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ericdab
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| driveshaft repair
Back-story: My front driveshaft has been hitting the manifold (now rerouted) resulting in the unbalanced driveshaft (front end shaking) since god knows when. Long story short: I need to either buy a new front shaft or rebalance my existing one. What are the costs associated with these options? My mechanic told me $600 to rebalance and it still "wasn't guaranteed to work" and somewhere around $1000 for a new shaft, is this accurate?
In my uneducated opinion I would go with a rebalance. Thanks for the advice!
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mb230s
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SWFL
Vehicle(s): G-less for now, vintage MBs, FJ40
| Re: driveshaft repair
Didn't Dave Hipine find a good driveshaft shop that can do a rebuild? Try searching the old forum and re-post your results here to help build new archives. |
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ericdab
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: driveshaft repair
Okie dokie- After a search I cam up with a couple things. First is a list of possible causes give by Dave G. the second is a list of some resources which I have found but is not at all complete. I guess for my problem I will start with the "no front driveshaft test" (In 4WD of course) and go from there....
1)
Drive shaft
-slip joint
-U-joints
-balancing
-phasing (line up arrows)
Suspension
-drive shaft angles
-U-joint angles
Mountings
-transmission rear mounting rubber
-transfer case mounting rubbers
-engine mounting rubbers
-bracing of trans to t-case
Axles
-pinion bearings
Transfer Case
-input and output shaft bearings
2)
www.vinthers.dk/troules.com
www.balancemasters.com
Drivelines in Tacoma, Washington (800-552-7647)
Drive Train Industries in Colorado springs, Colorado ((303)292-1100)
PLUS, here is a copy of some advice from Braingears:
First things first. Mark the Flanges. Don't rely on just a marker. If you have one, use a punch and mark the flanges so that when you re-install them, they go back exactly the way that you found them. When Mercedes built the truck, they were balanced and matched together.
Removing the drive shaft is not that difficult. There are six bolts on either end. It should take you 15-30 minutes. Once you've done it once, it goes alot faster. I didn't even bother jacking the truck up. You can slide on your back while the truck is on all 4.
Very Very Important. Do not allow them to straighten the driveshaft! You know what the problem is. It lost a weight, and you simply want to replace it. The driveshaft worked before you flew the weight, it will run just as smoothly afterwards.
Also, take a marker and mark both halves of the shaft where the splines are located. There should be two arrows pointing to each other already. Most of the driveshaft shops will attempt to line up the knuckles. This is not how the Mercedes driveshafts were made. Make sure that they have the splines lined up correctly when they balance it.
As you can tell, I've been through this very same nightmare. They were not familiar with the G-Wagon driveshafts and tried to make it like all of the others. I learned alot after-the-fact and will never make the same mistakes again.
Remember that you have lockers too. You can lock center differential and still drive the truck. I recommend that you drive the truck without the front driveshaft to feel how the truck feels without the vibration of the front driveshaft. If there are any other vibrations, you will be able to locate them faster without the front driveshaft.
I also used this method to show that the front driveshaft was causing all of the vibrations when the shop screwed up my driveshaft (they used a heat treatment to straighten the driveshaft and also changed the spline alignment when balancing it the first time).
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dai
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oregon USA
Vehicle(s): 300GD 300TD BMW R100RS Landini 80F
Posts: 2110
| Re: driveshaft repair
Contact Sean at Eurotruck about this. He may provide some helpful info and the cost of a new shaft. Very expensive.
There are a couple of other options out there. I had some plates made that can convert the MB flanges to Ford pattern flanges. Then a driveshaft can be made locally. These work very well, I have lots of miles on them with no issues. The stock driveshafts are probably the best money can buy but they are a lot of money. I converted to locally made shafts to use a double cardan Spicer end that can help with vibration issues on a lifted 460. Also I wanted locally available replaceable U joints. The plates are in stock in Portland OR. They are CNC, well made units. The shafts can be make at a driveline shop near you. Another option that, for me, solved a serious problem and cost less than half of a stocker. Some will argue that the shafts are not as strong as stock. A locally made shaft can be configured to be as bullettproof as you want it to be. Mine are not easily broken I think.
Keep looking at the archives and you will also come up with information relating to repair of the staked in U joints on the stock shaft. Tricky to do but possible with joints sourced from the UK.
-Dai |
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T.Schuhe
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Olympia, Washington State, USA
Vehicle(s): 460 1985 LWB 300GD five speed
Posts: 711
| Re: driveshaft repair
Or, have one built to specs by someone who really knows this product.
ts |
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BrentG500
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, TX, Dallas
Vehicle(s): 2004 G500 (gone)
Posts: 449
| Re: driveshaft repair
As expensive as Mercedes parts are, the best thing to do is talk to Sean. Obviously a new driveshaft is not going to be cheap, but at least it won't be as expensive as your Mercedes parts department.
Edited by BrentG500 6/3/2006 12:18 AM
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Not Always The Case
BrentG500 - 6/3/2006 12:17 AM
As expensive as Mercedes parts are, the best thing to do is talk to Sean. Obviously a new driveshaft is not going to be cheap, but at least it won't be as expensive as your Mercedes parts department.
This is not necessarily true. I am finding that, because of the large decrease in the value of the US$ vs the €, the same part is quite often cheaper in the US than it is in Europe. Add the cost of shipping to parts purchased in Europe, and the problem is exacerbated.
It does pay to shop around, even among MB dealers. One MBUSA dealer near me marks his prices up 10-25% over MSRP. |
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Pgreen
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: driveshaft repair
I had a drive shaft made at DTI, it is good, with easy to find and replace u joints,
about 600.00 total
Peter |
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T.Schuhe
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Olympia, Washington State, USA
Vehicle(s): 460 1985 LWB 300GD five speed
Posts: 711
| Re: driveshaft repair
Pgreen,
Good deal. Where do you live? This sounds very much like the outcome I had when I had one built for by G. I have the old one, which had been damaged, then poorly repaired. I am getting it redone as a spare.
Best of luck! |
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