Driveshaft

[76malaga02]

Driveshaft mounting bracket just forward of the uv joint. Need to pick up the part tomorrow for the daily driver. Something is missing or worn? When car is at complete stop, and I take off, there is vibration, sounds like rubber, defintely not metal to metal. Also I just checked and the shaft, while supported below can be raised up with a slight push.

76malaga02;

Thank in Advance.

[KFunk]

its the center support bearing. easiest way is to pull out driveshaft and put it in a vice. maybe go ahead and pick up a new guibo (flex disc) for the front of the driveshaft as well. you're also gonna need lots of new locking nuts.

anyways, you need to take the driveshaft apart at the u-joint, where there's that huge nut. Mark it on each side so you can put it back the same way, and you don't throw it off balance.

To get the nut off, buy a cheap 15/16" 12 pt. wrench, and stick it to a grinder a while until it will fit inside the U-joint. Put the shaft in the vice, and put a big cheater pipe on the wrench. Maybe use a torch to heat it up some and some PB blaster to loosen up the rust as necessary. Then you have to beat things apart... and it takes a while...

and so on and so forth.

Its a pretty big job, and not much fun.

[76malaga02]

How much should I drive it, not at all, od?

[KFunk]

I drove mine for a couple months with no rubber support damper at all.....no noticeable problems.

If the bearing itself in the middle is worn out, then it might make grinding noises and such.

[76malaga02]

Thanks, I will fix it tomorrow, the only problem now is, the vibration of rubber when first taking off, once she's moving I dont notice anything.

[KFunk]

Don't underestimate the amount of work involved. I was expecting it to be much easier. There are 8 bolts in the guibo, and its a pain accessing all while under the car. A lift would be ideal. I just jacked up the rear end, and spun the wheels until I could reach each one. Then you gotta figure out how to get it all back in there later. To get the guibo back in, it has to be compressed a little. A new one has a little band around it to hold it together until its installed, then you snip the band.

And yeah, its a lot of bolts and scraped up knuckles.

[76malaga02]

I know it is tough, I should not have said I will fix it, This stuff is for a 02 guru, with all of the tools.