Drive shaft problem

[AU92]

My dealer says I may need to replace my front or rear drive shaft. Does anyone know how much this should cost?

[Joe_Black]

Did they give you a reason to replace the entire driveshaft?

Sounds more like your dealer is getting ready to give you a lube job. Take it to a driveshaft shop for a second opinion, if there is indeed something wrong with a propeller shaft.

Please share what symptoms you're experiencing and maybe we can get you closer to the mark and save some grief and $$$.

[AU92]

I have a vibration somwhere that shows up around 50-70 mph. They think it's a drive shaft but they don't know if it is front or rear. They are still checking it out...

[Joe_Black]

That could be acouple things, depending on how severe the vibration is. Tires are a good place to start as it's easy and inexpensive to get them computer balanced and a reputable tire dealer. Often you can get a deal on lifetime balancing and rotation.

If it is indeed related to the propeller shaft the need for replacement is extremely rare unless the shaft itself has been damaged. If your tires check out okay, then the rear shaft would be the best place to start troubleshooting. You want to check your universal joints for play and make sure they're properly lubricated. There's also grease zerk at the spline coupling that needs to regularly lubricated as well. Also, driveshafts can be balanced. So if you simply can't find an obvious problem go to a reputable driveshaft shop and look into getting the shaft balanced which is simple and far less expensive than replacement.

[AU92]

Thanks for the info. The tires were just balanced, but I will look at the u-joints.

[Joe_Black]

Don't overlook the tires because they were just done. The shop could have done them improperly, a balancing weight may have shifted or even slung off. Have them re-check the balance as you don't want to leave any possibility unexplored, and the tires are the easiest to verify.