Having a hard time turning your steering wheel? You might have a driveshaft problem if you also hear unusual squeaking noises and feel strange vibrations while your vehicle’s accelerating. Doing your own driveshaft repair requires a replacement driveshaft that’s strong enough to bear a lot of stress as it transmits power. CarParts.com has an extensive selection of replacement driveshafts that give you the best value for your money. Browse now to get the right one for your vehicle.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Mineral Oils, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Have you ever wondered how the wheels on a rear-wheel or all-wheel drive car spin despite being far from the engine and transmission? Simple; there’s a long rod that connects the transmission to the rear differential. This rod is known as the driveshaft or propeller shaft, which incorporates a splined slip joint and sliding yoke that transmits torque to the rear wheels. Basically, the engine’s pistons deliver power to a set of gears inside the transmission. The gears then turn the splined slip joint, which turns the pinion inside the rear differential, causing the axles to rotate.
The driveshaft, like the transmission assembly, is hidden from plain sight but can be located underneath the hump in the rear passenger floor. It serves as the spine of your car, and similar to the spine's function which is to transmit neurons from the brain, the propeller shaft delivers the torque from the transmission to the rear axle of your car. It runs along the center of your car from the transmission hump all the way to the pinion of the rear differential. Be informed that front-wheel drive cars don’t feature driveshafts. Instead, they feature a transaxle, which is a combination of the transmission and front differential.
Driveshafts vary from one vehicle to the other due to factors like vehicle length, drivetrain layout, and transmission design. Considering these factors, there are two main types of driveshaft; the single-piece and multiple-piece driveshafts.
Single-piece (flanged) driveshafts are used in small vehicles of which the distance between the engine and axles are short. They are also utilized in mid-engine, rear-wheel drive (MR) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles.
Two-piece or three-piece driveshafts, on the other hand, are used in long vehicles of which the engine and axles are far from one another. This type of propeller shaft is also used in front engine, front-wheel drive (FF) and 4WD vehicles. The divisions of the shaft assembly allow it to absorb vibrations and bending due to extreme rear axle and suspension movements.
Remember that the car driveshaft plays an important role in driving the wheels from a stationary position. It also contributes to your car’s overall driving comfort because a faulty propeller shaft can result in minor and major issues on the road. The symptoms vary from audible sounds to perceivable inconsistencies, all of which are not to be ignored. If you experience these signs while driving, consult your mechanic as soon as possible.
A bent or damaged driveshaft can restrict your wheels from turning properly, which then results to difficulty in maneuvering the car on curves. This sign should be easy to tell due to the increased resistance from the tire when steering the car. Wheels that won’t properly turn cause inconveniences both during slow and high-speed drives.
Vibrations while driving is a vague symptom because it could be anything from your engine to wheel alignment. Be more concerned when the vibration persists even when your car is stationary. Vibration during idle or drive could be due to a badly-shaped driveshaft, literally. Driveshafts, especially the one-piece type, can bend as a result of extreme suspension and axle movements. The bending will make the rotation of internal parts difficult, causing the vibration even when your car’s at rest.
Part of the signs of a damaged shaft is unusual noises, even more so that it has rotating and moving parts. Squeaks during accelerations that tames down at higher speeds is a sign of the driveshaft’s badly damaged or dry coupling connection known as the U-joint. This squeaking noise can also be heard in a form of clunking, rattling, and scraping. . If this happens to you, don’t risk ignoring it; drive to your mechanic right away, as it could lead to more serious problem in your drivetrain.
Aside from unusual noises, shaking during acceleration could be a sign of a loose U-joint. . A malfunctioning U-joint, as well as a worn-out center bearing, are what’s causing the jerkiness whenever you try to step on the pedal from rest or low speed. Although it might feel like a natural vehicle behavior, addressing it sooner can save you from possible major problems that could end up reaching your transmission or engine.
There is a simple explanation on why you need to replace a faulty driveshaft, as well as other parts in your vehicle that you may find failing. Basically, damaged or worn-out parts like the driveshaft affect your vehicle’s drivability, which could eventually result to minor to major inconveniences on the road. The thing is, most drivers tend to just shrug a shoulder and risk it until it’s too late. However, you have to take note that the driveshaft is directly connected to your transmission and everyone knows that a car’s transmission assembly is a little expensive to deal with. So, the moment you start experiencing a problem that you think is caused by the driveshaft, make it a priority to bring your car to the service center.
Keep these considerations in mind when picking a new driveshaft for your car or truck:
A driveshaft's transferring capabilities should be balanced with an engine's power. Remember that with every horsepower increase, there also is the increase in load the driveshaft must carry. Too much power from a powerful engine can twist and destroy the driveshaft. On the other hand, make it too strong for a weak engine and you'll be spending too much on something you and your car does not need.
Dimensions of a driveshaft have great effects on its critical speed. Basically, critical speed is the limit a driveshaft has of properly being able to carry an engine's power. Exceed the critical speed and the driveshaft becomes shaky and unstable. Push it more and you'll get it bent and useless. A general rule is that a long and wide driveshaft has a higher critical speed compared to short and thin ones.
A driveshaft is constructed using different materials which also affect its critical speed. Take note of this when picking one for your driving or racing needs.
Driveshafts are sold as an individual piece, assembly, or in sets. Individual OE replacement driveshafts, be it a front drive shaft or a rear drive shaft, are priced around $150 to $1,400 but if you need an assembly, you’re looking at roughly $270 to $1,700. A set of front and rear shafts, on the other hand, are priced somewhere along the $500 to $600 mark. Prices could even go higher depending on the make, quality, and the vehicle of which the product is fitted on.
A driveshaft is responsible for transferring power from the transmission to the axles of the drive wheels. If it is damaged, a lot of power is wasted and lost. Hence, it is important to immediately repair a broken driveshaft to ensure the car runs well.
Step 1: Park your car on a flat surface, put it in neutral gear, and elevate with a floor jack. Secure the car on jack stands to avoid accidentally dropping the car.
Step 2: Go underneath the car and locate the rear yoke of the driveshaft which is connected to the rear axle. Mark the connection of the driveshaft to the axle with chalk for later reference. Wedge a screwdriver in the u-joint gap and remove one of the bolts. To access the other bolts, take off the screwdriver and manually turn the driveshaft. Once other bolts are in reach, wedge the screwdriver again and remove the bolt. Once the last bolt is removed, support and lower the driveshaft and lower it to avoid a sudden drop. In case the driveshaft is stuck, lightly tap it with a small sledgehammer.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 for the front yoke.
Step 4: Once the driveshaft is completely off, prepare the new driveshaft by rubbing transmission fluid on the front yoke to be attached to the transmission. Make sure the splines and joints fit when the front yoke of the driveshaft is inserted. Use your chalk markings as a guide. Secure all bolts removed.
Step 5: For the rear yoke, simply raise it to your chalk marking, fit it to the joint and return all the bolts removed.
Step 6: Lower the car and start the engine. Warm up the car for a few minutes before taking it on a test drive.
The whole process can be done in a little over 1 hour.