take the shortcut. Get them balanced.

Is there a way to test/feel/ monkey diagnose a vibration or shaft that may be out of balance without pulling it out?

 

[Reworked LMTV]

Is there a way to test/feel/ monkey diagnose a vibration or shaft that may be out of balance without pulling it out?

Yes, you can grab / push / pull, but this is of limited value. Don't gamble, git'r done.

Here is a little tip that saved me money. Go to a locally owned shop. Tell them it is not for commercial use, you'll be using in parades, camping, etc. I paid around $250 in Nashville for all three shafts to be balanced.

 

[TomTime]

What @Reworked LMTV said.

Get them balanced. I went to Fleet Pride and then balanced all three of my drive shafts for $200.00 and I thought that was money well spent!

 

[INFChief]

I’ve had one done thus far but will get the other 2 done. 2 of my driveshafts show signs of ‘injury’ which made me suspect of them. It also may be why I have a ‘limp’ when driving. I’ve been buying u-joints and need one more for the final (front) driveshaft. I did the intermediate axle 1st and the u-joint caps were stuck inside the yoke plus the grease zirks were broken off both. I figured I might as change them out when it got balanced.

Sometimes those caps slide right out & other times they’re rusted fast. The caps should not, literally, FALL out. If they do then be sure to measure the yoke bore.

I used crocus cloth to clean up the rust in the cap bores on the one yoke. The new caps went in but it wasn’t a ‘one finger’ install indicating a wallowed out bore.

 

[Guruman]

I took mine in. I had no visible sign of issues and no detectable play in the smiles or u-joints. I did have a vibration that was noticeable at high speed. Sure enough they were out of balance. The high speed vibration went away. Now I just have a bit of gear growling coming from the hubs.

 

[Reworked LMTV]

My guy let me watch the balancing process. Pretty cool to watch.

 

[Reworked LMTV]

I'd love to know just how far these shafts are off, for kicks.

 

[juha_teuvonnen]

I had mine balanced. Judging by the weights that had to be added to them, they were badly unbalanced. May have something to do with transmission quitting on me.

 

[INFChief]

Just got the last 2 done. All new u-joints. The splines on the one was so bad it couldn’t be balanced.

With a price tag of just under $900 I need to sell a kidney. Blood type A+, non-smoker, non-drinker (well I did guzzle from age 17 until 43). You pay shipping.

 

[gslader]

Have a 2003 M1078A1 with ~9,500 miles. Pulled both my drivelines to get balanced. Both splined drives had so much play that they couldn't balance them and had to replace both splined drives. Also two of the four u-joints were shot as well.

Work done was:
- Two new splined drives
- Both shafts balanced
- Four new u-joints

Out the door for ~$1,600 - work was done in Reno, NV.

 

[INFChief]

Have a 2003 M1078A1 with ~9,500 miles. Pulled both my drivelines to get balanced. Both splined drives had so much play that they couldn't balance them and had to replace both splined drives. Also two of the four u-joints were shot as well.

Work done was:
- Two new splined drives
- Both shafts balanced
- Four new u-joints

Out the door for ~$1,600 - work was done in Reno, NV.

I feel your pain!