Driveshaft/carrier bearing frustrations

[jrpitdog]

Ok so I will try and make this short and sweet, well kinda. So I noticed a weird noise a month or so ago only when the truck was moving, sounded sort of like a throw out bearing going bad, although I have an automatic. Anyways a couple weeks ago I started noticing a pretty good vibration when I would get up to about 50mph+. Thinking it might be the tires I had all 4 tires rotated and balanced, no help. I then got to looking around real close under my truck and I suspected the carrier bearing. It is a one off deal, if I remember correctly the the guy I bought the truck from told me a local drivelineshop actually fabbed it. It is basically a machined bearing housing without any rubber. He told me that its kind of noisy because it doesnt have the rubber, so it always growled a little bit ever since I had it. Well what I noticed was that the yoke did not look centered in the bearing housing. So I took my driveshaft completely apart and sure enough the bearing did not roll smooth and where it mounted on the driveshaft that splined section, I could tell it had worn that area, I mic-ed it and it was a couple thou less then the rest of the shaft. The cause was the holes that the shop drilled on there bearing mount where it mounts to the crossmember were slightly askew causing the driveshaft to be at a slight angle side to side, eventually causing wear and vibration. So I bought a oem replacement installed and test drove. No high speed vibration, I got up to an honest 65, too scared to go faster right now. Buuuut now I have a very noticeable shudder when I am accelerating in first. That has never happened before. So my first question is, these oem style carrier bearings with the softish rubber mounted bearing, how is this ok?? I mean I can grab the driveshaft right at the bearing and move it in all directions at least an 1/8th" or more. I suspect the shudder is from the driveshaft rotating of center during acceleration. Next question, where can I find an oem or stock style driveshaft? Some of my yokes didnt look the best and I want to upgrade to one of those billet carrier bearings soon anyways, I dont need a high dollar custom thing, just a simple oem style shaft.

[vince1]

I replaced mine a while back not because the bearing was bad but the original rubber was looking pretty bad. There are two different style hangers and I can't remember in detail the differences but the parts guy asked which one and he supplied the appropriate D type. The bearing needed to be driven on but after that it was just bolt the hanger back into place. If yours is loose on the shaft maybe some bearing retainer Loctite would work. As far as noise, lugging them in high gear and they all make that noise. At least that is the way I remember them as far back as fifty years ago.

Apparently the newer larger diameter drive shafts can be much longer in a one piece so you might consider looking into that possibility too. The junk yards have lots of them and maybe you could cut one down. That is what a fellow at Pick n Pull had suggested to me but I kept it original.

[jrpitdog]

So how does a single piece drive shaft slip? On the transmission tailshaft and yoke?

[Captainfab]

Do you have the whimpy light duty driveshaft or the heavy duty drive shaft?

[vince1]

I would think the slip part in a one piece would need to move to the transmission so different transmission too? Some day I may go to an auto trans so will look into it again.

OEM replacement might be hard to find or expensive for a driveline shop to fabricate. Maybe put an ad in the wanted section.