Jump to content

Rear Driveshaft Replacement

Darksky

By Darksky
in Engines & Drivetrain

 Share

Recommended Posts

Darksky Enthusiast

Darksky

Posted
Posted

Who has replaced their factory rear driveshaft:

Why?

What brand or what type of custom build?

Type of mods to driveshaft? Steel vs. Aluminum  heavier/thicker walled/stronger 

Length added to accommodate lift kit?

Heavier U Joints?

Two piece?

Cost?

Results?

Additional Advice or comments?

 

Feel free to add in any field I neglected to mention.

*I searched, but did not find a dedicated replacement driveshaft thread.

 

  • Confused 1
flyingfool Senior Enthusiast

flyingfool

Posted
Posted (edited)

i see no point , the drive shaft is  only an issue if your drag racing or going over 100mph, or make over 400hp. save your money

Edited by flyingfool
  • Like 2
SS502 Senior Enthusiast

SS502

Posted
Posted
On 1/28/2019 at 9:10 PM, flyingfool said:

i see no point , the drive shaft is  only an issue if your drag racing or going over 100mph, or make over 400hp. save your money

You’re obviously speaking RWHP right?

  • Like 1
kennerz Enthusiast

kennerz

Posted
Posted

This is not high on the mod list for me but I would definitely consider it. A well made stronger balanced shaft would give a noticeable gain in drivability I would think. Seen the photos of the failures on the newer trucks, not pretty. Also I think many of the vibration problems stem from the factory shaft. Read other threads where vibrations were eliminated from switching to an aftermarket shaft from a reputable vendor.

 

The factory construction is surprising. soo thin... plus on a 6.2 LT that wheel HP level or close to is just a few mods away. A tuned truck will do 100mph effortlessly , the terminal shaft speed of a stock truck is way below a quality balanced shaft. (not advocating speeding). But in the overall scheme of mods seems like it would be worth it. These truck really improve when you replace crappy factory volume parts where they cut corners with solid high performance equipment. They are too fast and powerful to ignore upgrading the generic parts and they don't need much to get a high level of feel and performance. I say do it.

 

the guys in the link in the first post have a great reputation in the muscle car world as well as trucks.

  • Like 2
DenaliX14 Enthusiast

DenaliX14

Posted
Posted
On 1/29/2019 at 10:25 AM, imiller1974 said:

70.5" long, 5" diameter aluminum driveshaft from shaftmasters.com. $675+ shipping.

is that what you purchased personally? I'm looking at significant jump in HP with my 14 Denali 6.2L. I have some real concerns for my OEM Driveshaft. 

300 Blackout Enthusiast

300 Blackout

Posted
Posted

I have the exact same driveshaft as imiller1974 from the same company.

I’ve got 4.56 gears and at 70mph my shaft is spinning the equivalent rpm of going ~92mph with the stock 3.42 gears. I upgraded the driveshaft due to concerns about being too close to the critical speed of the stock shaft. Essentially, I wanted a bigger margin of safety.

The new driveshaft can handle over 6k rpm which equates to around 140mph with my 4.56 gears and 33.5” tires. It also maxes out around 10k lbs-ft of torque.

I would be more worried about how fast it’s spinning rather than how much HP or TQ you’re producing. In the driveshafts I’ve looked at, critical speed was always the limiting factor.

1SLOW1500 prefers two piece steel shafts. You might want to send him a PM for his input as to why.

  • 1 month later...
Big Pimpin Denali Enthusiast

Big Pimpin Denali

Posted
Posted
On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 8:25 AM, imiller1974 said:

70.5" long, 5" diameter aluminum driveshaft from shaftmasters.com. $675+ shipping.

Did you end up getting this shaft for your truck? I am looking to get a new shaft built for mine. Its seems that our trucks have weird/non replaceable ujoints?

 

imiller1974 Enthusiast

imiller1974

Posted
Posted

Yeah, I have the driveshaft for the truck, why would I post otherwise... U-joint is a 1415 AAM, nothing special or weird about it, has the same bearing caps as a 1410 and 1350, just the cross section is different. Can get them from Denny's driveshaft for $23.

  • 1 year later...
lucas287 Enthusiast

lucas287

Posted
Posted

Reviving this thread. Thinking about replacing my rear DS on my truck in the sig. 

 

Does anyone know the specs of the stock DS? Specifically, the diameter, length (67"?), and the wall thickness?

 

There's a phenomenon called half critical speed vibrations and that might be the reason why driving above 80 is miserable in my truck. 

