After all that time and work...

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TrailBeast

TrailBeast

AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Joined
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So some time ago when I still had the 318 I had a driveline vibration beginning at about 70 that was annoying but not bad enough to keep it off the road.
We were in CA with the Dart sitting around with relatives and I wanted to go do something else for awhile, so I got some recommendations from a few local places like Napa for a driveline balancing service.

Cool, found a highly recommended guy at a local race shop that would let me pull it in the parking lot and balance it right then.
Well it felt better, but still not smooth like I expected.
(Figures a highly recommended race shop couldn't get it totally balanced, right?)

Well when I replaced the 904 with an A500OD I had to shorten the driveline 4 inches.
I cut the front yoke off pretty clean with a 4 inch cutoff wheel and took 4 inches off the shaft with a metal grade chop saw and welded it all back up with the mig welder thinking I could get it real close and rebalance it again.
OMG, I hit it right on the nose and it was smooth as silk (something a pro shop couldn't apparently do for $150 bucks.)

Jump forward to a few weeks ago.
I was on I40 over by Kingman AZ cruising along around 90 like it was nothing and into the headlights comes a complete tire cap from a semi laying almost dead center in the lane.
I knew instantly I was not going to be able to totally miss it without risking loosing control of the car at 90mph, so all I could do was hit it where I choose.
It went under the car just inside the left tire and came out the back flying 15-20 feet in the air with a feel and noises that just makes you cringe.

It hit my damn driveline, and I have a vibration again. :D
I can live with it for now since it's only at 80-90 then it smooth's out again above that, but CRAP! :D
 
Dam, sucks man! At least you won't feel the vibration most of the time:) Watch out for those cops on the 40, those guys are real sticklers between kingman and seligman. I went to school at NAU, got my fair share of red and blue lights lol
 
A pal had a vibration & I took the driveline out so she could take it to a NAPA service center for balancing. Turned out it was WAY out of balance, they added a lot of weights.

Re-installed, the vibration was worse!

So I took a steel strait edge & checked it over real good.

It was bent.

She had another shop make a new one & smooth as silk after that.
 
Alaskan_TA said:
A pal had a vibration & I took the driveline out so she could take it to a NAPA service center for balancing. Turned out it was WAY out of balance, they added a lot of weights.

Re-installed, the vibration was worse!

So I took a steel strait edge & checked it over real good.

It was bent.

She had another shop make a new one & smooth as silk after that.
Click to expand...
maaaan - there has GOT to be a one liner in here... :D
 
I once put the 65 Dart GT into reverse while in fast idle, and the driveshaft blew apart like a paper towel tube.
It was rusty.
But that's when I learned about the ball and trunnion front end.
Made do a while with 66 shaft and conversion ujoint plate.
Finally went to later 904.
My 66 383 has a huge inertia ring at the front end of the shaft to dampen vibrations....anyone else have a big fat flange at the front end of the driveshaft?
 
Alaskan_TA said:
A pal had a vibration & I took the driveline out so she could take it to a NAPA service center for balancing. Turned out it was WAY out of balance, they added a lot of weights.

Re-installed, the vibration was worse!

So I took a steel strait edge & checked it over real good.

It was bent.

She had another shop make a new one & smooth as silk after that.
Click to expand...

That's kind of where I am, as I obviously can only count on shops to want to get paid for stuff they can't do.
 
ScampMike said:
maaaan - there has GOT to be a one liner in here... :D
Click to expand...

Oh, there is. :D


Darthomas said:
I once put the 65 Dart GT into reverse while in fast idle, and the driveshaft blew apart like a paper towel tube.
It was rusty.
But that's when I learned about the ball and trunnion front end.
Made do a while with 66 shaft and conversion ujoint plate.
Finally went to later 904.
My 66 383 has a huge inertia ring at the front end of the shaft to dampen vibrations....anyone else have a big fat flange at the front end of the driveshaft?
Click to expand...

I have seen those before but none of the cars we have had used them.
 
Not to be a dick, but this probably wouldn't have happened if you weren't going too fast in the first place.
Maybe this is a sign that you should slow down.
It could have been a lot worse.
Just sayin'...........
 
I disagree with Dartnut.
A. He could have thrown the car into a 360 spin around the cap and straighten it up once past the object.
B. He could have downshifted and popped a wheelie over the object
C. He could have sped up to 140 mph and blew the tire cap into itsy bitsy pieces
 
Dartnut said:
Not to be a dick, but this probably wouldn't have happened if you weren't going too fast in the first place.
Maybe this is a sign that you should slow down.
It could have been a lot worse.
Just sayin'...........
Click to expand...

The thing doesn't go into converter lockup till 75 and I'm not even getting into the cam yet.:D
90 on I40 between here and CA is average and you will get passed doing that.

Dick

JK:D
 
DFX 340 Duster said:
I disagree with Dartnut.
A. He could have thrown the car into a 360 spin around the cap and straighten it up once past the object.
B. He could have downshifted and popped a wheelie over the object
C. He could have sped up to 140 mph and blew the tire cap into itsy bitsy pieces
Click to expand...

C I could do, the others not so much.:D
 
Stand-in up full Gators be de woist!

'Cept maybe full blowout truck tire on a slow pass right in front of you, da gator slappin your windshield..one day in NE New Yorker State... While on the phone with the HR department explaining why you are leaving the company.
 
Not a big deal. Check to make sure the rear is still square in the chassis (a hit on one side like that can shift it in the U bolts) and unbolt the rear joint, re-seat the joint, and tighten it back up..
OD or lockup adds driveshaft speed which makes any little bit "off" worse. The fact it goes away tells me it's not hugely wrong, but I'd look close at things just to be sure.
 
moper said:
Not a big deal. Check to make sure the rear is still square in the chassis (a hit on one side like that can shift it in the U bolts) and unbolt the rear joint, re-seat the joint, and tighten it back up..
OD or lockup adds driveshaft speed which makes any little bit "off" worse. The fact it goes away tells me it's not hugely wrong, but I'd look close at things just to be sure.
Click to expand...

Yup, good idea and can't hurt to check it.
It does feel like the back end of it.
Thanks
 
I'd take about a 6" piece of 4x4, lay it in the exact same spot on the road, keep the same speed you had and hit the brakes as you go over it. Should ... never mind
 
TrailBeast said:
The thing doesn't go into converter lockup till 75 and I'm not even getting into the cam yet.:D
90 on I40 between here and CA is average and you will get passed doing that.

Dick

JK:D
Click to expand...
You can say that again, I've been running back and forth between Kingman and Riverside 2 or 3 times a month for the past year and if your not prepared to run at 90, you'd better stay in the right lane.
 
Wheel Chock said:
You can say that again, I've been running back and forth between Kingman and Riverside 2 or 3 times a month for the past year and if your not prepared to run at 90, you'd better stay in the right lane.
Click to expand...

That right lane SUCKS between here and Kingman with spots that feel like it's going to rip a wheel right off.
Now the trucks that trashed it in the first place drive in the left lane through there.
(My younger Brother drives semi on that road and I give him grief about it all the time)
 
TrailBeast said:
That right lane SUCKS between here and Kingman with spots that feel like it's going to rip a wheel right off.
Now the trucks that trashed it in the first place drive in the left lane through there.
(My younger Brother drives semi on that road and I give him grief about it all the time)
Click to expand...
24 more days until retirement and once I sell the Riverside house, I'll be in Kingman full time.
I definitely will not miss the People's Republic of Hellifornia.
 
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