Getting the shaft...

[TIE_Fightertk06]

Well, things were going great with both of my squares, progress was being made on refining and upgrading everything, and then the sh!t hit the fan this past weekend...
My pickup has a terminally ill 305 now that I don’t have time to diagnose because my beloved ‘burb has ANOTHER carrier bearing failure.

As many of you may remember, I had an issue this summer with a carrier bearing shredding it’s cage and isolator thanks to either a crap install or a jacked up driveshaft shortening as part of the 700R4 swap I did.

The trans is still running like a top, and with the added fan-equipped cooler I installed last month it’ll stay that way.

The wife and I piled into the burb for a run up north last Friday. Hit the on ramp, set the cruise at 65, and the vibration started. By the time I pulled off to the side the whole driveline was smacking around under the truck. The carrier bearing had pulled out of the housing again, trashing it.

The mileage between repair and failure is almost the same as the first time.

Called the shop. They’re pawning it off on something else. It’s their crap driveshaft work, for sure. I’ve confirmed and reconfirmed that there is not a geometry problem. Then, the shop owner said they flipped the carrier bearing mount around when I brought it to them after the Roadtrip. I never authorized this, they didn’t tell me anything more than “it’s all good” when I picked up the truck, and stupid me I didn’t go over the driveline after picking the truck up. These are directional, and even with it being backwards due to their screw up, they’re not taking responsibility.

Lesson learned. And I managed to keep my anger in check. I’m over it.

I am going to a single driveshaft. No more carrier bearing worries for me.

It’ll be an aluminum 5” shaft from a shop in the great state of Texas. I’ll keep y’all posted on how it pans out. I’ll be under the truck pulling the old shafts out, so if anyone needs the rear, unmodified shaft or the carrier crossmember, let me know. I’ll be chiseling out the robots from the crossmember so it’ll be usable.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Well, things were going great with both of my squares, progress was being made on refining and upgrading everything, and then the sh!t hit the fan this past weekend...
My pickup has a terminally ill 305 now that I don’t have time to diagnose because my beloved ‘burb has ANOTHER carrier bearing failure.

As many of you may remember, I had an issue this summer with a carrier bearing shredding it’s cage and isolator thanks to either a crap install or a jacked up driveshaft shortening as part of the 700R4 swap I did.

The trans is still running like a top, and with the added fan-equipped cooler I installed last month it’ll stay that way.

The wife and I piled into the burb for a run up north last Friday. Hit the on ramp, set the cruise at 65, and the vibration started. By the time I pulled off to the side the whole driveline was smacking around under the truck. The carrier bearing had pulled out of the housing again, trashing it.

The mileage between repair and failure is almost the same as the first time.

Called the shop. They’re pawning it off on something else. It’s their crap driveshaft work, for sure. I’ve confirmed and reconfirmed that there is not a geometry problem. Then, the shop owner said they flipped the carrier bearing mount around when I brought it to them after the Roadtrip. I never authorized this, they didn’t tell me anything more than “it’s all good” when I picked up the truck, and stupid me I didn’t go over the driveline after picking the truck up. These are directional, and even with it being backwards due to their screw up, they’re not taking responsibility.

Lesson learned. And I managed to keep my anger in check. I’m over it.

I am going to a single driveshaft. No more carrier bearing worries for me.

It’ll be an aluminum 5” shaft from a shop in the great state of Texas. I’ll keep y’all posted on how it pans out. I’ll be under the truck pulling the old shafts out, so if anyone needs the rear, unmodified shaft or the carrier crossmember, let me know. I’ll be chiseling out the robots from the crossmember so it’ll be usable.

Well that sucks but your end solution should be trouble free for years to come.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Man, that sucks. I have a hard time not being anywhere from a passive aggressive dick to a total jerk with people like that so props to you there.

 

[highdesertrange]

for one thing I would only use a Spicer or a Timken for the U-Joints and the carrier bearing. my carrier has been on there 20+ years and is still tight. highdesertranger

 

[TIE_Fightertk06]

for one thing I would only use a Spicer or a Timken for the U-Joints and the carrier bearing. my carrier has been on there 20+ years and is still tight. highdesertranger

Yea, the first carrier bearing and housing was the original one. 150k or so on it. Did the trans swap, and the driveshaft work was suspect. Blew the housing out on that bearing. Now, new bearing did the same thing; bearing is fine, it just pulled the rubber isolator apart allowing the shafts to almost completely separate.

Something is seriously wrong with the driveshaft work the shop did, but they’re not taking responsibility.

I yanked out the old parts yesterday, I’ll post some pics.

 

[TIE_Fightertk06]

Well, this weekend is prep weekend for the new driveshaft. Placed the order today on a 5” aluminum shaft with billet ends, spicer joints, and chromemoly yoke.
The torque rating on the 5'' aluminum tube is 7300 lb/ft and at the built length. Critical speed should be approx. 6800 - 7200 rpm conservatively, according to the builder. That’s around 175mph with my gearing and wheel size... I’ll never see that in my ‘burb, even after the planned engine and trans swap.
Yes, I’m planning on yanking that spanking new 700R4 I built, eventually.

