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Comment by David Thomas on October 14, 2016 at 10:21am

Over the last 25 years I have had 3 different drive shafts repaired professionally numerous times by local shops with mixed results. None of them really satisfactory. The shafts were useable but they still had the rumble I was trying to eliminate. With that, I decided to learn to do the job myself, also at first with mixed results. I didn't have better results until I figured out a couple of tricks that helped but didn't completely solve the rumble issue. I have repaired the ball sockets and ball on the shafts where necessary, along with installing new U-joints. I don't have a lathe so I have to trust machining the ball to a stud to a machine shop able to do the job. The drive shaft I have in the car now is one I rebuilt and is the best I've had since owning the car, it runs pretty quiet except in the neighborhood of 60 MPH, when it will rumble a little. I've been using it for about 8 or 9 thousand miles. The slight rumble in that shaft may be from the center support, because the rubber on that older support is a little soft and more flexible compared to the new support I have standing  by. I think the soft rubber allows the center CV joint to move around more, allowing the bearing to bump the center support body causing the slight rumble. I've R&R'd drive shafts so many times I'm worn out. Right now it is so much better, I'll probably wait until necessary to pull it and change the bearing support.

One needs to be careful not to bend the ears on the connecting link when disassembling or assembling the CV joint. When you assemble the joint, be sure to use synthetic grease in the ball socket, preferably grease made for the ball socket. I bought mine from a Bumper to Bumper parts store. I have also used Amsoil Synthetic Molly Grease with the same good results. I use the molly grease in the U-joints also. I use a ball joint press to press the joints apart and assemble them, instead of a hammer and socket. Much less drama than banging on it and less likely to bend something or jar the bearing rollers out of place. Once the joint is assembled, for a final step I use the press with a U shaped piece I made that will span the joint ears so I can press each bearing cup out to the retainer clip, hopefully centering the U-joint assembly so I have less run out from one end of the CV joint to the other. If one U-Joint is not centered to the mating U-Joint and close to center of the shaft tube and ball socket, you will have parts running in different elliptical circles, which will cause vibration and noise. If someone in the past has deformed the connecting link ears by banging on them with a hammer or other methods, you will never get things close to center. That is why I use a ball joint screw press so I can feel the resistance and know when to back off and realign things so they press smoothly back in their place, hopefully not deforming anything in the process. I'll use a little anti-seize on the outside of the U-Joint bearing cups and in the yoke socket to help them slide back into place on the yoke.

Comment by Jason Edge on October 14, 2016 at 7:50am

Great info Dave. Have you had yours rebuilt in this manner, and if so what were the results?

Comment by David Thomas on October 13, 2016 at 9:58pm

Rockford Driveline sells the centering ball repair kits for our drive shafts. Part number is 403-01 which includes a replacement ball. To replace the ball on the original yokes, a machine shop has to turn down, on a lathe, the original non replaceable ball so the new ball can be pressed onto the newly machined ball stud. If the original ball has not been deformed, all that is needed are the ball seat parts and spring, washers and new synthetic grease.

http://rockforddriveline.com/1_CVAssemblies_2011_8.pdf  Find page 12 and type 2 ball socket kit.

Comment by Jason Edge on October 13, 2016 at 5:13pm

Sounds like a creative solution. Sometimes you have to think outside the box... or for any Trekkies out there ... change the rules, like Capt Kirk, so you can win the game!

Comment by Jason Edge on October 13, 2016 at 3:19pm

I am not aware of anyone selling the internal rebuild parts for these CV joints but assume the professional driveshaft rebuild shops have sources. Given the low success rate that I am aware of for the rebuilds, not to mention the shop manual saying they cannot be serviced, I wouldn't be brave enough to tackle it myself. I do remember asking my local machine shop about rebuilding one if I had the parts and the said they wouldn't touch it. They said specific tools were required to assemble and rebalance. If you or some do rebuild one yourself that would make a great newsletter feature!

Comment by Jason Edge on October 13, 2016 at 3:48am

Manuel, It sounds like you are referring to repair of the rear drive shaft section, front CV Joint? (see picture below). I have only known of limited success in repairs or rebuilding these driveshaft by professional drive-shaft shops, much less repairing them yourself. Not saying it cannot been done, but you need the right equipment and expertise. I surely do not have, and have instead found, used, and sold tight rear sections as seen in this video. Years ago a customers sent me a testimonial which I wish I could find again, where he had shelled out huge money to have his rear driveshaft section rebuilt not once, but twice, only to continue to have vibration problems. If I remember correctly even after rebuilt the rear CV joints would just flop around. I finally found him a nice tight rear section which he installed and vibration was no more. Again, there are shops out there that can rebuild them but they are few and far between.

Comment by Jason Edge on October 12, 2016 at 2:28pm

Added to our Help Page under Driveshaft.

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