update on the front drive shaft.

The other thread was getting to long .

Well here is an update on the front drive shaft vibration.
and what i have learned. so far no bearing. the shaft is a metric
size. so far cant find one. thats a good fit.

So i took it all apart to investigate. here is what i found.
the front of the shaft has a spring on the yoke forceing it into
the yoke on the rear. Well that seems to be alot of the problem.
see the front diff is solid. the motor side vibrates cause of motor
mounts. So shouldn't the spring absorbe some of this vibrations.
YES , if it was in the rear and not the front......
Yamaha has it in the front . where it does no good.
I called Yamaha and ask if it mattered witch way it was. thay said no.
And thought i had a great idea.. So while i had the shaft out.
i greased the crap out of both U joints and put grease in the yokes
to create a hydraulic effect. and put the shaft in with the spring loaded
side to the motor not the diff.

I drove it all after noon. and it is 90% better.
i wont say it took every little noise out. but about
90% is gone. it is so much nicer. right now i can live with it.
just wanted to let yall know what i came up with.

I am happy now...... :D

Did all seem right with this switch-a-roo on how everything mated up? Any doubts?

DirtDawber wrote:

Did all seem right with this switch-a-roo on how everything mated up? Any doubts?

Nope everything when to gether slick as a button...
just make sure the yokes are lined up the same way when you put the
shaft back in. and it was ok ed by yamaha. so no warrenty issue.
it is a great difference. probebly not as good as haveing a midshaft bearing.
but like i said 90% improvement..... :D

So maybe it is supposed to go that way and some guy put it on wrong when he built it?

GunRunner wrote:

So maybe it is supposed to go that way and some guy put it on wrong when he built it?

No Gunny , i went to the yamaha parts place on the net.
it shows the sping in the front not the rear.
Yamaha needs to rethink it a bit.
I looked at everything very careful.
i see nothing it can hurt doing the way i did it.
and yamaha agreed......

so thats the way i am leaving it.
it works great. if i break something.
I will get Bobby D to pull me back to the truck
with my Po Po tow strap.....

im afraid id get this all apart then forget how it goes back together

moto92 wrote:

im afraid id get this all apart then forget how it goes back together

No its simple. pull the three bolts out of the front diff. pull it foward.
remove shaft. turn it around. and put it back in , the put bolts back in the front diff
and tighten them. and your done....

Chris, maybe some pics would have been nice........hint,hint. So maybe you better tear it down again and post the pics step by step for the rest of us

Airborne LT wrote:

Chris, maybe some pics would have been nice........hint,hint. So maybe you better tear it down again and post the pics step by step for the rest of us

LT , your in the Army. this is easy for you.
there is only 3 bolts in the front diff. take them out.
grab both front CV axels from the from pull. it will move 3 inches forward.
shaft will slide out of front yoke. then pull the shaft forward and it will come out the back.
take the cup holder out of the floor. its the tunnel. it has 4 philips head screws. pull it off.
there you see the shaft. pull it out through the floor . Flip it over. make sure the spring is
faceing the rear now. put it back in . slide back in the diff. put 3 bolts back in the diff.
put plastic cover back on the floor put 4 screws back in , and go ride.....

While you have shaft out. turn yokes to the side and grease U joints with regular grease
gun.....

its so dam simple . took me about a hafe an hour.....

I will do that. Just remind me of the steps come January.....

Very good Chris. Now get over on RF.net and help them boys out. they got a thread on it over there.

wvyankee2 wrote:

Very good Chris. Now get over on RF.net and help them boys out. they got a thread on it over there.

Marty , i would but them guys think thay know everything.
and thay will just argue with you. i may try it. but its
not easy to talk to the sand box.....

i tried to see if my front driveshaft rattled when i had it apart to grease it and nothin not in 2wd not in 4wd but i didnt drive it just in N

I was playing around with the vibration while in 4X4. Agree that it is coming from the front drive shaft. Looking back at when I worked for Ford. It looks like the engine's harmonic vibrations are being transmitted to the front diff through the front driveshaft while in 4X4. Mine does it while in 4X4 under slight load at certain RPMS. I think a center support may reduce it as the vibrations would be transmitted to the frame. If there were a harmonic balancer/damper on the shaft I feel would be the best fix; short of fixing the problem inside the Engine/Transmission Assy. where it is originating. Ford has done this fix on several vehicles, from the Tempo to the Explorer. Another soloution may be would be to mount the front diff in rubber insulators like the engine. Would like to know why some do it and some don't. Everyone I have driven has done it to some degree.

I'll have to agree with the Yank on this one, no vibes at all on mine either, and I've ran mine 50mph in 4wd, course I've ran it 61 too, the shafts still spinning. My main rattles were the CVT ducting that goes over the top of the CVT cover. One rather large 1/4 inch wide zip-tie fixed that.
Then the heat-shield under the bed, little trimming, fixed that. I've got one more, that I just cannot find, It's a harmonic rattle just off idle, I can't gas it and run it down by-myself, I need a helper....But I did pull out my ole shaft and greased it the Chris way,(did I say that??)) I ordered the nipple from Grainger, but got bored before it got here.

But, did you rub it after greasing it?

Pate, forgot to ask. Did you switch the ends like Chris?

No sir did not...The spring is # 51. Couldn't see a reason to. To me anyway, it would do the same thing on either end. Maybe the 700's is a little different. I know what Chris is thinking, the motor moves more than the diff, it can't move, so dampening the driveshaft at the motor would make more sense.

10-4. I mentioned in the other thread that I felt a vib in ours for the first time at Bell Co., but it only did it in 4wd. Coulda been somethin' 'sides the shaft tho'.

Pate you are correct.....

it helped mine alot. so i am happy with it.....

since you had it out you should of flipped it.
it would be quiter.

quietER - is a relative term.