I’ll get some pics along the way, and keep the write up going after the swap with some feedback on how it all goes.

Definitely looking forward to getting one of my squares back on the road!

Total cost including the exhaust work I need to do to make room for the new shaft (and replace the falling apart muffler and OG cat while I’m at it) is $829.

I’m trying to forget about the $300 dollars or so I spent on the roadtrip repairs of the blown carrier bearing, and the $340 worth of original driveshaft work when I swapped the trans. That isn’t an easy thing to do right now with the holidays coming up.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Cool hope the one piece gives you long and trouble free usage. And hey atleast you know your good to 174mph..

 

[skysurfer]

So now I'm wondering why GM used carrier bearings on some models and not others? At first I was thinking it was the difference between 2 or 4 wheel drive but highdesertranger says he has one on his K30 while my V2500 burb doesn't. Tried to google it and found no reason for the different styles.

 

[Boonie]

ive wondered the same thing. my 3/4 ton has a one piece shaft, my 1 ton has a carrier bearing.

 

[TIE_Fightertk06]

I’ve wondered the same thing @Boonie and @skysurfer
I’ve never had a problem or issue with carrier bearings on other vehicles, and didn’t have any issue with this ‘burb’s until some shoddy/questionable driveshaft work. I let myself get talked out of doing it when I did the swap to a 700R4, and have regretted not going one piece since then.

The only reason I’m going one piece is because of the long term plan for this truck: bullet-proof grand touring Suburban.

@Honky Kong jr yeah man, 174 mph in a square ‘burb would be one hell of a trip. I’ll never see that in this truck, but setting the cruise at 85, worry free, will be a nice thing once I get the rest of the work done.

 

[TIE_Fightertk06]

Well, everything is prepped for the new driveshaft... But not without a hitch.
My air chisel bit the dust, so I had to cut out the crossmember. I’ll go back and finish removing the rivets at some point so i can get those little ends of the crossmember out, some day.
Got the exhaust all laid out and cut, but will wait until the new shaft is here before I get it in there and weld it up.
Pulled the massive heat shield out. That was a real bitch, as GM though it was smart to bolt it in before mating the body to the frame... There were two heat-head screws that were tough to get out. Anyway, cleaned the undercarriage and will be installing adheasive-backed heatshield in its place.
The old cat and heat shield weighed in at 42 pounds! Between that and the driveshaft, she should be a fair amount lighter when she’s back on the road.
Picked up a high flow cat for 8k+ vehicles and a big ass straight through round muffler. She sounded good before, but she’ll sound even better now.
All in all, it should be an easy job once the new shaft gets here.

Here are the old shafts and carrier assembly. The bearing is perfect, it just pulled itself through the rubber isolator, again:

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[Honky Kong jr]

Well, everything is prepped for the new driveshaft... But not without a hitch.
My air chisel bit the dust, so I had to cut out the crossmember. I’ll go back and finish removing the rivets at some point so i can get those little ends of the crossmember out, some day.
Got the exhaust all laid out and cut, but will wait until the new shaft is here before I get it in there and weld it up.
Pulled the massive heat shield out. That was a real bitch, as GM though it was smart to bolt it in before mating the body to the frame... There were two heat-head screws that were tough to get out. Anyway, cleaned the undercarriage and will be installing adheasive-backed heatshield in its place.
The old cat and heat shield weighed in at 42 pounds! Between that and the driveshaft, she should be a fair amount lighter when she’s back on the road.
Picked up a high flow cat for 8k+ vehicles and a big ass straight through round muffler. She sounded good before, but she’ll sound even better now.
All in all, it should be an easy job once the new shaft gets here.

Here are the old shafts and carrier assembly. The bearing is perfect, it just pulled itself through the rubber isolator, again:

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I’d put a cross member back in even if it’s one of them pre made driveshaft loop/cross member thingys

 

[TIE_Fightertk06]

I’d put a cross member back in even if it’s one of them pre made driveshaft loop/cross member thingys

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It’s a fair amount of distance between the trans cross member and the rear crossmember.
I’d be interested in a shot of the underside of a Suburban that came with a factory 1 piece driveshaft to see what GM did. I was thinking about just fabricating one from rectangle stock to tuck up close to the body. Finding a good loop would be a double-duty solution, too.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It’s a fair amount of distance between the trans cross member and the rear crossmember.
I’d be interested in a shot of the underside of a Suburban that came with a factory 1 piece driveshaft to see what GM did. I was thinking about just fabricating one from rectangle stock to tuck up close to the body. Finding a good loop would be a double-duty solution, too.

Not being a wise ass for a change,but with your track record lately with drive shafts it might be a good idea to loop it.

 

[TIE_Fightertk06]

You speak the truth @Honky Kong jr