Drive line & half shafts balanced
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,389
Likes: 693
From: Boise ID
Drive line & half shafts balanced
Replacing u-joints in driveline & half shafts and my vice does not open far enough to push them out with any ease so I dropped them off at a drive line shop. Did not ask how much but he also mentioned that it would be a good idea to check the balance on the drive shaft and of coarse I said you bet, sounds good! Well, picked them up today at a price of $120 to balance the 3 shafts :eek: Did not expect them to balance the half shafts because of the lower RPM. I just did not know how much it would cost. It's called a straighten & Dyna Balance. They did add quite a lot of balance weight. Does anyone else have this done? Sounds like a good idea on the drive shaft. The guy said just replacing the u-joint affects the balance. Did I waste the cash or is this something that needs checked out occasionally?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,362
Likes: 30
From: Oak Harbor WA
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (tntcorvette)
I had the ujoints replaced on the driveshaft and a balance job since it was from a used 6 speed car. Cost around $200 total. Used Spicer joints, not some generic brand.
Original Founding Member!
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 9,037
Likes: 88
From: Granby, MA
Cruise-In 1, 3, 9. 10 & 11 Veteran
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (Goody)
um i had one of my half-shafts replaced and new u-joints put in....how do you balance a half shaft?....i thought they came pre-balanced and that YOU CANNOT add weights to them.....?...thought I saw that somewhere in my 1990 helms manual....now I gotta go look....
let me know k
let me know k
Instructor
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Beachwood Oh
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (87SAM)
I replaced all my u-joints myself. I had no vibration before or after so it must not affect the balance too much, although I am sure it has some effect on it.
You may get longer u-joint life, not sure.
You may get longer u-joint life, not sure.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 743
Likes: 4
From: Guyton GA
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (87SAM)
I would say it was a good thing especially since they put a lot of weight on them. In my factory shop manual, their cheezy method of balancing the half shafts is to put on hose clamps as weights and then drive the car to see if the vibration is better or worse. :crazy:
Pro
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 666
Likes: 1
From: Salt Lake City UT
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (87SAM)
I replaced all the u-joints last year and had a vibration. I used the waterhose clamp idea as recommended in the manual to see if the drive line was the problem. It was not, it turned out to be the aluminum flywheel I had installed. Was suppose to be correct and it was off a country mile. So without balancing all the shafts everyting turned out fine.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 4
From: Hinckley Ohio
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (90pololt4)
I paid about $25 to have the balance on my driveshaft checked. It was OK and they then checked my half-shafts for no charge. It took them less than 10 minutes to check both half shafts. They too checked ok. They said Corvette driveshafts were the best in the industry and never needed balancing unless they had been visually dented or damaged.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,389
Likes: 693
From: Boise ID
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (LT4BUD)
Well, guess I will have to wait for spring time to come to see how it works out. The car is on jacks stands for the winter, I started at the back and doing maintenance foward. Hate having to do the stuff you can prevent in the summer. ;) The half shafts do seem wasteful. The vette ran good, just a little vibration at certian speeds but that could be a 101 things. Just hoping that this would be one thing to count out. Forgot to mention, the factory weight was removed. It's like the weights on the balance just moved around. :eek:
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Racer
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 279
Likes: 7
From: L.A., CA.
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (87SAM)
speaking of drive shafts etc.
check out:Advanced Composite Products
carbon fiber drive shafts ($800) and half shafts ($700 ea) http://www.acpt.com/driveshaft/index.html
anybody have and experience with these?
R
check out:Advanced Composite Products
carbon fiber drive shafts ($800) and half shafts ($700 ea) http://www.acpt.com/driveshaft/index.html
anybody have and experience with these?
R
Pro
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 666
Likes: 1
From: Salt Lake City UT
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (87SAM)
We think of GM and others cutting corners but on my 94 Siverado K1500 truck it came with a composite drive shaft from the factory. My new 02 2500HD 496ci has a standard steel drive shaft. I woundered why they spent the money to put it on in 94? Any ideas?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,206
Likes: 0
From: USA USA
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Drive line & half shafts balanced (87SAM)
I had my driveshaft balanced when the Spicers were put in along with
a new yoke(scored) and the total was $130.00. They had to add sum weight
to mine to. Now no more clunk and so smmmmooooooothh!!The Spicers
were non -greaseable and were $13/pc.,yoke $60,labor ,balance,etc.
Matt
a new yoke(scored) and the total was $130.00. They had to add sum weight
to mine to. Now no more clunk and so smmmmooooooothh!!The Spicers
were non -greaseable and were $13/pc.,yoke $60,labor ,balance,etc.
Matt
