Broken Driveshaft, couple questions.

[Bones]

Ok so it was a beautiful day today so I took the SS out for a spin. I have been noticing a popping noise when I down shift or round a corner quick. So my theory was until it gets more serious and reoccurring leave it be.

So today I pull a U turn on a open stretch of road gun it and boom! Big pop noise and the car started vibrating and shaking bad. I was able to nurse the car home and every gear worked fine so I don't think there is anything wrong with the trans I PRAY (rebuilt from RPMspeed).

What I do notice is that going over bumps the car makes pop and rattle noises cause of the drive shaft I just hope nothing else is wrong.

So here's the aftermath from what I see so far...

Questions...

1) Should I go with a steel LS1 drive shaft or get another aluminum? Car isn't crazy powerful. Dynoed 391 hp with small cam and 243 heads bolt ons etc... I just don't want to go through this again.

2). I noticed the drivers rear wheel will not move when I have the car up in the air, I can spin the passenger rear wheel but not the drivers rear. Suggestions? I'm hoping its cause of the drive shaft. It's weird that it's locked up but when I was driving it obviously moved freely, wasn't dragging.

3). What are signs of a blown differential? There's no fluids on the ground, no leaks, when I nursed it home only noise I heard was the popping and vibration from the drive shaft. At lower speeds there was no noise nursing it home.

Finally, car has a Weird fn stance now like it's a 4x4, again hope that's cause of the drive shaft haha f*** me.

Any help from past experience is greatly appreciated.

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[Bones]

Ok did some disassembling, torque arm is shredded, don't know how it was even still holding on, drive shaft is bent and my drivers rear wheel is still locked, which I have no idea why.

 

[Bru]

Damn that sucks.

Running a stock torque arm? I have a stocker sitting around if you want it.

 

[Bones]

Damn that sucks.

Running a stock torque arm? I have a stocker sitting around if you want it.

Yeah it was a stock one, I don't know I was thinking of hunting down a used BMR or UMI etc... I just don't want to go through this again. I'd imagine in time through stock replacements I'll be back in the same boat down the road. I'll let you know though, thanks def appreciate the offer.

 

[TransHed]

Welcome back to having an F-Body lololol

 

[Bones]

Welcome back to having an F-Body lololol

hahaha


Yeah ordering UMI torque arm from Speedinc this week and I'm going to see if they have any Steel DS laying around. Then I need to figure out WTF is up with the L/R wheel.

 

[Pewter-Camaro]

That is not a normal looking stock AL DS failure. Usually the stock AL ones tear completely in half. Yours is just Bent. The fact one of the wheels is locked may mean the Diff gave out and the driveline shock bent the DS. Guessing its a 10 bolt? Might be the diff is scattered to the point where the Pass side axle is not getting power at all and spinning freely and the diff is pushing all the power to the driver side. Get that diff cover off and see whats up. at this point I'd wait to get any parts until you open up that Diff but a Stock Steel DS with some new u-joints will be fine and cheap just Don't get another stock Aluminum one.

 

[skeezer]

You can probably find a stock aluminum shaft for under 100 bucks locally.

 

[Bones]

Yeah I'm thinking the same, that the diff is gone. I plan to take a look today or tomorrow. I knew something was bound to happen, why the previous owner installed 4.10s in a 10 bolt is beyond me.

 

[Boostie]

I have a 3.5" aluminum shaft, no complaints

 

[yaritez28]

Don't put a steel drive shaft in, they are no good for high speeds. My friend had one break at 120+ and fuck a lot of shit up under the car. I have always had an AL DS with no problems.

 

[blck10th]

Chrome molly ftw. They are not that expensive either. I am personally upgrading as soon as I get some extra cash. They run abou 300 from what I was told. Place in st Charles my buddy told me about. He uses them in his car. I can get the name again

 

[wolfe]

Chrome molly ftw. They are not that expensive either. I am personally upgrading as soon as I get some extra cash. They run abou 300 from what I was told. Place in st Charles my buddy told me about. He uses them in his car. I can get the name again

I believe this is the place.

Midwest Driveshaft, Driveshaft Repair, and Axels Driveshaft Balancing Steel and Aluminum

 

[79vette]

Midwest drive shaft makes all my driveshafts for my projects. The vette has their driveshaft and two beefy halfshafts. They are really quick turn around also, usually the same day.

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[79vette]

My shafts are chromemoly, btw, and so far have been past 172mph in the 1/4.

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[Bones]

Figured out the damages today. At first I thought it was a caliper locking up the one wheel, because soon as I took off both calipers (disassembling the 10 bolt) I could spin the gears and everything was working fine. Soon as I took the cover off I spun everything around and inspected....

Found a cracked tooth on the ring gear. Foundout I was missing a fn bolt as well for that matter, I have a 9 bolt LOL. Somehow one of the upper bolts worked it's way out. That was just weird. I don't know how that happened then again this is the first summer for the car, who knows what the previous owner tried to do.

Anyways, I have a new 10 bolt with just 3.42s in the garage weighting to go in. That's this weekends project. And next weekend I want to pick up another Drive shaft balance it at Suburban DL and p/u a UMI torque arm at Speedinc. Almost back up and running!!!

 

[Pewter-Camaro]

good ol Chevy 9 bolt. lol! Someone didn't torque the bolts properly but at least the damage was not horrible. Get that car back on the road!

 

[smokiechicago]

I remember when my alum drive shaft snapped in two. Lets just say my electric cutout was installed in a bad spot and rotated a little and a bolt ended up catching on the drive shaft. $300-$400 later for a steel one from Speed Inc and a helpful uncle helped fix that issue.

Moral of the story, don't let the wrong person install stuff on your car or learn to do it yourself. It's better than paying someone to do it wrong.