Raptor Driveshaft

2014RubyRed said:

Not that 'lucky' is an applicable word here, but you're lucky it was a front u-joint while you weren't flying down the road at 100 mph. A rear joint breaking doing what you were doing might have caused a hell of a lot more damage as well.

I would stay away from cf, as they won't hold up very well off road. There are aftermarket driveshafts out there that will be better than stock though.

Good luck!!!

Click to expand...

lobird91 said:

After seeing the damage that had already been done other than actually replacing it before it broke, I couldn't really ask for a better outcome. Nothing is broken but the driveshaft and we all made it home safe.

Click to expand...

RaptorEnthusiast said:

I admittedly do not know much about car mechanics so here goes a dumb question:

A truck is still driveable with a broken shaft?

Click to expand...

SilentShooter said:

In a 4wd truck id your rear shaft is off you can put it in 4wd and let the front do the work

Click to expand...

RaptorEnthusiast said:

Thanks. I always thought of the driveshaft playing a vital role in a vehicle's drivability. Learn something new everyday

David

Click to expand...

Dane said:

Well it does! But if you have 4WD, you have two driveshafts - one per axle. So if you only have a 2WD vehicle, you're definitely hosed. However in a 4WD, assuming you get the shaft out of the way either by properly destroying it to where it falls out, or removing it, you now have a front wheel drive vehicle (when you are in 4WD).

I've personally driven my jeep home like this when my rear drive shaft exploded all over Highway 285 in Colorado. I've also drive the same jeep out of Poison Spider in Moab after shearing a rear pinion (and then removing the rear driveshaft).

In a pinch, it'll do! Poke your head under there - it should make sense pretty quickly.

Click to expand...

RaptorEnthusiast said:

Ok so how can a shaft get destroyed? I never off-road and strictly pavement queen. Is that still a remote possibility?

Click to expand...

Dane said:

Sure is! Mine self destructed on the highway AFTER a wheeling trip. Never figured out exactly why since the carnage wasn't really salvageable, but I suspect the u-joint went out, and it's kind of a chain reaction from there. Luckily it didn't pole vault on me and tear my rear end out.

What I mean by that, picture just the front part of the driveshaft coming free and falling into the pavement at freeway speed while still connected to the rear axle - pole vault.

In the OP's example, it sounds like he was goosing it on pavement and it was just too much. In fact, I'd almost wager that it'd be easier to blow one ON pavement due to the increased traction of asphalt. Your tires are more likely to spin on dirt, releasing that torque. Of course, it can be done off-road too. In some sense, blowing the u-joints is almost a best case scenario since they are cheap and easy to replace. There's always a weak point somewhere.

Click to expand...

Dane said:

assuming you get the shaft out of the way either by properly destroying it to where it falls out.

Click to expand...