Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 11:18:24 -0700
Reply-To: Steve <sxs@CONCENTRIC.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steve <sxs@CONCENTRIC.NET>
Subject: Re: Problems with the u-joints of the driveshaft
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Rainer:
There have been about half-a-dozen people on the list who have tried to
re-build their driveshaft by replacing u-joints. All who have reported back
(3, to my memory) had the same result as your friend. the seem to get the
right u-joint, they seem to get it balanced properly by competent people,
and all seems fine when they reinstall it....but fairly soon thereafter, the
vibrations return. I know one guy in Conn. (Tim) had the shop re-do
everything 3 times, trying digfferent joints, experimenting with shims,
etc., all to no avail Budd Premak had the same problem.
Two others on the list recently reported having replaced u-joints and
re-balanced, and i mentioned to one the history above....but they have not
reported back on the results.
I thought you might be interested in this background info. Sorry i can't
help with the techinal info you seek.
steve
p.s. will you guys who recently rebuild your drive shafts let us know how
they are holding up.
"Dr. Rainer Woitok" wrote:
> Syncronauts,
>
> recently another German Syncro driver contacted me because he's
> permanently having problems with his drive shaft. The viscous coupling
> was replaced due to the grooves where the input shaft enters being
> totally worn out. Later he observed severe vibrations which he traced
> back to the drive shaft. He removed it and took it to a special shop
> for balancing. After putting the drive shaft back in everything seemed
> normal for a few weeks, but then the vibrations were back. Currently
> he's driving with the drive shaft removed.
>
> Some months ago we had a discussion on this list about universal joints,
> and I faintly remember that at least one person mentioned that when you
> mount the u-joints onto a shaft the wrong way you're into trouble due to
> the different rotational speeds occuring at the different ends of the
> shaft at different times and thus placing severe stress on the material.
>
> I've never yet disassembled my drive shaft, so my question here is: can
> one mount the u-joints on a Syncro's drive shaft the wrong way? And
> what has a Syncro's drive shaft with correctly mounted u-joints to look
> like? And could a wrongly assembled drive shaft cause these vibrations?
> Or should he check for other causes? Which ones?
>
> Any input will be greatly appreciated and passed on to the owner of said
> castrated Syncro :-)
>
> Sincerely
> Rainer
>
> '89 Caravelle GL Syncro 16"
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> | Rainer M Woitok | Phone: (+49-9131) 85-27811,-27031 |
> | Regionales Rechenzentrum | |
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> | Germany | Mail: Woitok@RRZE.Uni-Erlangen.DE |
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