Drive shaft not straight

[tektic]

I have all the proper engine mounts and my drive shaft is still not straight. The car make entirely too much noise. I'm going to try to get it on a frame straightener on Saturday to make sure it's not twisted. I'm not sure what else it could be. Any ideas?

 

[EMX5636]

Can you get under the car and post a couple pictures? Aside from the mounts and actual unibody as you mentioned, there isn't really much else I could think of unless there is a problem with the driveshaft itself.

 

[tektic]

Is the drive shaft different between an auto and a manual?

 

[Fiascoxl]

I will say that the drive shaft does not sit exactly straight from transfer case to rear differential. It comes out the transfer case slightly towards the passenger side, then after the first carrier bearing it shoots straight to the rear differential.

 

[transparentdsm]

Quoting tektic:
Is the drive shaft different between an auto and a manual?



you shouldn't be able to get an auto driveshaft. the AWD was never introduced to america in automatic, at least i don't think it was.

 

[MellowVR4]

Could be the lobro joint if its making noise, Or possibly your center diff in the trans...

 

[EMX5636]

Quoting Fiascoxl:
I will say that the drive shaft does not sit exactly straight from transfer case to rear differential. It comes out the transfer case slightly towards the passenger side, then after the first carrier bearing it shoots straight to the rear differential.



Exactly. It's got a weird angle in it factory. I don't think you have some crazy chassis problem. Sounds more like a driveshaft or T-case/differential problem. This is why pictures can help. It might look completely normal to some of us that have been under these things for years.

 

[prove_it]

The shaft doesn't go perfectly straight from t case to rear diff. It does "curve" some towards the passenger side around where the stock cat convertor would be.

 

[tektic]

I looked for a picture but couldn't find a decent one. I'd have to jack it up to show what I'm talking about. There is a good sized dent in the floor near the first mount though.

Its a ggsx that came auto utilizing the auto drive shaft so they made it state side in that aspect.

I originally thought it was mostly because of the aluminum flywheel I had in here. That's gone still makes a racket.

Ill get a pic tonight when its cool out. Wait no going out tonight... Tomorrow maybe. Its not a ridiculous angle but its not as straight as it could be.

 

[transparentdsm]

i did not know they made the GSX in an automatic. thats cool

 

[thomcasey]

Driveshaft would not be different Auto vs Manual. But, if it is dented near the carrier bearing bracket, and it changes the angle it is mounted at, then that could be the issue

 

[iceman69510]

You don't want a driveshaft perfectly straight in all planes actually. There needs to be offset for the u joints to work properly and not transmit vibration and noise.

 

[mitsuturbo]

Mine isn't perfectly straight either. As you can see, it has a slight angle to the most forward part.

 

[tektic]

This is what it looks like after I took a bfh to the floor under the passenger seat.

That's an awful picture I'm just noticing.

 

[prove_it]

That pic is tricky to make out the shaft.

 

[tektic]

That sounds dirty.

 

[prove_it]

There's going to be a lot of that in a thread about a crooked shaft.

 

[tektic]

Ok now I'm leaning tword a broken center diff. I had some pretty gnarled "dug dug dug" noise in a quick right than long left maneuver it came from the front right corner.

Differential diagnosis starts by spinning wheels off the ground right?

Also is common to be able to chirp second?