Broke My Drive Shaft

[darkside]

I broke the drive shaft on my truck. Dodge Ram 1500, 1997. It sheared right off (damn thing). How hard is it to replace it? Do I have to jack it up first and then unbolt the rear and then pull out the other end out of the transmission?

 

[Ironcrow]

I broke the drive shaft on my truck. Dodge Ram 1500, 1997. It sheared right off (damn thing). How hard is it to replace it? Do I have to jack it up first and then unbolt the rear and then pull out the other end out of the transmission?

Bummer. I don't think you'd even have to jack it up. Usually the rear unbolts, either straps over the u-joint, or a flange. The front slip yoke just pulls out from the transfer case (or transmission as the case may be). Have a pan handy to catch gear oil that may run out, but it usually doesn't.

 

[iiibdsiil]

Depending on the clearance you might need to jack it up. There should be 4 bolts holding it in the rear. You *might* need the rear end off the ground to spin the driveshaft around to be able to get to all the bolts without driving yourself crazy. It just slides right out of the front.

Any damage done to the truck? How fast were you going?

 

[bmwpower]

I broke the drive shaft on my truck. Dodge Ram 1500, 1997. It sheared right off (damn thing). How hard is it to replace it? Do I have to jack it up first and then unbolt the rear and then pull out the other end out of the transmission?

You're not going to get much action on that creeper of yours with a broken (drive) shaft...best fix it soon.

 

[darkside]

Depending on the clearance you might need to jack it up. There should be 4 bolts holding it in the rear. You *might* need the rear end off the ground to spin the driveshaft around to be able to get to all the bolts without driving yourself crazy. It just slides right out of the front.

Any damage done to the truck? How fast were you going?

Only damaghe was minor, tore the skin off my muffler but it was hanging off anyway, one of those projecvts I kept meaning to repair, ha ha. No I wasn't going fast, just backed out of a driveway , sled it into drive and wammo, off it came, what a scare though, sounded like a tornado hit. Hopefully I will get a new one today.

 

[darkside]

You're not going to get much action on that creeper of yours with a broken (drive) shaft...best fix it soon.

Thank god it is the drive shaft on my truck and not my drive shaft. Has Ha/ Take care mate

 

[gmasterman]

I think the next question should be why did the driveshaft break? Drive shafts don't break from normal usage unless they are defective or their maintainence is bad

 

[Sundowner]

I think the next question should be why did the driveshaft break? Drive shafts don't break from normal usage unless they are defective or their maintainence is bad

it's a chrysler product. everything breaks.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Shot u joint.

 

[darkside]

The U-Joint is fine. I don't have a clue why it broke. I guess it developed a weak spot. And you are right Dodge - Everything Breaks. Have you heard that the new Dodges have heated bumpers now. So your hands don't get cold when you are pushing it in the winter time.

 

[SuperKid]

When you reverse, then shift into drive, do you stop completely before you shift from reverse to drive? If you don't then that may have something to do with why your driveshaft broke. If you don't stop completely, your drivetrain is going one way when suddenly it gets power going the other way and this puts strain on the drivetrain. The driveshaft, being the weakest point in the drivetrain is usually the first (usually only) thing to break. Most of the broken driveshafts I've seen broke when going from reverse to forward. Another thing, was this the original driveshaft? The driveshaft may be a poor quality aftermarket piece which would also help to explain the premature failure of your driveshaft.

As far as replacing it, it's a very easy job. It shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes. Good luck!

 

[gmasterman]

A guy I worked with a few years back had some kind of hot Dodge p/u. He usually broke two driveshafts a year. He said they were aluminum tube. Does this make sense to y'all? Why would anyone use aluminum for a driveshaft? He talked like replacing two ds a year was just part of owning the truck and it was all acceptable

 

[iiibdsiil]

My car has an aluminum driveshaft (aftermarket) and I don't have any problems. It's not exactly a beast (roughly 300 hp @ the flywheel) but with the 6 speed manual I have some fun with the clutch. 4.10's in the rear. Not sure if that helps or makes it worse in terms of breaking the driveshaft though. Car is my 96 Impala SS, which weighs about 4300 lbs, maybe more.

 

[SuperKid]

A guy I worked with a few years back had some kind of hot Dodge p/u. He usually broke two driveshafts a year. He said they were aluminum tube. Does this make sense to y'all? Why would anyone use aluminum for a driveshaft? He talked like replacing two ds a year was just part of owning the truck and it was all acceptable

If the guy was breaking two driveshafts a year, I'm guessing he wasn't just doing daily driving. I've got a 1990 Ford F150 with an aluminum driveshaft. And, as far as I know, it's factory. Aluminum driveshafts are often put in to save weight and add performance. Many new performance/sports cars are using carbon fiber driveshafts. (The Nissan 350Z comes to mind) These driveshafts are designed to be tough and to withstand daily driving and a bit of spirited weekend driving. They shouldn't break unless you're just outright abusing them.

 

[darkside]

Got It Fixed - Cost Me $120

Thanks

 

[SuperKid]

Got It Fixed - Cost Me $120

Thanks

Great! Did you do it yourself?

 

[Bradley Miller]

Hmm -- father-in-law has two Dodge diesels one with over 250K miles and the other over 150K. My first Ford (Ranger) I ended up pushing into his drive THE DAY I DROVE IT FROM THE DEALERSHIP!! I've had wide variety of cars with various luck on different brands, both domestic and foreign. Go figure!

 

[darkside]

Great! Did you do it yourself?

Yes did it myself, very easy actually. Guy made me a new one for $120

Didn't even need to jack it up, just pushed the truck forward to get at the bolts