Just fixed driveline vibration!!!For free!

My driveline shop (Dan's) fixed me up with a 96? ford splash(ranger) carrier bearing.
Its bonded all together, not 3 pieces like oem and has same ID as oem.
Maybe I should get pics of it.

 

Does that work well for you? No vibes? Does it affect your clearance at all?

 

When the carrier bearing "went" on my '95 Ranger with about 80k on it. It had to be flat bedded to the shop. But the replacement is still going and it went to its third owner in the spring 200k+.

 

I fixed mine today finally! Got a ne double cardon one piece DS from six states driveline and its soo nice and smooth. the new DS is lighter and has stronger none serviceable u-joints.

 

How much?

 

got any pics of that?

 

Here are some Pics of the Ford CB

 

Does anyone know the torque spec for the Carrier Bearing/Center Support Bearing bolts?

 

Not really sure, I'd say in the 5o ftlb. range you'd be safe (personally I don't use a torque wrench on those just snug them down tight)

 

Thought I would chime in and share how I fixed my driveline vibrations. I have a 2013 tacoma dcsb TRD off-road v6 no lift. I have been battling this since the day I bought it. I have had the truck in at every oil change and pushed for a fix. Sometimes they would try to fix it and others they would jut say its a characteristic of the truck. So finally they issued the new tsb and I asked that a tech ride with me and feel what I had going on. I also had the driveline clunk. He acknowledged the issues. Over the next week I had the truck in several times for a new driveshaft, steering wheel damper, motor mounts, trans mount, and new leaf springs with a 3 degree shim. Went from a 3 leaf pack to 4. When I got it back the clunk was gone and the take off vibration was gone! Victory! I could gun it and no vibration at all. But my excitement was short lived. I immediately noticed that once I hit the breaks and the trans downshifted, I had terrible vibrations! I traded takeoff vibration for deceleration vibration. Knowing that the dealership was tired of dealing with me and I was a few hundred miles from being out of warranty I knew I was not going I get anywhere with them. So I decided to remove the shim and see what would happen. Without the shim the take off vibes were back but not as bad as before. So I did some measurements an determined that they read the tsb chart wrong and over shimmed it. I got 2 degree shims from advanced auto and tried them. All vibes gone! Final angles: TC 0, 1st shaft 4.0, second shaft 4.0 and pinion -0.2. Despite the above shaft angles, the two shafts are not perfectly aligned, my carrier bearing mount is not centered, it is off about a degree to the passenger side so the center u joint will still get lubed.

 

Okay so I installed my lift on my 2015 DCSB 4x4 TRD OR last weekend and have been dealing with the take-off vibes to varying degrees between 0-25mph.

FR: 2.5" ToyTec Coil + 0.5" ToyTec top-plate spacers w/ 5100's set to 0.0"
RR: 2.0AAL in the rear

Just measured my angles with two different iPhone angle finder apps to ensure repeatability:

Transfer case to 1st shaft: 3.1deg
1st shaft to 2nd shaft: 1.6deg
Diff Input Angle: 4.5deg

The obvious problem is a large diff input angle, however the position of the diff is only off by <1deg from the TC output. I've seen some literature on this thread saying that that is a good thing. Does this mean I should alleviate the large diff input angle through CB dropping, rather than axle shims?

In another thread I mentioned how my 2015 came with a rear axle shim from the factory, however the narrow end is facing rearward, which makes for a larger, non-ideal diff input angle:


I have an OME carrier bearing drop kit being delivered today. My plan is to install it and note any differences. Then flip the CB 180 and note any differences.

If my vibes aren't cured by then, I'm wondering if my next step should be to rotate the factory shims around. I don't know what angle they are, but lets conservatively assume it is 1.5deg, simply spinning it around would result in a 3deg difference in diff input angle, correct?

 

Report back with the cb drop as I have been considering that for a while, tho I dont really have any driveline vibes.

Did you get any documentation about the reason for the shimes from the factory? I ask bc I nor most everyone I know who recently got one of these trucks did have any shimming from the factory. Curious as to what they were trying to achieve with the shimming.

Perhaps consider removing the shims, that will bring the axle up by the amt of the shims, might see more benefit from that over reversing them.

 

Humour me here , can you take a pucture of the front end of your leaf springs

 

Not exactly sure what all you wanted in the shot but here are a few

 

So the CB drop definitely didn't hurt, I'd say there were a slight reduction in the 0-25mph vibes, maybe 25% at best, hoping its not just the placebo effect. It's made it tolerable enough for now.

I wan't given any documentation regarding the factory shims. It definitely happened at the plant and not the dealer, because I watched my truck come off the hauler and took delivery shortly after. Also the shims were painted together with the assembled OEM leaf pack, I noticed this during the AAL install.

I've ordered the digital protractor from Amazon that OP used, when it comes in I'll take some better measurements and probably order the ToyTec 3deg shims as well.

 

FYI , many people have added washers to the cb drop block or gone just with washers instead of the block to fine tune the amount of drop to get rid of the vibes . Just make sure if you are adding that you still have sufficient threads left engaging the bolts for the CB

 

the driveline vibration stems from the week center carrier bearing rubber. Any angle at the center carrier bearing by nature of a u joint creates an oscillation. Due to the weak rubber this oscillation is felt as the drive shaft moves around in that carrier bearing. This is why the CB drop blocks or washers help as it gets that angle closer to zero.

This was confirmed when i had an almost perfect driveline angle setup. That is, output at the transfer case (1st u joint) at 1.2*. Then center and pinion at an opposing 5*. This falls completely within spec for the rpms of the u joints as well as proper driveline angles and phasing. (you can properly phase the center and rear joints at opposing angles, or the front and center joint at opposing angles. YOU CAN NOT properly phase the driveline by having the center carrier at 0 and front and rear joints opposing and opposite angles, phasing is off by 90*). With that setup i had some of the smoothest driveline i have ever felt in my truck at cruising speeds. BUT due to the rather large angle at the center joint, oscillation within the rubber of the CB was SO BAD during the 15-25mph range that the driveshaft would actually hit the cross member that held it in place at the cb! This was due to the extra angle at the center joint amplifying the oscillation .

Outside of that the other vibrations will stem from incorrect phasing of the driveshaft assembly with the center u joint at 0, but this will be higher frequency much smaller vibes compared to the big thumping oscillation vibes of the center carrier.

When i get some time im going to fill the rubber part of my CB with some permatex ultra black to stiffen up the rubber, I bet it solves alot of the issues.

I have spent HOURS playing with shims at the axle and CB, measuring angles etc. Getting the front and rear joints close in opposing angle and the center close to zero seems to be the best... although not nearly a proper setup its the best you can do outside of changing out the weak stock CB for something that much stiffer/ hard mounted then rephasing one of the end joints 90* (by either the slip joint on the 4x4's or the center splined u joint mount... both of which im not sure can even be moved 90* in rotation due to indexing marks).

 

Are these vibes detrimental to any part of the driveline or total system of our tacos? I have noticed minimal vibing at take off... just wondering if its a real issue, or something one can live with.

 

I'm going to take a shot(under $20) & add a set of "leaf spring clamps" on my springs about 4-6" in front of the rear axle. The idea came out of a "Nissan titan" forum, but solved my Silverado's clunk 100% on start/stops(due to axle wrap I believe). If nothing else, it will stiffen up the rear suspension which I won't mind at all...

 

How bad are these vibrations you guys are experimenting?