  • 11 months later...
lucas287 Enthusiast

lucas287

Posted
Posted

Wow, can't believe it's been a year and I still haven't replaced my driveshaft. I was actually about to buy a couple UJs and a strap kit and see if that helps (only ~$75) but the last time I messed with a GM driveshaft I ended up bending the ears on the yoke because they used injection molded plastic retainers 😠 

 

I've got vibes that start right around 78 and worsen by 85 and then taper off again. Makes cruising on TX highways a real pain. I'm either speeding or stuck in the slow lane. Almost certain that has me hitting a DS RPM that just doesn't jive well with the stock construction. I'm also noticing that my truck is real sensitive to pinion angle changes which makes me think that a UJ is worn, I have a balance issue, or some combo of the two. 

 

Anyways, it got me thinking of the golden rule of modding: buy once cry once. I think I'm just gonna pull the trigger on a new shaft and be done with it. Performance Drivelines out of Bakersfield, CA has one for less than $600 shipped! 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • XY74
      Roll up bed cover experiences

      By XY74 · Posted

      I have a Retrax pro that I first had on my 2020 chevy and transferred it to my current GMC.  It stays in the garage most of the time, so hard for me to judge it's long term weather resistance.  It still works perfectly, been very durable.  It doesn't see oil patch usage, but it's not a mall queen.  It keeps most things mostly dry (small leaks) and the security of it is enough to slow someone down but not keep them out for long.  I would buy one again, it works for me.     
    • fm2176
      New to Me 2010 SLE (Quirks, Issues)

      By fm2176 · Posted

      Thanks to the convenience of Amazon, I was able to get a few things done to the truck today.  I installed Carquest Premium oil and air filters with five quarts of Mobil1 High Mileage 10-30 along with a quart of Pennzoil Platinum 5w-30 I already had.  The latch for the flip up center console lid was broken so I replaced it along with the power mirror switch.  I found my push retainer assortment this morning and reattached the plastic under the bumper and it was only held on with a few screws and retainers.  Then I programmed a new remote keyless entry fob so I can lock my dog in the truck when I take her out with me (I've got to keep the air going for her since it's been in the 100s).  Finally, I ordered some LED interior bulbs and replaced the reading lamps.  The front lights are working fine while one of the back lights only works intermittently and the other not at all.   While under the truck, I found the source of at least one of the noises: the sway bar links need replacing.  I ordered a set of Suspension Dudes links with Code Red bushings.  Never heard of them, but they're made in the USA and have decent reviews.  While making yet another Amazon order, I went ahead and added a set of front tow hooks.  I went with red, since that's the color of the sway bar link and bushings and it should look decent enough on a black and chrome truck.  Speaking of which, it doesn't bug me much, but the passenger side mirror has a chrome cap while the driver side doesn't, so eventually I'll make them match one way or another.  Oh, and I ordered a $20 TPMS reset tool.  No idea if it will do anything for my sensors but it was cheap and will work for the Ford Transit Connect as well.     For tradition's sake, I ordered a new oil change wrench.  I kept the Snap-On 9/16"x15mm GM wrench I bought when I was 18 in the 2006 GMC from the time I bought that truck until the truck was lost.  While I was tempted, there's no need to spend $80 for a new SO wrench, or even $50 with shipping for a used one on Ebay.  I just bought a Duratech 15mm extra-long ratcheting wrench to do the job as needed.  It works, and if I like that wrench enough, I'll buy the set.  
    • Another JR
      Multigate electrical problem

      By Another JR · Posted

      The recall is for exactly this issue - those drain holes combined with the limited environmental capability of the tailgate electronics card inside the tailgate were a problem. The “safety issue” was the potential for the tailgate to spontaneously open, but all kinds of tailgate misbehavior can occur from water contamination of that control card.    There is no real fix yet. The initial recall just disabled the tailgate. Later, when parts became available, they would replace bad parts with new parts of the same bad design. My dealer is going nuts because the few times I let them get their hands on my truck, my tailgate is off due to a slide-in camper installation. They really want to cut my tailgate wires, but I won’t give them the chance. I will let them get their dirty hands on it when a real fix (redesign) is available.  My tailgate, which works just fine with sealant plugging the drain holes, will remain safe in a dry storage crate until then.  
    • JakeD
      Tire fitment

      By JakeD · Posted

      Yes your absolutely right, I been looking at the 4 inch BDS one and it acutely states you can use the stock 20’s just not the 17’s or 18’s, I also didn’t realize that with my 275/60r20 stock wheels I’m already running 33 inch diameter wheel setup lol so I can just run my stock wheels and tires atleast to start.
    • davester
      Tire fitment

      By davester · Posted

      I would expect that to be lift-kit dependent.  If the kit has interference issues w stock wheels, then the kit/manufacturer should indicate that somewhere.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...