OK, I wanted to drive it a while before posting this. I got my third drive line on Friday. Drove it home the long way on the freeway and tested it at various RPM's and speeds. I could hear no new sounds and noted no new vibrations. I got her home and crawled under to take a look. It is a differant driveline than the second one that I beleive was just a quick direct replacement. It does not have the donut some one was talking about but it has a much thicker outer housing. This one looks very beefy. I will let you know if it holds up.
__________________ MY OTHER RIDES
1931 Chevrolet
MY EX-RIDES
C-3, C-4
1967 Chevelle SS
Mustang GT 5.0 Convertible
I can readily understand how you can see that there apparently is no donut on the front end of the new drievshaft. But, how do you know it's a thicker material? Or, did you mean it is a larger DIAMETER?
IF it is either thicker OR a larger diameter, that would definitely change the vibration characteristics, and MIGHT be GM's attempt to finally address the "ringing" I am hearing on mine.
The "donut" that you refer to as the newest driveshaft NOT having (mine HAS the donut) is that heavy ring of metal that they put on the front end to add mass to try to address the vibration that is causing the ringing. Instead, I believe that the donut MAY have have been insufficiently effective in attentuating the vibration, and has instead added more FORCE to the vibration that has in turn attacked the seal and tailshaft bushing.
Jim G
Last edited by JimGnitecki : 05-31-2005 at 04:54 AM.
My SSR: 04 Redline red #11672 born on 6-22-04 adopted 10-14-04 Pinstriping handpainted by "Shakey"
subman=
This sounds like driveshaft design #3. Since #2 didn't solve the problem maybe this one will. Keep us posted.
Can anyone verify that this is in fact a newer design??????
Has anyone actually diagnosed what part of the drive line is making the noise? Yoke, U-joint, spline, or something else? Mine's about to turn 3k (yea a newbie) and the tink is definately becoming more pronounced. Not only annoying in the past where there's noise and vibration there's wear.
My SSR: 04 Redline red #11672 born on 6-22-04 adopted 10-14-04 Pinstriping handpainted by "Shakey"
I have been under my SSR several times trying to figure it out. To the best of my reasoning I feel the shaft itself acts as an echo chamber to amplify the normal sounds of a driveline (gear play). If you tap the shaft with a metal object you will hear the tink sound. You will also see that the shaft will hold the tone just like a tuning fork. My thoughts are that if the shaft were foam filled to deaden the sound it would solve the problem.
Dingbat: Save your money on the foaming. I tried it at my cost.
It helped, but did NOT fully solve the problem.
When my 2nd driveshaft caused the tailshaft seal to fail, I was given a 3rd driveshaft that appeared identical to the 2nd one (had the donut on the front), but it also "rings". Since I lost the 2nd drievshaft that I had had foamfilled, it is now louder again.
My SSR: 04 Redline red #11672 born on 6-22-04 adopted 10-14-04 Pinstriping handpainted by "Shakey"
Jim=
Im not spending any of my money on something warranty should fix. I'll live with the tink until either Chevy finds a permanent fix or something else breaks because of it. I am really suprised that Chevy hasn't come up with a fix for this problem yet since it is affecting not only he SSRs but the Trailblazers as well.
You might check to see which updated shaft has been installed
1513689 original shaft
10371682 first update shaft
15247556 latest update shaft
My info is that the shaft has been redesigned for the tink, ping or ?? as the vehicle is put into gear (sounds like a bad universal joint), not a ringing noise while driving.The ringing noise while driving is probably coming from another source, no doubt the shaft amplifies the noise, but it is not the cause of the ringing noise.
Last edited by 41chevcoe : 05-31-2005 at 01:23 PM.
Reason: sp
I will look to see if there is a number on it. By thicker I mean that when you look at the drive line from the rear of the truck you can see that it was built from a tube that the end U-jount was slid into and welded in place. The step up from that weld to the shaft diameter looks a lot thicker than my old one. Also it could be that I have been listing to the tink for so long that I may be dreaming this but this one sounds and feels more solid.
__________________ MY OTHER RIDES
1931 Chevrolet
MY EX-RIDES
C-3, C-4
1967 Chevelle SS
Mustang GT 5.0 Convertible
OK, I could see no numbers so here is a picture. See how the diameter tapers out a few inches back. My old one was not this much of a taper so eather this one is a larger diameter or the u-joint section is smaller.
__________________ MY OTHER RIDES
1931 Chevrolet
MY EX-RIDES
C-3, C-4
1967 Chevelle SS
Mustang GT 5.0 Convertible
Subman: my donut-equipped prop shaft also has that expansion to a larger diameter, but I would swear that the expansion on mine is even larger than the expansion on yours. Look at my photo below.
SSR290: I am glad they are finally acknowledging a "whine in the drivetrain", although I call it more of a "ringing". However, note that this new part number did NOT solve the "ringing" for me.
However, that does not mean it will not for you. Noise is an outcome of vibration or resonance (resonance is vibration at a frequency that happens to coincide with the natural frequency of a part, and therefore builds the amplitude of the vibration and noise greatly). If ANYthing in your drivetrain wieghs a little more or a little less, or is shaped justa bit differently, or rotates at a different rpm, your results will vary.
Well guys, now that I have had Reese at MTI painstakingly inspect and perfect that entire rear axle assembly, it's hard to know where else to look besides the driveshaft.
I suppose it's theoretically possible that the ring, pinion, or someother part in the xle assembly is somehow defective or minutely unbalanced, but it would be ridiculously costly to do changeouts based on that slim possibility.
[quote=dingbat]subman=
This sounds like driveshaft design #3. Since #2 didn't solve the problem maybe this one will. Keep us posted.
Can anyone verify that this is in fact a newer design??????[/Q
Okay, this should have a simple answer. Who has had their truck on a lift and stood under it and had someone put it in and out of gear and listened?
I have not done this yet. I will be doing it soon.
I was parked, started it, dropped the windows, then put it in gear. TINK! Opened the driver door and shifted several times and I can swear the sound is coming from the tranny area. Try it and listen.
What if the dealers are just replacing the drive shaft because we are saying the sound is coming from there. They hear the sound and assume the same thing.
JimG what are your thoughts oh technical guru, this cannot have you stumped.
I am on my third driveshaft. Just before each replacement I could put the SSR in gear with my foot on the brake and slowly push the gas pedal down. I could make the tink noise 4 to 5 times on the way up and down as the torque is applied and released. Replace the driveshaft and the noise is gone....for a while at least.
Try it. I gets louder as you get more miles on the driveshaft.
Opened the driver door and shifted several times and I can swear the sound is coming from the tranny area. Try it and listen.
Try this