Carrier, U-joint, improper assembly, or ALL THREE???

[rjz5400]

SO i bought a car in my sig from a buddy, old roomate actually, and was told it had a vibration and it needed a Flex Plate. No big deal i thouhgt and i ordered it after noticing the vibration myself and buying the car.

No hard feelings i knew it was what his transmission guy told him and it sounded reasonable enough. Here is what I have done in order IIRC

1. drive it around and pretend it didn't bother me so bad
2. get it up on ramps and check out the flex plates. Both looked good, not one crack and words facing front, appear original but it fine shape.
3. drive around and slap it in neutral at speed to see if it was engine related, it wasn't. It doesn't change with load, rpms, turning, or braking just controlled by speed. (worst at about 26-40mph)
4. got it back up on jacks and greased the U-joint a little to see if it smoothed out any, Possibly some slight change but not really just hopeful I think.
5. Got it back up on ramps to look for the alignment marks. Found out that even though they are 180degrees apart, it may not matter as my car vin plate says 7/82 one month before they started using the two hashes and the tic on the flat spot.
6. went ahead and pulled the exhaust, and the driveshaft out of the car, well the back half and the carrier. I left the front half attached to the tranny.

so that is where i am at. The U-joint is free but it has a tick like it wants to stay right where it is, it clicks each way (up and down or left and right) but it is not locked, nor do any of the bearings or caps looked cracked or worn out.

The carrier bearing seemed to make some pops when turning it suspended while the shafts were attached but then coming out to the ground it just spins without terrible noise Albeit slowly. the bushing surrounding it does have a crack at the bottom and i was able to push pull it up and down maybe an inch while it was all still bolted up under the car. I thought it was supposed to be pretty stiff but the rubber seemed really compliant and i could lift and lower the entire driveshaft with one hand and see the movement.


There were disassembly marks from a scratching it looked like, I marked those also and they were way out from the Mercedes marks, but then again they may not have been balanced there.


Questions
1. Carrier bearing definitely bad with that much play in it? (Methinks SO)
2. U-Joint, how do you know when it is too bad to leave in there? total failure and explosion? I am willing to grind, press, and stake or weld myself here at home. (i have the technology)
3. Flex disks look great, i think i will just hold onto the brand new one i just bought as a spare and use lock-tight on the bolts when i reassemble, Sound OK to everybody?
4. Should i reuse the original, to me, marks? or should i re-clock the driveshaft to the V and Tick marks that may or may not be right? ( i am thinking carrier bearing and OG marks, then try the second ones if it is no better)

[sixto]

I don't see a sig.

Sixto
87 300D

[rjz5400]

Me either, I'll have to get back to my computer, maybe it will show on this new post

[moon161]

I'll presume it's the most common car on the DD, W123 300D.

I had loud speed specific vibration, 82 240D. Would grow louder from say 10-25 mph when it would spin stabilize. replaced axles w/ torn boots, nope not it. Pulled motor & driveline, carrier trashed, also have the 3 position u joint, w/ no slop. Replaced carrier, bearing & motor, noise gone.

[rjz5400]

I bought a parts car today and had a nice chat with the seller (race car builder) about my driveshaft, he says that U-joints are absolutely not supposed to have that clicking into place at any spot at all, i felt his joint and it was smooth, like really smooth in operation. I already ordered a carrier bearing with mount so i guess ill be trying to grind out and press in a new U-joint also.

I am hoping that takes care of it.

I will post back results (now where was that thread on the ford fair lane U-joint thingy)

[moon161]

Vice works best to assemble the bearing into the carrier. Lube it up, squeeze it together.

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by rjz5400

I bought a parts car today and had a nice chat with the seller (race car builder) about my driveshaft, he says that U-joints are absolutely not supposed to have that clicking into place at any spot at all, i felt his joint and it was smooth, like really smooth in operation. I already ordered a carrier bearing with mount so i guess ill be trying to grind out and press in a new U-joint also.

I am hoping that takes care of it.

