Wiggle in the driveshaft

[COramprat]

How much play should I have in my driveshaft? I can rotate it about 1/4 inch side to side and there is a little up and down play, very little. I'm thinking I shouldn't have any up/down at all. Bad u-joint? It's acting a little like it did when the u-joint went out last time but I don't remember having so much rotational play in it.

 

[stangman]

are you getting vibrations at certain speeds?

 

[COramprat]

are you getting vibrations at certain speeds?

Just in 5th right now at around 65-75. After I had it off the ground though it was vibrating in each gear. I pulled the DS off and the rear U joint is fine but the front one has a tiny bit of play in it. I'm going to swap it out and see what happens.

 

[stangman]

Just in 5th right now at around 65-75. After I had it off the ground though it was vibrating in each gear. I pulled the DS off and the rear U joint is fine but the front one has a tiny bit of play in it. I'm going to swap it out and see what happens.

i'd be willing to bet that's it. but i have been wrong before

 

[Mike97gt]

first thing I would do is drop the shaft and make sure the play is not in the pinion.. you can check that by moving the pinion flange up and down, any play there is bad and you will need pinion bearings and a new crush sleeve

if there is no play there then replace your u-joints.

 

[stangman]

you sir just scared me. i've been getting vibrations too & i dropped my stuff to take the tranny out (for another reason). so i had to run out & double check that just now too, haha


i'm good to go

 

[Mike97gt]

you sir just scared me. i've been getting vibrations too & i dropped my stuff to take the tranny out (for another reason). so i had to run out & double check that just now too, haha


i'm good to go

it's also possible to get a vibration after you dropped the driveshaft if you did not index the shaft.. it should always be installed the same way it came out.

 

[stangman]

it's also possible to get a vibration after you dropped the driveshaft if you did not index the shaft.. it should always be installed the same way it came out.

that i can say for sure was done. all the stock oil markings were still there & they all lined up

 

[COramprat]

first thing I would do is drop the shaft and make sure the play is not in the pinion.. you can check that by moving the pinion flange up and down, any play there is bad and you will need pinion bearings and a new crush sleeve

if there is no play there then replace your u-joints.

I swapped the fwd u-joint since that was the one I was getting the play in. Put it all back together...no change. The pinion moves rotationally with some slack...like and inch around until the wheels move. No up/down, side to side at all.

it's also possible to get a vibration after you dropped the driveshaft if you did not index the shaft.. it should always be installed the same way it came out.

I swapped the old DS for an aluminum one a while back. I just plopped it in because I didn't have good info on how to put in the new one. I dropped the shaft again during my clutch swap...maybe I didn't get it back in the way I had it. I think I'll rotate it 180 and see if that helps.