Driveshaft out of spec

[Watty]

Guys,

The driveshaft in my 98 SJ seems to be quite out of spec on the coupler end to the point where I can see it moving up and down when I turn it by hand.

Although I haven't really noticed any adverse effects (vibration, etc) I'd like to know what's involved in rectumfying this problem?

The way I look at it, I have 2 options, see if the shaft can be trued, or replace the thing, the latter being a price I'm not looking forward to!

I know there's give in the coupler dampener, but I'm sure I'm not doing myself any favours by leaving it as is.

Any insights would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Leigh

 

[Sanford]

Roll it on a thick piece of glass and eyeball it from the edge, if it does wobble, don't use it. Continued use will cause rapid wear on the short-shaft splines (mid housing), thus increasing your overall mula output. If the bend is pretty bad it will also cause the mid housing seals to leak (more mula).

Truing a driveshaft would require lots of heat and some sort of rolling jig (like use for crank truing). If heat is used you will then need to have the shaft hardend again. All of these steps may cost as much as finding a replacement. Mint used driveshafts run between $80 to $125. If you buy used make sure you inspect the splines or ask for a macro picture before you buy.