Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching

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Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/9/2008 1:33:15 PM    unstable   Posts: 172 Joined: 4/20/2008 Status: offline Dropped the driveshaft off with a buddy of mine who has an indirect connection at an axle shop.  I had already purchased the u-joints and I had an order in for the cardon ball but my buddy didn't want to deal with the cardon... Got a call this morning and my buddy says that the u-joints I bought from Atlantic British aren't good, they'd be a pain to grease...I took this as latin for "The axle shop wants to sell you THEIR u-joints".  I said fine, I'll return the u-joints. Got a call this afternoon that the driveshaft is done...YIPPEEE....$250. After I return the U-joints, I guess it will only end up costing me $150, but it's really more than I anticipated paying.  To my calculations the u-joints I bought were roughly $40 a pop, the cardon was $30, that comes out to $150 in parts, so I guess $100 in labor isn't all that bad...At least I won't have to worry about this driveshaft though. Post #: 1

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/9/2008 1:38:08 PM    Disco2Guy Posts: 606 Joined: 9/12/2007 From: San Francisco, CA. Status: offline Did you get any info on the condition of the old d/s after it was removed?  Any seized joints?  That'll make the best money you've spent on your Rover. _____________________________ -D2G NCLR Club #70 vids pics "RovrFlo" ''''''''01 Disco 2 w/ ''''''''04 CDL 2" RTE/OME, RTE sliders, OME stabilizer, BFG 245/75/16, trimme (in reply to unstable) Post #: 2

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/9/2008 1:47:50 PM    Disco Mike Posts: 9955 Joined: 4/27/2006 Status: offline You have your terms all mixed up, which is a little confusing. You can buy a cardon for $30, cause that is part of the drive shaft. Sounds like your shop doesn't know what they are doing, you need 2 new u-joints and a centering ball kjit, without the centering ball kit your drive shaft will most likely fail. Get your parts, find a shop that can handle it and get back to wheeling. _____________________________ Mike Retired service manager. Member of the Solihull Society, NCLR club,past member of the SCLR club and Santa Barbara 4 Wheelers. 99 D2, 3" lift, lockers, H.D. axles, 4:11 gears, Custom front and rear bumpers, Warn winch, HID lights and an Engel 45. (in reply to Disco2Guy) Post #: 3

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/9/2008 3:54:52 PM    brennera   Posts: 21 Joined: 4/27/2008 Status: offline Now I am getting confused. Was about to replace the u-joints and do the brakes this weekend. I was under the impression that on the Disco2 there are three U-joints that have to be repalced for the front. Two on the transfer cae side of the drive shaft and one on the axle side. What is the centering ball kit? Is this on a disco2? (in reply to Disco Mike) Post #: 4

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/9/2008 4:36:37 PM    jkid Posts: 550 Joined: 9/26/2007 Status: offline This is what you need for the front driveshaft. The red "ball" goes between the 2 joints at the transfer case (cardan joint), you can't see it until you take it apart. Thumbnail Image Attachment (1) _____________________________ 01 D2 SE (90K miles) Stock For now 1982 Mercedes 300SD (270k miles) (in reply to brennera) Post #: 5

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/9/2008 8:36:48 PM    brennera   Posts: 21 Joined: 4/27/2008 Status: offline Thanks jkid. I am having trouble finding this (as mentioned also by someone else in another thread). Do you have a part number or other diescription. Also, I am hearing of people taking  their whole driveshaft to drivetrain shops to have it "balanced". Doesnt sound like something I can do without expensive equipment. Any further insight on this? (in reply to jkid) Post #: 6

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/10/2008 7:31:00 AM    jkid Posts: 550 Joined: 9/26/2007 Status: offline I can't remember the part #, I'll maybe see when I get home. I'm pretty sure all the part numbers are posted somewhere here if you try searching. I got everything I needed at Advance Auto for about $70 total, they sould be able to help (although, the guys at my store seem to know there stuff better than most). Have you done u-joint before? Some people are having trouble getting the old centering ball out since it's pressed in there and you can't get behind it well, so you need a good slide-hammer. That seems to be the toughest part. The joints aren't bad with the right tools and patience. Let me know if you have a ?'s.   The shaft is balanced right now as is. So when you take it off and apart, make sure it goes back on / together lined up exactly the same way, only you'll have new joints (which won't affect the balance). This means taking a paint pen and basically mark the shaft at each joint and at the 2 bolted flange connections while it is still on the truck and make sure they line back up again. It doesn't matter how the grease nipples line up on the new joints. I lined them all up 3 in a row to make it easier to grease. _____________________________ 01 D2 SE (90K miles) Stock For now 1982 Mercedes 300SD (270k miles) (in reply to brennera) Post #: 7

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/10/2008 12:58:53 PM    brennera   Posts: 21 Joined: 4/27/2008 Status: offline Having a hard time find the center ball and a shop interested in doing it (I live in San Antonio). I am thinking I will return the u-joints and buy a new driveshaft. I am not having any vibration at 70mph, so I am thinking I will wait a month or two and order the $350 aftermarket one everyone keeps mentioning. I dont want to be in the position of taking down the driveshaft and hunting all over town to find a shop. Not worth the worry. (in reply to jkid) Post #: 8

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/10/2008 2:09:52 PM    jkid Posts: 550 Joined: 9/26/2007 Status: offline I wouldn't wait too long. From what I've read, the only vibration you might feel is right before it lets go without warning. Especially if you are near 100k miles. _____________________________ 01 D2 SE (90K miles) Stock For now 1982 Mercedes 300SD (270k miles) (in reply to brennera) Post #: 9

RE: Ack! Front Driveshaft Rebuild Cha-Ching - 5/10/2008 3:46:13 PM    unstable   Posts: 172 Joined: 4/20/2008 Status: offline I've heard people say that the parts are available locally...I typically check stock online before I go to the store and none of them seemed to have u-joints for the Disco let alone the cardan or center-ring or whatever it is called. I ordered the u-joints from Atlantic British and they were around $40 each I think...Then the only place I found that precision ball kit was through summit racing and that was another $45 with shipping.  That came out to be like $165 (+ shipping on the u-joints)...the downside was Summit didn't even have the precision ball in stock and it wasn't expected to be in until the 10th...I needed this job done by no later than the 14th. The u-joints that I had purchased from Atlantic British had the grease-fittings in the body of the u-joints at an angle rather than on the end.  The shop owner apparently rebuilds these all of the time and goes with the fitting on the end of the u-joint...which is what he installed for me.  $250..... Considering my buddy who is a full time mechanic didn't even want to touch the cardon joint, I think that says alot for what is involved...he said the springs and all that crap are a pain in the buttocks to get back together correctly.  (in reply to jkid) Post #: 10

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