Driveshaft Rock Damage - when to replace

Hey all,

I was out doing some light wheeling today and lost traction going a bit off-camber over a large rock. I ended up sliding off it and the driveshaft landed directly on top of the rock, making first contact after the tire slippage. I was barely moving when it happened so there wasn't a lot of force at play, but wound up resting driveshaft to rock when I came to rest. I backed up a bit to see if I could renegotiate the obstacle, which is when I realized what had happened.

Anyway, I got some nice scars on the driveline from reversing, as well as a pretty good dent on the side of the thing from the first impact. It drove home the ~45 miles home just fine with no shuddering from the rear end or anything like that, that but I'm wondering if I should be worried in the short or long term about driveshaft damage. Should I replace immediately? Will it be fine for another 200k miles? Do I need to obsessively check the carrier bushings from here on out? What gives?!

Curious what your all's advice is. Only thing searching got me was how to replace it, not much about when to replace it.

Thanks in advance, you glorious folks, you.

 

Paint...

 

As long as the driveshaft is true, and is not wobbling, shuddering, or causing vibrations, it a trip to the hardware store for some black paint.

 

I don’t have much to contribute other than if you have no driveline vibrations I think you're good. It’s a good idea to carry a spare out on the trails though for peace of mind.

 

Based on the pics, the damage isn’t that bad. If you’re concerned, take it to a local driveline shop and have them balance it. You say it drives fine without any noticeable vibrations or shuddering, so most likely you didn’t do any serious damage.

 

Cool. So I'm in the market for a black sharpie now.

Thanks for the peace of mind, yo. I might pick up an aftermarket spare for trails... just in case.

 

@Naveronski has experience with this, he can tell you how much is too much.

 

If all you do is fire roads, you’d be ok. But once you involve rocks, a spare is always a great idea. A long with a space CV. You might never need it, but it’s cheaper than a tow truck the day you do need it.

 

Paint and check the balance!

 

Ehhh, I do a bit more than fire roads I've got plenty of scrapes on the skids and sliders by now, and just looking not to get stranded.

I'm coming from a Nissan, with which I carried a spare just about everything. Haven't had any major issues with the Taco yet (46k hard miles and counting) so wondering what I should stock up on for when the stuff hits the fan.

Thanks!

 

That's nothing, you should see some of the drive shafts I rock rashed and drove on them for years. Just paint that shit.

 

Some jackass is gonna jump in here and say it, so I might as well say it first.

Square tube it bro!

 

Haha.. I think a spare CV and drive shaft is a good start.

 

Perfectly balanced.

As all things should be.

 

If he’s saying there’s no vibration or anything feeling different, he’s probably fine.
Eventually, if it’s not balanced, he’ll trash his carrier bearing or u-joints.

...but those usually wear out anyway, so meh.

 

Dude. No vibes, no problem. Battle scar. You did good.

'Tis but a scratch.

 

First time you get on a ledge and bounce the tires and load up that shaft it will turn into a pretzel. A good driveline ship could build you a better stronger one for not too much money. Smaller diameter and thicker wall is a good thing.