Driveshaft

Driveshaft

CAUTION: All driveshaft assemblies are balanced. If undercoating the vehicle, protect the driveshaft to prevent overspray of any undercoating material.

The driveshaft is a 2-piece design. A single center U-joint and a slip yoke connect the driveshaft assemblies. The front and rear shafts are separable at the slip yoke. It is imperative to index-mark the assemblies before separation to prevent an imbalance condition. The driveshaft uses flex couplings at each end of the shaft that take the place of traditional U-joints. The driveshaft has alignment bushings at each end of the shaft. These bushings align the driveshaft with the pilot stems on the transmission output shaft and the axle drive pinion stem. Only remove the flex couplings from the driveshaft if it is necessary to install new flex couplings/alignment bushings. Always install a new alignment bushing and flex coupling as a pair.

The driveshaft has traditional balance weights attached (spot-welded) by the manufacturer. The final driveshaft balance occurs, with the complete drivetrain assembly at vehicle assembly, by attaching weighted color-coded nuts to the axle flex coupling bolts. For this reason, the rear flex coupling bolts are longer than the front transmission flex coupling bolts. Always install the driveshaft flex coupling bolts with the head of the bolt seated against the flange, and the nuts seated against the flex coupling.