I will post back results (now where was that thread on the ford fair lane U-joint thingy)

DIY Repair Links
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/forumdisplay.php?f=82

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/DoItYourSelf

U-Joint 2005
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=124491&highlight=U-joint
Tightening Drive Shaft Collar Nut 2011 post #40
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=2575372&highlight=U-joint#post2575372

When you get the U-joint you need to find out the spacing of the Bearings from the Center of the U-joint. Each company may be different.
I am not entirely certain the info I found after installing the U-joints was correct and I am not sure where I saved the souce of that information to.
My U-joint Repair thread 2011
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=293976
My Benz World post with all of the U-joint sources.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td/1581728-another-u-joint-driveshaft-thread.html#post4677977

[rjz5400]

thank you so much diesel911, I found your section on the DIY within that thread and I already ordered the exact same u-joint you used from some performance place.

I am going to follow the post and i will read through all the linked threads here. Just for posterity I called Driveline of portland and it looks like they do real quality work, new everything, proper balancing and have some available. Although the guy told me they don't actually do it, they send it out to another company who does all their BMW and Mercedes driveshafts, he wouldn't tell me who that was.

I ordered GN or G/N i cant remember 9004100031


I dont think i could do a better job of writing it up than you did but i will keep this thread posted on how it goes and if i find any surprises, when this bad boy goes up i hope to not have to worry about it or drop it again for a LOOOOOoooooong time.


I am using the downtime to tune it up and swap the exhaust for one without the H pipe but a through resonator.

[rjz5400]

Originally Posted by moon161

Vice works best to assemble the bearing into the carrier. Lube it up, squeeze it together.

I believe the one i ordered from a competitor's website Au*#^()AZ is already installed in the carrier, thanks for the tip and if I do need to I will use my Harbor freight vise and some wheel bearing grease to get it in there.

[rjz5400]

In case anyone cares,
I have decided to do all three, the carrier bearing (now removed came off very easily) the U-joint (also already removed ad sanded the stakes smooth, awaiting new joint) and adjust the balance with the marks.

I found an identically aged scratch mark on the yoke, i don't know why but it looks like someone made marks then put it back in a different spot. I will try there first (where the handmade marks are) then the Mercedes Factory marks (even though it is from 7/82) and if that doesn't work ill try the hose clam balancing method.


parts are all in the mail and I spent considerably less that the $374 i was quoted from drivelines. no lets see how well it holds up and more importantly if it fixes my shimmy.

[rjz5400]

ANyone have luck locating that U joint locally? any ideas where to search?

I just emailed the parts supplier, it has been no tracking info and no item for a week. I am getting pretty unsatisfied. I didnt even get free shipping was like 10$ for a little U-joint.

Rant over

I dont think mercedes stocks the joint but what about another dealership or parts house like NAPA. any secrets to finding what i need guys???


will update when something changes.

[Diesel911]

When I was looking for U-joints I could not find it on the NAPA Online site. However, at that time I did not have any sort of part number. It could be with the Number they can cross reference something. Also the Guys at the Counter may know local places that supply stuff NAPA does not carry.

If you get a different companies U-jount you are going to need to research the installed spacing of the Bearing Caps.

As far as ********az goes I have always filled out my order to get the free shipping with other things I know I will need l Oil Filters, Valve Cover Gaskets, Fuel Injector Return line, Glow Plugs and so on.

[winmutt]

FWIW, tighten the DS nut with the the wheels on the ground.

[rjz5400]

I have made three orders from A U T O H aaaa in the last week, i am a little bit over it, i have filters and orings for quite some time.

I checked online and made a bunch of phone calls to all the best shops around, none of them locally could get anything. Peach parts can have it here tuesday for like 31$ or ebay for 23 but no estimate on shipping. They are way closer to me though from ebay.

waiting one more day for the OG seller to come through but so far no response to my last 4 emails and no tracking number or shipping confirmation yet.


Good news is everything else is pretty much put back together, just going to weld up an exhaust and ill be GTG I think.

update!! Just checked my email and got a tracking number. it left yesterday a full week after i [paid for it. it should be here in one business day. If they run saturday it will be soon if not will be monday. Sweeeet.
I cant believe these bums at DISCOUNT PERFORMANCE AUTO...... Worst customer support, Super slow shipping time. UnBELievABLE anyway...... get what you pay for I guess.

[rjz5400]

Well it finally came, i got the GMB 2207284

and the package and packing slip had two different company names, niether was the company i ordered from.

Copied the spacing from the thread by 911 "help my driveshaft is staked....."

so i am ready to go, hopefully. Will post back.